411’s WWE Summerslam Preview

~THE STAFF~
* 411, Mr. Kevin Pantoja.
* 411, Mr. Justin Watry.
* 411, Mr. Steve Cook.
* 411, Mr. Ken Hill.
* 411, Mr. Paul Leazar.
* 411, Mr. Jake Chambers.
* 411, Mr. Mitch Nickelson.

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“The Demon King” Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt

Ken Hill:

Baptized by Bray’s blood, was Balor,
though the loss may just be the thing.
Gone! Gone! The form of Finn
Rise! Rise, the Demon King!

WINNER: “The Demon King” Finn Balor

Kevin Pantoja: I really like Finn Balor and I always appreciate seeing the Demon, but I just can’t get into this. Everything involving Bray Wyatt ultimately feels hollow and meaningless. He had a months long feud with Randy Orton that did nothing. Same for his short feud with Seth Rollins. This feud honestly feels like it’s only here to give us a reason to see the Demon for the first time in a year. Bray won on Raw, so I don’t think he beats the Demon as well.

WINNER: Finn Balor

JUSTIN WATRY: I liked the story told on RAW. Maybe they could have gone without giving away the entire bout, but it was a nice throwback to 2015. If you recall, Finn Balor as himself couldn’t defeat Kevin Owens for the NXT Title. As THE DEMON though, he could and did so months later clean in the middle of the ring. Similar story here. Balor can’t deal with Bray Wyatt and all his mind games. When he transforms and becomes another being, it is a whole new ball game. Summerslam. Win. Finn.

WINNER: Balor

Steve Cook: THE DEMON RETURNS. The cool thing about Finn Balor’s Demon in NXT was that you never knew when it was going to appear. It usually ended up appearing during the Takeover shows, so it kind of got predictable in that sense. But they didn’t advertise it beforehand, so when Finn came out in the Demon makeup people got excited. Since he’s been called up to Raw, they’ve seen fit to advertise in advance when the Demon King would appear. It’d be one thing if Finn mentioned the Demon in an interview with Charly Caruso and people weren’t sure what exactly he meant by that. But now he mentions it in the interview and five seconds later Michael Cole is telling us how the Demon King will be at SummerSlam. Subtlety is an art that WWE could stand to use once in awhile. I think more of their fans would pick up on it than they realize. The Demon King will appear at SummerSlam & Bray Wyatt will lose. But it would mean a lot more if it was actually a surprise, or at least not advertised.

WINNER: Finn Balor

Paul Leazar: WWE has somehow done something I thought was impossible. They’ve made me not care about Finn Balor. It doesn’t help that Bray Wyatt has been severely hurt since his WWE World Heavyweight Title reign, but man, they took one of the coolest wrestlers in the world, and made him seem like an afterthought. I’m sure the injury scared the WWE off, but c’mon guys! Finn puts on the make up and gets the win here, but I think the damage has been done. I can only hope for better things for Finn going forward.

WINNER: Finn Balor

Jake Chambers: Am I the only one here that’s gonna feel uncomfortable watching a southern hillbilly gimmick beating up a white-guy-in-blackface gimmick in August 2017?

WINNER: Bad taste?

Mitch Nickelson: I hope this is good but I don’t care a ton about it. The blood bath on the go-home of Raw was a neat visual but that really was all that I’ve enjoyed. It’s been a long while since we’ve seen the full Demon entrance with the paint and everything. That’ll be cool to see. My hopes are low but maybe that will mean that they surprise me.

WINNER: Finn Balor

Randy Orton vs. Rusev

Ken Hill:

Rusev’s hit an all-time low, his
stock since Battleground is flagging.
Orton’s on the rebound here,
so you RKO-holics need not be nagging.

WINNER: Randy Orton

Kevin Pantoja: Rusev deserves so much better. He should be in Jinder Mahal’s spot. He’s good in the ring and incredibly charismatic. Anyway, Randy Orton has been giving unmotivated performances in almost every match since the Luke Harper and AJ Styles ones before WrestleMania. Naturally, that means Rusev should win here. He lost to John Cena in a brutally bad match at Battleground and could stand to regain momentum. But, Orton’s lost at four straight PPVs. He’s not gonna lose in five straight. Poor Rusev.

WINNER: Randy Orton

JUSTIN WATRY: Come on, Randy Orton just lost to Jinder Mahal at multiple pay-per-views. That is coming off a loss to Bray Wyatt in an already forgotten about gimmick match. This is the same man who won the Royal Rumble match earlier in the year and won the WWE Championship at Wrestle FREAKIN’ Mania. To say Mr. RKO needs a quality PPV win would be an understatement. While that means Rusev loses again, it does not matter too much. He is not exactly primed for much on the blue brand these days. If he was, his Flag Match with John Cena would have gone much differently.

WINNER: Randy Orton

Steve Cook: This whole feud feels like the Random Booking Monkey threw a couple of darts at the dartboard and this is what we ended up with. They’re trying to build some type of an issue but I don’t think anybody’s buying it. Rusev continues to be miscast as the third heel trying to get heat for being foreign on a show that has way too many guys doing that gimmick. I know the WWE brass wants to do that due to the political climate, but it makes the show really difficult to watch. Maybe Rusev gets the win here, but it doesn’t feel like WWE really buys into the guy and Randy Orton is a God, so the Viper seems like the safe pick here.

WINNER: Randy Orton

Paul Leazar: I really, really want to believe that Rusev has a shot in hell of winning this one. I really do. The guy really deserves another solid because I just think the world of him. Randy, on the other, has been the most boring person in WWE since WrestleMania this year, and that’s saying something. Randy is always hit or miss for me. When he’s on, there aren’t a lot of people out there who can generate as much interest in a story like Randy can. When he’s off, I can’t change the channel fast enough when’s he on TV. I can’t see Rusev winning here, so I picked Randy to win here. I’m really just praying I don’t fall asleep when this one comes on.

WINNER: Randy Orton

Jake Chambers: After that humiliating Flag Match loss, it’s pretty obvious the Russians are going to hack the booking committee and make Rusev go over here.

WINNER: Putin

Mitch Nickelson: Randy Orton’s payback for getting his head split open by a blunt tree trunk known as a Brock Lesnar elbow from last year’s SummerSlam was a tepid rivalry with Bray Wyatt followed by an even more tepid rivalry with Jinder Mahal. Sure, he won the WWE Championship and the Royal Rumble somewhere in the midst of all of that but it didn’t really balance things out. There needs to be no wackiness here – simply give Orton a clean win and let him move on.

WINNER: Randy Orton

John Cena vs. Baron Corbin

Ken Hill:

Cena costing Baron the title,
could help this lacking feud proceed.
Cena’s in a summertime slump,
Baron owes him many a lump.
Perhaps a DQ will help both men’s need.

WINNER: John Cena (via DQ)

Kevin Pantoja: WWE taking the briefcase off Baron Corbin was disappointing. He’s a much more entertaining and better overall heel than the current champion. That makes this match a bit tougher to predict. With the briefcase, he could lose and still have that in his pocket, which the WWE loves to do with MITB holders. Without it, a loss to Cena following what happened on Smackdown could be fatal. Cena legitimately hasn’t won at SummerSlam since the Team Nexus debacle in 2010 and hasn’t won a singles match at the PPV since 2007 (lost to Batista in 08, Orton in 09, Punk in 11, Punk in 12, Bryan in 13, Brock in 14, Seth in 15, AJ in 16). I say Cena wins before heading to Raw. Big Banter flounders unless he goes to Raw and gets a win back.

WINNER: John Cena

JUSTIN WATRY: Well, Tuesday’s episode of Smackdown LIVE sure ended in shocking fashion. You want unpredictability, right? Well, there you go. Remember that next time you complain about the monotony of WWE. Clearly, those were not the plans in mind when Baron Corbin won the briefcase, so something must have changed. A move to Raw perhaps? The dreaded ‘heat’ backstage? Whatever the case, I doubt anybody saw it coming. Initially my thoughts were that Corbin would beat Cena, build some credibility and cash in his MITB contract this Fall. Now? Seems none of that is happening. John Cena is still likely heading to Monday nights soon, so why would he win? Suppose the same was said about him taking time off after WM33 and still winning anyways. What makes this all the more confusing is that Cena has a terrible win-loss record at Summerslam. I mention it every August and more often than not, he loses. Tuesday tells me Cena is winning, and the company is taking a break with Corbin. History and all the RAW talk tells me otherwise. Picking Corbin now but probably changing it before Sunday…

WINNER: Baron Corbin

Steve Cook: This is the biggest match of Baron Corbin’s career. I realize he’s been higher on the card. But he’s in the ring with the top star of the 21st century. If the match sucks or doesn’t get the desired reaction, it isn’t going to be John Cena’s fault. Corbin already laid an egg with Nakamura last month. If he underperforms with Cena, it’s going to be a tough time for him going forward. I assume Cena wins because, good God why shouldn’t he win? But Corbin needs to have his working boots on and better be on the same page with Cena. If he’s not, expect to see him in GFW/TNA/whatever teaming with Darin Corbin.

WINNER: John Cena

Paul Leazar: We got a good picture of what the WWE thinks about Baron Corbin on Smackdown this week didn’t we? A failed cash-in attempt, and now being fed to John Cena here makes it look like WWE is selling whatever stock that had in the guy, and are moving on to something else. The build for this match specifically hasn’t been all that great. I’ve never been much of a Corbin fan as far as his ring work goes, but his promo skills are just awful. He’s almost robotic, and there is very little emotion in his talking. I never really believe what he’s saying, and that’s a large problem. Say whatever you will about Cena, but he’s more than proven he can make matches must watch with his promos. Yet, it’s hard do that when the guy you are working with is taking away any intrigue in what you’re trying to build. Cena wins, and we move on.

WINNER: John Cena

Jake Chambers: Many thought Corbin having that Money in the Bank briefcase was his ticket to main event status, but that’s gone and he can get the one thing he truly needs: a bandana from his “real” father Hulk Hogan! Hogan/Corbin – c’mon, say it out loud – sounds the same, right? Baldness and height are more hereditary than goofy-ass grins and an interest in amateur wrestling – I’m looking at you Angle family!

WINNER: Baron Hogan

Mitch Nickelson: It’s hard to argue Baron’s case for a win after such an awful MITB cash in. On the surface, it appears that The Lone Wolf is on his way to the land of the lower card, putting over Mojo Rawley and Aiden English. It’s not the worst thing in the world to feud with Tye Dillinger and to occasionally pop up in goofy Fashion Police segments, but it is a considerable fall from grace. Cena wins. Maybe if Corbin watches his Twitter banter WWE might give him his entrance back.

WINNER: John Cena

Enzo Suspended Above the Ring: Big Cass vs. Big Show

Ken Hill:

Like the cage Enzo’s locked in,
this feud has jumped the shark.
Just give Cass the win over Show,
then ship off Enzo, just for a lark.

WINNER: Big Cass

Kevin Pantoja: Holy shit. This sounds bad. Cass is wildly uninteresting. At least they tried something with the hand injury on Raw, even if it’s completely unoriginal. I’m gonna say Big Cass wins and Enzo does something to make him look like a fool, because the WWE seems to love that.

WINNER: Big Ass

JUSTIN WATRY: The previous two times this stipulation was added resulted in a heel winning. The same continues here. No way should Big Show beat Big Cass. Enzo needs to just go away for awhile. Talks way too big of a game for a guy who gets beat down. I guess that is the charm…or something.

WINNER: Big Cass

Steve Cook: I haven’t really been digging anything about this feud. Cass getting a push. Cass wrestling Big Show. Enzo doing things. Nothing about this has really worked. I assume the whole point of Show feuding with Cass is an attempt to get Cass over, so Cass should get the win here. I have nothing more to say about this that is either relevant or true.

WINNER: Big Cass

Paul Leazar: I’d find it a bit silly for Big Show to win here. I think Big Cass has more then held his own since going solo, with the only problem I’ve had with the guy is that his theme music is just total garbage. Not to much complain about there. This has been fine overall though. It’s been a nice midcard feud, and while I don’t know if we’re ever going to get much out of Enzo in the long run, Big Cass at least has been given a fair start to his singles run. The broken hand for Big Show will surely play into the match, and maybe creates a rematch down the road after it’s “healed”. Big Cass gets the victory here for sure.

WINNER: Big Cass

Jake Chambers: Damn, that “shark cage” is back with a vengeance in the WWE! Clearly the people have spoken and the WWE is giving us all more of an incredible gimmick match that we can’t get enough of!

WINNER: November’s Shark Cage PPV

Mitch Nickelson: Big Show is putting over Big Cass. That seems like the most logical outcome. Then, Big Show can get angry at Enzo for somehow being the reason that he lost. He’ll do a record-breaking 13,000th heel turn and then feud with Enzo. Of course, he’ll then get his back against the little guy. This could be okay. Big Show usually does a decent job of making the young guys look good.

WINNER: Big Cass

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos vs. The New Day

Ken Hill:

The rubber match has come at last,
rap battles and stolen phrases galore.
Big E & Woods will trump the twin wardens,
A New Day Redemption is in store.

WINNER: The New Day

Kevin Pantoja: They stole the show at Battleground, having the best WWE PPV match since the Elimination Chamber. At least off the top of my head. With Big E replacing Kofi Kingston, I don’t think it’ll be quite as good, since the smaller New Day guys worked so well with the Usos last time. That being said, it should still be very good. Their chemistry is great and, if given time, this could steal the show again. Part of me sees a title swap, but part of me thinks New Day retains. I’ll go with that.

WINNER: The New Day

Justin Watry: Alright defenders of The New Day, where are you? Still out there? Still going to call me a ‘hater’ or that I am just jealous of the trio? Still? The act has been stale for more than a year, and not even a move to Smackdown could change that. Whole new set of opponents and setting. Not even THAT made them get creative. Whether it is just them coasting or getting bored, the wheels have been off for awhile. Dealing with another lengthy tag team title reign spells doom for the entire division. Just as The Usos were peaking too. Shame.

WINNER: The New Day

Steve Cook: The best match on the Battleground PPV gets the Kickoff Show treatment here. Sounds about right. It’s a match to get the fans excited about the show, so there is absolutely no reason why the New Day shouldn’t win. People like the New Day. Them winning makes people happy. Makes sense to me.

WINNER: New Day

Paul Leazar: I’ve really enjoyed this feud so far. It helps that all of these guys have terrific chemistry with each other, and the feud might still be far from over yet. I like the New Day to retain here. As much as I’ve really enjoyed The Usos since their heel turn, I feel like the mileage from another long New Day tag team title run benefits the division to give it some stability while you build up more teams, or wait to bring up more from NXT.

WINNER: The New Day

Jake Chambers: For this the 8th PPV match between these two teams this year (I think, lost count), the Usos are going to use a new strategy to combat that bogus “Freebird Rule”: Daniel Bryan! That’s right, WWE has been dropping clues that this will happen for months now, and since he’s the GM he can put himself on the team (well, not that you need that power since apparently all you have to say is “Freebird Rule” to completely bypass all tag team logic). Dancin’ Bry Bry is gonna Thuganomics his way to the ring, moving his arms around like ’92 Anthony Kedis and then partner up with one of those other guys to shock the wrestling world like it’s SummerSlam 2010 all over again, but this time – as Diesel would say – way more funky!

WINNER: The YES-os!

Mitch Nickelson: The New Day are likely winning, I just don’t want to accept it. The Usos have been one of my favorite tag teams in WWE and I want to see them continue their act on top. If I were to seriously put real money on this pick, I’d got with New Day. This pick doesn’t cost me anything, so I’m going with who I want to win rather than who I think will win.

WINNER: The Usos

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Neville vs. Akira Tozawa

Ken Hill:

King fell on Monday,
A rematch with Tozawa?
Just FEEL THE POWAAAA!!!

WINNER: Akira Tozawa

Kevin Pantoja: I don’t understand WWE booking sometimes. Why give this away on Raw before SummerSlam? I know the title switch gave Raw a cool moment, but it’s just dumb. Their GBOF match was good and Raw was a bit better. If this is on the main card, I worry it doesn’t get the time to fully develop. If it’s on the Kickoff Show, it could pull an Aries/Neville from Mania and be great. I have a sinking suspicion that Neville regains the gold/silver here.

WINNER: Neville

@JustinWatry: Wasn’t a fan of the random title change happening on Sunday. Should have saved it for Sunday night. Right when I saw that happen on the Hulu version of RAW, I knew what was coming. Nine times out of ten, there are no cruiserweight segments on there. When that came on, I figured the title was changing hands. Oh well, time to correct that at Summerslam. Akira Tozawa is a fun act and was one of the highlights at WWE Fastlane 2017 in Milwaukee. However, Neville was crushing it as champ.

WINNER: Neville

Steve Cook: I was surprised they did this match on Raw. I’m even more surprised they’re doing it again here, as I assumed the point of doing it on Raw was to free up some time on this show for other stuff. I stopped caring about this division a long time ago so…I mean, they can hotshot it back to Neville if they want? People keep telling me he’s an awesome champion but I keep losing interest in the division when he’s on top so I don’t know who to believe on that one. The media or my lying eyes.

WINNER: Neville

Paul Leazar: I’m still miffed that they did the title change on RAW instead of waiting until Summerslam. Granted, this match is on the pre-show, so the thinking was probably that more people would see the title change on RAW, and that would get them to tune in on The Network earlier to get more of a taste of the great stuff these two have been putting on inside the ring. I really hope they decide to keep the championship on Tozawa, but the faces are so much more developed on 205 Live, and I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Neville win the championship back, even if I think there’s a fun story in watching Neville disintegrate into a “Mad King” character by coming up short here.

WINNER: Akira Tozawa

Jake Chambers: The show is called “205 Live” because of the weight limit, right? Are these guys both supposed to be 205 pounds? As if. In a shocking twist, I think the always transparent and honest New York Sports Commission is gonna come out with a scale and disqualify both men for being above the legal weight limit for this division.

WINNER: Double DQ

Mitch Nickelson: Neville’s reign at the top of the Cruiserweight division finally ended on Raw and it’s absolutely crushed him. I bothered me a little too, but I at least showered and got some sleep since then. He came to the next night’s 205 Live looking like a terrible mess, obviously distraught. I sort of like the idea of Akira’s victory forced him into a state of madness. I assume Neville will lose again at SummerSlam. What I’d like to see afterward is for him to go missing on the streets kind of like Cactus Jack did in WCW in the early 1990s. I don’t have an end game for a homeless and crazy Neville but I’m sure he could pull it off.

WINNER: Akira Tozawa

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro and Sheamus

Ken Hill:

Two-thirds of the band are together,
and thrown into the title chase.
To set the reunion in stone,
let’s not rest on star power alone
or a let a title change go to waste.

WINNER: Ambrose and Rollins

Kevin Pantoja: If the WWE is doing long term thinking (they’re probably not), they could set this Dean/Seth up all the way to Mania. A friend of mine brought it up a few weeks ago but they should win the titles and hold them until the end of the year when the Revival can hopefully return and dethrone them. Then, maybe Dean turns heel (it would be fresh for him) and it leads to the first Dean/Seth match in quite some time at WrestleMania. However, they’ve probably only planned things out until Raw after SummerSlam. Either way, I’m gonna say Dean and Seth win the straps here. Shame for Cesaro and Sheamus, because they’re awesome.

WINNER: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins

JUSTIN WATRY: Big fan of the opening segment on RAW this past week. Loved that WWE showed patience with The Shield reunion and got rewarded with a massive crowd reaction. Played it perfectly waiting until right before the pay-per-view to seal the deal. Good stuff. Does that mean the company will ride with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as RAW Tag Team Champions now? I don’t know about that. Not like Sheamus and Cesaro have done much since beating The Hardyz. If there is any way to get us to a countout/disqualification finish, that would be ideal. Bigger plans await for Rollins and Ambrose than feuding with the tag champs.

WINNER: The Shield

Steve Cook: Dean & Seth reuniting on the Raw before SummerSlam kind of sounds the alarm bells for one of them turning at SummerSlam, doesn’t it? You know damn well if Vince Russo was booking that’s what would happen. What I’m envisioning is a Shield reunion at the end of the show to save Roman Reigns from the boos he’ll get after winning the Universal Championship. The Shield holding all of those titles and together again sounds pretty good to me.

WINNER: Ambrose & Rollins

Paul Leazar: This should an awesome match. I love all four of these guys, and the story between Seth & Dean has very well told. I wish Cesaro and Sheamus were a bit hotter going into this, but it is what it is. There’s a large part of me that hopes everything we saw on RAW was ruse on Dean’s part, and he turns on Seth during the match. Dean could use the heel turn, but if they plan on keeping these two together for a while, they could always wait on all of this to implode at a later date. No matter what though, I think Cesaro and Sheamus get the victory here because Seth and Dean still need to work out the kinks before getting the titles.

WINNER: Cesaro & Sheamus

Jake Chambers: That Ambrose/Rollins segment at the beginning of RAW this week was one anal penetration away from being the tent scene in Brokeback Mountain. Luckily they put in enough vague innuendo to keep the Chinese censors happy. Just another trick World Wrestling Entertainment has learned from Hollywood, you know, along with dumbing down everything to appeal to the widest global audience of morons as possible.

WINNER: The shields… I mean, The Shield.

Mitch Nickelson: I love a good Shield reunion, even if one Big Dog-sized piece of the puzzle is missing. Cesaro & Sheamus are great together but it is time to let another team take the title. Since the main event scene is a little too crowded for Dean and Seth at the moment, this is something fun for them to do in the meantime. If they do win, that will mean that Dean and Roman will need to win tag gold together sometime in the future to finish out the final pair of Shield brothers to be tag champs.

WINNER: Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins

WWE United States Championship Match: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (Shane McMahon as special guest referee)

Ken Hill:

The mind games are afoot,
all at Shane’s physical expense.
An “accidental” screwjob will go down,
for the KO-Shane feud to make sense.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Kevin Pantoja: Smackdown has been quite the shit show lately, hasn’t it? They’ve even fumbled most of this storyline and the matches haven’t lived up to the hype. That’s not say they’ve been bad matches (though the Battleground one wasn’t good), but the ones with potential have been killed by the finishes. They’ve made up for it a bit with the Shane stuff over the past few weeks and hopefully, this time they deliver the greatness they’re capable of. I’m going with AJ retaining, to give him a proper reign, and set up an angry Owens to feud with Shane McMahon. Maybe a match at Hell in a Cell?

WINNER: AJ Styles

JUSTIN WATRY: Shane McMahon is wrestling Kevin Owens in two months I believe, so that telegraphs this showdown. AJ Styles will retain the championship. Owens will lose and blame it all on Shane. Here is my big bold prediction though: I am going to say that we get absolutely no controversy with the special guest referee. Just AJ beating Kevin, and that’s it. Now can we get that weekly United States Open Challenge back or what?

WINNER: AJ Styles

Steve Cook: We’ve spent the last two weeks on SD Live re-creating issues between Shane & AJ to create some doubt in the outcome of this match. Which is smart, quite honestly. There’s a slight chance that Shane turns simply because he’s a McMahon and it’s what they do, but I’m all for him remaining a good guy character as he’s the one McMahon with the ability to seem like a good person. He should call this match right down the middle, and when Kevin Owens loses he assumes it’s because Shane was against him. And this time, they should actually have Owens lose cleanly so he doesn’t have justification for acting like a jackass. It’s annoying when they give the heels excuses.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Paul Leazar: I’m slowly losing hope that we’ll ever the great balls to walls match these two can produce because the WWE keeps wanting to tell a different story. I’m sure we’ll get some great stuff before we get to however they’re gonna spin Shane & KO’s feud forward from this moment. I do hope we return to the idea of AJ doing the US Open Challenge though. There’s a ton of talent on Smackdown who could use the opportunity to have some great matches with AJ. With that being said, AJ walks out with the championship.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Jake Chambers: What a main event we have here for the World Title… oops, lol! Remember when “the longest reigning Universal champion” lost his title in 5 seconds to Bill Goldberg after being distracted in a PPV main event by entrance music? Remember “Wrestler of the Year 2016” AJ Styles having to open WrestleMania this year against the son of the owner of the company because Bray Wyatt needed to PowerPoint worms onto the mat for a big show moment? Now these two are gonna get 10 mins in the middle of the SummerSlam to fight over the (lol) US Title in a glorified commercial for Owens’ chance to face the owner’s son. Sheesh, what’s next for AJ, wearing a crown to the ring or a fake affair angle? And you all thought TNA wasted this dude!

WINNER: Whoever Shane wants to fight next

Mitch Nickelson: There’s a little bit too much going on here. AJ vs. Kevin is fine and the buildup to the eventual KO/Shane match is fine as well, but I’m not sure I want them all together at the same time. Just give me a great Styles vs. Owens match and then do the other thing later. Kevin needs more of a reason to be made at Shane so the obvious outcome is that he gets screwed out of a win. This should be good and if they don’t overbook everything, it could be match of the night.

WINNER: AJ Styles

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

Ken Hill:

The more riveting women’s title match,
has Bayley’s bestie taking her place.
Could we see a Bayley turn, of all things,
or a clean title change to keep the steady pace?

WINNER: Sasha Banks

Steve Cook: This makes me feel worse for Bayley than those mean Toronto fans booing her did…but maybe that’s actually for the best in the long run. Getting a shoulder injury and bumped out of a SummerSlam match for the Raw Women’s Championship finally gives us a reason to feel sorry for Bayley. Bayley’s best friend Sasha is getting the title shot instead…I feel like Bayley winning here would have made sense, but a Boston girl going over in NYC doesn’t work nearly as well. I’m pulling for Alexa to retain and continue establishing her dominance over everybody on Raw.

WINNER: Alexa Bliss

Kevin Pantoja: Honestly, I’m happier we got this match over Bliss/Bayley. Bayley has been Bliss’ best opponent, but the Sasha match at the last PPV was good before the countout finish. There was an intensity to it that we don’t often get from women’s matches. Though Sasha never got a good reign in 2016, this is not the time for her. She’s been very mediocre lately and babyface Sasha just doesn’t work at all. Alexa should retain and hopefully they call up Asuka, who can take the title off her and run through the division

WINNER: Alexa Bliss

JUSTIN WATRY: There are a lot of matches on this show. Considering I have just finished four columns, 35,000 words on my upcoming novel and am on four of hours of sleep the past two days, these predictions are becoming very long winded. That is how I feel about the women’s division right now. Bayley getting injured sucked. Not the company’s fault. Making us believe Nia Jax is some kind of dominant monster is WWE’s fault though. She loses every big match anyways. Either go all the way or don’t. That means we get another Sasha Banks fill in (for Bayley ironically) and match versus Alexa Bliss. Lots can be said about those two, but the build has been rushed and doesn’t seem to fit like it did in their previous fight. Alexa Bliss should retain, and I think she will. P.S. Wasn’t Raw in Boston on Monday night? Oh, it was. Sorry, I forgot. Fans only get upset when the hometown star loses but then ignore every time they win. Right, gotcha!

WINNER: Bliss

Paul Leazar: I’ve had one question on my mind since Alexa Bliss finished up with Bayley. “How long will it be until Sasha wins the championship again?”. Don’t get wrong, I love Alexa Bliss. She’s one of the best characters on WWE television today, she’s progressed in the ring very quickly, and I think very highly of her. Yet, Sasha has been hanging around in the wings waiting for her turn to dominate the division. Not to mention, the inevitable moment of Nia Jax winning the title is just around the corner I feel as well, so another short run could be in store for Sasha just to move the title. I think they should do it here though. Sasha winning freshens up the division, and I think that’s something the division could really use at this point. Of course, I said the same thing heading into Great Balls of Fire, and they went the other way.

WINNER: Sasha Banks

Jake Chambers: The wonders of the “Diva’s Revolution” bring us two SummerSlam women’s wrestling matches featuring a held-back internet darling, a successful super-bitch blonde beauty, a dancing black wrestler and Natalya. Incredible the progress being made in the WWE these days!

WINNER: Men

Mitch Nickelson: Sasha is going to get massive love from the Barclay’s Center. She’s a perfect fit for a crowd-pleasing win. Bliss has been fine as champ but the past few months have been her weakest in a while. I hope The Boss can bring some fire back into the division.

WINNER: Sasha Banks

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Natalya vs. Naomi

Ken Hill:

Carmella’s been playing up her trump card,
her intentions made loud and clear.
Anything to spice up a match with Natalya in it,
but Corbin may well have to hold her beer.

WINNER: Naomi

Steve Cook: I’ve been operating under the assumption that this is leading to Carmella cashing in at SummerSlam. When Natalya is your top challenger, it’s time to shake things up. Now’s the time to move the belt over to Carmella, as she’ll have the rematch with Naomi most likely followed by a feud with Charlotte, who will be even more appreciated than usual upon her return. Naomi gets the win over Nattie, but don’t expect the post-match Glow to last for long.

WINNER: Naomi

Kevin Pantoja: Smackdowns’ equivalent to Cass/Show. I can’t imagine anyone caring about this. I’m admittedly not a Naomi fan, but Natalya is one of the worst possible opponents for her. I can’t stand Charlotte at all, but at least she has name value and it would’ve been a bigger match fitting of SummerSlam. I love Becky and a battle of Smackdown’s two pure babyface women could’ve worked too. This is gonna suck something fierce. As always, Natalya will do relatively crisp offense, but fill in time with horrible character work. Naomi wins. Just put the damn title on Carmella already. Carmella vs. Becky is easily the best possible women’s program on Smackdown.

WINNER: Naomi

Justin Watry: Speaking of hometown stars winning, there is Naomi from Orlando still as the Smackdown Womens Champion! Why is this match happening? Sorry to be so down on the women in WWE right now (NXT is doing great), but where is Becky Lynch? Where is Charlotte? At least Tamina and Lana are doing…something. Natalya is not who I envisioned getting a big Summerslam spot. It felt like and still does feel like ‘filler’ before Carmella cashes in her Money in the Bank briefcase. James Ellsworthless is back, and the blue brand loves the duo. With Baron Corbin just using his MITB contract though, maybe WWE waits. Two cash ins in five days is a bit much. Naomi is my pick, and it is not even up for debate.

WINNER: Naomi

Paul Leazar: I like this match on paper. Naomi is a great athlete, and I think she’s made progress as a character, but she hasn’t sold a lot of the fans that she should be the champion. Natalya is a veteran, and has shown she can work well with most of the women in the division, but really excels when she’s working with somebody who works a more exciting style, so her punishing style really means more throughout the match. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a lot of limb work here to tease out the cash in, but I’m not expecting to see it after Tuesday. Naomi retains.

WINNER: Naomi

Jake Chambers: We all know Natalya has a secret weapon she’s been holding in, as they say, for many years now, one that would undoubtedly help her win the championship, and I’m hoping she’s gonna let it rip! Either way, this match is sure to be a stinker.

WINNER: Farts!

Mitch Nickelson: I didn’t predict for Naomi to get a lengthy title run but that seems to be the case for her. Maybe I’m wrong but Natalya feels like a temporary challenge and not somebody who will take her title off of her. I’m all for Naomi to keep getting the shine but I can’t say I’ve seen any fantastic matches or storylines involving her during this run. If she’s going to continue being at the top of her division, and I think she will, I need to see a stellar match or two to remember her reign by.

WINNER: Naomi

WWE Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal

Ken Hill:

A war of nations,
as personalities clash.
Strong Style shall rise.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura

Kevin Pantoja: Imagine a world where Nakamura’s first title win should come over Jinder Mahal. I don’t think Nakamura is ready to be WWE Champion yet, but Jinder Mahal wasn’t back in May, so what the hell do I know? Part of me thinks Nakamura wins to please the fans, but apparently the WWE is coming to India in September. I see Jinder as champion that night. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Jinder retains through nefarious terms. He’s already been champion for far too long, so why not just keep it going?

WINNER: Jinder Mahal

Steve Cook: I’m just happy that Baron Corbin already tried to cash in. I was going to spend this entire match dreading a Nakamura victory followed by Baron taking the strap from him. Now the only thing standing between Nakamura and the WWE Championship is Jinder Mahal’s entourage. I’m still holding out hope for another Great Khali appearance. As much as I would be perfectly fine with the Jinder experiment ending here, I think we’ve got a little bit more to go. Jinder retains, but by nefarious means.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura (by disqualification)

JUSTIN WATRY: Ugh, such a tough pick. Like Baron Corbin, I think WWE may be re-thinking their strategy with Jinder Mahal moving forward. He lost to Randy Orton two weeks ago clean. Then this past week, the champ was clearly going to lose to Cena before the interference. Not quite what the company wants to portray as their top star leading the international expansion. Even as a heel, Mahal had been winning on television. That brings me to the guy who should be leading the international expansion: Shinsuke Nakamura! Like NXT, he has been very well protected and is treated as a STAR. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about what the crew think about him behind the scenes. Debuted WM32 weekend in NXT, debuted on Smackdown WM33 week. Won the NXT Title Summerslam weekend in 2016, could win the WWE Title in 2017 at Summerslam. Very fitting. My one hold up is that India tour coming up. Ah, screw it! Nakamura is who I will be rooting for on Sunday night.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura

Paul Leazar: This has the potential to be a train wreck in the worst of ways, or the possibility to show that Nakamura can carry anybody when he wants too. We’ve learned all too well over the years that Shinsuke brings the good stuff when he wants too, and I’d like to think that WWE World Heavyweight Title being on the line warrants that great ability we all know he has. Yet, his opponent doesn’t exactly have the best track record for putting on great matches, but I feel like Shinsuke could pull something good out of Jinder. Of course, this could be a quick five minute affair where Shinsuke just absolutely runs Jinder over to move the title over, and be on about our business. Either way, I think Shinsuke gets the championship here. The Jinder experiment was nice, but I’m not sure how much was gained out of the run.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura

Jake Chambers: For all the internet hobby economist business-mark fans out there who think the WWE gifted Jinder Mahal the World Title to court the Indian market, wouldn’t it make more sense to go after Japan, a smaller country with probably twice the wealth who has sustained a thriving pro-wrestling industry for decades? That would assume that the WWE thinks Japan is going to be interested in their limp-ass wrestling and dopey fucking storylines (they won’t be) and that it’s not just easier to sell dumb shit at a cheap price to a bunch of people they think don’t know anything about wrestling. Frankly, I’d guess India would probably be way happier to buy into the WWE if AJ Styles was champion, since he’s clearly an A-level wrestler and not just be pandered to with a brown-skinned C-level wrestler. But, of course, this assumes the WWE isn’t run by white, corporate, colonizing capitalists.

WINNER: Jinder Mahal

Mitch Nickelson: This is has to be a win for Nakamura, right? They would’ve simply gone with Cena if Mahal merely needed a high profile opponent to lose to him, right? I wouldn’t say that the Mahal experiment was a failure but it definitely didn’t light the world on fire. Feuding endlessly with Randy Orton and having a Punjabi Prison Match that was highlighted by a Great Khali run-in isn’t exactly how I wouldn’t booked him to get over, but whatever. I just watch this stuff. Let’s hope that WWE has slightly better ideas for Shinsuke.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura

Fatal 4 Way WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar (If Lesnar loses, he and Paul Heyman will leave WWE)

Ken Hill:

A war of nations,
as personalities clash.
Strong Style shall rise.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura

Fatal 4 Way WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar (If Lesnar loses, he and Paul Heyman will leave WWE)

Ken Hill:

The hoss war to end all others,
has arrived at long last.
A four-way melee shall ensue,
once all four are on full-blast.

Will it be the reign of Roman?
Many are doubting, rightfully so.
Will he and other men fall to Strowman?
Or will all submit to Samoa Joe?

Will Brock drop the strap,
and cage himself away in MMA?
Methinks not, it be all a plot, for
Heyman to lead our smarky minds astray.

WINNER: Brock Lesnar

Kevin Pantoja: Forget almost everything else on this card. This is what I’m waiting for. Four bad motherfuckers just going to war. This has potential to be incredible. There are only two options that I accept coming out of this. A Universal Title reign for Samoa Joe or Braun Strowman. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar can fuck off. Brock can do something else and come back, away from the title picture. Though I’m pulling for Joe or Braun, I’m going with Roman. If Brock really is heading to the UFC, that puts a rush on the Roman/Brock idea. Plus, I never vote against the big dog.

WINNER: BIG DOG GOTTA EAT

JUSTIN WATRY: It sucks for Samoa Joe, but he is going to get pinned by Brock Lesnar for the second month in a row. Don’t cry for him though. He is lucky to even make it to this spot at Summerslam. His match against Brock was a one and done. The actual next main event feud for RAW was/is Lesnar versus Braun Strowman. Thus, the silver lining for Samoa Joe is he got dragged into another month’s worth of main events. Roman Reigns will get his due down the road. Not here. The short-term money is in Lesnar and Strowman fighting this Fall in a one on one setting. Like I said, that was probably the original Summerslam plan, as teased the night after Mania. Joe has done a great job since coming to RAW, so he got rewarded with this fatal four way spot. The Universal Championship is not his. It belongs to Brock Lesnar and will for a long time coming. The UFC/leaving BS is just that in August 2017-BS. It will mean more in April 2018. Until then, The Beast continues his winning ways.

WINNER: Brock Lesnar

Steve Cook: I don’t know if this will be the best match on the show, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be the most fun and get the best reactions. 4 big ol’ hosses beating the crap out of each other? Sign me up! The only downside, of course, is the finish. Brock leaving for a little while seems like a pretty safe bet…he may retain here and then drop the title shortly after in a slight swerve, but it’s less than a 25% chance that he wins. Braun could go here and nobody would think twice about it. Same for Joe. Unlike some guys on the other brand that got put in title contention before people thought they were ready, Braun & Joe have each proved they belong. I’m not picking either of them, though. I’m going with The Guy. If Roman Reigns truly is The Guy, these are the types of matches he wins. Main event of a PPV. Three of the baddest men in the company in the ring with him. There shouldn’t be any doubt.

WINNER: ROMAN WINS LOL

Paul Leazar: Quite literally, this one serves as the big one. A big hoss battle to end the night should be just what the doctor ordered. I’ve been pulling for Samoa Joe to win the Universal Title off of Brock Lesnar, but with the two other guys in this one being guys that WWE just loves to pieces, it’s hard imagine Joe getting the victory here. It’s still not time to try Roman again as the champion, but I do think Braun has a very real chance of walking away with the championship. He’s been built very well, and is nigh unbeatable. Depending on how all of the MMA stuff goes with Brock (it seems like a lock but you never know), I’d just go ahead and move the championship while you can. Plus, you have the added benefit of this being on a big stage, and people do like Braun, even if it’s only because he murders Roman every chance he gets. I’m going to pick Braun to win here, but really, I’m just ready to watch these guys beat the snot out of each other.

WINNER: Braun Strowman

Jake Chambers: Can you believe that this is the “first time ever!” that the WWE Universal Championship has been defended in a Fatal 4-Way? Wow, amazing! And this will be less than one week after Bray Wyatt faced Finn Balor for the “first time ever!” on Monday Night RAW! Unbelievable! And let’s not forget that on Smackdown Live this week was one of the biggest matches in the history of that show, part-timer John Cena in a 10-minute non-title match against a jobber champion no one believes in, Jinder Mahal! How are we the recipients of such mind-blowing and groundbreaking wrestling moments?

Lucky enough, I guess, to get a main event featuring three “half-stars” and one legit WWE superstar. First is Braun Strowman, the new Damian Sandow to Roman Reigns’ The Miz, who I predict is gonna quickly reveal his true worth once he’s no longer partnered up with Reigns in all these matches. Then you’ve got TNA’s own Samoa Joe, who legit lost clean from one F5 against Lesnar in like 10 minutes on the last PPV, a less credible challenger you couldn’t make. And finally there’s Lesnar himself, a guy who has redefined the term “part-timer”, and who will no doubt be spending the most amount of time selling outside of the ring to moves he’d pop right back up from in a regular singles match, just so the other guys can do all the work for him. Half-stars, the three of them, all seemingly incapable (or just not positioned) to do the job of one full, traditional WWE superstar. And then there’s Roman Reigns, possibly the WWE’s single biggest missed opportunity. Internet fans want to constantly blame Vince McMahon for the shit state the WWE is in, but I refuse. The man responsible for decades of awesome creative content is not losing it, especially after only recently refusing to buckle to fair-weather smark illogical responses to John Cena and thus creating a superstar who once again could appeal to kids and will most likely end up being the considered the greatest superstar in WWE history. Nah, Vince knows what he’s doing and how to make awesome wrestling again, but it’s all these next generation fools around him who are trying to prove something that keep fucking shit up. Like how they pulled back on the Roman Reigns super-push – not a Vince-like move to buckle creatively to moron fans – by sabotaging his Lesnar victory at WrestleMania 31 with a failed Seth Rollins push and all this wishy-washy cold feet booking that’s come afterwards. The WWE desperately needs a main protagonist right now, and it’s not gonna be the part-time UFC fighter, the veteran loser, or the one-dimensional big man who’s only worked successfully against one guy. Nah, it’s Roman Reigns, he’s the star the WWE needs to drive some semblance of a narrative across these shows again, and even if he does win this match it might all be too little too late.

WINNER: Roman Reigns

Mitch Nickelson: I’m stoked for this match. There’s nothing better than putting the four baddest dudes on the roster against each other. The order for me of who I want to win is Samoa Joe first, then Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, then last is Roman Reigns. Joe really proved that he belonged at the top of WWE in his brief feud with Lesnar and I’d love to see him get more of an opportunity. The order for me of who I think is most likely to win is Brock Lesnar (win or lose, he’s not going anywhere), Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, then Samoa Joe. While I think Joe is the best man for the win, I don’t believe WWE feels the same as me. I’m confident that Brock vs. Roman is still happening at WrestleMania, so that’s where the title stays.

WINNER: Brock Lesnar

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