Quick Takes on Reigns vs. Uso, AEW Title Tourney, McIntyre as WWE Champ, More

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso was the biggest talking point among WWE fans coming out of Clash of Champions on Sept. 27, so it should come as no surprise that they are scheduled to resume hostilities at Hell in a Cell later in October.

This time, however, Reigns has promised that the stakes will be higher than ever before. What that entails is anyone's guess, but the build to the bout will undoubtedly continue to carry SmackDown in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, exciting things are also brewing over in All Elite Wrestling, specifically surrounding the AEW World Championship picture. In addition to Jon Moxley defending his title against Lance Archer at the Dynamite's one-year anniversary show, an eight-man tournament will be held leading up to Full Gear to determine the champion's opponent at the event.

Regardless of who emerges as the No. 1 contender to the title, there's a decent chance Moxley will soundly defeat them as well. It remains to be seen whether the same can be said for WWE champion Drew McIntyre, whose title reign could be in jeopardy of ending at Hell in a Cell at the hands of Randy Orton.

This week's installment of Quick Takes will look at Reigns and Uso catching lightning in a bottle, whether Adam Cole is about to turn on Kyle O'Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31, Cody colliding with Brodie Lee in a rematch for the AEW TNT Championship and more.

What 'High Stakes' Does Roman Reigns Have in Mind for Match with Jey Uso?

The Triple Threat Ladder match that opened the show at Clash of Champions was nothing short of a spectacle from an in-ring standpoint, but the best bout from a storytelling standpoint was Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso.

Their Universal Championship clash was beautifully crafted and saw both guys emerge better placed than they were going into it. Thankfully, their program isn't over, and Uso will get one more opportunity at the top title at Hell in a Cell on October 25.

The outcome won't be in doubt, but Reigns' promise that the stakes will be higher than he could imagine got fans intrigued again. It could prove to be something trivial that WWE blew out of proportion to attract fans' attention, but it would be smart to run with this and use it as the catalyst for a faction.

If Uso loses again, instead of retiring or leaving SmackDown, he should be forced to join Reigns and refer to him as the rightful Tribal Chief. He and Jimmy wouldn't be receptive to the idea at first, but over time, they could warm to it and eventually become full-fledged villains alongside Reigns.

Such a faction must be the endgame of this angle because it would make Reigns an even more incredible heel than he already is. The possibilities are limitless for the type of havoc that trio could wreak together.

Predicting a Potential Winner of AEW's No. 1 Contender Title Tourney

It was announced in the middle of Wednesday's edition of AEW Dynamite that an eight-man tournament will be held in the coming weeks, with the winner earning a shot at the AEW World Championship. It wasn't said when the title match would take place, but with the final set for Full Gear in early November, it would make sense for the victor to get their golden opportunity that same evening.

The only three names confirmed are Rey Fenix, Jungle Boy and Kenny Omega. Not only is Omega the clear favorite among those three to win, but he's also arguably the best option of everyone to be getting the next shot at the strap.

After all, he's fresh off his tag team run with Adam Page and has stated that he's ready to reclaim his spot as AEW's top dog. The most efficient way of doing that would be annihilating everyone in the tourney—including Hangman in the final—and capturing the championship from Jon Moxley.

It was at Full Gear in 2019 when Moxley and Omega went to war in a Lights Out match, and the former was deemed the winner. It would be logical for Omega to get back that win by turning heel and cheating to claim the gold, putting Moxley and Page in chase mode through the remainder of the year.

Darby Allin, Ricky Starks, Brian Cage and stars of that ilk are bound to be among the combatants in this tourney. Still, expect Omega to go all the way and become the one who ends Moxley's lengthy reign as AEW world champion.

Is Adam Cole Plotting a Betrayal of Kyle O'Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31?

On the latest edition of NXT, there was a heavy focus on Kyle O'Reilly's upcoming opportunity at the NXT Championship at TakeOver 31—and rightfully so. The brand went above and beyond in trying to make him out to be a threat to the title despite only recently getting his break as a singles star.

That included Adam Cole playing up on TV how O'Reilly has long deserved this opportunity and that the championship is his to win Sunday night. He was almost too over the top to the point fans are speculating whether he will cost his friend the championship at TakeOver.

It would be the most logical path to take, as it would create a new feud outside of the NXT title picture, but it may not necessary be the best move.

WWE has a tendency to formally break up all of its tag teams and factions. However, Undisputed Era sticking together for the long haul would be a pleasant surprise.

It's possible for O'Reilly and Cole to exist on the same show as babyfaces without one betraying the other. Plus, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish can continue portraying heels if that's what the tag team division needs.

Finn Balor retaining his title against O'Reilly is virtually a given, but how it's handled will be interesting. Although they have been down in NXT for some time, there is more money to be made with Undisputed Era as a unit on the main roster, which is why Cole betraying O'Reilly as soon as Sunday would be premature.

Why Cody Regaining the AEW TNT Championship Might Be for the Best

After a monthlong absence, Cody is back on AEW Dynamite and has wasted no time in targeting AEW TNT champion Brodie Lee and The Dark Order.

In fact, the highly anticipated rematch between Cody and Lee has already been set for Wednesday's Dynamite. It will be a Dog Collar match, and the AEW TNT Championship will be on the line.

As exciting as that has the potential to be, AEW's decision to do it Wednesday as opposed to on the anniversary show Oct. 14 or even at the Full Gear pay-per-view is interesting. That could indicate that the company has other plans for both men on those shows or that Full Gear will feature a rubber match.

Either way, Cody regaining the gold would be for the best.

The American Nightmare was firing on all cylinders with his weekly open challenges, whereas the effort from AEW to make Dark Order an unstoppable force has fallen flat. Rather, they have lost a majority of the important matches they have had lately, and Lee holding on to the title for any longer doesn't accomplish anything.

If Cody regains the belt, there's a stronger chance he continues to tease a heel turn—as he was prior to his hiatus. Furthermore, Lee can be effective in other roles on Dynamite that don't involve him holding the TNT title hostage.

Drew McIntyre May Well Reign as WWE Champion Through the End of 2020

This coming week will mark six months since Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. All things considered, he's had a heck of a reign and has thrived as champion.

Unfortunately, his never-ending rivalry with Randy Orton will likely continue at Hell in a Cell when they meet again for the WWE Championship. Orton was heavily favored the first two times they faced off, so all signs point to him finally taking the title from McIntyre on October 25.

If he does successfully retain again against Orton, then it's safe to say McIntyre could be holding on to the gold for the remainder of 2020 and maybe even until WrestleMania 37.

That's largely because there aren't many top heels on Raw beyond Orton who McIntyre hasn't already beaten. The WWE draft is bound to change that. Even still, he's done so well as champion that isn't imperative for him to drop the strap any time soon.

Aleister Black could be in line for a title opportunity down the road, but he lacks credibility and isn't ready for such a spot. No other heels on Raw would make sense to feud with McIntyre beyond Hell in a Cell, meaning his dominant reign as champ could be far from over.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.