MY WWE SUMMERSLAM 2017
PREDICTIONS
Summerslam 2017 has arrived, and will be live this Sunday at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York and I must say that this SummerSlam card is looking pretty interesting, this event looks as if it is going to have a sense of unpredictability as we have quite a lot of fresh match ups booked, which is something that always helps a wrestling product and gives you that curiosity that makes you want to watch and see how things will unfold which is the least that can be said about WWE's weekly TV shows Raw and Smackdown, which just do not intrigue me to the point where I feel I MUST watch anymore due to the repetitive booking of matches and predictability factor.
However, WWE always tends to deliver at SummerSlam to the point where match ups tend to be more exciting than even their flagship PPV Wrestlemania
Also add in the atmosphere of the Brooklyn, New York crowd and I feel we may just be in for another entertaining night.
I'm now gonna run down the match card giving my thoughts on what I think will happen in each match on the night and also throw in outcomes for each match that I would personally like to see happen on the night:
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match:
Akira Tozawa (c) (with Titus O'Neil) vs Neville
Will the self procalimed 'King Of The Cruiserweights' Neville (Right) get back on his thrown this Sunday and reclaim the Cruiserweight championship from the Titus Brand's hottest aquistion Akira Tozawa? (Left)
I must say I was very surprised when Akira Tozawa finally dethroned Neville and his super long Cruiserweight title reign, this past Monday on Raw as I thought that Tozawa was just going to end up being a stop gap for Neville to keep his incredible championship reign going as I don't view the 'Titus Brand' stable featuring Apollo Crews as anything major or serious to the point where they would actually acquire championships. But it was a nice and unpredictable surprise to see.
This match will be a nice paced opener to get the Brooklyn crowd fired up for the rest of the night, and I can see this match being taken up a lot of notches compared to their Raw match and given a bit more time.
I also feel that WWE are going to give Tozawa some time with the Crusiserweight title to see what his reign can add to the 'Titus Brand' stable dynamic.
What Will Happen: Akira Tozawa will retain the Cruiserweight championship.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match:
The New Day (c) vs The Usos
Will the determined and hungry Usos (right) reclaim back the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships
The New Day's second go around as WWE Tag Team Champions now of Smackdown just hasn't really clicked with me, which could be down to their longest reigning Tag Team Championship run in company history on Raw which was very much outstaying it's welcome a good few months before they finally dropped them to Cesaro and Sheamus.
The Usos on the other hand, have been thoroughly entertaining ever since they finally made the much needed heel turn, way before The New Day arrived on Smackdown, which goes to show that a character tweak is always needed when a character or pair of characters run stale (cough) John Cena (cough).
The Usos have been so great as heels that I don't want them to ever turn babyface again anytime soon in the distant future, that's how great and entertaining they have been especially on the mic, and it's very telling that this is a heel gimmick they have been preparing for and pitching to WWE for years as they feel so natural in the role.
This match will definately be an exciting and fun thrill ride which will hype up the Brooklyn crowd, i'm not sure if the New Day are gonna get the desired reception from the Brooklyn crowd though, which we shall see.
I do feel that The Usos need and deserve to win back the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships.
What Will Happen: The Usos will defeat The New Day to reclaim the WWE Smackdown Championships.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
Singles Match:
Big Show vs Big Cass (with Enzo Amore In a Shark Cage)
Will Big Cass (right) prove to be the dominant big man on the night?
Now this match presents a weird but yet a possibly exciting dynamic that smells of a 'conspiracy' 'screwjob' finish.
Ever since turning heel and turning his back on longtime tag partner Enzo Amore, Big Cass has seen his singles heel run turn very sour and has lost direction on the roster very quick and his little feud with the Big Show is the ultimate symbol of that, as the Big Show is always handed to you in a feud when the WWE just don't know where to take your character next or are figuring out what to do with said character next.
Enzo Amore has also lost even more fizzle since the breakaway from Big Cass, being reduced to nothing more than a roster rag-doll, that most definately looks either 'future endeavoured' or 205 Live bound.
Also take in the fact that Enzo is a babyface being locked in a shark cage which is always reserved for heels, there is a big smell of a twist here that I think WWE are going to use as the perfect remedy to revitalize both Big Cass and Enzo Amore's very mediocre singles runs.
I dont' expect much time to be given to this match and it will prove to just be a slow mini brawl that will facilitate a much needed swerve at the end.
What Will Happen: Big Cass will defeat the Big Show with the help of Enzo Amore who will feed Big Cass a weapon from the shark cage beginning a new heel dynamic of Enzo Amore being manager and mouthpiece for monster heel Big Cass.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Raw Women's Championship Match:
Alexa Bliss (c) vs Sasha Banks
Can Alexa Bliss (left) hold onto her WWE Raw Women's Championship or will the rise of Sasha Banks (right) be too much for her to handle?
The WWE seem to be very much getting back behind Sasha Banks as a major player for their Raw women's division, as it seemed like she was being demoted months back when out of no where she was paired with cruiserweight Rich Swan in some kind of dancing valet gimmick which just made no sense, and also seemed to be heading for a heel turn against Bayley down the line in a 'jealousy feud' as it seemed Bayley had replaced her as the beloved top women's athlete on the roster.
Well forward to the present day and it seems that Sasha Banks is in pole position to become the top 'boss' on Raw with an opportunity to win back the Raw Women's championship from the superbly entertaining Alexa Bliss who deserves a very long championship reign in my opinion.
But I do feel that reign is coming to an end here to freshen things upcoming out of this PPV.
What Will Happen: Sasha Banks will defeat Alexa Bliss to become the new WWE Raw Women's Champion.
What I Want To Happen: Alexa Bliss finds a way to retain the WWE Raw Women's Championship.
Singles Match:
Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt
Who will win the battle of the enigmas?
As great as this match has potential to be, I can't help but be underwhelmed at the build up to this point in the past week's on Raw as yet again much like many feuds that the Bray Wyatt character engages in, with his feud with Randy Orton earlier this year being a prime example. Also take in the fact that the Bray Wyatt character loses every big match he ever takes part in after delivering 'chilling promises' in his promos and never delivering on those promises by being the one to eat the 1 2 3 pin almost every time.
And it's why I don't get excited for Bray Wyatt feuds anymore. Finn Balor equally seems to be suffering a struggle like Bray Wyatt as I feel that he could be doing so much more, like donning the Demon character more often and incorporating it more into feuds.
To put it simply: On paper a Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt feud should be nothing but epic. But it hasn't come across that way on TV.
This will be a great match for sure as I feel Finn Balor's high flying technical style will mesh perfectly with Bray Wyatt's explosive unorthodox style.
This could well be in a position to be match of the night. Yes, it very much has the potential to be.
What Will Happen: Finn Balor will defeat Bray Wyatt.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
Singles Match:
Randy Orton vs Rusev
Will the Bulgarian Brute Rusev (right) make a huge statement and de-fang The Viper Randy Orton?(left)
Randy Orton has possibly had the worst ever year in the WWE so far with his feud with Bray Wyatt falling very flat after having so much potential to be the stuff of legends and his not so stellar feud with Jinder Mahal which led to some very dragged out matches and Orton losing the WWE Championship leaving him without a solid direction.
Randy Orton has possibly had the worst ever year in the WWE so far with his feud with Bray Wyatt falling very flat after having so much potential to be the stuff of legends and his not so stellar feud with Jinder Mahal which led to some very dragged out matches and Orton losing the WWE Championship leaving him without a solid direction.
The same can be said about Rusev also, who seems to have been bought back on the roster without a solid plan, as I for sure thought he would be in the WWE Championship mix when he returned, he was instead fed to John Cena.
So in WWE land if you have both talents that are lost on your roster, what do you do with them? You put them both randomly in a match and expect them to make a great feud out of it.
which is a booking decision that we see a lot of nowadays on the product and it really does not help going into a big four PPV like SummerSlam.
I really don't expect to be moved or thrilled by this match at all, as I feel this will be a slow methodical affair, and I doubt that Rusev despite how brilliant he is in the ring as a commanding presence, can mesh well with Randy Orton's style.
I do feel that Rusev really needs a win here, as he does not have any major victories over top superstars like a Randy Orton.
But we shall see.
What Will Happen: Rusev will defeat Randy Orton.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
Cesaro & Sheamus (c) vs Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
Will Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (right) be able to replicate their Shield days and become the New WWE Raw Tag Team Champions?
We've had a bit of a 'buddies' dynamic between Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins in the past weeks with a 'Will they re-unite? or won't they? dynamic that culminated in the former Shield members re-uniting in the ring with their signature pose followed by a massive crowd pop! Which just goes to show how great of a job the WWE did with The Shield back at their height.
This should prove to be a fun tag team championship match that is needed to spice up the bland Raw tag team division at the moment.
I'm still sceptical about the end game of this Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose angle though as I can't figure out if the WWE are planning to go full force with a rumoured Shield re-union at the upcoming Survivor Series or if they are going to pull the trigger on a much needed Dean Ambrose heel turn against Seth Rollins.
Putting the belts on Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins here, would make for something interesting going forward.
What Will Happen: Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins will win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE United States Championship Match:
AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens (with Shane McMahon as Special Guest Referee
Will Special guest Shane O'Mac be able to call this crucial WWE Untied States Championship match down the middle?
Speaking of fun, here is another match that has a interesting dynamic going into it, and that is non other than Shane O'Mac as Special guest referee for both competitors that he has a grudge history with.
I think WWE have done extremely well with the booking of the United States Championship and the characters revolved around it in AJ Styles & Kevin Owens, the United States Championship really feels like a important championship again.
This match will definitely prove to be a fun thrill ride as there are a lot of dynamics that could take place to feed into the finish and coming out of SummerSlam, and I have a idea where the WWE could be going with the possible finish.
What Will Happen: AJ Styles will retain the WWE United States Championship due to incompetence from Shane McMahon, leading to a Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon feud.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Championship Match:
Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Can Shinsuke Nakamura (right) add the WWE Championship to his illustrious career by taking down the Modern Day Maharajah Jinder Mahal (left)?
I along with many others probably don't know how exactly this match will work from a in ring standpoint, as I have my reservations about Jinder Mahal's style being able to mesh well with Shinsuke Nakamura's technical & methodical style.
This match could end up either being very underwhelming or surprisingly good, which in a way is a good thing, as the WWE have taken a gamble on a completely fresh match up for a major championship on a big four PPV.
Shinuske Nakamura has been put in a big position and along with Jinder Mahal, must put on a great match here and I hope we do see a great match.
But I'm not quite sure if WWE want to put the Championship on Nakamura just yet though.
This match could end up either being very underwhelming or surprisingly good, which in a way is a good thing, as the WWE have taken a gamble on a completely fresh match up for a major championship on a big four PPV.
Shinuske Nakamura has been put in a big position and along with Jinder Mahal, must put on a great match here and I hope we do see a great match.
But I'm not quite sure if WWE want to put the Championship on Nakamura just yet though.
What Will Happen: Jinder Mahal will find a way to retain the WWE Championship through The Singh Brothers shenanigans.
What I Want To Happen: Nakamura defeats Jinder Mahal to become the new WWE Champion.
Six Man Tag Team Match:
The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan vs The Miz & The Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curt Hawkins) (with Maryse)
Who will come out on top in this inpromptu tag team match up?
In what seems to be a randomly put together tag team match, I just have no idea what the WWE are doing with Jason Jordan, as it seems they have aborted the rumoured Intercontinental Championship bout between his self and The Miz and instead thrown him in a tag team match to cover up his 'son of Kurt Angle' storyline not getting over with the crowd as intended.
And that is a huge shame, because WWE could have made a great storyline out of Jason Jordan by eventually have him turn heel on Kurt Angle and reveal that he is not really Angle's son and conspired to get a big push up the ladder in WWE, as Jason Jordan's explosive and impressive in ring work very much hinted at the possibility of him becoming a monster heel. But it really does look as if plans have changed and been aborted.
As for this match however I feel that this will be a fun match as everyone involved here is very talented at what they can bring to the table and it will be great to see miss used talents such as Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel finally get some PPV time again, and I feel they could do with the rub here.
What Will Happen: The Miz & The Miztourage will defeat The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
Singles Match:
John Cena vs Baron Corbin
Can Baron Corbin (right) make history for himself and knock down the WWE's franchise player John Cena? (left)
If Baron Corbin ever needed to deliver big time, it is most certainly this match, in what is Corbin's biggest match of his career he will need to bring his in ring A game to the franchise player of the WWE John Cena.
There have been reports that Baron Corbin has lost favour with the WWE and are slowly aborting his push, which is why he became the thrid man in history to lose in his Money In The Bank cash in (along with John Cena himself & Damien Sandow, which surprise, surprise both involved Cena)
But there are also rumours that Baron Corbin is being primed to become a angry monster heel, and losing his Money In The Bank opportunity is the catalyst for this and the fact that John Cena inadvertently distracted Corbin in his cash in loss is the catalyst for him to get revenge at SummerSlam.
But you just never know because this is John Cena, and you know he is a wall that anyone can bump into and lose track forever.
John Cena however does have a big SummerSlam losing streak, but I'm afraid deep down that he is going to break it at the expense of someone who could really do with a victory over him in Baron Corbin.
What Will Happen: John Cena will defeat Baron Corbin
What I Want To Happen: Baron Corbin defeats John Cena.
WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match:
Naomi vs Natalya
Will Natalya once again reach the top of the Women's division after a very long absence by defeating Naomi?
In what is perhaps going to be the least interesting of the two WWE Women's championship matches Natalya finally has the chance to rise to the top of the Women's division again after what seems like an eternity away from being in the mix.
As great as Naomi is in ring, I feel that her title reign has prolonged a bit too much and has not really done much of note with the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.
Naomi and Natalya will no doubt put on a great match here, but I feel the time has come for Naomi to be dethroned from her championship run.
What Will Happen: Natalya will defeat Naomi to become the new WWE Smackdown Women's Champion.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Universal Championship Fatal 4 Way Match:
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman
Four goliaths will collide for the WWE Universal Championship, but who will emerge out of this battle as Champion?
And here we are, in what is sure to be a explosive WWE Universal Championship main event that will most definitely give meaning to the name SummerSlam.
Four goliaths will clash in what will be perhaps the most chaotic fatal 4 way we have seen in the WWE in a very, very long time.
This bout pretty much has the feeling of a dream match written all over it and I'm very glad that WWE went through with this.
There are rumours that Brock Lesnar could potentially be leaving the company soon which would make predicting him losing the belt here a very easy one, but I for one am not convinced about Lesnar leaving as much as it is hard to predict this one as it is very likely that anyone in this match can win the strap and run with it.
I can't wait to see this one, and it is a match that is very fitting for a big 4 PPV like SummerSlam.
What Will Happen: Brock Lesnar will retain the WWE Universal Championship.

























