WWE SummerSlam 2017: Match Card Projections After Payback

WWE.com

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs. AJ Styles

The WWE Championship would not be defended at Payback, with Orton facing Bray Wyatt in a House of Horrors match. It looked like the title could have been on the line, if not for the Superstar Shakeup. This moved Wyatt to Raw, and made it illogical for him to go for a belt that’s on SmackDown Live.

Orton still has to go through Jinder Mahal, who is the No. 1 Contender for Backlash. That feud may take up a one or two, with plenty of space left for AJ Styles to enter the mix in the summer.

Since Elimination Chamber, WWE has kept Styles out of the title picture. They brought him into the hunt for the United States Championship, but that may only last for so long. Eventually, once the air is cleared around the WWE Championship, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Phenomenal One targeting it by SummerSlam.

Orton vs. Styles has been seen before, as recently as the No. 1 Contender’s match on SmackDown in March. This was done to determine who faces Wyatt at WrestleMania. Of course, the Viper won, leading to everything that’s happened since. Orton and Styles haven’t gone head-to-head on PPV, though, so we could see things go to another level.