Following WrestleMania each year, the WWE tends to find itself in a bit of a creative slump over the summer. This year is no different. There are very few hot wrestlers or exciting angles on WWE TV right now. Battleground was critically panned as one of the worst pay-per-views of the year.
The WWE is looking to break out of the malaise when it invades Brooklyn this weekend for the 30th annual SummerSlam event. As is always the case since the dawn of the WWE Network (without PPV time limits), this is a very crowded card with 13 matches, inclusive of the three on the pre-show. There are a few matches with promise, and a few that will have to exceed expectations to become memorable.
Cesaro and Sheamus (c) vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a Tag team match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are back together after three years as adversaries following the breakup of The Shield. The story behind their reunion was entertaining and compelling. Even more importantly, this angle sets things up for one of them to turn on the other in time for a match at WrestleMania next April! But in the here and now, the WWE fans are very excited to see them back together and will be hot for them during this match.
Having gone as far as they could in their careers as singles competitors, veterans Cesaro and Sheamus have re-invented themselves as tag-team competitors. They are serviceable heels, and do a good job of keeping interest in the tag title championship by having the babyfaces chase them. This matchup has the potential to steal the show.
Prediction: Winners and still WWE Raw Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Sheamus
Finn Bálor vs. Bray Wyatt
Finn Bálor returns to the building where he simultaneously became the first ever WWE Universal Champion and broke his shoulder at last year’s SummerSlam. As far as I can tell, he’s nothing more than a puny guy with an elaborate entrance who wears body paint once or twice a year. Kind of like half of an Undertaker but like 1/25th as good as the Undertaker.
Bray Wyatt finally had his chance this year when he defended his first WWE Championship. He blew it with a crappy match against Randy Orton and his weeks-long title run will be forever remembered for how badly it ended. He hasn’t had much momentum since.
We just saw this match on Raw this week, but it was only to set up the reasoning behind Bálor deciding to wear his body paint for their SS match. Wyatt won the first one, it would be a shame to see a 50/50 booking and give the win straight back to Bálor.
Prediction: Winner, Bray Wyatt
Big Show vs. Big Cass in a Singles Match with Enzo Amore suspended above the ring in a shark cage
The WWE must really like the shark cage gimmick as it was used earlier this year at the Royal Rumble with Chris Jericho trapped inside of it. Either that, or they spent a lot of money on it and are looking for a good return on investment.
Big Cass and Enzo Amore were a hot tag team, buoyed by a unique appearance, in-ring chemistry, and an entrance cadence that the audience loved to participate in. When they predictably broke up a few months ago, their momentum fell flat and nobody seems to care about either one of them anymore.
The Big Show is always a dependable veteran. This was an obvious match up between the two tallest men in the WWE. There aren’t going to be too many moonsaults and frog-splashes in this match!
Prediction: Winner, The Big Show
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Two once-promising guys turned lazy in a match with virtually no build-up. Beer break.
Prediction: Winner, Rusev
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens in a Singles match for the WWE United States Championship. Shane McMahon will serve as special guest referee
As uninteresting as the Orton/Rusev match will be, the Styles/Owens match should be intriguing. These two are among the most charismatic individuals to hit the WWE in the last several years. More importantly, they are both innovators in the ring. Their matches tend to always be among the best on any given card. Throw in special guest referee, Shane McMahon, who wrestled Styles at WrestleMania earlier this year, and now has heat with KO, and you have an additional combustible element in the mix. This should be a match to remember that has repercussions into the next pay per view.
Prediction: Winner and new WWE United States Champion, Kevin Owens
Jinder Mahal (c) (with The Singh Brothers) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Singles match for the WWE Championship
A star was born when Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship from out of nowhere earlier this year. It was a surprise move, one that you don’t see very often. He had no lower singles championship, no memorable promo or catchphrase, and no signature match on his resume prior to his big win against Randy Orton. The decision to put the strap on Mahal was a controversial one with most fans who thought he wasn’t deserving or ready. But, I’m a big fan of Jinder. He’s got a good look, is good on the microphone, runs a heel stable, and is fun to watch.
Shinsuke Nakamura, however, appears to be in over his head in the WWE. Similarly to Bálor, he seems like he is nothing more than a guy with a big entrance. What’s with these guys from NXT who come pre-packaged with these long entrances, anyway? Is that all that is entertaining to fans anymore?
Nakamura was expected to be on the fast track to WWE Champion when me made the main roster the week after WrestleMania this year. He had a reputation as a top-performer in Japan and in NXT here in the US. Thus far into his WWE run, he’s been pretty lackluster and hasn’t done much to impress anybody. He’s like a .330 hitter in AAA who can’t hit a major league slider and hits .215 when he gets the call to the big leagues. He may have looked good in comparison to the rest of the talent in the lower rungs of professional wrestling, but isn’t anything special compared to the best wrestlers in the world in the WWE.
Prediction: Winner and still WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal
Naomi (c) vs. Natalya in a Singles match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Prediction: This match is going to suck
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks in a Singles match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Who thought it was a good idea to have two divas matches on the same card?
Prediction: Could be even worse than the Naomi/Natalya match
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin has been on the verge of breaking out for quite some time. His latest push had him win Money in The Bank earlier this year, but bizarrely lost the cash-in match on Smackdown this past week. That was a curious booking decision and it didn’t do him any favors.
John Cena, even in his part-time capacity, and at the age of 40, is still the best wrestler in the world right now. He gets better with age and can put a good match together with anybody. He’ll also do business, he will put guys over if it is the right thing to do for a storyline or character advancement. Make sure you are in your seat for this match.
Prediction: Winner, John Cena
Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman in a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE Universal Championship
This is the most intriguing match of the card, with a diverse set of competitors. All four men have different backgrounds and stories, and are at different stages of their careers, but the one thing they have in common is super-human size and strength.
Samoa Joe is the newest to the WWE main roster, having made a huge impact since his debut in March. This will already be his second pay-per-view main event. He is a real underdog story, having wrestled in every other promotion in the world until his late 30’s when he was finally given a chance in the WWE. Since then, the fans have connected with his character, a bruising, unapologetic, bully
Braun Strowman has steadily improved these past twelve months since he split off from The Wyatt Family. He plays the part of a monster heel, but the fans have steadily rallied behind him anyway, mainly because his chief foil has been Roman Reigns.
Brock Lesnar continues to do what he does best, and that is to act like a beast. The added stipulation of him leaving the WWE if he loses the title could set him up for a lengthy absence, perhaps to return to the UFC octagon. Or, it could mean nothing if he retains the title.
Roman Reigns stinks. He never improves. He just reads whatever dumb lines the WWE writers hand him with all the emotion of the worst actor in the 5th grade play. I’ll give you $1 if you can name me one classic singles match he’s ever been in.
This match can go in any direction. There could be a strong case to put the title on Joe or Strowman to give one of the fledgling newcomers a title run. The Lesnar leaves town stipulation could be a swerve and he could be slated to win. There is always the horrible specter of another Roman Reigns title win hanging over us as well. Nothing else to do to but sit back and watch. But as an analyst, I’ll take a shot at a prediction.
Prediction: Winner and new WWE Universal Champion, Braun Strowman
The North Jersey Nonconformist 
Leave a Reply