SummerSlam, Credit: WWE.com
The biggest WWE show of the Summer is almost here, and we have loads of matches to look forward to. So, let’s take a look at what those matches may be.
With WWE Battleground now in the rearview mirror, both WWE brands will be focusing on the build to WWE SummerSlam 2017. SummerSlam will be the first PPV that is not brand exclusive since WrestleMania 33.
This year, SummerSlam is being billed as almost like a mini-Mania and should be packed with a monumental amount of great fights and action (and hopefully no Punjabi Prison matches). There are also a lot of questions as to just what these may match ups may be.
With so many worthy challengers for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship, which one will face him, or will they all face Lesnar? Which team is the number one contender for Sheamus and Cesaro’s Raw Tag Team Championships? Will it be Sasha or Bayley to go up against Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam? Will Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose or both get a chance to go up against The Miz for his title? Who is next in line to challenge The King of The Cruiserweights? …And that is just on the RAW side of things.
On SmackDown Live, the picture is a little clearer. It has already been decided that *Charlotte* will go up against Naomi for her title, but who will be the next to challenge Jinder for the WWE Championship now that he is seemingly done with Randy Orton. Will the feuds of Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles and The New Day vs. The Usos continue, or will the champions find new challengers?
a lot is still up in the air, but that is why I am bringing you my predictions for the WWE SummerSlam 2017 match card!
Credit: WWE.com
The Big Show vs. Big Cass
This one RAW‘s only matches that WWE is making obvious for SummerSlam. The sad thing is, though, this has kickoff show written all over it. With a show filled with so many title bouts and enticing match ups, its unlikely that Big Show and Big Cass will make the cut for the main show.
However, WWE has been high on a Big Cass singles push for quite some time now, so perhaps they will see the main card in order to put over how much a big deal he is going to be once this match is over.
The way this storyline is playing out does not have much behind it to get fans invested. Big Show has come to the aid of Enzo after he could not handle Big Cass on his own, and Big Show also wants to show that he is still the big man on campus around here. Meanwhile, Big Cass has his sights set on gold and is willing to climb the ladder to get there, and Big Show is just a rung to him.
This match is just going to be about two big men crashing into each other and creating a physical fight rather than winning over the crowd with a creative and emotional storyline. Big Show clearly still has the wheels to turn out big matches when needed (as shown by his matchup with Braun Strowman), but can Big Cass say this same?
Big Cass’s matchup against Enzo was a quick one-sided squash for the seven footer. This will be Big Cass’s first time to actually prove he has what it takes to put on a great match inside the ring as a singles competitor.
While not much is at stake for this match, it’s a sure thing to show up as a filler match or the kickoff show for SummerSlam.
Credit: WWE.com
Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Jason Jordan vs. The Miztourage
With a total of 9 titles on the two brands, it makes it nearly impossible for all of them to be defended at a PPV like SummerSlam. Also with both rosters sporting such depth, it is difficult to get all of the top stars on the show.
This is why WWE tends to lean towards triple threat matches or fatal four ways for their championships, but not every match can be one of those. There needs to be more variety, which is why I believe a 6 man tag match will be on the card.
While the rest of the members of this match (Rollins, Ambrose, The Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel) make sense, Jason Jordan is the one that is a bit of a question mark. Obviously, a Shield reunion would be my first choice for The Miztourage’s opponent, but Roman is currently busy in the main event scene.
So, I kind of had to improvise for that last position as the teammate of Ambrose and Rollins. Two names came to mind: Finn Balor and Jason Jordan. Finn would be a worthy pick, but it seems like WWE does not mind taking their time with Finn’s push after his absence from Great Balls of Fire, so another absence or a program with Bray Wyatt may be in the cards for the Demon King.
This left me with Jason Jordan. Jordan will be a main headline on RAW going forward now that the big news of him being Kurt Angle’s son has been announced. WWE will surely want to fit Jason Jordan onto their next and biggest PPV of the Summer now that his meteoric rise is about to begin.
With the majority of heels on the roster already working towards a program for SummerSlam, it may be too late for Jason Jordan to have a singles feud, but it won’t be too late for him to make an impact.
By coming to the aid of Ambrose and Rollins during one of The Miztourage’s onslaughts, Jordan can align himself with the two former Shield members for a big matchup at SummerSlam.
This match may be a bit out there, but it could certainly help get a lot of talent on the card and could be interesting to see.
Credit: WWE.com
Raw Women’s Championship Match
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Bayley vs. Sasha vs. Nia Jax
This week on RAW, Bayley and Sasha have a one on one contest to decide who will go on to face Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam, but I have a feeling that there will not be a clear winner to come out of that match.
For a majority of the Summer, four women have been involved in the title scene. Those four are Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, and Bayley. Alexa Bliss is currently the RAW Women’s Championship, but each of the three challengers has reason to go after her title.
Bayley has pinned the champ in two consecutive matches, Sasha defeated Alexa at Great Balls of Fire by count out, and Nia was owed a shot at the championship, but interference squandered her opportunity. So, I have a feeling that someone is not going to be too happy that the number one contender’s match is only between Sasha and Bayley.
Nia Jax may just pull a Braun Strowman and attack Bayley and Sasha, so the match can result in a no contest. This would result in a fatal four way and would allow all of RAW‘s top women to be featured on the card.
It would also be interesting to see how the newfound relationship between Alexa and Nia fares when pitted against each other, and this could be an opportunity to plant the seeds (or completely pull the trigger) for a Sasha heel turn to spark a rivalry with Bayley.
There are a lot of ways this fatal four way could go, which should get people interested and create intrigue. I doubt that Bayley vs. Sasha will decide the number one contender this Monday because Alexa has faced these two one on one for the past several PPVs.
A fatal four way will be fresh, interesting, and for once, welcomed in the women’s division.
Credit: WWE.com
Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Bálor
As mentioned before, if Finn Bálor is going to make it onto the main card for SummerSlam, it is going to be with a match against Bray Wyatt
Finn looks to be finishing up his feud with The Drifter on this upcoming RAW. Last week saw Elias Samson get the better of Finn when he hit him with a guitar and cut The Demon King open. Then, Bray Wyatt came on the titantron to talk his typical babble that no one understands to Finn.
Finn Bálor now has a no disqualification match with The Drifter on RAW, and something tells me that an interference from The Eater of Worlds will be there to make an impact on the match. This interference should lead straight into a feud that will end at SummerSlam.
It seems that creative has not really put much effort into Wyatt’s feud lately, and it looks to continue that way. I’m still not even sure why Wyatt and Rollins were feuding in the first place. Wyatt just decided that Rollins would be the next one to endure his long and confusing rants.
Similarly, there is no real reason why Bray Wyatt and Finn are beginning their feud. Once again, Bray has decided that Finn will be the next victim of his babble. At least Bray Wyatt has been booked to look stronger than he has in the past with is two wins against Seth Rollins.
While the beginning of this build up does not look promising, hopefully it can lead to an exciting encounter where The Eater of Worlds can bring out The Demon King for their matchup at SummerSlam.
Credit: WWE.com
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
The New Day (c) vs. The Usos
After that incredible match at WWE Battleground, I don’t think anyone would complain if we got to see these teams go at it against each other for the belts again at SummerSlam.
The New Day and The Usos have been in a feud since Money in the Bank. At Money in the Bank, The Usos escaped with the belts and took a count out loss, but at Battleground, The New Day was able to survive and pin The Usos to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
Since we have new champs, that means that the former champs, The Usos, have the right to a rematch, and I assume that rematch will come at SummerSlam. After all, both of these teams have been on top of their game lately, and I can’t think of any better teams to represent that division at SummerSlam.
The Usos have completely transformed from stale babyfaces to fresh and exciting heels. Their promos have been better than ever without losing a step in the ring, and they absolutely murdered Xavier Woods and The New Day in the rap battle.
Meanwhile, The New Day were starting to become stale, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. Their return has breathed new life into the tag division, and their promo work along with the crowd reaction has proven why they have been so successful as the company’s top babyface tag team.
Both of these teams are deserving champions, and I am sure if these two teams go at it once again at SummerSlam, it has the potential to steal the show.
Credit: WWE.com
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Naomi (c) vs. Natalya
As of this writing, this is the only confirmed matchup for SummerSlam. It will be Natalya taking on Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
It was announced that the winner of a fatal five-way elimination match at Battleground would go on to face Naomi at SummerSlam. The five contestants were Natalya, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Tamina, and Lana.
Becky Lynch was able to take out both members of the odd alliance of Lana and Tamina with Dis-Arm-Hers, but Natalya snuck up on Becky afterward to roll her up grabbing the tights to eliminate Becky Lynch.
That left Charlotte and Natalya in the match. After some back and forth action with some impressive offensive maneuvers from Charlotte, Natalya hit Charlotte’s head against the turnbuckle to win the match and an opportunity to face Naomi at SummerSlam.
This is a somewhat surprising decision because Charlotte is obviously the biggest name in women’s wrestling, so it is odd that her name will be left off the card. Becky is almost as popular and her name will be off the card as well, and the odd yet intriguing duo of Lana and Tamina will be left off as well.
Perhaps those four will find themselves in some sort of multi-women matchup on the preshow, and hopefully Carmella will not be forgotten like she was at Battleground.
It is an odd choice, but it is official. Natalya will challenge Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.
Credit: WWE.com
WWE United States Championship Match
Kevin Owens (c) vs. AJ Styles
Uh, well that sure was an odd match. The ref was out but seemingly had no effect on the match, and AJ Styles ended up taking a pinfall while trying to get Kevin Owens to submit. Nonetheless, Owens is once again the New Face of America.
This just makes me wonder why AJ Styles won the belt at a house show in the first place. It really served no purpose, but it looks like we will be seeing Styles vs. Owens round three (four if you count the house show) at SummerSlam, and it should definitely be better than their match at Battleground.
Styles and Kevin Owens have never really had a true matchup that everyone knows they can put on. Their first match at Backlash ended because Styles got caught up in the announcer’s table. Their second was at a house show where only those at the Madison Square Garden could watch, and their third ended in the weird finish at Battleground I mentioned above.
I was expecting Styles to retain his title and move onto the feud with Shinsuke Nakamura that had been teased at Money in the Bank, but I guess that is not to be, at least for now. Or, Styles could lose his rematch on an episode of SmackDown Live and could move into a program with Nakamura.
However, Styles and Owens have yet to put on a match giving everything they have on a primetime stage yet, so I expect that match will be at SummerSlam. Hopefully, we will see some Phenomenal action between these two.
Credit: WWE.com
Randy Orton vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
These two are just too big of names to leave off of a SummerSlam card. Randy Orton is an established veteran that can draw a crowd, and Nakamura is an exciting newcomer that can bring in new and international fans.
Orton has been doing quite a lot of jobbing lately, but it seems as though his aura continues to remain unharmed. I mean, the guy has continuously lost to Jinder Mahal and is still seen as a huge threat in the WWE. So, jobbing out one more time to Shinsuke certainly shouldn’t hurt him.
Meanwhile, a win over a Superstar like Randy Orton should do wonders for Shinsuke’s main roster run, especially on such a big stage like SummerSlam. Nakamura has yet to lose a singles match, but he really has not done much of note or faced someone of note, but Orton can change that.
Orton is someone that can easily raise the stock of Shinsuke Nakamura, and Randy Orton is incredible in the ring when he wants to be. He has the potential to put on that 4-5 star match that Shinsuke Nakamura has been looking for to get his main roster run’s wheels turning.
Both would be coming out of feuds and will have no direction for SummerSlam. Orton is done with Mahal, and I really see no need to extend to feud between Nakamura and Corbin any further. So, why not pit these two together and make some magic happen in the ring?
Credit: WWE.com
WWE Championship Match
Jinder Mahal (c) vs. John Cena
If WWE is going to stick with the anti-America evil foreigner gimmick for Jinder Mahal, then who better to take him down than Mr. USA himself, John Cena.
After defeating Rusev in a flag match, John Cena now has a big win that can propel him into the title scene (even though he didn’t need it). Plus, after coming out of a USA vs. foreigner feud, it should be an easy transition to go into another.
Also, it should be interesting to see how The Great Khali plays into this feud after his shocking return at Battleground. Having Jinder Mahal, The Great Khali, and the Singh Brothers involved in a world championship feud means money for WWE with the Indian market that they have been hitting on lately.
After three matches, it looks like Randy Orton will finally be done with Jinder and out of the title scene. With everyone else focusing on their own feuds, this leads none other than John Cena available to step up and break Ric Flair’s record to win his 17th world championship.
However, I don’t think there will be any time to celebrate because this new Indian stable will probably ambush Cena after the match, and this will leave a perfect opportunity for Baron Corbin to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
At SummerSlam, we could see three different WWE Champions in one night, which surely makes for some exciting television.
Credit: WWE.com
WWE Universal Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
This will undoubtedly be the main event of SummerSlam if WWE decides to pull the trigger on this matchup. It was first rumored that it would be Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, but it looks like those plans have changed.
Samoa Joe has been absolutely on fire lately in his promos and with his physicality in the ring that WWE could not let him be a one and done situation in the main event scene. Braun Strowman has also become so insanely over with the crowd due to his freakish strength and showing at Great Balls of Fire.
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So, when Braun Strowman interrupted a one on one contest between Joe and Reigns that was supposed to decide who would face Brock at SummerSlam, Strowman made it clear that it was not going to be a one on one contest with Brock.
With rumors swirling around the web recently about Brock Lesnar possibly leaving after WrestleMania to return to UFC, WWE will undoubtedly want to get the belt off of him since they are not too sure about his future.
A fatal four-way matchup will allow someone like Roman Reigns to win the WWE Universal Championship without having to actually pin Brock Lesnar. This will keep The Beast looking strong for whatever new opponent may come his way.
All four of these men are currently head and shoulders above everyone else on the RAW roster. There are no real “faces” or “heels” out of these four, but everyone is insanely over. It only makes sense to give these four the spotlight that they have earned and deserve.
Next: WWE Battleground 2017 Review
Overall, this is looking to be WWE’s best show of 2017.