WWE's biggest event of the summer is almost here: Summerslam. Both the Raw and Smackdown rosters will compete in this gigantic event boasting a ton of matches, including a couple with hilarious/awesome stipulations. Summerslam returns to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, August 20. The Kickoff show begins at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT, with the main card starting at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. Here are the details on the 12 matches taking place during the event.
As of the time of this writing, there's been no indication of which matches will be on the Kickoff show.
Big Show vs. Big Cass (Enzo Suspended In A Shark Cage)
It's the battle of the Bigs! Enzo Amore and Big Cass are no longer a tag team, and Enzo found a new giant in his life, the Big Show. The two big men will go at it, with Enzo hanging above the ring in a shark cage because over the past year, WWE has enjoyed locking people in cages: Enzo Amore, Chris Jericho, and Paul Ellering. Having someone charismatic or eccentric hanging above the ring inside a shark cage always adds a new level of entertainment to a match.
Since the split between Cass and Enzo, the push seems to be more on Cass than anything else. It feels like Enzo has to have someone bigger than him to fight his battles, and let's be honest, this is all just a move to separate Cass and Enzo to legitimize Cass's solo career. I'm giving the win to Cass.
Our prediction: Big Cass wins
Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville
(For the Cruiserweight Championship)
Neville continues to prove why he's the king of the cruiserweights, but he has a tough task ahead of him as he takes on Akria Tozawa. During a recent episode of Raw, Tozawa won the title from Neville, so Summerslam will be their rematch.
205 Live and the cruiserweight division don't have the audience attention that WWE wants, but it's hard to deny that the talent's PPV matches have been some of the best at each event. This match won't be any different, and while Neville has been a dominant champion, it's time for someone else to have a run. I'm giving the win to Tozawa.
Our prediction: Tozawa wins
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
You can't have a major PPV without John Cena, right? The unseeable man takes on the former Money in the Bank contract winner Baron Corbin for Summerslam. They both want to be WWE Champion, but apparently, they have to fight each other first.
Corbin lost his contract stating he can face the champion any time he wants, so he really needs to win this fight if he wants to get another shot. However, he's up against John Cena, and he's unbeatable at major PPVs.
Our prediction: Cena wins
Cesaro & Sheamus (c) vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
(For the Raw Tag Team Championships)
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are a team once again, after each star had their run-ins with the Raw tag team champions. It's been a slow road to get to this point, but fans should be pleased. The only confusing part about this is that they're getting a chance to win the titles so quickly.
This was one of the final matches added to the already stacked card for Summerslam, and because of that, I don't think there's going to be a title change here. There may be a lot of people excited for two-thirds of the Shield reuniting, but there aren't enough people behind this angle to make a title change worth it.
Our prediction: Cesaro & Sheamus win
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Smackdown stars Randy Orton and Rusev don't have much to do at this PPV, especially since Jinder Mahal bested Orton numerous times over the past few months, so now, they're going to fight each other. There isn't a lot to dig into with this storyline since it's new and feels a bit forced.
Both of these stars have been on the losing end of the stick in their past storylines. Orton lost the title and his rematches to Mahal, and Rusev lost his Battleground Flag Match to John Cena. As much as I'm pulling for Rusev, I think Orton will come out on top, driving Rusev further down the spiral of frustration and insanity.
Our prediction: Orton wins
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
Raw's under utilized and under-appreciated talent is squaring-off at Summerslam. The two have been involved in their current storyline for the past month, and Wyatt wants to prove that Balor isn't what he used to be before he got injured. Now, after Wyatt dumped a bunch of blood on his PPV opponent, Balor has stated his alter-ego The Demon will make an appearance.
This match has the potential to be a barn burner. Sadly, it's a bit overshadowed by this incredibly stacked card. Either way, it doesn't matter who wins this match because both of the stars are fan favorites and have a ton of talent. Regardless, I have to pick a winner, so I'm going with Finn Balor because The Demon is returning.
Our prediction: WWE fans and Finn wins
Secondary prediction: Wyatt starts up a new Wyatt family with Finn Balor
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks
(For the Raw Women's Championship)
On a recent episode of Raw, Sasha Banks beat Nia Jax to become the number one contender for the Raw Women's Championship. Now, the two will battle at Summerslam in what should be an incredible match.
Sasha Banks is a phenomenal performer and one of my favorites on Raw. However, there is a much larger part of me that wants to see Bliss face Jax for the title at a future event, and because of this, I'm giving the win to Bliss. Yes, this is all based on what match I want to see in the future.
Our prediction: Bliss wins
Naomi (c) vs. Natalya
(For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
Naomi has proven to be a dominant champion; however, she'll be taking on Natalya, who beat five other stars at Battleground to earn the right for the championship match.
When it comes to the women on Smackdown, there is a lot of talent and potential for great champions, and while Natalya is a a dominating force with a ton of experience, she won't win this one. I feel like Naomi is on another level right now, and the Queen of Harts won't win this battle. Personally, I'd love to see Naomi take on Becky Lynch or Asuka for the championship.
Our prediction: Naomi wins
The New Day (c) vs. The Usos
(For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The New Day and Usos rivalry continues into SummerSlam. These two teams are the tag team division currently, since Breezango is busy solving mysteries and feuding with Arn Anderson. We're going to get an entertaining match between two fantastic teams that are at the top of their game here, and that's all that matters.
As much as I want to see the New Day come out on top, The Usos have been fantastic tag team champions, and I'd like to see this storyline continue, and Jimmy and Jey need to win in order for that to happen.
Our prediction: The Usos win
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens (Shane McMahon As Guest Referee)
(For the United States Championship)
The United States Championship has been passed back and forth between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens the past month, and each time, there have been shenanigans on the refereeing side of things. In order to keep things fair and honest, Smackdown General Manager Shane McMahon will be calling the match.
Everything about this match seems set up in AJ's favor. Sure, he and Shane had a match against each other earlier this year, but it seems like something is going to swing in favor for Kevin Owens. Because of this, I'm giving the win to KO.
Our prediction: Kevin Owens wins after some shady refereeing by Shane
Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
(For the WWE Championship)
Shinsuke Nakamura beat John Cena for the right to take on Jinder Mahal at Summerslam. This PPV marks the start of their battle against each other, assuming this rivalry continues after the match.
We have two fighters with two very different styles of fighting, so this will be an interesting one to watch. However, after Mahal beat Orton time and time again, he still needs to be established as a fighting champion, and because of this, I think Mahal is going to end up retaining his title.
Our prediction: You don't hinder the Jinder and that means Mahal wins
Secondary prediction: The crowd chants "USA" for some reason
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman
(For the Universal Championship)
Closing the evening is Raw's top talent taking on Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Samoa Joe and Lesnar already have a history and Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman almost killed each other at the last Raw PPV. That being said, this is going to be a brutal match to watch.
This is the only match of the evening where I could see the decision going to any of the competitors. However, for the sake of what I'd like to see, I'm giving the win to Samoa Joe because I want a fighting champion, not just someone who feels part-time. In addition, I want Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to keep their rivalry going because it's the closest thing we've ever gotten to a live-action Looney Tunes.
Our prediction: Samoa Joe wins
Secondary prediction: Braun Strowman "injures" Roman Reigns
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