WWE’s SummerSlam 2023 premium live event takes place tonight at Ford Field in Detroit with a main event pitting Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns against Jey Uso in “Tribal Combat.” Reigns is quickly approaching three consecutive years as world champion and was able to beat Uso twice back when his reign first began in 2020, but Uso was the first man to hand Reigns a pinfall loss since 2019 when he beat “The Head of the Table” in the “Bloodline Civil War” tag team match at Money in the Bank last month. Reigns’ position as “Tribal Chief” will also be on the line as decreed by the “elders” of the Anoa’i Family, which all but ensures wrestling legends like The Wild Samoans and Rikishi will be in attendance.
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But does Uso have a chance? Will any championships wind up changing hands on this show? And what about the two Money in the Bank contracts that Damian Priest and Iyo Sky are still carrying around? We’ve assembled ComicBook’s team of wrestling writers to answer all of these questions and more!
Does Jey Uso Have a Prayer at Stopping Roman Reigns?
Connor Casey: I’ve made my frustration regarding the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship quite clear in recent months. For as good as the build to Roman vs. Jey has been, it did not need the title in order to work as a satisfying main event for this pay-per-view. There’s no greater proof of that than the fact that the title is the secondary prize in this match and what they’re really fighting for is Reigns’ position as Tribal Chief. Meanwhile, you’ve got Cody Rhodes, who I still maintain should have won at WrestleMania, wrestling a third match against Brock Lesnar where most folks will just be waiting for it to end in order to see what he’ll do next.
And to add to all of that, for as well as he has handled himself over these last few years, Jey doesn’t have a shot here. Too much of Reigns’ presentation is tied to his “status” as Tribal Chief and he’ll keep it until he either suffers his big loss or turns babyface again. Maybe they’ll find a way to extend it via Solo Sikoa, but in the end, Jey isn’t the guy to bring Roman down. All of this will amount to stalling for time.
Evan Valentine: The breakdown of the Bloodline has been one of the most interesting parts of Roman Reigns’ continued reign, with the Usos looking to become the new Tribal Chiefs. Ultimately though, we all know Jey isn’t going to be the one to take down Roman. He’ll probably come closer than most, but if I was a betting man, I think that Roman’s reign continues until the next WrestleMania wherein Cody Rhodes is able to defeat him in a long-awaited rematch.
Liam Crowley: Yes! (I’m delusional). Jokes aside, the story has always been about Jey. This is the perfect full-circle moment to cap off a masterful three-year story. Will WWE pull the trigger? Doubtful, but this is the best opportunity they’ve had.
Nick Valdez: At this point, I’d say why not wait until WrestleMania? Unless Jimmy surprisingly returns to help Jey win, there’s really no reason to take the title off of Roman. That’s especially true since Bloodline plots dominate much of the runtime on SmackDown anyway, so it’d be wild to see a new undisputed champion playing second fiddle to that story in terms of screen time. Unless it’s Damien Priest cashing in and sparking a Judgment Day vs. Bloodline war story, that title ain’t going anywhere.
Does Judgement Day Finally Get Its Hands on the World Heavyweight Championship?
Connor: Lord I hope so. When it comes to chasing championships, WWE factions tend to hit a certain breaking point. If their big goal is to win the world championship but keep coming up short, they’ll either go off in another direction, add/subtract new members or break apart altogether. It’s usually that last option, and while there’s still plenty of mileage to get out of a Rhea Ripley/Dominik Mysterio pairing, Balor and Priest won’t have many places to go if Balor comes up short and Priest fails his cash-in attempt (I’m assuming that’ll come in some form in Detroit but they could always hold off). I’d love to see Balor finally get the win, but I gave up on him holding a world title after the Extreme Rules 2021 fiasco. Here’s hoping I’m wrong, but Rollins will still be world champion by the end of the show.
Evan: Maybe eventually, but I see Rollins retaining this time around. Judgement Day is a fantastic faction for the WWE but they could use another major player or two before they can attempt to hit the same status as the likes of the NWO. I’m rooting for Balor but now doesn’t feel like the right time.
Liam: Yes. The only thing better than LA Knight holding the briefcase is Damian Priest cashing in on Finn Balor minutes after his second world title victory. Balor is due for a babyface run, and this would get him immediately over with the WWE UNIVERSE!
Nick: Yeah! WWE has been conditioning us to see Judgment Day with a bunch of wins and all of the shows, so why not pull that trigger too? Rollins is such a snooze as a champion, and we’d get that double goodness with tensions between Priest and Balor on top of things.
Who Walks Out of Detroit as WWE Women’s Champion?
Connor: I won’t be shocked if Charlotte gets it back since giving “The Queen” more championship reigns has been WWE’s M.O. for years. And while I love the idea of Belair turning heel, I’m worried the company will hesitate until after her Hulu series drops. So let’s go with Asuka since they still haven’t given her a legitimate defense on TV since winning the title.
Evan: This is a tough one, and I’m leaning toward Charlotte as I see Asuka losing this time around and if I have to choose between Bianca and Flair, I’ll choose the latter.
Liam: Charlotte wins, Bianca turns after the bell. Mirror image of WWE SummerSlam 2018.
Nick: I’d say Asuka sneaks away with this so we get more of Charlotte and Belair. Then Iyo Sky cashes in and boom hahaha.
Which Match Will Steal the Show — Gunther/McIntyre or Ricochet/Logan Paul?
Connor: Ricochet & Paul will have their viral moments, but McIntyre & Gunther were two-thirds of a Match of the Year contender back at WrestleMania 39 and “The Ring General” seems incapable of having a mediocre match. The nod goes to the “Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat” match!
Evan: I love both but if I have to choose one, I’d honestly give it to Ricochet/Paul for the sheer spectacle. The two high flyers have managed to pull off some absolutely WILD moves whenever they meet in past pay-per-views. Not to say that Gunther/McIntyre won’t be an absolute banger, but if I have to choose, I’m leaning more toward the acrobatic feats.
Liam: Gunther vs. McIntyre without a doubt in my mind. McIntyre has a massive chip on his shoulder right now and is going to walk into Ford Field with something to prove. Paul and Ricochet will put on a strong acrobatic spot fest, but McIntyre and Gunther will wrestle like two guys that want to earn a big money contract extension and a Royal Rumble victory, respectively.
Nick: If I only have these choices, I’d say Gunther vs. McIntyre. I don’t really want McIntyre to win just yet as he still doesn’t feel like a credible threat to Gunther in my eyes, but this would be the match to prove it. Even in a loss that leads to a win down the line.
What’s Next for Cody Rhodes After He (Presumably) Beats Lesnar?
Connor: In a just world, he’d make a B-line for Reigns and challenge him at the Payback pay-per-view — the same show where Reigns first won the Universal title three years ago. But they’ll probably feed him somebody else on Raw to fill more time with like Balor or McIntyre.
Evan: Oh it’s time to start going for Rollins again. I think Rollins beats Balor this time around, setting the stage for a rematch wherein Cody can win that belt and set the stage for a Mania that features two title holders as the main event, and seeing the American Nightmare finally defeating Roman.
Liam: BRAY WYATT! Rhodes was Wyatt’s mentor on game show NXT back in the day. It comes full circle. Bring back the Firefly Funhouse Match for an amazing dive into Rhodes’s psyche that highlights Legacy, Dashing, Team Rhodes Scholars, Stardust, etc. Even cheekily weave in some AEW stuff. It’s too good to pass up (which is why it probably won’t happen).
Nick: No idea! Wish I had an answer for this one, but hard to think of his being on Raw being anything more than spinning his wheels until he gets another shot at Roman. But if I had a choice, I’d think an Intercontinental Championship shot could be fun.
Last Year’s SummerSlam Was Full of Surprises. Pitch One for This Year’s Show
Connor: LA Knight wins the SummerSlam Battle Royal, Austin Theory interrupts and demands an impromptu United States Championship match. Knight beats him quickly to become champion, the crowd goes wild.
Evan: THE UNDERTAKER RETURNS! Just kidding. I could see Bray Wyatt making a surprising return in some aspect.
Liam: THE ROCK CONFRONTS ROMAN REIGNS! (I’m delusional btw).
Nick: Damien Priest cashes in on Roman Reigns, and Judgment Day ends the show with all gold.
SummerSlam 2023 Predictions
Connor
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Asuka def. Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Drew McIntyre
- Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
- Shayna Baszler def. Ronda Rousey
- Logan Paul def. Ricochet
- LA Knight wins SummerSlam Battle Royal
Evan
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair def. Asuka and Bianca Belair
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Drew McIntyre
- Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
- Ronda Rousey def. Shayna Baszler
- Ricochet def. Logan Paul
- LA Knight wins SummerSlam Battle Royal
Liam
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Finn Balor def. Seth Rollins, Damian Priest cashes in
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair def. Asuka and Bianca Belair
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Drew McIntyre
- Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
- Shayna Baszler def. Ronda Rousey
- Logan Paul def. Ricochet
- LA Knight wins SummerSlam Battle Royal (Yeah).
Nick
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Finn Balor def. Seth Rollins
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Asuka def. Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, Io Sky cashes in
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Drew McIntyre
- Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
- Shayna Baszler def. Ronda Rousey
- Ricochet def. Logan Paul
- LA Knight wins SummerSlam Battle Royal
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