Seth Rollins' Next Challenger, The Elite's Future, More WWE, AEW Quick Takes

Who's next in line to step up to Seth Rollins for a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity?Credit: WWE.com

Another eventful SummerSlam is in the books and fans are already anticipating what's next.

One of the more exciting elements of the event is that WWE can now go in any number of directions with several storylines. While it's possible some rivalries resume, fresh feuds are bound to kick off as early as this week with the road to Payback officially underway.

That includes determining a new number one contender to World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, who successfully defended his title against Finn Bálor on Saturday night and outsmarted The Judgment Day in the process.

Additionally, AEW All In at the end of August is fast approaching and the super-card has finally begun to take shape. Among the matches teased is FTR vs. The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but it remains to be seen how The Elite's other members Kenny Omega and Adam Page will factor into the show.

This installment of Quick Takes will talk The Elite's future after re-signing with AEW, the much-needed shakeup in SmackDown's women's division, the real reason why Jimmy Uso betrayed his brother, and more.

The Elite's status with AEW has been uncertain for many months, and although WWE was said to have significant interest in Kenny Omega in particular per Fightful Select, they ultimately re-signed with the promotion last week ahead of the 200th edition of Dynamite.

For as massive of an impact as they would've had in WWE being AEW Day 1 guys, AEW was wise to lock all four of them down to deals that will keep them with the company for years to come.

That then begs the question, where do The Elite go from here?

They recently won their Blood and Guts battle with Blackpool Combat Club and went on to beat the trio of Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh last week on Dynamite. As noted, The Young Bucks are primed to challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at All In, but it remains to be seen what happens with Kenny Omega and Adam Page.

They'd be strong additions to the singles ranks and have fresh matches awaiting them with Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Jay White and others. They can stay aligned without having to interact with each other every week and reunite when necessary.

The Elite's story in AEW has come full circle these past four years, but using this next phase of their careers to help elevate new talent while continuing to thrive should be their primary goal as a group.

One of SummerSlam's most satisfying moments this year saw Iyo Sky cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Bianca Belair to become the new WWE Women's champion.

This creates plenty of possibilities, most notably with ex-champ Asuka being Sky's first formal challenger. It's a dream match many years in the making, though it can be argued that WWE should be holding off on it until at least after Payback.

Either way, Belair and Charlotte Flair should resume their rivalry outside of the title picture because neither of them need it at the moment and neither does their storyline.

Belair can face Sky in a rematch on an upcoming episode of SmackDown, which would be ideal and allow Sky to beat Belair decisively after all this time. Beyond that, Sky has a handful of credible challengers waiting in the wings.

Asuka would be the top choice, but if WWE doesn't deliver that match soon and intends to save it for a later date, Zelina Vega would be a logical choice coming off her second straight win over Sky on SmackDown.

Even Kari Sane's reported return per Wrestling Observer Radio is a factor to consider as well.

The newly-shaved Shozi has been targeting Sky and Bayley for weeks, and Bayley betraying on Sky out of jealousy is inevitable. Sky will prove that she can hold her own in this spot, enjoy a strong, dominant reign, and give SmackDown's women's division the shot in the arm it's desperately needed.

Roman Reigns successfully defending his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam was hardly a surprise, but the oddly-executed finish will be what fans remember most about it.

In the superkick heard around, Jimmy Uso betrayed his brother and cost him the win. His actions are sure to be explained on Friday's SmackDown, but WWE's true intentions in this instance are quite clear: to kill as much time at the top of the card as possible until Reigns is ready to return.

Everything The Bloodline has touched has turned to gold since 2020, but there is legitimate concern from fans that the storyline has peaked and that they aren't capable of carrying SmackDown on their own, especially without anything up for grabs.

Reigns is not currently advertised for any upcoming events through the rest of the year and thus this Usos feud could last a while. They're guaranteed to make the most of every opportunity they have, but the blue brand is once again without a top title to fight for and that will pose more problems.

AEW's lack of build for All In prior to last week was disappointing albeit unsurprising given the formula they've followed when it comes to putting together the cards for past pay-per-view events.

As one of the biggest events in wrestling history, the capacity crowd in London's Wembley Stadium deserve a blockbuster card. Thankfully, AEW took the proper steps toward announcing multiple marquee matches for the show starting last week on Dynamite.

MJF vs. Adam Cole for the AEW World Championship was the perfect first match to announce for All In with it being AEW's strongest storyline at the moment. Two more matches were teased on Collision with Samoa Joe calling out CM Punk and FTR issuing a challenge to The Young Bucks.

Those three bouts alone instantly make the event must-see and give fans something to look forward to in the weeks ahead. Now the key is continuing to build them up properly in addition to announcing more matchups that make sense and are worth getting invested in.

This is a pivotal period for AEW in ensuring All In lives up to the hype as a historical evening for the promotion.

For as much great talent that currently occupies the Raw roster, there aren't any obvious challengers for World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins post-SummerSlam. His feud with The Judgment Day could continue, but it's run its course and Rollins needs new names to work with.

They've worked together on several occasions before, but Cody Rhodes is a better fit for that spot than practically anyone else right now.

After all, there isn't much else Rhodes can realistically do without it feeling like a demotion after beating (and being endorsed by) Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. The prestigious Intercontinental Championship would be beneath him, too.

The only acceptable option is chasing the World Heavyweight Championship, even if it doesn't necessarily allow him to "finish the story" by winning it.

Rhodes owns three wins over Rollins from last year, so Rollins should want to avenge those losses by putting down his archrival when it matters most. Payback doesn't feel like a big enough stage to host such a massive clash, but it does give the show a significant boost.

All roads should lead to The American Nightmare challenging Roman Reigns again at WrestleMania 40, but there's nothing wrong with him setting his sights on some other gold in the meantime.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.