411’s WWE Summerslam 2021 Preview

Hello 411 guys, gals, enbies, and everyone else! Welcome to 411’s WWE SummerSlam preview! I’m Jeremy Thomas, and we’re ready for the Biggest Party of the Summer. SummerSlam has quite the stacked card, and even if it’s a few too many matches that we’ve seen before there’s still a lot of potential good in-ring action. There are a lot of matches to get into so let’s begin, shall we?

Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie

The Alexa Bliss storyline has probably been WWE’s most polarizing narrative of the last couple of years. I know it has a lot of critics, and I totally get it, but I’ve been open about how much I enjoy what Bliss has been doing. That said — yeah, even I don’t care about this match. On paper, having Alexa feud with Eva Marie makes sense. Marie is playing her bitch role well, and putting Bliss against her keeps Alexa in that nebulous liminal space that she’s been occupying. And sure, this will help benefit Doudrop when she turns on Eva. But until then, I just can’t be bothered to care about concept of a match between Alexa and Eva. One of these two is essentially a non-wrestler and the other has supernatural powers, so the result should be obvious here. Doudrop is ordered to get involved but Alexa’s Lilly powers spook her and Bliss wins, furthering the arc of Doudrop splitting from Eva. It ain’t rocket science.

WINNER: Alexa Bliss

Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal
(Veer & Shanky Banned From Ringside)

I very much appreciate that WWE is committed to revitalizing one of their former main eventers who still has a lot to offer in the ring. I can’t say that I’m electrified by the fact that it’s Jinder Mahal, but you know what? They’ve done a lot more with a lot less, and for all his negative reputation Mahal has done everything he can to make his character and feuds work. I haven’t really enjoyed the McIntyre vs. Mahal feud, which has gone some silly places involving the sword and such despite having a million other, better ways to build animosity between them. But you know what, it gives McIntyre something to do rather than flounder after his title feud ended. I don’t feel like WWE wants to continue this feud after SummerSlam, and if anyone wins this it has to be McIntyre.

WINNER: Drew McIntyre

Edge vs. Seth Rollins

Edge and Seth Rollins are naturally-made feuding partners. These two guys can bounce off each other in promos incredibly well and can absolutely deliver in the ring against each other. Part of that is because they’re so similar in terms of their characters, and part is that they’re both just that good. This feud came about after Rollins, sick of Edge cutting the line in front of him to get a title shot and frustrated by not winning Money in the Bank, assaulted Edge at Money in the Bank and cost him the title. Since then, these two have been doing pretty good stuff against each other. As I said, both of them can obviously go once the bell rings, and I expect nothing less here. The question is whether WWE sees this feud extending past SummerSlam, and while I think they probably should I don’t think they do. If it’s ending here, I think Edge picks up the win because you give it to Seth if he’s going onto the title feud. I don’t expect that will happen as long as Reigns is champion.

WINNER: Edge

WWE United States Championship Match
Sheamus vs. Damian Priest

Sheamus has had a tolerable run with the WWE United States Championship since winning it at WrestleMania 37. I won’t say it’s set the world on fire, but it’s played well into his character and that’s one of the key reasons to give a guy the title. That said, it feels like he’s taken it as far as it can go. Meanwhile, Damian Priest could absolutely use the title as a way to move up to the next level. Priest has been kept mostly busy with Miz and Morrison since coming to the main roster and he needs something to move him onto something new. The US Title could absolutely do that. This should be a solid if not fantastic hard-hitting match, and that’s kind of all I’m hoping for out of it. In the end, I think this is where they go with the title switch.

WINNER: Damian Priest (NEW WWE United States Champion)

Raw Tag Team Championship Match
AJ Styles & Omos vs. RKBro

Much like Sheamus, AJ Styles & Omos have been doing fine as champions since WrestleMania. Arguably, their run has been more successful because it’s established Omos as a character and given him time to develop in the ring. But at this point they’ve run through the majority of the tag team division. Meanwhile, RKBro has been more entertaining than anticipated, because it’s given Riddle a chance to expand his character and stretch his wings a bit. Orton and Riddle have undeniable chemistry as characters as well. If WWE was going to split these guys, they wouldn’t have had them reunite on this week’s Raw after Orton’s RKO to Riddle last week. And if they’re staying together, I don’t see any reason why they don’t take the title here. This should be a good matchup, with three of the four able to go at a decent-to-high level and the fourth able to the big man role he’s needed for. Once the bell has rung, I think we have new champions.

WINNER: RKBro (NEW Raw Tag Team Champions)

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
The Usos vs. The Mysterios

One of the biggest problem in WWE right now is their reliance on rematches. I think we all know that, and it’s been nonstop. The Smackdown tag team division is one good example of that. The Usos and the Mysterios have been tangling for two months, almost without variation, because the tag roster is a pretty shallow pool at the moment. I like all four of these guys, but at this point seeing them go at it again is just white noise to me. We know they’ll have a good match, but there’s only so many things they can do to change it up at this point. I imagine the Usos retain because I don’t see a good reason to do a title switch unless we want to tease dissension between Reigns and his cousins again, and that seems like once too often into that well right now.

WINNER: The Usos (STILL Smackdown Tag Team Champions)

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match
Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks

Pitting Sasha Banks against Bianca Belair after Banks returned to Smackdown was kind of a gimme. It’s a match that sells itself after they delivered big time at WrestleMania 37, and Banks does have her rematch to cash in. So here we are, and honestly it’s a match I’m excited about. Banks and Belair are doing some pretty solid character stuff in their feud, and once they get into the ring we know that they’ll be able to deliver. That said, I don’t see why you would pull the trigger on a title change right now. Becky Lynch is still waiting in the wings to return and Smackdown seems the logical place for her to come back to. Once she does, it’s a ready-made feud for her to challenge the young upstart who has the title now (and is also a new match, something WWE desperately needs more of). So while this should be quite enjoyable, I’m putting this down as one where a title does not change hands.

WINNER: Bianca Belair (STILL Smackdown Women’s Champion)

Raw Women’s Championship Match
Nikki A.S.H. vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

Speaking of feuds that has suffered by repeat matches… Nikki A.S.H.’s Raw Women’s Championship win was legitimately a great moment that saw some life injected back into the division. While putting her immediately against Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair was necessary considering the storyline, it hasn’t paid a lot of benefits. This rivalry is one where everyone’s doing good work, but it’s in service of nothing because they’re trading wins so much that it all feels meaningless. Nikki has been undercut by feeling like the afterthought at times even though she’s champion, and if WWE is smart I think they put her over here. Flair and Ripley can go on and do other things, or hell Nikki can even end up in a one-on-one feud with Charlotte (hopefully not, but you know). Other than getting her closer to dad’s record, a win here does nothing for Charlotte and Ripley needs to feud with someone else to rebuild a little. Let the superhero reign for a bit and face someone else, and I bet it will pay dividends.

WINNER: Nikki A.S.H. (STILL Raw Women’s Champion)

WWE Championship Match
Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg

Listen, not a damn person thinks that Goldberg should beat Bobby Lashley. I’m pretty sure Goldberg doesn’t think that should happen. This feud is the semi-yearly trotting out of Goldberg for a title shot that WWE can promote on name value, and that’s fine. That said, does anyone have high hopes for this match? Lashley is good, but Goldberg is — well, Goldberg at this stage of his career. I don’t expect this to be a great match, and I don’t expect there to be a huge amount of interest in the in-ring action here.

While Goldberg is not walking out with the title, I am going WAY out on a limb here and predicting that Lashley doesn’t either. Goldberg is a guy that can feasibly be said to have tested Lashley’s limits after delivering a couple of spears during the match. And who did Lashley recently have a feud with? Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. That’s right; I think that this where Big E. cashes in Money in the Bank after the bout to have a shocking finish to the match and give fans a main event title change. Because it’s sure as hell not happening in the other match.

WINNER: Bobby Lashley, then Big E. (NEW WWE World Champion)

WWE Universal Championship Match
Roman Reigns vs. John Cena

Speaking of that other match — yeah, sorry John. John Cena’s return has certainly brought a lot of attention, in a good way. It’s been nice to have Cena back, and his feud with Roman Reigns has been enjoyable (when Cena has appeared). But there’s no way I can conceive that he wins the title here. Reigns is still on the run of his career and there have been no signs of it slowing down, and Cena is going back to shooting some movies soon. He’s not Brock Lesnar and having him be champion while being away from WWE doesn’t fit his character. That said, this has every potential to be a great match. We haven’t seen Cena in the ring on WWE TV in a long while, but he’s had plenty of dark matches and live event matches to get fully back into ring shape. I expect this to be a very strong match that, in the end, gives Reigns that much more to crow about in terms of being the top heel in the company.

WINNER: Roman Reigns (STILL WWE Universal Champion)

And that’s all we have for WWE SummerSlam! WWE has a stacked card here and while a lot of the feuds have not been setting the world on fire, there’s enough interest here and some potential for really good matches that I’m hopeful. Thanks once again for reading, and remember that we will have live coverage of the show courtesy of the one and only Scott Slimmer right here on 411mania.com. I’m off, but in the meantime — Mr. Cena, what do you think? Why did Vince McMahon let Bray Wyatt and half the NXT roster go?