With WWE SummerSlam 2020 less than a month away, we look at how the full card could shape up, including Naomi challenging Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Title.
On August 23, 2020, WWE will present WWE SummerSlam 2020. We’re less than a month away, and the night is already starting to take shape with two title matches confirmed on this week’s episode of WWE Raw.
The venue for WWE SummerSlam 2020 is still up in the air. The most likely choice, and safest, would be WWE continuing to use the controlled environment of the WWE Performance Center where we’ve seen every main roster event for months.
Believe it or not, there are reports Vince McMahon is instead looking into holding the event outdoors on a beach or even on a boat. That all remains to be seen, but for now we can at least look forward to the kinds of matches we might see at SummerSlam.
You’ll be unsurprised to see every championship on the line on this prospective card, but there are also a few powerful grudge matches that have the potential to round things out. SummerSlam 2020 is likely to be one for the ages and an event we’ll be talking about for years, for better or worse.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro (c) vs. Lucha House Party
In our opening contest, recently crowned SmackDown Tag Team Champions Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro put their titles on the line against Lucha House Party. With several teams having been absent as of late, the options in choosing a pair of challengers are limited.
Gran Metalik does have a US Championship Match this week, but it’s unlikely he’ll be the victor. However, a well-fought loss could provide a boost, and with a little momentum Metalik and Dorado would be well-placed challengers for the new champions.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro retain the SmackDown Tag Team Titles
United States Championship Match: MVP (c) vs. Mustafa Ali
Whether MVP is actually the United States Champion is still up for debate, but that’s not gonna stop him from defending the belt until Apollo Crews is able to return to action. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Crews contest the validity of the current champion upon his return, but that’s unlikely to be now with SummerSlam getting so close.
As for a challenger, no one seems more perfect than the recently returned Mustafa Ali. While he did come up short against Bobby Lashley this week, Mustafa Ali still holds a pinfall over MVP from six-man action last week when he returned. One more well placed 450 Splash, and we might see a new champion.
Prediction: Mustafa Ali is the new United States Champion
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Street Profits (c) vs. Andrade & Angel Garza
One of two matches already confirmed for SummerSlam, Street Profits will be defending their Raw Tag Team Titles against Andrade and Angel Garza. The duo led by Zelina Vega garnered an impressive win this week by taking out The Viking Raiders and the team of Ricochet and Cedric Alexander.
While Andrade and Garza have had their differences, Zelina Vega seems to have finally gotten them united with the joint goal of championship gold. These four will be able to give us a fast-paced and impressive contest worthy of the Raw Tag Team Titles.
Prediction: Street Profits retain the Raw Tag Team Titles
Fight Pit: Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax
One of two important grudge matches, we saw the seeds this week of a rivalry between former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and former Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax. With Asuka now out for blood, these two are unlikely to find their way into the title picture by SummerSlam.
Instead, they seem plenty focused on taking each other out. As these brawls continue, it will be important to find a way to contain them, and no stipulation seems more perfect than the Fight Pit we first saw on NXT between Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher. Baszler will be in her element, and even the sheer power of Jax may not be enough to survive.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler def. Nia Jax
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Golden Role Models (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross
It may seem like the best thing ever for the Golden Role Models to be #2BeltzBanks and #BayleyDosStraps, but that ambition is about to catch up with them in the worst possible way. Holding two titles can mean defending two titles, and this is where we’ll see Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross look to take back the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Cross has another shot at Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Title this Friday, but that’s not a match I expect her to win. With Cross coming up short again, she could look to focus back on tag team action with her best friend Alexa Bliss to get some gold another way, and a distracted pair of Golden Role Models having to defend their singles titles the same night could be enough to cost them these titles.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross are the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
Unsanctioned Match: Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio
In the second key grudge match, we’ve got the in-ring debut of Dominik Mysterio. However, considering Dominik’s relative inexperience and the sheer violence we’ve seen from Seth Rollins, this isn’t a match I expect WWE would want the potential liability of hosting.
That opens the door for an Unsanctioned Match, which will in reality only provide an opportunity for more violence. We saw Dominik’s willingness to swing for the fences this week as he wailed on Seth Rollins with a kendo stick, and that could carryover to a hell of a pay-per-view debut here.
Prediction: Dominik Mysterio def. Seth Rollins
Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Big E
As for the Intercontinental Championship, AJ Styles will be defending it this week (successfully, I’m fairly sure) against Gran Metalik. That’ll mean he’ll be needing a new challenger, and last week we found out Big E will be the lone representative for The New Day for at least six weeks.
With Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston both out of action, they’ve given Big E their blessing to go for it on his own. While I’d love to see Big E challenging for the Universal Championship right away, taking on AJ Styles seems more likely, and I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to seeing E hold the Intercontinental Championship for a second time.
Prediction: Big E is the new Intercontinental Champion
Universal Championship Match: Braun Strowman (c) vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
Finally working our way to the world championship matches, Braun Strowman will be defending the Universal Championship. While he did disappear in the water during the Wyatt Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, Strowman will surely be back to defend his title any day now.
While that match wasn’t the end of him, Strowman has made the terrible mistake of forcing Wyatt’s hand and bringing back out The Fiend. While Bray Wyatt couldn’t defeat Strowman for the title on his own, The Fiend is exactly the kind of power he’ll need to walk out of SummerSlam once again the Universal Champion.
Prediction: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt is the new Universal Champion
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Naomi
Golden Role Models will have already been struggling at this point having lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles earlier in the night. On top of that, Bayley will be competing in her second match of the night against a fresh challenger.
That challenger, without a shadow of a doubt, needs to be Naomi. We’ve seen how fans have rallied behind her, and it’s time to pull the trigger on another glowing championship reign. With a win over Evans, Naomi can carry that momentum into SummerSlam to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion once again.
Prediction: Naomi is the new SmackDown Women’s Champion
WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton
In the second match already confirmed for SummerSlam, Drew McIntyre will be defending the WWE Championship against “The Legend Killer” Randy Orton. While McIntyre has been a more than capable champion, this is a challenge unlike any he’s seen so far.
Not only is Randy Orton a multi-time champion and amazing in-ring competitor, but he’s firing on all cylinders like never before. “The Legend Killer” is back, and he’ll be looking to kill the legend of the Claymore before it can fully be written. However, that also means this can be the biggest defense of McIntyre’s reign so far.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre retains the WWE Championship
Raw Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Asuka
In the main event of SummerSlam 2020, we’ve got two of the best in-ring competitors in WWE today. We’ve also got the Golden Role Models completely backed into a corner against the most dangerous and terrifying version of Asuka they’ve ever come up against.
With Kairi Sane taken out of the picture by Bayley, Asuka now has nothing to lose and will be seeking vengeance at any cost. As a result, there’s no denying this deserves to be the main event. On top of that, Banks will be in a very difficult position going into this match.
Not only will she have lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles earlier in the night, Banks will be competing with a demoralized former SmackDown Women’s Champion at her side. Unfortunately, that agony won’t be ending, as the struggles earlier in the night will likely catch up with her against Asuka’s “Final Form,” leading to a new Raw Women’s Champion.
Prediction: Asuka is the new Raw Women’s Champion