Are Sasha Banks and Bayley on the road to a break up and if so, should we expect their match to main event WWE SummerSlam 2020? This is just one of many things that could happen at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
Well, “Biggest Party” might be a stretch when that party looks much smaller when regulated to the Performance Center, but hey, SummerSlam is still SummerSlam. Much like how WrestleMania still felt like WrestleMania this year despite a smaller venue with no fans, WWE SummerSlam 2020 is still expected to look and feel like the second biggest WWE PPV event of the year, as it always has.
It especially will feel big if packed with a card filled with marquee match-ups, which seems likely judging by the events that took place during last Sunday’s Backlash and even last night’s Monday Night Raw episode. The ingredients are coming together for a monumental show and judging by the past few days worth of storylines, here’s what the card could look like.
Street Profits (c) vs. Akira Tozawa and The Big Ninja – Raw Tag Team Championship
Okay, starting off, this one is less of a prediction and more of just s***s and giggles for my own personal amusement. I just really like The Big Ninja. I like BIG BOIs. That is a BIG BOI and my kind of big meaty man. Let the big meaty man bump meat for a championship, as Big E would say.
Seth Rollins, Austin Theory and Buddy Murphy vs. Rey Mysterio, Aleister Black, and Dominik
Okay, now this is a real prediction that could actually happen. Payoff to a feud that’s been happening since the night after Money in the Bank. Gets Rollins the opportunity to steal the show, gives Mysterio the chance to team up with his son before he retires, and an opportunity for all of the young guns to get a spotlight.
Asuka (c) vs. Charlotte Flair – Raw Women’s Championship
Last Sunday, Asuka successfully defended her Raw Women’s Championship against Nia Jax and did it again the following night on Raw. Granted, both wins came under questionable circumstances (first a count out, then a referee’s fast count) so it seems as though the feud will continue into Extreme Rules.
Whenever the rivalry is over, Asuka still has Charlotte Flair to deal with in her rear view mirror. Flair beat Asuka in back to back weeks; again, in questionable circumstances (countout, then with help from Asuka), but a win over the champ is a win over the champ, which puts Flair next in line for a title shot.
Andrade vs. Angel Garza – Special Guest Referee: Zelina Vega
Andrade and Angel Garza have been at odds with each other practically ever since the latter started aligning themselves with Zelina Vega a few months back. Much of their beef has been over their respective pursuits over Apollo’s United States Championship and because of Kevin Owens.
I feel like their rivalry intensifies in the coming weeks (perhaps after they both fail to win the US Title in an Extreme Rules Fatal Four Way?). Since Vega has already played moderator between them for this long, not only will she sanction a match so they can get it all out of their system, but she winds up being the special guest referee.
Apollo Crews (c) vs. Kevin Owens – United States Championship
We almost got this match a few weeks back, but it ended up being a No Contest thanks to interference from Andrade and Angel Garza. The way that ending was booked gave me the impression that WWE thinks an Owens vs. Crews match with a proper finish needs to be saved for a PPV. What better PPV than SummerSlam?
The story’s already there. KO re-introduced Apollo Crews to WWE TV after his injury and there was some minor animosity heading into their afformentioned US Title match. Let’s see this intensify within the coming weeks, especially following what many people perceive as a “heel turn” from Apollo last night.
Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross
After having two reigns with the Women’s Tag Team Championship and failing to win them back last Sunday at Backlash, I cannot for the life of me figure out where Bliss and Cross as a tag team can go from here.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy their pairing as much as the next fan, but when the well is dry, you add new fuel to the fire. I think that a lot of fuel can be added from a Bliss vs. Cross feud after they’ve shared just over a year’s worth of history together. I can’t help but feel like we’re getting that feud sooner rather than latter with an incoming Bliss heel turn.
The only problem here is that it risks overshadowing another women’s tag team breakup predicted in this list. Don’t worry. We’ll get to it.
The IIconics (c) vs. Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Bianca Belair and Naomi – Women’s Tag Team Championship
The way that The IIconics have been embroiled in the title hunt since coming back, I fully believe that they will be winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles again sooner rather than later, likely beating Sasha Banks and Bayley for the belts.
As for the state of the tag division heading into SummerSlam, I can see another triple threat of sorts happening at the show, this time with a team from every brand. Raw’s IIconics, NXT’s Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart – who are likely to get a nice bit of attention from tomorrow night’s match – and SmackDown’s Naomi teaming up with the blue brand’s latest trade acquisition, Bianca Belair!
Okay, maybe that last part’s a stretch, but Belair’s done nothing on Raw in, like, two months; they keep using her on Main Event instead of putting her on TV where she belongs. I just want to see Belair be great and if she has to jump brands for WWE to let her greatness flourish, then so be it.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Matt Riddle – Intercontinental Championship
I already predicted this for my Extreme Rules card, but in retrospect, it seems more likely that WWE will let Riddle pick up a few wins each week on SmackDown for a month, then give him a big PPV opportunity at SummerSlam.
The Fiend (c) vs. Braun Strowman – Universal Championship – Firefly Fun House Match
So as of this writing, it’s been announced that Bray Wyatt will be making his return to SmackDown this Friday. I predict that Wyatt will reveal that The Fiend will pick up the pieces where he failed at Money in the Bank, setting up a “rematch” vs. Strowman at Extreme Rules, where The Fiend wins.
I’m guessing Strowman somehow earns himself a rematch at SummerSlam, but not just any rematch. It winds up being a much anticipated sequel to WrestleMania’s Firefly Fun House Match. This time, instead of John Cena, it’ll be Braun Strowman entering the wacky world of the Fun House. What will happen? If it’s anything like that Mania match, then someone will die … of fun.
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship
The way that last night’s Raw ended gives me the impression that Christian will get his “One More Match” vs. Randy Orton at Extreme Rules. If that’s the case, then McIntyre’s Extreme Rules opponent really looks up in the air right now.
But whoever he faces, McIntyre should be expected to retain at the PPV, which means he’ll be ready to face Raw’s top heel – Orton – at WWE’s biggest summer show. And if Orton comes off the heels of beating both Edge and Christian in back to back noteworthy PPV matches, then he’ll walk into the show posing an even bigger threat to the belt.
Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – SmackDown Women’s Championship
The seeds have been planting for a feud ever since they reunited as a duo last fall and the continue to plant every week. More recently, more seeds setting up a rivalry were planted as recently as last night’s Raw, when Bayley watched her best friend get punched in the face – on the former’s birthday, no less – and not only did nothing, but accepted a title match on Banks’ behalf. And let’s not forget that Sasha dubbed herself “the leader” at one point.
This has to be coming to a breaking point and for as long as not only WWE have been teasing this storyline, but for how long we as fans have been waiting for these two to have a proper main roster feud, I can’t see how the company can postpone this feud from happening any longer beyond SummerSlam. It’s SummerSlam or bust at this point.
I’m way too optimistic for my own good, so I’ll remain confident that we are getting Banks vs. Bayley at SummerSlam. I think them losing their Tag Titles is going to be the final nail in the coffin for their relationship and I think that’s happening much sooner than we may expect.
And I’ll be extra confident in my optimism by saying that I think this is the match that main events this year’s SummerSlam. It’s what they deserve.