WWE SummerSlam 2017: 10 Early Predictions
By Rob Furness
SummerSlam, WWE.com
On August 20, SummerSlam 2017 will take place at the Barclay Center in New York. With just a little over a month before WWE’s second biggest event let’s try and predict some of the big moments of the night.
SummerSlam is WWE’s premier summer event. Both Raw and SmackDown Live rosters are set to compete on one of the largest stages of the year. Major story elements are bound to develop and reach their climax by the time the cameras fade to black.
Over the years, we’ve seen Honky Tonk Man’s historic Intercontinental Championship reign come to an end, Randy Savage and Elizabeth get married, and Randy Orton concussed in a pool of his own blood. At an event as big as this, you can never be sure what’s going to happen!
But that’s not going to stop me from guessing.
Here are my 10 early predictions for this year’s SummerSlam.
Source: WWE.com
10. Heath Slater Wins His First Singles Title
For much of his career, Heath Slater has thrived as a member of a faction or as a tag team. As part of Nexus and Corre, Slater was able to capture tag team gold with Justin Gabriel on 3 occasions. And who could forget his improbable run to become the inaugural Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions with Rhyno?
But something has always evaded him, a singles title. In Slater’s 8 years in the WWE, he’s never once held a title on his own. That all changes at SummerSlam.
Since the brand split, Slater has been on the periphery of the IC title picture. First, when searching for a partner for the SmackDown Live tag team tournament, he approached The Miz about teaming up. Weeks later, he and Rhyno would show up alongside the number one contender for the IC title, Dolph Ziggler. And finally, on the July 3rd episode of Raw, Heath Slater received a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.
In a losing effort, Slater showed that he belonged in the Intercontinental title picture. He quickly shed his “jobber” title, and delivered an impressive array of strikes and spots. Only losing due to interference and distraction. Most importantly, the crowd was firmly behind him throughout the match. Over babyfaces are a hot commodity in WWE, which bodes well for the One Man Band.
At SummerSlam, I expect to see Slater’s hand raised high at the end of the match. Maybe then he can afford a jacuzzi to go with his pool.
(Note: It wouldn’t be surprising if Slater lost it the very next night to The Miz.)