SummerSlam is a massive show and after a two-hour long Kickoff Show, there are still four hours of action left. The main card features both Women’s Championships being defended, Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship, Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match, and much more.
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
A few weeks ago, this feud between John Cena and Baron Corbin started with a few personal jabs. Last week on SmackDown Live, however, things got turned up to 11. Corbin cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Jinder Mahal, but since Cena was on the apron recovering from an attack, Corbin turned his attention to the 16-time World Champion and it cost him the match. Now, Corbin looks to get revenge on Cena in Cena’s 14th consecutive SummerSlam match.
Corbin keeps trying the same move too many times, and by the third time he does it, Cena counters with a stiff clothesline. The Franchise of WWE then picks the Lone Wolf up for an Attitude Adjustment to pick up the victory. Winner: John Cena
Predicted Winner: Baron Corbin (0/1)
Naomi (c) vs. Natalya – SmackDown Women’s Championship
Ever since she captured the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Alexa Bliss earlier this year, Naomi has been the most dominant champion SmackDown Live has seen. At Battleground, Naomi didn’t defend her title because the entire division competed in a Fatal Five-Way Elimination Match which was won by Naomi’s challenger tonight, Natalya. On top of the title match, both women must be on the lookout for Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella.
Naomi escapes the Sharpshooter, but after Natalya blocks the split-legged moonsault, Natalya locks the iconic submission in in the center of the ring, giving the champion no choice but to tap out. Winner, and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion (via submission): Natalya
Predicted Winner: Natalya (1/2)
Big Show vs. Big Cass – Enzo Amore Suspended Above the Ring in a Shark Cage
After Big Cass betrayed Enzo Amore, SmackTalker Skywalker found a new seven-foot tall giant to align himself with: the Big Show. The new duo would fight Big Cass back and forth for weeks until last week, where Cass (with the help of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) would break Big Show’s hand in the shark cage that Amore will be in.
Enzo manages to slip out of the cage, but when he drops to the ring canvas, he is immediately knocked out by Big Cass. Cass then hits Big Show with two big boots and the Empire Elbow to get the win in a very boring match. Winner: Big Cass
Predicted Winner: Big Cass (2/3)
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
The story for this match is simple. Rusev issued a challenge for an opponent and Randy Orton accepted. Both men haven’t had good luck recently, with Rusev losing a Flag Match to John Cena at Battleground and Orton losing three WWE Championship matches to Jinder Mahal.
Rusev sneak attacks Orton from behind before the match begins, but the second the bell rings, Orton hits an RKO “outta nowhere” to win in about 15 seconds. At least this is better than Orton being bludgeoned by Brock Lesnar last year. Winner: Randy Orton
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton (3/4)
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks – Raw Women’s Championship
Originally, Bayley was supposed to be challenging Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship but she injured her shoulder in a match against Nia Jax. Sasha Banks would end up winning a triple threat match against Emma and Alicia Fox, followed up by a win over Jax to become the new #1 Contender for the title that Bliss has held for almost her whole tenure as a Raw SuperStar. Bliss also stars in the new advertisement for Raw’s September Pay-Per-View, No Mercy.
Banks kicks out of Twisted Bliss and manages to lock in the Bank Statement, putting Bliss away while also becoming the second woman tonight to capture a championship via submission. Winner, and NEW Raw Women’s Champion (via submission): Sasha Banks
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss (3/5)
Demon Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
For the past month, Bray Wyatt has been speaking gibberish about why he doesn’t like Finn Balor. According to Michael Cole, he doesn’t like the Balor Club and would rather have the WWE Universe follow him instead. They fought on Raw last week and after Wyatt poured “acidic liquid” on Balor, he unleashed Balor’s demon persona.
Balor proves that the Demon is better than the Eater of Worlds by defeating him with the Coup de Grace. Winner: Finn Balor
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor (4/6)
Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose – Raw Tag Team Championships
While Sheamus and Cesaro are the Raw Tag Team Champions, the main story going into this match is surrounding Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Three years ago, Rollins backstabbed and betrayed the Shield to join the Authority and Ambrose did not regain that trust for Rollins until last week when they both fought off Sheamus and Cesaro. While they can fight together against common enemies, if they can’t capture the gold, it is unclear how long this will last.
Sheamus and Cesaro look to put Ambrose away with the assisted White Noise, but Rollins sends Cesaro into his partner with a Frankensteiner to break up the attempt. Rollins then superkicked both champions and Ambrose finishes the Celtic Warrior off with Dirty Deeds to give 2/3 of The Shield the Raw Tag Team Championships. Winners, and NEW Raw Tag Team Champions: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
Predicted Winners: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (5/7)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens – United States Championship (Shane McMahon as Special Guest Referee)
When Kevin Owens cashed in his rematch clause for the United States Championship against AJ Styles, the referee (partially blinded) counted a three-count even though Owens’ shoulder was up the whole time. Owens demanded a better referee, so Daniel Bryan put Shane McMahon in the striped shirt for the match. McMahon doesn’t have great relationships with either competitor and he is known for screwing people over in the past as referee, so this definitely won’t be a standard match.
Both Styles and Owens get frustrated with McMahon during the match, but the Commissioner of SmackDown Live does call it down the middle. After one confrontation between McMahon and Owens, Styles keeps the advantage to retain the title with the Styles Clash. So far, Styles is the only champion to retain his championship tonight. Winner, and STILL United States Champion: AJ Styles
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles (6/8)
Jinder Mahal (c) (w/The Singh Brothers) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE Championship
Several months ago, Jinder Mahal shocked the world by defeating Randy Orton to become the WWE Champion and he continued to leave the WWE Universe in awe by retaining throughout the entire summer. In the meantime, Shinsuke Nakamura debuted on the main roster and defeated the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and most importantly, John Cena in a #1 Contender’s match to earn the biggest match opportunity in his career. If Nakamura wins, he will be the second Superstar to hold both the NXT and WWE Championships after Seth Rollins (who defeated Mahal to win the NXT Championship in the first place).
Nakamura has Mahal dead to rights when the Singh Brothers enter the ring. Nakamura fends them off, but Mahal recovers and beats the King of Strong Style with the Khallas. Winner, and STILL WWE Champion: Jinder Mahal
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (7/9)
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Universal Championship
Since Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe all had rightful claims to being the next #1 Contender for the Universal Championship, Kurt Angle decided to put them all in the same match. Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar think this is unfair, so if Lesnar loses, he is leaving WWE.
While Strowman and Joe are laid out outside the ring, Lesnar and Reigns battle inside. Lesnar counters a spear into an F5 to retain the Universal Title and stay in WWE. Winner, and STILL Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar (8/10)
