Following a massive results leak last week, WWE and NXT are in full damage-control mode.A warning to readers who haven't seen the now-deleted Instagram post, this story will contain spoilers and discuss the leaked results of next Wednesday's "Winner Take All" title match between NXT Champion Adam Cole and NXT North American Champion Keith Lee.According to Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer, the NXT talent in question, Saurav Gurjar of the tag team Indus Sher, made a conscious effort to post the result of the match online, and WWE is reportedly furious. Fellow NXT talent E.J. Nduka attempted to control the narrative, suggesting that more than one ending was filmed. Cole also fueled rumors of a reshoot on his Twitch stream, claiming that he would be unable to stream the following week as "some things have changed and come up work-wise."
At this point, anything coming from the company seems like a poor attempt at damage control. Some of the more cynical WWE fans believe the results were intentionally leaked to drum up hype and more eyes to NXT in order to follow up a string of ratings victories over AEW Dynamite.
As night two of the Great American Bash approaches, however, let's explore the impact of the leaked result and one possible scenario involving the Money in the Bank contract following Wednesday's title match.
Nduka's tweet can be interpreted in two ways. First, that WWE filmed two possible endings to the match with each combatant getting his own version of a title victory. Another possibility is that the "second ending" he alludes to could have happened in the moments after Lee is pictured winning the NXT Championship. In this case, Mr. Money in the Bank cashes in and takes the title from the newly crowned champion is plausible, however unlikely.
Having Otis cash in and win the NXT Championship would keep the titles separate, giving more talent a chance to shine in NXT's mid-card. It would also provide an interesting wrinkle to the current NXT landscape. While the show has been excellent after hitting a pandemic-induced rough patch, it may be strapped for title challengers if Cole moves up to the main roster.
Karrion Kross has the proverbial rocket strapped to his back and will challenge for the title at some point in the future. After his destruction of former NXT Champ Tommaso Ciampa, it's likely that the imposing Kross will win in his first attempt at the brands's top prize. With that in mind, it's unlikely the company will have Lee, a massive fan-favorite, end Cole's record-setting reign just to lose in his first defense, making Kross an unlikely first opponent.
Adding Otis to NXT gives Lee a popular main-roster talent to feud with and would finally pay off the teases of Otis cashing in on a face champion. A surprise cash-in at the expense of NXT's top face would give the Smackdown superstar a personality beyond "Mandy's goofy, glutinous boyfriend".
On the other hand, Otis cashing in would be nothing more than a reactionary, panic move on WWE's part to save face and give fans a surprise ending to one of the biggest matches in recent NXT history. Taking Lee's title so quickly would likely do more harm than good for the incredible strength the company has worked to foster within his character and the brand as a whole, even if it would bring eyes to the product.
The two behemoths clashing would give the championship some breathing room before the inevitable Kross reign and continue to establish NXT as a legitimate third brand at the perfect time. Saying all of this, the social media rumors could indeed simply be a smokescreen to create intrigue after a horrible gaffe. However, if a second ending truly was filmed, having Otis appear and cash-in on Lee would generate significant buzz (good or bad) on the black-and-yellow brand.