WWE SummerSlam 2018: Preview and Predictions

While WrestleMania is WWE’s biggest show, SummerSlam may be the most important. Falling at the midway point of WWE’s “season’ SummerSlam dictates the direction of the company, ergo, the early plans for the next year’s WrestleMania. Whoever shines in August, will be fed a WrestleMania moment in April.

That said, this SummerSlam, in particular, is crucial to WWE’s future. Is the Brock Lesnar Era finally over? Will Ronda Rousey’s officially begin? Is Roman Reigns actually destined to takes WWE’s throne? Is it time for AJ Styles to be usurped? Will Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose maintain their friendship?

When SummerSlam ends on Sunday we’ll be able to make reasonable guesses at WrestleMania 35’s card. Making the Brooklyn mega-show WWE’s last big bullet of 2018.

So let’s get into all of the questions and issue hanging over what’s sure to be a massive SummerSlam:

If Brock Lesnar Loses, Will it Be His Final Match in WWE?

Ryan Droste: I do not believe so. If anything, a UFC return will be a hiatus. He’s 41 and can’t fight forever. WWE allows him to make a lot of money with a less physical toll. He’ll be back, regardless of the outcome at SummerSlam. 

Connor Casey: Not as long as the company keeps giving him piles of money. I’m not sure what the right direction would be for Lesnar after all the damage this championship reign has done, but I imagine we’ll see him back in the ring a handful of times between now and his eventual retirement. 

Jack Snodgrass: I think it’s possible — maybe he and Sable have a gelato shop they’re eager to start once his combat sports life finishes.

However, I don’t think Lesnar is done in WWE no matter how SummerSlam ends. A break to pursue his UFC ambitions seems likely, but I’ll bet Lesnar has a match at WrestleMania 35.

Give One Reason Why Ronda Rousey Will Not Beat Alexa Bliss to Become Raw Women’s Champion?

Ryan Droste: Well, first off, I believe that she will beat Bliss. However, if they wanted a reason to keep this going, all you need to do is look at the fact that Bliss is an outstanding heel and Rousey is great in the “chase” role. Bliss has been great on the microphone in agrivating Rousey week in and week out, and they could certainly keep it interesting a little while longer. Once Rousey does win, she’s almost certainly carrying to WrestleMania and maybe beyond; it’s going to be a long reign.

Connor Casey: Given that they’re running the exact same program on SmackDown, it’s pretty obvious WWE loves having cowardly heel champions in its women’s division I’m with Droste in that I think Rousey wins, but I could see her somehow escaping and that leading up to Rousey finally overcoming the odds at the Evolution pay-per-view.

Jack Snodgrass: There are exactly* two ways Alexa Bliss beats Ronda Rousey: 

1. Her double-jointed elbow trick that turns into a match-ending DDT.

2. Nia Jax.

Both seem unlikely, but WWE will have to get creative in order to keep the title on Bliss. Rousey winning at Evolution is nice for posterity, but SummerSlam will command a much bigger audience. 

Is This the Daniel Bryan/Miz Feud We’ve Been Dreaming About?

Ryan Droste: I really dug the three videos they did spotlighting the history of the feud this week on SmackDown. I would have preferred to have seen the feud being fought over the WWE championship (give it’s the best story on SmackDown) or built up a little bit slower until the match finally happened. WrestleMania for the title could have been great. In an ideal world, I would have had Miz win the Money in the Bank in June. That would have been followed up by Bryan beating Styles for the title at SummerSlam, only to have Miz cash in immediately after the match and win the belt from Bryan. Bryan would have then chased Miz all the way up until WrestleMania when he would finally get his revenge in their first full-on match. However, with Bryan having not re-signed as of yet, they need to get the match in “just in case” Bryan does leave the company after September 1st. 

Connor Casey: If I could change one thing, I wish they had one or two more back-and-forth promos in the actual ring as opposed to backstage or on the “set” of Miz & Mrs. Otherwise they’re taking the story in the exact direction I was hoping for and haven’t been afraid to dig up all their old history (seeing the original version of NXT from eight years ago was surreal). I can’t wait for this match. 

Jack Snodgrass: I really would have like to seen some stakes get raised. If Dolph Ziggler put his career on the line against The Miz why can’t Daniel Bryan? With the ambiguity behind Bryan’s contract, this could have been a story for the ages. Instead, I feel like I remember more about Miz & Mrs than I do Miz and Bryan.

Which Match Will You Be Skipping?

Ryan Droste: I’m a completist and try to see it all, which sometimes leads to burnout. But when you write for a great website such as this and host a wrestling podcast, you’ve got to stay up to date and informed. If I were to pick a pee break match at SummerSlam, it’d be hard because this actually is a pretty stacked card from top to bottom. They’ll likely add some match to the kickoff show at the last minute that will be easily skippable, but right now I’d say the Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day interests me the least of all of the advertised matches. 

Connor Casey: Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin. I love Balor, but this match feels like filler from an episode of Monday Night Raw and does not need to make this 13-match pay-per-view any longer than it already will be. 

Jack Snodgrass: Both of these are good answers. I’d say the Raw Tag Team Championships too, but only if the Revival were to lose. SummerSlam has a pretty nice card but if I’m forced to pick, I’ll skip New Day and the Bludgeon Brothers.

Do Dean Ambrose and Seth Rolllins Finish SummerSlam as Friends or Enemies?

Ryan Droste: This is a really good question. Dean is obviously going to be turning heel very soon (thank god!). However, I’m not sure they pull the trigger this quickly. I’ll say they are still friends when SummerSlam goes off the air. 

Connor Casey: I think the only reason they brought Ambrose back six days before SummerSlam as opposed to next week’s Raw was that they had something planned for him at SummerSlam — which will be a heel turn. Whether or not Rollins wins back the Intercontinental Champion, this new ripped version of Dean will be there to give him a beat down.

Jack Snodgrass: With irrational confidence, I say friends. Turning Ambrose heel at SummerSlam seems like a hasty decision. It all depends on what they want for WrestleMania. Right now I’ll guess they’re unsure of those plans, so they’ll keep Evil Ambrose on their pocket for a bit. 

What Match Are You Most Excited For?

Ryan Droste: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe. I loved their matches in TNA Wrestling back in the mid-2000s and would have never guessed in a million years that they would be headlining SummerSlam in the WWE Championship match over a decade later. Both of them are still at the top of their games and this could be an all-time classic. 

Connor Casey: Don’t make me choose! I’ve been a fan of Styles and Joe since I started watching TNA in 2007, but this Bryan vs. Miz feud is the kind of long-form storytelling we wrestling fans so rarely see in WWE. I have to go with both. 

Jack Snodgrass: Reigns vs. Lesnar. It’s such an important match for the future of WWE. Is WWE finally ready to give Reigns the throne? Or will they keep a highly unpopular status quo with Lesnar? What about Strowman? Could Kevin Owens steal the night? With a crowd ready to revolt this match will be combustible and I can’t wait to see what WWE chooses to do. 

Pick One Surprise

Ryan Droste: Kevin Owens wins the briefcase from Braun Strowman. Strowman simply doesn’t need the Money in the Bank gimmick to be a big deal and Owens is in need of something to make him relevant again. 

Connor Casey: Strowman keeps his briefcase, then cashes it in on the winner of the main event to send the Brooklyn crowd (who is going to despise Lesnar vs. Reigns) home happy. 

Jack Snodgrass: The Rock shows up during an Elias segment. 

Make a Guarantee

Ryan Droste: Ronda Rousey wins the RAW women’s title. 

Connor Casey: Shinsuke Nakamura retains the United States Championship. Yes it’s boring but he’s the only champion I feel 100 percent confident about retaining. 

Jack Snodgrass: Samoa Joe and AJ Styles have a disappointing match. 

Does Carmella Have a Chance of Retaining her SmackDown Women’s Championship?

Ryan Droste: Yes. A conflict between Charlotte and Becky could cost both of them the match and be spun-off into a feud of their own. However, I think it’s more likely that happens but with Charlotte as the women’s champion having screwed over Becky in the match to win the title and they parlay that into Becky chasing her for the belt. Charlotte needs to be a heel. 

Connor Casey: I’d say yes, and her win will spark the rift between Lynch and Flair that eventually leads to one of them turning to the dark side. 

Jack Snodgrass: It seemed impossible three weeks ago, but now Carmella is a clear favorite heading into the match. I think Charlotte winning would be a great way to stoke the flames of her and Lynch’s rivalry. 

Is it Time for AJ Styles to Lose the WWE Championship?

Ryan Droste: Yes. Styles is great, but they could use a shake-up at the top of the card on SmackDown to make things fresh again. It’s definitely gotten a little stale. I think this feud will continue and it makes more sense for Joe to carry the belt with Styles chasing rather than a heel (Joe) chasing a face (AJ) champion. 

Connor Casey: Nothing would make me happier than seeing Styles hold the title for a full 365 days, but I think it’s time for Joe to get a run as world champion. He’s outstanding on the mic and these two could get a lot more mileage out of a rematch at Hell in a Cell inside the steel structure. 

Jack Snodgrass: Not yet. We need one more pay-per-view build up for Samoa Joe to convince us he’s championship material. While I think he makes for a great WWE Champion, Joe is still cultivating a relationship with the fanbase. A grueling, yet losing effort in Brooklyn will set up Joe’s diabolical victory at Hell in a Cell. 

Who Leaves Brooklyn as Universal Champion?

Ryan Droste: It better be Roman Reigns. There’s no argument left for Brock Lesnar to continue to be Universal Champion and they’ve been building up this Reigns victory against Lesnar now for years. It’s time to finally pull the trigger. They should have just done it in New Orleans at WrestleMania and got it over with. Extending it this long has been a mistake and has done Roman no favors. Speaking of mistakes, an even bigger one would be Strowman cashing in and winning the belt at SummerSlam if Reigns beats Lesnar. That would completely neuter Reigns (once again, he’s been one of the worst booked characters on WWE for quite some time) and make his win over Lesnar completely worthless. They will have completely wasted three years of main event television time for nothing. 

Connor Casey: It’s probably Roman Reigns. I don’t like it, you probably don’t like it either, but it’s the most likely way WWE escapes from this never-ending cycle of Lesnar as champion. My only request is that once Reigns wins the title, the company actually does something to forward his character. I’m not even demanding it be a heel turn, just give him something exciting to do. The cardinal sin of professional wrestling is to be boring, yet that’s the best way to describe Reigns. Congratulations, you’re the champion again. Now give us a reason to care. 

Jack Snodgrass: Roman Reigns. Him losing his third Universal Championship match of 2018 really hurts the legitimacy of his character. And winning only to be cashed-in upon is no better. WWE needs to know how Reigns works as the undisputed top guy. This moment has been delayed for three years, it’s time to jump.