WWE’s 35th annual SummerSlam event takes place this Saturday night at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The show’s card is predominantly made up of rematches from either WrestleMania 38 or Money in the Bank, but there’s plenty of added intrigue now that Vince McMahon has officially retired and Paul Levesque has stepped in as the new Head of Creative. But will “The Game” make a big splash in booking his first main roster pay-per-view? Will Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Part VII bring a fitting end to a seven-year rivalry? Are Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan in jeopardy of losing their titles?
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It’s time to once again assemble ComicBook’s team of pro wrestling writers to break down the biggest questions heading into this weekend’s pay-per-view. And because it’s taking place in our backyard of Nashville, we’ve decided to add a few more names to the predictions. Check them out below!
Will Reigns vs. Lesnar Part VII Actually Be Their Final Match?
Connor Casey: We all know this wasn’t WWE’s original plan, but I really hope it’s the last time we see it. Aside from Rollins’ surprise cash-in way back at WrestleMania 31, none of the matches between the pair have been particularly impressive even when you switch the face/heel dynamic. Now that Vince is gone and Reigns turning his attention to Drew McIntyre for Clash at the Castle, my sincere hope is that they give Lesnar something else to do. I’m fine with him making sporadic appearances, but just have him wrestle someone else for a change.
Matt Aguilar: I wasn’t so sure before, but now that the branding has started to include Last Time Ever and Reigns has addressed that in interviews, I’m guessing it will actually be the last time. This obviously wasn’t WWE’s original plan, but it does need to have some sort of conclusion at SummerSlam.
Liam: With Triple H in creative control, I’m willing to say yes. WWE is a “never say never” company, and there’s a decent shot the two could run it back in five years at a Saudi Arabia show, but I think this is the definitive end for now. While it’s a big bout and guaranteed ticket-seller, it constantly books WWE into a corner. Reigns needs to look strong, but Lesnar can’t look weak, and the lack of commitment to a clean victory for either man hurts both in my opinion. Look for Reigns to cement his dominance over Lesnar in this Last Man Standing bout, before an electrifying appearance of a future challenger to close the show.
Evan: I sure hope so. I was rolling my eyes when this match was announced for this year’s Mania, let alone the never-ending stream of rematches that the WWE is using to sell each of their pay-per-views. With the rumors of Lesnar potentially leaving following Vince McMahon’s retirement, I do think this will be the final match between the two heavyweights.
Christian Hoffer: Please, I hope so. A decent chunk of the WWE’s stale presentation has been because the company has to keep finding new stakes to add to this never-ending rivalry. It’s become a creative black hole that has sucked in almost every Men’s Championship the company has. When they announced it, I half expected that Lesnar would end up as 24/7 Champion just to throw another belt into the pile. This needs to be the end of the feud if only to cement the idea that the WWE is starting a new chapter under new management.
Brandon Davis: I have no idea but I certainly hope so. This one is being billed as different, given it’s a Last Man Standing match, but erasing this as the fallback plan for every couple of months where we see finisher spam would be the best first move HHH could make. It’s dead. Let it sleep.
Tim Adams: Hahahahaha of course not. One would think it’d be impossible to try and top what was billed as “The Biggest WrestleMania Match of All Time,” but when WWE creatively runs out of ideas, they hit the “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” sign to put in a call to Brock Lesnar. It would be nice if this was the last match between Lesnar and Roman Reigns, but WWE just can’t help itself when it comes to its two biggest money makers.
Charlie Ridgely: I think it’s the last time for at least a few years. I’m not against running this back as a farewell to Lesnar at some point down the line but I don’t have any desire to see it again any time soon.
Will Paul Levesque Do Anything Crazy to Shake Up the Pay-Per-View?
Connor: Other than giving Seth Rollins something to do, probably not. Most of this card was built by Vince McMahon and it’s probably easier if “The Game” waits until after this show to start making his own tweaks to the product. And I still believe it will take some time before we start seeing big changes under this new regime.
Matt: If that previous report is accurate, it would seem there will be at least one Triple H special so to speak, and that will probably come in the form of a surprise opponent for Seth Rollins. I wouldn’t expect anything else too major, as this was already chaotic coming into the event, so no reason to shake up everything so close to it for the sake of it. Triple H will likely truly make his mark with what comes next.
Liam: There will be at least one “This is Triple H’s WWE” moment on this show, and I believe that will come in how Rollins is utilized on the show. Bringing Johnny Gargano back into the fold, a noted favorite of The Game, and placing him in a marquee bout with Rollins would send quite the message to the wrestling industry without completely changing the SummerSlam card.
Evan: I feel like it’s a bit too early for Triple H to leave his mark as the head of creative, but I fully expect Levesque to do so sooner rather than later, and at the very least by this year’s Survivor Series.
Hoffer: I don’t expect anything cataclysmic to happen, but I do expect certain wrestlers to start climbing up the card once again. Summerslam seems like a good spot to start elevating the likes of Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and Tomasso Ciampa among others. It’s not crazy to give good wrestlers a big spotlight at big events, and I feel like that’s the easiest adjustment the WWE can make right now during this time of transition.
BD: It sure would be smart to put him over with this first massive event to build an instant trust in his creative leadership. I can see him giving Seth Rollins a big match, declaring something to win love by messing with Theory who would be an easy heel to put down to gain favor, or even finding a way to reinstate Sasha and Naomi to show us that they trust him. Will any of this happen? Who knows. We’ve been hurt before, so hopes aren’t high, but they will be going forward if any of it happens.
Tim: It would appear that has already happened with Seth Rollins and Riddle being pulled from the card. With SummerSlam being one of the biggest shows of the year, Triple H will want to make a big splash. Whether that entails a surprise ending to Roman/Brock or Rollins getting a mystery opponent remains to be seen.
Charlie: This show will be straightforward for the most part, but it’s what comes after this that really makes the difference for The Game. We’ll all look back fondly on SummerSlam if this is the last time we see a lot of these matchups. That said, Triple H will do something big to leave his mark and let fans know this is a new era. As much as I’d love for that to be a Sasha/Naomi return, that doesn’t feel realistic, at least not yet. As everyone else has noted, the Rollins match is being set up for something special, and I’m just excited to see what happens with it.
Which of the Many Rematches on The Card Will Outperform The Original?
Connor: The Usos vs. The Street Profits. Their last match was excellent, Jeff Jarrett’s involvement all but guarantees someone is getting smashed with a guitar and I have a feeling that Levesque is going to pump the breaks on splitting up The Street Profits after the last couple of months of speculation. That was one of his creations down in NXT and he might prefer giving them the titles to help refresh the tag team division.
Matt: As fire as Bianca vs Becky will be again, I think The Usos vs The Street Profits will be one that absolutely steals some shine. Their last battle was fantastic, but having Jeff Jarrett in the mix allows for some extra creativity that both of these teams can utilize to make this match even more chaotic and fun.
Liam: I have to echo just about everything Connor is saying here. The Profits and Usos are perfect dance partners, and I expect all four men to bring their A-Game to Nissan Stadium. Surpassing their Money in the Bank encounter is a tall order, but given trends of past multi-PPV Usos feuds (see The New Day), it’s hard to not see the potential here. My heart wants to say Lesnar vs. Reigns, and I would’ve gone with that bout a week ago, but Vince’s retirement changes things. Up until five minutes before the July 22nd SmackDown went off the air, everyone thought Lesnar had walked out of the company. Lesnar can deliver five-star classics when his head is in it, but if he’s disinterested (WrestleMania 32 bout with Dean Ambrose) it will be forgettable.
Evan: Aside from agreeing on the Usos v. Street Profits, I would say that I think Belair v. Becky Lynch might surprise us in terms of being able to up the stakes here as one of the biggest matches of the night, and in doing so, surpassing the matches that we’ve seen from the two beforehand.
Christian: Yes, the Usos vs. the Street Profits should be a great match. Both teams are amazing and the new guy in charge of Creative isn’t on record as hating tag teams. Becky vs. Bianca will also probably rock, but I feel like there’s only one way for that match to go.
BD: Usos vs. Street Profits has the most potential and I hope to see the Street Profits win and a storyline centered around the fall of the Bloodline starting here. Their last match will be hard to top and barring some sort of lame interference, I believe they have the explosive nature to find a way. I trust in Montez Ford.
Tim: Going off the abilities of the performers, the answer has to be Street Profits vs. The Usos. They got rave reviews after their last match at Money in the Bank so the foursome will look to put on an even better show for the Nashville fans. However, this time the outcome will be different with the Street Profits pulling out the win to throw a curveball to fans, which can also play into the results of Roman/Brock if WWE really chooses to get frisky.
Charlie: As great as I know The Usos vs. Street Profits is going to be, I’ve been thinking Bianca and Becky’s rematch might be one of the best of the year. Those two are operating on another level and they’ve got a chance to put on an incredible show. This is the kind of match that would main event most other cards.
Pat McAfee or Logan Paul — Who Has The Better Match?
Connor: I’ll go with McAfee. I thought he did a better job than any of the other celebrities at WrestleMania and I really enjoyed his work down in NXT. Meanwhile, for all the praise Paul got for his WrestleMania performance people need to remember a) it was a tag team match so his in-ring time was minimal and b) he was in the ring with Rey Mysterio, a legend who can make anyone look good. I’m also predicting that they’ll keep this McAfee/Corbin feud going until Extreme Rules so we can get a weapon-heavy match between the two.
Matt: Pat McAfee, though Logan Paul will also likely have a great showing. McAfee hasn’t missed since his NXT debut, and he’s got a great partner to make it happen. McAfee is game for big spots but sells the little things too, and Corbin knows how to get the most out of a match regardless of who he is facing. Miz and Paul will be fun for sure, but I think McAfee comes way the winner in this particular battle.
Liam: As much as my head tells me McAfee, I’m going to go with Paul specifically because of his dance partner. While I’m a big fan of what Happy Corbin can do, I think The Miz is going to make Paul look like an absolute superstar. The former WWE Champion has the tallest order of the weekend, as he has to make someone WWE fans can’t stop booing look like a conquering babyface. If anyone can do it, it’s The Miz. Expect Paul to bust out some big moves from his arsenal and Miz to sell hard enough to garner some cheers for the YouTuber. We saw Paul heelish-ly utilize a frog splash against the Mysteries this past April, and I think he brings a familiar Starship Pain to the SummerSlam stage on Saturday.
Evan: I was pretty surprised by Logan Paul’s performance as a part of the WWE this year, and the Miz feels like a solid match-up for the Youtube star-turned wrestler. While I look forward to both these matches, I think the Miz/Paul just barely edges out the Corbin/McAfee feud here.
Hoffer: Pat McAfee, easily. Baron Corbin is one of those sneakily good workers that makes people look good and Pat hasn’t disappointed when he’s in the ring. Logan Paul was a pleasant surprise during his Wrestlemania appearance, but he still felt like a celeb doing spots. I think McAfee is going to be one of the stars of Summerslam weekend.
BD: Pat McAfee will have a better match. He and Corbin have had a super entertaining story, Corbin can sell anything, and McAfee’s effort at Mania stole the weekend. Logan was good but McAfee was better and will have the crowd more invested.
Tim: The only time I see or hear about Logan Paul is when he’s affiliated with WWE programming, so I’ll go with Pat McAfee. Pat’s got a little bit of Shane McMahon in him, so with the rumors of TV-14 being back in play, there could be a crazy spot planned from the SmackDown host. Logan Paul vs. The Miz probably won’t disappoint either, but I’m not expecting much from that match either.
Charlie: Pat McAfee. As great as Paul was at WrestleMania, McAfee outshined him. Corbin can be a fantastic heel when he wants to be, and I think he and McAfee are going to bring out the best in one another. It’s also hard to remotely care about anything Logan Paul does.
Will Liv Morgan’s Championship Reign Survive?
Connor: Had you asked me a week ago, I would’ve said no chance. But now that we’re not operating on Vince McMahon logic, I think she finds a way to pull out a win.
Matt: YES!!!!!! Rousey has already made appearances on Raw and it seems that they are moving her in that direction. A loss to Morgan would keep Morgan’s title reign moving forward and provide a perfect reason for Rousey to start heading towards the Becky Lynch match-up that everyone’s been talking about for quite some time. Whether Morgan wins with a little interference from Lynch remains to be seen, but here’s hoping the Morgan era continues.
Liam: The sudden switch to Morgan as champion felt rushed, as even though she has a ton of fan support, she hadn’t been on that Daniel Bryan-esque title pursuit arc. Regardless of how it went down, now that we’re in the Liv Morgan era, I hope we stay here for a while. WWE has done a tremendous job of expanding the faces of its women’s division outside of the four horsewomen with Bianca Belair, and I believe it’s time they double down on that with Morgan.
Evan: Doubtful. Based on the WWE’s track record with Ronda, I would fully expect her to win back the title, potentially setting the stakes for an upcoming rematch later this year. Rousey is really the one to beat here.
Hoffer: To be honest, I thought that Liv would have the rare unsuccessful cash-in, so this championship run has already exceeded my expectations just by existing. Ideally, Liv retains with the help of some outside (and unwelcome) interference from Becky or Charlotte, thus pushing Ronda out of the title picture for the first time ever so she can set up her eventual Wrestlemania bout.
BD: Don’t screw this up, Mr. Levesque.
Tim: Liv Morgan’s championship win was a heartwarming moment and cash-in, but WWE has a pretty bad track record of having these pay off in any substantial manner. Unless there is more outside interference, I don’t see Morgan retaining here. Ronda Rousey is the equivalent of Brock Lesnar in the women’s division, and WWE wants to keep them strong, even in defeat.
Charlie: We talked a lot earlier about The Game leaving his mark on WWE. This is one way to do it. Let Liv hold on and set her up with a great program with a good rival going forward. Ronda ain’t it.
Does Theory Cash In? If So, What Happens?
Connor: I think he does, only to get immediately caught in a Guillotine by Reigns and tap out. Theory is legitimately great — go watch any of his independent run for proof — but he has lacked any real character since jumping back to the main roster. But when you combine Vince’s departure with his complete failure at trying to become world champion, you have the building blocks for an actual character arc. And if WWE really wants this guy to be one of its top stars in the future, he’ll need to have one of those.
Matt: Hmmm, I don’t think he does yet. I agree that having a babyface take the title from Reigns makes far more sense, though if they want to turn Reigns face having Theory take the titles from him after some other kind of shenanigans would be a way to make that happen. I just don’t see that working quite yet though, so I’m going to say he teases he will cash it in but ultimately doesn’t.
Liam: The Money in the Bank briefcase has become more of a booking obstacle than an enhancer in recent years, and Theory’s current predicament exemplifies that. The person to dethrone Reigns should be a white-hot babyface that gets a clean pinball victory, not an opportunist heel that steals the title. On the other side, Theory should not lose his guaranteed championship shot, whenever that happens. For now, I hope he continues to tease cashing in, but ultimately holds the briefcase until after WrestleMania 39.
Evan: I don’t know, I want to say no and that Theory cashing in Money In The Bank will be left to a later date. I could honestly see Austin winning the US Championship from Lashley somehow and lording over the WWE with the two titles under his belt for a little while. I like to imagine a world where Austin Theory is the one to dethrone Roman Reigns simply to witness the pure chaos that would ensue.
Christian: I don’t think it’s the right time for a cash-in for a lot of reasons. It makes a lot more sense for an actual face to take the belt off Reigns and then Theory score the opportunistic victory. The only way a cash-in happens is if Seth Rollins gets involved – maybe Seth will be the Master to Theory’s Apprentice, but even that seems unlikely.
BD: It seems almost too predictable for him to cash in here but also would not make a lot of sense if he didn’t. Maybe he interferes with the match, considering to cash in, gets whooped, and never cashes in – pulling off a further build of his heel status and providing an opportunity in the future for him to really make us all mad that he gamed the system and got another shot.
Tim: After the way Theory was treated on Raw — verbally buried by Roman Reigns and treated like a joke — expect to see him attempt to cash in on the Roman/Brock winner and get immediately squashed. Triple H will want to make fans forget about Theory so he can push the performers he hand-selects. Another possibility is someone taking the MITB briefcase from Theory and cashing it in themselves.
Charlie: This could really go either way. It makes no sense for the spotlight of the final Roman/Brock clash to shift to Theory as a footnote at the end of the fight. But it also feels unwise to keep it with Theory all year. For me, the best move would be to have Theory talk about it, get shut down, and disappear for a bit in a rebrand. Let everyone forget about him and the briefcase for a while and make their returns memorable.
Predictions
Connor:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Happy Corbin def. Pat McAfee
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Finn Balor & Damian Priest
Matt:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Liam:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. The Street Profits (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Evan:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch def. Bianca Belair
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Liv Morgan
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Christian:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Theory def. Bobby Lashley
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
BD:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- The Miz def. Logan Paul
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Tim:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Liv Morgan
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul def. The Miz
- Finn Balor & Damian Priest def. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Charlie:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits def. The Usos (w/ Jeff Jarrett as Referee)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch def. Bianca Belair
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Theory
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey
- Pat McAfee def. Happy Corbin
- The Miz def. Logan Paul
- Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Finn Balor & Damian Priest
