WWE Rumor Roundup - Reason why Roman Reigns became a Paul Heyman guy, Possible opponent for Triple H, Superstar removed from RAW faction and more - 29 August 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of our daily WWE Rumor Roundup. The go-home episode of SmackDown for Payback ended with one of the biggest developments of the year as Roman Reigns aligned with Paul Heyman.

Why did Roman Reigns become a Paul Heyman guy? We may now know the reason.

A controversial Superstar has also been removed from a top RAW faction and has been officially sent back to NXT. A star also revealed that he wants to have a match against Triple H.

WWE's plans for WrestleMania 37 are also currently in limbo as various changes have forced the company to rethink their options.

Finally, a top women's Superstar has been tipped to become a breakout Hollywood star.

Let's get down to the biggest stories of the day in Sportskeeda's WWE Rumor Roundup:

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#5. The reason why Roman Reigns became a Paul Heyman guy, WWE's creative plans revealed

The go-home SmackDown for Payback ended with Paul Heyman becoming the advocate of Roman Reigns. It was a sight that no one expected to see, but most fans loved the alliance's potential.

PWInsider reported that WWE wants to book Roman Reigns as the top heel on SmackDown, which could be the reason why he was made a Paul Heyman guy.

On the flip side, the company wants 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt to be the Blue brand's top babyface while Braun Strowman would be a full-time heel moving forward.

Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co also reported that the company's sources are pointing towards Roman Reigns becoming the Universal Champion at Payback.

The Big Dog, The Monster Among Men and The Fiend will square off in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat match at the Payback PPV this Sunday.

Pairing up Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns is an obvious indicator of WWE being serious about pushing The Big Dog to the moon. The shock value of having Reigns and Heyman together should help his run as a heel even more, and Paul doing the talking would be the icing on the cake.

Where does this leave Brock Lesnar? We'll have to wait for that answer to crop up in the dirt sheets.

#4. Pat McAfee ready for a WWE match against Triple H

Pat McAfee, who impressed in his pro wrestling debut at WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX against Adam Cole, was a guest on the After The Bell podcast with Corey Graves.

Graves asked McAfee about who he would like to face next, and McAfee hinted that he might have a score to settle with Triple H.

The former NFL punter spoke about his confrontation with Triple H that happened on NXT's episode in which he kicked Cole in the head. Triple H shoved McAfee twice, and the star wasn't happy about the same.

Here's what McAfee said, in which he pretty much planted the seeds for a possible match:

"Triple H pushed me pretty hard at that NXT arena, didn't he? That first push was like, 'Okay. He's trying to back me up.' The second push was like, 'excuse me, pal.' We've had conversations since then, obviously, to handle the business of the match and everything, but I'm thinking deep down inside there whenever he was pushing me, there was a little bit of a thought of, 'if this guy falls down on his ass, I'm completely okay with it.' I don't know how to feel about that. I don't know how to feel about that." H/t Fightful

Triple H vs. Pat McAfee is a match that is quite unlikely to happen, but the same was said about Cole vs. McAfee not too long ago. Triple H has not wrestled since a live event in 2019, and we may not seem him back in the ring anytime soon due to the hectic nature of his duties in WWE NXT.

However, we've also never seen Triple H lace up his boots for a TakeOver match. Could the NXT vs. AEW ratings war lead to a one-off in-ring return in NXT for Triple H? Even if it does happen, WWE would want Triple H's match to be against a big-name WWE NXT Superstar and not a celebrity talent like Pat McAfee.

#3. Austin Theory officially sent back to WWE NXT

Austin Theory made his WWE TV return on this week's NXT, where he started an angle with Bronson Reed.

It has now been revealed by PWInsider that Austin Theory is no longer affiliated with Seth Rollins and Murphy, which pretty much ends his role in the Monday Night Messiah's faction, which has been reduced to a two-member team.

Austin Theory has also officially been listed as an NXT Superstar on WWE.com, where he is now under the NXT roster.

In a recent interview, Seth Rollins had revealed that Theory was away from all the action due to personal reasons, and he expected the 23-year-old Superstar to be back soon. Theory did return but not as Rollins' disciple.

As noted by Dave Meltzer, Theory's situation was similar to Velveteen Dream. Theory's name had come up during the Speaking Out movement, and WWE might have also conducted an internal investigation just like they reportedly did in Dream's case. Theory was reportedly suspended by WWE before his recent NXT return.

Theory's lowkey return to NXT could be viewed as a reset of sorts as the young and talented Superstar would be looking to get back all the lost momentum.

#2. Original WrestleMania 37 main event, details of WWE currently having no clear direction

WWE's problems all began with Edge's unfortunate injury at Backlash, and the company has since been changing plans for its top angles on RAW.

Dave Meltzer revealed in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the plan was for Randy Orton and Edge to main event WrestleMania 37 in an 'I Quit match.'

WWE was not even sure whether Randy Orton would be the WWE Champion for the match, but it was discussed.

Based on backstage update, WWE no longer has a definite direction for the main event of WrestleMania 37.

Meltzer noted the following:

At one point, WrestleMania was to be headlined by Orton vs. Edge in an I Quit match. It was not a lock that Orton would be champion, but it was something under discussion. At last word, there was no longer a 100 percent clear main event direction for the show.

Contrary to all the speculation, Drew McIntyre retained the WWE title against Orton at SummerSlam. It was even more surprising when WWE wrote McIntyre off TV and booked Orton vs. Keith Lee for Payback.

The current direction for the immediate future would be to build up for a Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre WWE title rematch at Clash of Champions.

While WWE may have a short-term plan, the long-term angle for the main event of WrestleMania 37 is still in limbo.

#1. Alexa Bliss tipped to be a breakout Hollywood star from WWE

Alexa Bliss has pleasantly surprised most fans and pundits with her acting skills over the past few weeks. The former RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion has truly excelled as an actor by being involved in the storyline between Braun Strowman and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.

On the debut episode of Sportskeeda's Smack Talk, Tom Colohue and Rick Ucchino discussed Alexa Bliss' ongoing character transformation on WWE SmackDown.

Tom Colohue revealed many people backstage have said that Alexa Bliss would become the next big breakout Hollywood star from WWE. Thankfully for Bliss, she has made the most of the opportunities that have been provided to her in recent weeks on SmackDown.

"There are also a lot of people who have told me from backstage in the WWE, they've told me that Alexa Bliss is the next big breakout Hollywood star. She is getting a chance to show it. How is she doing?"

Alexa Bliss began her much-anticipated character transformation on SmackDown this week during a backstage segment with Nikki Cross and Tamina.

All signs point towards a heel for Alexa Bliss and a possible alliance with The Fiend, which could happen soon.