SummerSlam has arrived and it comes in the form of the second biggest show of the WWE season.
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In what’s guaranteed to be girthy run time, the Barclays Center super-show will host a collection of well developed, WrestleMania-level matches. As expected, every WWE Championship will be on the line, but matches like Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz will have no shortage of intrigue.
Will Sunday belong to Ronda Rousey and Roman Reigns? Or will villains like Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, and Dolph Ziggler get the last laugh?
SummerSlam will start at 7 p.m. ET with the Kickoff Show opening at 5 p.m. E.T. Here’s the full card for 2018 SummerSlam:
Kickofff Show
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega vs. Rusev & Lana
With Almas and Vega surging, it looks like Rusev Day may be in for a sad SummerSlam. Regardless of the result, this should be a fun tag match with some of WWE more promising personalities on display.
Cruiserweight Championship — Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak
Alexander has been the steadying hand the Cruiserweight division needed. But Gulak provides WWE first real opportunity to make a championship switch.
Raw Tag Team Championship — The B-Team (c) vs. The Revival
Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas have been both the in-ring and meta Cinderella story of 2018. As much fun as it’s been they may have a hard time protecting their titles from a suddenly relevant Revival.
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
Nothing about this feud feels necessary, however, it’s good that both men find themselves on the SummerSlam card.
For Balor, things have been on a steady decline as he’s been wholly removed from title contention. Corbin, though, is enjoying a nice upswing since shaving his head and become Raw’s Constable.
While Balor will be the likely winner, it’s Corbin who stands to gain the most.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship — Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. New Day:
Since becoming champions at WrestleMania 34, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan have enjoyed a peaceful reign atop SmackDown’s tag division. However, WWE looks like they’re ready to crown the New Day once again.
Barring interference, expect New Day to regain the tag titles and hold them for a very long time.
Money in the Bank Briefcase — Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens:
This match will serve as the perfect barometer for how crazy SummerSlam will be. If Kevin Owens is able to nab the Strowman’s briefcase, we may be in store for a wild night.
The chances of that happening are hard to calculate, but Strowman is an easy favorite for any and all matches. However, he’s certainly been set up to lose this match to a crafty KO.
United States Championship — Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy:
In their Extreme Rules rematch, Jeff Hardy will look to regain to US Championship. However, considering he’ll have to fend off both Nakamura and a lurking Randy Orton, things do not look good for Hardy.
Intercontinental Championship — Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins:
There are several big matches on the card, but few will be watched more closely than the Intercontinental match between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler.
While we’re likely to get an exception match, all eyes will be on Drew McIntyre a Dean Ambrose. While either man could turn on his partner, it’s the buffed-up Ambrose who will garner the most attention. Will he betray Rollins? Or will he protect his friend?
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz:
In the feud that seemed impossible just six months ago, Daniel Bryan and The Miz will finally bring their well-documented rivalry to the ring.
In what’s bound to be an emotional match, both men will likely be vying to eradicate each other’s existence on SmackDown. This one will be can’t miss.
SmackDown Women’s Championship — Carmella (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte:
Not long it seemed like SummerSlam would be Becky Lynch’s long-awaited championship coronation. But now that Charlotte Flair is in the fray, Lynch’s big moment may not be happening.
Even more, with Flair and Lynch bound to duke it out, Carmella may end up sneaking out of Brooklyn with her title
Raw Women’s Championship — Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey:
It just doesn’t seem possible for Alexa Bliss to leave SummerSlam with her Raw Women’s Championship. Ronda Rousey has quickly become WWE’s best attraction and Vince McMahon may not be able to delay her championship moment any longer. Even more, the fans seem to be salivating for this moment.
However, we all thought Roman Reigns would pin Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. And the Greatest Royal Rumble.
WWE Championship — AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe:
The WWE Championship typically takes a backseat at mega shows like SummerSlam, but it will hard to ignore a match between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
As good as this match may be, it will likely be the first of several WWE Championship contests between the long-time rivals. Look for Styles to keep his title.
Universal Championship — Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns:
Just weeks ago, this was a match that no one wanted to see. However, thanks to some savvy storytelling and Paul Heyman’s treachery, the Universal Championship match has been injected with drama. Even more, there’s a decent chance we see a cash-in attempt from Owens or Strowman.
But the real story is between Lesnar and Reigns. Reigns’ win is expected, but we’ve been here before. If Lesnar were to retain, that would be near detrimental to Reigns clout as a top star as he can’t lose three consecutive Universal Championship matches and still hang around the main event.
But a win for Reigns is WWE executing a long-term plan as well as effectively ending the highly polarized Brock Lesnar Era.
