SummerSlam is Sunday, and it looks like we’re in for a treat. The pay-per-view card is finalized, and it’s stacked (like all the Big 4 pay-per-views). There will be three pre-show matches, and two out of the three are title matches.
Match build-up has been fairly strong for most of the matches. I’m a little disappointed with some of the repeat matchups, but this pay per view has several matches of the year qualifiers.
SummerSlam Pre-show
The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) (c) vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Winner: The B-Team
Who I’m Cheering For: The B-Team
The B-Team is defending the WWE Raw Tag Team titles on the pre-show, that’s sad. However, I’m excited to see The Revival is getting a main roster push. I’m also happy to with The B-Team’s title run. Since parting ways with The Miz, The Miztourage now known as The B-Team has received a massive push. They’ve been granted TV time, promos, merchandise, wins and most importantly the Raw tag team championships. The B-Team is undefeated, and I think their undefeated streak will continue. The B-Team will win!
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Winner: Cedric Alexander
Who I’m Cheering For: Cedric Alexander
If you haven’t watched 205 Live lately, you’ve been missing out. 205 Live is fire! Week after week, 205 has delivered. Out of all the matches on the pay-per-view card, this match was the hardest for me to predict. It truly has been the Age of Alexander because Cedric Alexander is now the second longest reigning Cruiserweight champion.
Some fans speculate that Alexander will retain Sunday because the WWE will allow him to surpass Neville’s title reign. While others speculate that he will now lose the championship as punishment for old offensive tweets that resurfaced a few weeks ago. Soon after the controversial news broke, Alexander released an apology (not one of those if I offended you apologies either). I think Alexander will retain, and go on to face Buddy Murphy in October at the WWE Superstar Show-Down in Melbourne.
Rusev and Lana vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega Mix
Tag Team Match
Winners: Andrade “Cien’ Almas and Zelina Vega
Who I’m Cheering For: Rusev and Lana
Since Extreme Rules, the WWE has built an entertaining feud between Rusev and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Quite naturally, Rusev and Almas’ feud would lead to a Lana and Zelina Vega feud. So, it’s no surprise that we are getting a mix tag match. But what makes this feud more interesting is Aiden English.
It was Aiden English that ruined Rusev’s match at Extreme Rules. Instead of giving Rusev and Lana space as they requested, English has decided to interject himself into their feud with Almas and Vega. He just keeps making things worse and has inferred in both Rusev and Lana’s matches with Almas and Vega. I definitely think English will cause Rusev and Lana to lose.
SummerSlam
Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Who I’m Cheering For: Everyone (Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens) except Brock Lesnar
For a while now, fans have grown tired of a Face Roman Reigns. Fans are now getting tired of Lesnar’s boring and absentee Universal title reign. Fans are also tired of seeing Reigns vs Lesnar. So what can the WWE do to rejuvenate the Reigns vs Lesnar feud and rejuvenate the Universal championship? They can give us a Money in the Bank cash-in! With the Money in the Bank briefcase on the line at SummerSlam, either Strowman or Owens can easily place themselves in the championship match. Although the cash-in story could go the other way, allowing Reigns or Lesnar to capitalize on KO/Braun. If this happens, most likely Lesnar will retain.
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Winner: Ronda Rousey
Who I’m Cheering For: Ronda Rousey
Right now is the best time to crown Ronda Rousey as the Raw Women’s champion. She hasn’t been in the WWE long, but she’s Ronda Rousey and she isn’t that bad in the ring. If Rousey does become the new champ this will give the WWE with huge media exposure heading into its first ever all women’s pay-per-view. I can see it now, Rousey holding the Raw Women’s Championship on the front of the Evolution posters. Rousey is also starring in Mile 22, which was just released in the U.S. on Friday, so this may boost her chances of walking out as champion.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship
Winner: AJ Styles
Who I’m Cheering For: AJ Styles
There have been rumors floating around the WWE online wrestling community that the WWE isn’t planning on taking the championship from Styles anytime soon. Whether this rumor is true or not, I doubt the WWE will put the championship on Joe this early in his main event push.
If you’re old enough or a fan of old school TNA, you’ll remember a few of the memorable matches AJ Styles and Samoa Joe have had. So it will be interesting to see these two face each other in the WWE for the first time. I know this match will be good, and I hope it gets the main event spot. (But we all know that spot is going to Reigns vs Lesnar). My only concern for this match is that Styles and Joe wouldn’t be allowed to fully showcase their abilities the same way they were allowed to while in TNA. For instance, instead of getting a five-star match at SummerSlam, we would only get a four-star match.
The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) (c) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods) for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Winner: The New Day
Who I’m Cheering For: The New Day
This match was very hard to predict. I can picture either team picking up the win. The New Day is definitely over, a million times over than the Bludgeon Brothers. But will the WWE put the Smackdown Tag Team titles back on The New Day? Nevertheless, the WWE put a lot of time and effort into Harper and Rowan’s Bludgeon Brothers gimmick. Yet, their title reign has been lackluster. They haven’t been given much TV time, and I can’t remember one memorable Bludgeon Bros match. Placing the titles back on The New Day will open up more opportunities for other tag teams to challenge for the championship titles.
Braun Strowman (MITB holder) vs. Kevin Owens for the Money in the Bank contract. If Strowman loses by any means, he will lose the contract.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Who I’m Cheering For: Kevin Owens
The Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens feud has been super entertaining. Watching these two has taken me through Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. Yes, their feud has been that good! When the Monster in the Bank tossed KO (KO would win the match) off of the steel cage, no one knew it would lead to a match at SummerSlam for Strowman’s Money in the Bank contract.
What makes this match interesting is the “any means” stipulation. Strowman doesn’t have to submit or be pinned to lose his MitB contact. He could lose by count out! Just imagine, Strowman running at full speed to hit Owens with his signature shoulder tackle, but Owens dodges. Strowman crashed into the barricade and gets counted out. We’ll have a new Money in the Bank contract holder.
Dolph Ziggler (c) (with Drew McIntyre) vs. Seth Rollins (with Dean Ambrose) for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Winner: Seth Rollins
Who I’m Cheering For: Seth Rollins
It’s unfortunate that Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins’ last pay-per-view match at Extreme Rules was overshadowed by the crowd’s silly 10 count antics. The chants were so bad that Rollins told Lillian Garcia that “it really messed with Dolph.” But no worries, Ziggler and Rollins have another opportunity to show off and burn down the Barclay Center.
Unlike Extreme Rules, I don’t see Ziggler retaining the Intercontinental Championship. I think this time Rollins will have the advantage, now that Dean Ambrose has made his return and will be in Rollins’ corner. (It would have been lit if Ambrose would have made his return at SummerSlam. The pop would have been huge.) While Ambrose will limit interferences from McIntyre, I think McIntyre will make a mistake and cost Ziggler the championship.
Carmella (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair Triple Threat match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Winner: Carmella
Who I’m Cheering For: Becky Lynch
I really, really, really hope Becky Lynch wins this match, but I’m predicting Carmella to retain. I can’t see both Bliss and Carmella losing at SummerSlam. Since Bliss is the most obvious choice to lose, Carmella will win. Plus, Carmella is a true heel, she’ll do anything to win. Nevertheless, this is a triple threat match. All Carmella has to do is work smarter and not harder. She just has to let Charlotte and Becky destroy each other, and when the time is right capitalize on their hard work.
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy for the WWE United States Championship
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Who I’m Cheering For: Shinsuke Nakamura
Nakamura has been on the main roster for over a year now, and he finally won his first championship at Extreme Rules. As a Nakamura fan, I was ecstatic! Although Nakamura will most likely retain, I’m not sure where the WWE is going with this storyline, since Randy Orton was introduced. Plus, after allegations of misconduct against Orton, I wasn’t sure if the WWE would keep him off TV for a while. But my question was answered when Orton appeared on Smackdown on Tuesday. You can bet Orton will probably play a role in this match and will cost Jeff Hardy the match.
Finn Bálor vs. Baron Corbin
Winner: Finn Bálor
Who I’m Cheering For: Finn Bálor
Last month, the WWE announced that Finn Bálor and Baron Corbin would be facing each other at Extreme Rules, I wasn’t really feeling it. I knew Bálor and Corbin would have great in-ring chemistry, but the match build-up wasn’t the best. I was very underwhelmed by the matchup. Boy, I was so wrong! Their Extreme Rules match was my favorite match on the pay-per-view. Therefore, I’m looking forward to Finn Bálor vs. Baron Corbin II. If the “The Demon King” appears, that would really spice up this match, especially since demon Bálor is undefeated at SummerSlam. He will remain undefeated too!
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
Winner: The Miz
Who I’m Cheering For: Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan vs The Miz is one of the best WWE rivalries of the PG Era; it’s a feud that started eight years ago in NXT. Focusing precisely on this match, the buildup has been excellent! If you missed Tuesday’s Smackdown, you missed a three-part video package showcasing the eight-year feud. Nevertheless, it was their Talking Smack promo that reignited the feud. I think the WWE can elevate this feud to main event status by putting the WWE Championship title in the picture. To keep the feud going, the Miz will win. I would love to see Daniel Bryan vs the Miz in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view next month.
Who do you think will win at SummerSlam? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
