411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE SummerSlam 2013

Dean Ambrose © vs RVD
WWE United States Championship
Pre-Show Match

Stephen Randle: Two Diva-related matches on the main card and no room for Ambrose vs RVD? Priorities, WWE! Anyway, RVD’s not winning a title as a part-timer, and I sense that this match will be short and interference-filled to set up a different “impromptu” match on the actual PPV.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Jake St-Pierre: There’s not much to say regarding this match. I assume it will be good, but will it have any heat? Probably not. Of course, I could always be surprised with a sweet 15 minute barnburner like Shield/Usos last month, but I won’t hold my breath. Hopefully Ambrose retains his title because losing it on a whim like this would hurt him, whether the US Title means anything or not.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Dino Zucconi: Hmm… a guy I like quite a bit against a guy I’ve historically always rooted against. Ignoring the usual problems (why is the US Title not on the actual show, why did you have to luck your way through a battle royal to earn the shot, etc), I actually feel like this match will be pretty good. Dean Ambrose has been on a hell of a roll, and RVD finally shook all that quicksand he was wrestling in while with TNA. I expect a solid match, with Ambrose walking out the victor.

Winner: And STILL United States Champion Dean Ambrose

James Wright: Despite the lack of build for this particular match I am hopeful for it since after Ambrose’s promo this week, which seemed to be directly aimed at RVD, he will most likely put his full effort into the affair rather than half-assing it like in TNA. I am also hoping that this is another case of Ambrose being fed a credible challenge for the title that he will be able to turn back, possibly even cleanly. With the match being on the pre-show you could argue that it is made less important, but also it could mean that it will get more time than it would have otherwise and it doesn’t mean that it will be of any lower quality, just look at Rollins & Reigns vs. the Usos from Money in the Bank.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Justin Watry: Rewind a few weeks ago. Everyone put together lists of most desired Rob Van Dam matches in WWE. Well, The Shield members all made very good opponents. Dean Ambrose is perfect here for RVD. With the United States Championship on the line, I could actually see Rob grab the gold for a while. Almost make it like his own personal TV Title – just have solid 15 minute matches on television each week. No story. No build. Just count on one great RVD match every show. When his deal runs out or it is time to take a break, he can drop it back to Dean. Even with that nice idea, I will go with Ambrose. Do not be shocked to see WWE try and create some buzz before Summerslam though with a new champ. They did it last year…

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Michael Weyer: Doesn’t say too much about WWE’s faith in RVD to banish him to the pre-show, does it? Sure, something to think about him getting a belt again but given how things ended with the company last time, they’re probably going to want to wait a bit before putting any faith in Rob again. The match should be good enough to open the show and get the crowd warmed up, RVD gives the rub as Ambrose manages to retain to set up a rematch and maybe help RVD rebuild some good faith again.

Winner and STILL US Champion: Dean Ambrose

Nick Sellers: This isn’t on the main card? Oh well. Genuinely tough one for me to call, thinking about it. You’d expect Ambrose to go over and keep his momentum going, but there’s only so many more times RVD should be booked on the losing end of things before his star power falls again and it won’t seem like a big deal when he puts another chap over. I’ll go for an Ambrose win via nefarious means.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Rory James: I’ll be honest, I am surprised that this is on the pre-show and not the main show. However, WWE has really been trying to hype up these pre-shows, so putting a match of this calibre on it makes sense from that standpoint. Van Dam has been on quite the run since his return, and has looked far better than I expected him to in the ring. Ambrose’s title reign has yet to reach the levels of excellence that many people expected it would. The main reason for this is, of course, how he has been booked. Despite that, I don’t think a loss in on the cards for him here. When you combine Van Dam’s status, momentum and rumoured limited time frame for this run, putting the belt on him seems unlikely. Given time, this could be a really good match.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Matt O’Connell: I hate it when secondary title matches get bumped to the pre-show. I mean, not that this match received a build of any kind, but still. That said, RVD’s return run has been pretty okay if insubstantial, and Ambrose hasn’t had a real challenger for his championship yet. Neither guy is bringing a tremendous amount of momentum to this match, but I can’t imagine the champ loses his title on a pre-show with no build-up.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Jack Bramma: I feel like the WWE has big things in store for Ambrose, but the US championship isn’t it and is just a pit stop. That said, since defeating Kofi for it back in May, Ambrose’s reign hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire. He lost by countout to Kane at Payback in his only notable defense. I don’t fault him, so much as I fault the way the WWE presents their secondary titles as insignificant and undeserving of feuds or angles. Ambrose’s promo on RAW about being one of the best of the world and being the TRUE WWE champ was a thing of beauty and would I’d like to see more of from him and the US championship, if they are given the chance. RVD has shown some spring left in his step in his latest run. I honestly feel like he’s heading toward bigger things here than a US title run. I think a more likely destination for him is being added to the World Heavyweight Championship mix with Del Rio and possibly Christian for a triple threat.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Natalya vs Brie Bella

Stephen Randle: Well, Natalya did beat the Divas’ Champion on Monday, theoretically that would make her the #1 Contender to the belt, and you’d therefore give her the win here. I mean, logically, that makes sense. Right?

Winner: Natalya

Jake St-Pierre: I hate to be yet another guy that craps all over the Diva’s division, but let’s be frank; neither of the Bellas should be in WWE and almost every match they’ve been in has been a scheme for fans to use the restroom. The booking of this feud is just as stupid as every other half-assed piece of crap Diva feud the monkeys in Creative have written, and it’s getting really old if I’m honest. Why is your developmental TV show doing more for women’s wrestling in a year than your actual company has in 7 years? I’ll say Natalya wins this, but don’t expect anyone to like it.

Winner: Natalya

Dino Zucconi: I must be a chauvinist and a pig, because I don’t care for this match at all. Not when Natalya isn’t being considered the “lead” of a new show and thus isn’t winning this thing. Prove me wrong, guys! You probably won’t.

Winner: Brie Bella

James Wright: Add that ‘celebrity’ chick and some mystery partner and you have the perfect recipe for a ‘piss-break’ diva match. I get that the WWE want to capitalise on the success of Total Divas on E! but this match with nothing really on the line, and put together through badly acted backstage segments using stereotypical bitchiness, doesn’t exactly help portray the women’s division as something to be taken seriously. AJ and Kaitlyn were doing much better by themselves.

Winner: Natalya and the ‘Celebrity’ chick

Justin Watry: Just because she follow me on Twitter, I predict Nattie. Okay, that is not the only reason. The Bellas get more attention, but AJ Lee is a heel Divas Champ. Thus, Nattie (as the face) should be next in line for a title match. She did get the win last week on Raw. Remember that mess? Yeah, Nattie gets past the Bella Twins and focuses on the AJ’s belt.

Winner: Natalya

Michael Weyer: Given how Total Divas is now a hit (God help us all), they should get more time than usual to show their stuff. Was going with Brie but the word of Maria involved means Natalya is going over, a good result as she’s been far too long ignored so hopefully means she gets a good push again so at least something nice is happening because of that show.

Winner: Natalya

Nick Sellers: Brie, surely? Are they still pushing that Total Divas thing? Only one outcome

Winner: Brie Bella (And now I’ve just said “Only one outcome” I bet Natalya bloody well wins, the tart.)

Rory James:As much as I love Natalya, and I really do, I don’t think this match will do much to increase the audience for SummerSlam. I understand the desire to capitalise on the interest in ‘Total Divas’ that some parts of the media are showing though. If it were my choice, I would swap this out to the pre-show and have the U.S Title match on the main card. This won’t be anything special, and will no doubt feature appearances from the rest of the Total Divas cast. As for the winner, when your boyfriend is in the main event….(I could put this without checking which Bella was dating which wrestler, sweet).

Winner: Brie Bella

Matt O’Connell: This is a match that is happening, presumably to please all 6 of the viewers of Total Divas who actually watch WWE programming. I have to assume that Brie goes over here to continue her push as the Harley Race of the E! network.

Winner: Brie Bella

Jack Bramma: The Bellas are going to continue to be featured and (probably) wins matches because of the E reality show.

Winner: Brie Bella

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn vs Big E Langston and AJ Lee

Stephen Randle: I sense this is an opportunity to give Kaitlyn a “moral victory” over AJ without continuing to have the title on the line, so both parties can move on to whatever they’re doing next. Dolph will get his one-on-one blowoff with Big E after this, but for now, hopefully this is the correct result.

Winner: Ziggler and Kaitlyn

Jake St-Pierre: I like Kaitlyn as a worker, as well as AJ, but if I’m honest, I don’t care about seeing them wrestle again. I’d much rather see Dolph and Big E. (the funniest wrestler on Twitter, by far!) get 12-15 minutes to really have a great match. As it is, it still should be a good match, but more storyline-driven in its antics than a regular singles match would have been. I get AJ is the center of the attention here–like usual–so it makes sense thankfully, but it doesn’t mean my stingy ass can’t nitpick it to death. I suppose the feud is going to continue for a while longer, considering WWE is unable to use Dolph Ziggler correctly half of the time. Hopefully this is where it heats up.

Winner: AJ and Big E.

Dino Zucconi: Poor Dolph. How does one fall so far in but a few short months? Mixed tag duty at SummerSlam? Yowsa. While I had hoped for these pairings to be made, I had hoped they’d be separate singles matches. I’m still really confused with Dolph Ziggler at this time, so maybe his team should pick up the duke so he has something resembling momentum on his side heading out of the show. I wouldn’t have a problem with AJ making Buff Ashley Massaro tap out again, though. As long as this doesn’t end with Big E dropping AJ, we should be all right.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler and Buff Ashley Massaro.

James Wright: I’m not sure how to feel about this match. I’m definitely disappointed that Ziggler isn’t getting another shot at Del Rio for the world title, also it seems like the Divas title is being pushed aside for another divas match with nothing on the line. Then again at least these four are actually getting a Summerslam match, and also it seems like a match that Ziggler can finally win clean, and it helps prolong the AJ-Kaitlyn feud without making it too stale and increasing the chances that their feud might actually come to mean something as it goes on. Overall I just hope that the four get enough time to put on a show and that productive things actually come out of this contest, it’s just a shame that a victory here will actually do very little for either team.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn

Justin Watry: Can we move on from this? Kaitlyn and AJ Lee should never wrestle again. I think I have seen it enough. Even doing more than two matches was enough. Dolph Ziggler is still finding his way around the main event scene, so working with Big E Langston is acceptable for now. However, this can’t be stretched out too much long. Let Ziggler pin Langston, and move onto towards the World Title!

Winner: Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn

Michael Weyer: I hate mixed tag bouts. There, I’ve said it, always have and this is no exception. I guess I’ll go with Ziggler and Kaitlyn but annoying Ziggler is already broken down to this rather than be champ again, let’s hope it’s a fast bout.

Winners: Ziggler and Kaitlyn

Nick Sellers: Really, Big E could do with a rub here. If Dolph and Kaitlyn get the win, he’ll surely take the fall. All well and good, but Big E gains nothing from it and looks less dominant in many respects. AJ will remain over regardless. A big PPV win for Dolph though is on the cards. As long as Big E doesn’t look like a total idiot in the process, then the face team takes this one for me. Though really, there’s no “wrong” winner per say; A win for either team makes them look strong and as long as it’s done creatively, the losing team needn’t look bad coming out of it.

Winner: Ziggler/Kaitlyn

Rory James: This is the logical extension of these two feuds, although it is frustrating to see Ziggler’s momentum stall somewhat. The clear decision here is to have Ziggler get the win and move back to feuding with the World Heavyweight Champion. Having said that, I wouldn’t consider the result to be obvious. AJ seems to be in favour at the moment, so you can’t rule out a victory for her. But Dolph’s need is far greater.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn

Matt O’Connell: Remember when Dolph Ziggler was ready to break through into a new phase of his career? Yeah, me too, I just thought that new phase would involve world title contention and not mixed tag action and a weird mini-feud with 3MB. My guess is that Ziggler and Kaitlyn pick up the win here, and if not, I’m guessing they’re just going to put Dolph in a crate and ship him back to Louisville again.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn

Jack Bramma: The AJ/Kaitlyn feud already has had two decisive PPV finishes and doesn’t need another match. Dolph was world champ, two months ago, contender last month, to intergender tag competitor now. I wish the company would give him an honest run and if it fails, at least they could fall back on knowing they didn’t cut his legs out from under him because of a concussion or a face turn. Still with all the known caveats, if they want to give this feud a go, I’m behind it but Big E and AJ losing on RAW to Khali and Natayla felt like a big step in the wrong direction. If it was just to set up Natayla to job to Brie Bella at the expense of an already-established angle, even worse. I had Big E pegged for a breakout star this year after his debut last year as Dolph’s second. I figured he would be protected for months, eventually getting a Ryback/Brodus Clay/Tensai-like monster push toward the middle of this year. But given the screeching halt for each of those monsters, I think the WWE monster-pushed themselves out for the time being. Instead, after Dolph’s concussion, Big E was put into a best of five series with Del Rio that was competent but only competent and hasn’t seemed to regain his stride since then. I get that not everyone can be a world champ with an undefeated streak as soon as they debut, but Big E has a lot of personality and I look forward to him being more utilized.

Winner: Dolph and Kaitlyn

Cody Rhodes vs Damien Sandow

Stephen Randle: There’s nothing on the line here, which suggests to me that we might be setting up a longer feud where the briefcase could potentially be on the line. In that case, Sandow wins the first matchup through nefarious means.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Jake St-Pierre: I quite like this little feud. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but we’ve gotten multiple really good promos between the two and most of all, there’s a reason for them to be fighting! I hope Sandow wins since I’m an internet fan and like heels, but this one could go either way. Logic dictates Sandow wins to keep his momentum going, but WWE doesn’t care about the briefcase holders until they actually win the title. I’m still going with Sandow because I think WWE knows they have something special with the guy.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Dino Zucconi: Now we’re talking. I’m still amazed that Damien Sandow has managed to rise this high on the card. I had no real faith in the character when he appeared, nor on those behind the scenes on giving a crap about it. Well, not only that, but Sandow is basically in the position of trying to elevate Cody Rhodes, which is just crazy. The way WWE dropped the ball on Cody in 2012 was no fun to watch, but I’m thinking these two will step it up and do their best to attempt to steal the show. The work so far has been good enough in building this feud, and while Michael Cole may not understand why Sandow would do this to a friend, I see him doing much worse at SummerSlam.

Winner: Damien Sandow. You’re welcome

James Wright: I think a lot of us are surprised that the briefcase hasn’t been put on the line in this one as that is the way things seemed to be going for quite a while leading up to this match. Still though the match itself could have big implications for who will be next in line to go after the world title. I’m guessing that Cody will pick up the win to close out this feud before going on to build momentum for a title shot in the near future. One of the good things about Summerslam this year is that most of the matches are a tossup, there aren’t many implications set in stone so really for most matches either side could pick up the victory.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Justin Watry: Honestly, I had Damien Sandow all week. During this whole hype, my pick was the heel. However, the balance is not there right now. Plus, the Money in the Bank briefcase is not on the line. That makes it okay to go with the newly turned face Cody Rhodes. I really would not mind either man winning at Summerslam. For now, my prediction switches to Cody.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Michael Weyer: I’ll give Sandow credit for going further with his gimmick than I thought he would. Not sold on Cody’s face turn yet, guy is just a natural heel and not really catching fire with fans. But after so much time as partners, they should know how to put together a good match and we should be treated to a highlight of the show with technical skills and brawling mixed together. I see Sandow getting the win to elevate him more, a great heel WWE can use right now.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Nick Sellers: Covering Smackdown two weeks ago, I was amazed at how bland and stripped back Cody’s character had become almost overnight. There was one line in particular that made me want to violently vomit and stick pins in my eyes. The line was thus: “I don’t like someone who talks down to anyone!” Oh, do give over. I know we’re aiming the show to a PG audience, absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. I also realize that today’s babyfaces aren’t all going to be foul-tongued anti-heroes like Steve Austin. But honestly, whoever wrote that for him needs to be castrated. That is EXACTLY what he’s been doing for months. That was the whole point of his heel existence for the last few years. It was perfectly fine while he was saying he was tired of Damien, he’d have turned on him too for the briefcase, etc. But that line killed his face run DEAD for me. I appreciate he has to grow, and change and become more likeable, but do it gradually and don’t suddenly change the person on a bloody whim. I’m amazed he even managed to get through his promo that week with a straight face. AND HE STILL HAS THE MOUSTACHE. He just looks silly and very out of place trying to be the goody two shoes babyface when he’s been a heel for years and has a caterpillar on his lip. ANYWAY, Sandow was always infinitely more interesting anyway, and he is destined to be one of the great heels of the next five, possibly ten years if he plays his cards right.

Lecture over.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Rory James: Much has been made of the fact that WWE is actually booking an interesting mid-card feud between these two men. Despite the reaction for him not always being the best, I think Cody Rhodes has some potential with this new found face run. I still think he is suited to playing the villain far better, but after so many stop/start pushes in that role, he needed a character change if he is ever to be taken seriously. However, Sandow is the briefcase holder, and almost certainly a future World Champion as a result. WWE has had a tendency to have the blue briefcase holder lose a lot before cashing in. I’m hoping that, for once, they take a different approach.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Matt O’Connell: This feud has been pretty good, and Cody has showed some promise as a babyface. If Cody wins here, Sandow has plenty of time to rebuild his momentum before approaching title contention, and the babyface turn gains a little credibility.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Jack Bramma: I’ll give the WWE credit because they haven’t completely turned Cody into pandering WWE-babyface yet. He hasn’t shaved his mustache and started making fun of Sandow’s physique, receding hairline, or pink and purple gear whilst proclaiming that he cares oh so much about the WWE universe. They have even gone full steam ahead using Sandow’s character to revamp the briefcase into a leather satchel worthy of The Duke of Decency. Still, the crowd seems slow to warm up to babyface Cody and to this feud. I hope they put on a barnburner with the opportunity, though we’re more likely going to get an 8-10 average match with Sandow stealing one after waffling Cody with Chekhov’s MITB briefcase.

Winner: Damien Sandow

Kane vs Bray Wyatt
Ring of Fire Match

Stephen Randle: Call this the lock of the week, Bray Wyatt to beat Kane. No big surprise, the more fun bet is whether or not somebody actually ends up set on fire, PG television rating be damned. I, personally, think there’s an excellent chance, and it’ll likely end up being the Big Red Machine, putting him out of action…and possibly drawing the attention of his brother?

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Jake St-Pierre: I unabashedly LOVE everything about Bray Wyatt’s gimmick; even the LED lantern that he magically blows out. Everything about him screams “star” to me, from his little mannerisms to his eerie, interpretive promos. He admittedly isn’t a great worker in the ring, but he makes up for it with an old-school grasp on psychology. Regarding this match specifically, I think he has to win it, because he’s still a relatively new character. You don’t have to push a new character to the moon, but you certainly have to get him over, even without his cronies. What better way to get him over than have him beat Kane in Kane’s (kind of) specialty match?

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Dino Zucconi: A Ring of Fire match? King, what could this mean?! All jokes aside, I’m keeping a realistic set of expectations for this match, and if those hold, I won’t be disappointed. I look for Wyatt to show his physical ability to go toe to toe with Kane. I look for some brutal “slobberknocking” if you will. I look for teases of someone getting burned. And I look for Bray Wyatt to walk out victorious. It should be a good, physical battle, and in the end, some shenanigans will prove to be Kane’s undoing.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

James Wright: I personally am all for this change in gimmick because an Inferno match really doesn’t appeal to me in that the psychology is hard to maintain; you have to set a guy on fire, but that fire is all around the ring so it should be pretty easy to do, one Irish whip and you could be done. This way however the flames still play an integral part, and could arguably be more effective than a steel cage stipulation in keeping outside interference out of the match, but they are not everything. This way Bray can show off his in-ring prowess and still beat the Big Red Machine at his own game, hopefully turning him to the Wyatt’s side by the end of the night. At least this could be a great chance for Bray to prove himself, but it also has the potential to be the start of a movement that could shape things in the WWE for months to come.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Justin Watry: Nice build for this one. I can’t imagine The Wyatt Family losing their pay-per-view debut match. Bray has the talent and as long as the ‘too smart’ fans in the crowd forget about trying to be cool and chant Husky Harris, he should be fine going forward. Kane has no purpose to win. Bray could use this big time. Regardless of the rules, I am not picking Kane. Although, there are seemingly a lot of heel victories lined up for this event…that usually does not happen.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Michael Weyer: Inferno matches always suit Kane although this seems a bit much for a young feud like against Wyatt. I would go with Kane as it’s his match but it seems the opinion is on Wyatt winning to continue the story along so I’ll go with that and hopefully it’s a good battle.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Nick Sellers: Kane’s off shooting See No Evil 2, isn’t he? Even if he isn’t, Wyatt’s winning this one. Technically speaking though, there’s every chance that Kane will actually win the contest itself, only for a mass beatdown to occur afterwards to put him on the shelf (I’m thinking along the lines of RVD’s last WWE match before he left initially, the stretcher match with Orton, where he actually won but got obliterated afterwards.) Either way, the Wyatt’s should get put over strong here.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Rory James: I LOVE INFERNO MATCHES! Call me stupid, but the lack of work rate is made up for my the cool visuals and spectacle. This is going to be…..wait, is it an Inferno match? I’m pretty sure it is? It isn’t? But the ring will be surrounded by fire? Or on fire? Ok. No idea what this match will be like. Pretty sure who will win, though.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Matt O’Connell: The Wyatt Family has been a weird and wonderful spectacle to behold, and Bray himself may be the sort of Mankind-esque monster that can go toe-to-toe with Kane. Plus, you can’t have your scary new heel lose in his first match since his first name was Husky. Wyatt wins, picking up some monster cred along the way.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Jack Bramma: I LOVED the Family’s debut and Bray is a goldmine on the mic. I thought the attack on Kane would end with Kane joining the stable with a new gimmick, but was pleasantly surprised they didn’t immediately go that route. Like Ambrose, Wyatt is destined for bigger things than an infernoless-inferno match where the loser isn’t even set on fire. Don’t get me wrong, even the original inferno matches with Undertaker and Kane (and MVP) weren’t exactly sights to behold. After the cool visual dissipates, you’re left with mostly a pedestrian affair with lots of backdrops and body slams to spring the ring into ten-foot flames in the middle of the ring while the guys try not to set themselves on fire. But if the “Ring of Fire” gimmick is just a way for WWE to PG-inferno matches when if they don’t want to do one, they should have went for a casket or maybe a buried alive match – less viscerally graphic for kids, but has the same gothic overtones.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

NOTE: This match was not officially announced, but general consensus is that it will probably happen, so we did predictions anyway.

Stephen Randle: If this team isn’t the one that can take the tag titles off The Shield, I have no idea who WWE could possibly come up with to do the deed. Shield is so directionless at this point, you might as well do the title change and regroup.

Winner: Henry and Show

Jake St-Pierre: Mark Henry went from his spectacular retirement tease to this seamlessly. I personally love him as a face, and so does the crowd. I don’t care much for the Big Show because of how inconsistent his character is, but the crowd is always going to respond to him. Now is this super team of Show and Henry going to win the titles? No. There’s no reason for it, and it would kill a good amount of heat the Shield has. I expect a 10 minute formula match with Henry laying down after a triple powerbomb.

Winner: The Shield

Dino Zucconi: Maaaan… I have a real bad feeling about this. I mean, honestly… how often does a super-team consisting of two giant guys lose? I’m going to try to talk myself into the Shield retaining, but I won’t be surprised in the least to see Show and Henry trounce the two. In fact, screw it: Shield retain clean, and wow the crap out of the crowd in doing so.

Winner: And STILL Tag Team Champions, The Shield

James Wright: Now this is the definition of a last minute match, still it could be pretty interesting and will provide a good test for Rollins & Reigns, although I am definitely on the side of having them retain and carry on being champions for at least a little while longer. All the members of the Shield make good champions; it is just a shame that there is no real competition for the belts anymore. Still having one team hold the belts for an extended period of time should help the tag division develop and give them something to aim for, although that didn’t exactly happen with Team Hell No so who knows. Either way I’m not sure that two busted up veterans should take the belts away from the hungry ‘rookies’ so I am fully behind the Shield on this one.

Winner: Rollins & Reigns

Justin Watry: I guess this is official? Maybe not. Either way, it does not matter too much. Big Show is, once again, a face. Mark Henry is, once again, a face. By this time next year, a good bet would be on one or both being a heel…once again. As for The Shield, they should win here. The other result would be a DQ ending to ‘protect’ the two big men, but what is the point? Give the heels a win.

Winner: Rollins & Reigns

Michael Weyer: I want the Shield to retain, I really do and they deserve to. But let’s face it, Vince still has the love for huge guys and pairing up Henry and Show creates a super-monster team that’s tough to beat, a natural as champs. Plus, Henry is still riding the wave from his fake retirement turn, new adulation that could be rewarded with a title. Do I want the Shield to lose the belts and momentum? No but I sadly see that happening to give us a monster championship team to drag the titles along for a while.

Winners and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions: The World’s Strongest Show

Nick Sellers: Here’s the danger I always thought they’d run into with the Shield, and the same applies directly to Mark Henry and it happens every year with Big Show; Creative has run out of ideas for them. You just KNOW they have, which is why these guys are all being put together because there’s naff all for them to do otherwise. You could argue there’s the “Super team” aspect of the Henry/Show partnership but does anyone honestly care about that? It’s just papering over the cracks. It does stack the deck against Rollins and Reigns but I’d argue they’ve already overcome difficult odds before earlier in the year against more popular superstars, so to lose here would be a step down. They need to win. If the latter win, it’s a big mistake. You’ll halt the Shied’s momentum. And for what? Another angle where the partners with the belts don’t get along? Or for a novelty thing where you’ve got the strongest man and the largest athlete? That’ll be old before you know it.

Winner: Shield.

Rory James: If there was ever a team for the Shield to lose the gold to without looking weak, this would be it. The World’s Largest and Strongest Athletes make quite the formidable team. Despite the fact they have hardly teamed up before, I’m expecting the change to happen here. The Shield have had some time with the gold, and need to begin to move on. I’m expecting Ambrose to get cocky about being the only one with gold, and for him to be ‘removed’ from the Shield equation in the near future.

Winner: Mark Henry and The Big Show

Matt O’Connell: The Shield has been so hot ever since their debut that it has seemed unthinkable that any team could beat them. After all, they have beaten Cena, Orton, Sheamus, Team Hell No, and basically every opponent WWE has come up with for them. Can the momentum of the returning Big Show and the never-more-over Mark Henry finally stop the runaway train that is the Shield? I honestly don’t know. I think that the Wyatt family will be in the tag title picture sooner rather than later, so I wouldn’t rule out a run-in here. But my gut says the big guys pull out a win here.

Winner: Mark Henry and Big Show

Jack Bramma: Mark Henry is having one of the best runs of his career and Show had a surprise return at the end of the battle royal on Monday in a cool moment, so they’re fine for challengers. But I can’t seem to figure out what the WWE wants to accomplish with The Shield. They recently took a step down to pre-show status, so the Wyatts could debut as the dominant stable last month. Ambrose was featured in the opening ladder match, but as a stable they were down a peg. This month, they are back to random gangland attacks on main eventers and actually main eventing against the top-end faces like Cena, Orton, and Daniel Bryan. Then, they turn around and job to Henry, Show, and RVD for their fourth loss, third cleanly. I don’t want to be a doomsayer and predict the end of the Shield’s relevance. The WWE has done a remarkably great job about maintaining their staying power if you use the Nexus or The Corre as comparisons. Still, I really hope we’re not one match or just days away from Reigns and Rollins being just another tag team.

Winner: The Shield

Alberto Del Rio © vs Christian
World Heavyweight Championship

Stephen Randle: I’ve given Del Rio every chance this year, but he tanked as a face after a strong start, and now he’s back to tanking as a heel after a strong start. I just have no interest in what he’s selling, and I’m fairly sure I’m not the only one. Is Christian the guy to take the title? I don’t know, but I do know that the MITB case is currently on a heel, and there are worse transitional champions than Captain Charisma.

Winner: Christian

Jake St-Pierre: Guys, I’ve given him chance upon chance, but Alberto Del Rio might be the most boring thing in WWE right now. After a flash of brilliance in his decimation of Dolph Ziggler at Payback, he quickly turned back to that bland, uninspired heel we saw get destroyed by Sheamus for a good amount of 2012. He loses in non-title matches to Christian and RVD and then beats midcard scrubs, but that’s it. How are we supposed to look at him as a threat? How are we supposed to believe him as a ruthless submission master when he can’t beat guys who have only been back for 1-2 months? For my own selfish sake, I hope Christian picks up the win here because I need something else in the World Heavyweight Title picture. Let’s just say he wins his one more match and call it a day.

Winner: Christian

Dino Zucconi: I touched on this in Smart Marks last week, so some of this may sound recycled. I’m not very excited about this match. Not because I don’t think it will be good, but rather, because I don’t think there’s any intrigue to this at all. Christian is here to lose. All jokes about John Cena matches aside, I don’t like my title matches being this transparent as to who will win. The quality will be there, sure… I’m just not looking forward to it. Sorry to sound like such a whiny jerk on this one, but that’s where I’m at.

Winner: And STILL World Champion, Alberto Del Rio

James Wright: I am torn on this match as I honestly think that Del Rio never needs to be champion again, but I’m not a massive Christian fan either. In the end for me it comes down to who I want to challenge for the title next and I think it should be Cody Rhodes, which would mean that Del Rio should retain. However I can’t help but think that Christian is going to pick up the victory after all of Del Rio’s goading that he is going to lose his ‘one more match’.

Winner: Christian

Justin Watry: This feud just seems thrown together. Christian had two non-title matches with Alberto Del Rio in recent weeks. What was the purpose of that? Then on Raw, we are given a random highlight video of Christian’s career. Okay. Is he retiring after his ‘one more match’ or what? Seemed strange. On top of that, you have to assume Ricardo Rodriguez is looming around somewhere. While I would not be against a title change, my pick is Del Rio.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Michael Weyer: I was going to go with Del Rio here but then WWE puts together these videos of Christian’s career and got me thinking that you don’t do that if you’re not planning a title change. Christian was screwed in earlier reigns, might be time to correct that and the fans are eager for a switch from Del Rio anyway. Expect wild fighting and interference but I’ll go with Christian getting the belt to a pop and maybe one last good push as champion to try and pay off his promise at last.

Winner and NEW World Champion: Captain Charisma

Nick Sellers: I’m glad Del Rio is heeling it up again, but his mic work isn’t great whichever side of the fence he’s sitting on. He is a fantastic worker though which totally makes up for his talking troubles. Christian is solid if unspectacular and can have a good match with anyone. This’ll be very, very easy on the eye. Del Rio for the retention, but by a dastardly deed or two. By the way, the World Heavyweight title is basically what the Intercontinental title used to be: A secondary title for workhorses. Which is fine, don’t get me wrong, but I’m surprised it’s stock has fallen so much. The IC title means nothing now, ditto the U.S title. It’s a shame to see them fall so much in value, because used correctly they could still be a unique selling point for PPV matches.

Winner: Bertie of the River

Rory James: I’m hoping that this will be as good as Christians last World Title match at Summerslam, the stellar contest with Randy Orton in 2011. While I think the result is fairly obvious, and the build has been piss poor, I do think we will get a great match here that will add to the value of the card.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Matt O’Connell: I have been a Christian fan since the Brood days, and it always makes me glad to see him in the title picture. And WWE’s notoriously poor booking of Christian over the years makes me think that the guy is just a placeholder challenger, but then I remember that he beat the returning Rob Van Dam and his eternal tormentor Randy Orton to get this match, and I get hopeful. Well, that and the fact that WWE seems utterly clueless as of late about what to do with Alberto. I’m going to indulge my inner peep and say the Captain pulls one out — though I’m also quite suspicious that Sandow could immediately steal the title away, especially if he loses to Cody earlier in the show.

Winner: Christian

Jack Bramma: ADR is another guy the fed can’t seem to leave well enough alone with. He has FOUR world championships, a MITB, and a RR to his name which is insane given how much he seems to job non-title on free TV. In recent months, Jobs to Punk and Cena are par for the course, but why if he’s destined to be one of this generation’s greatest heels (and yes I think he can be) is he doing jobs to Christian and RVD at these stages of their careers? Do the secondary belts and the secondary world champion always have to lose free TV matches to upper midcard faces like Mark Henry, Ziggler, Kane, Christian, RVD, etc. to set up feuds? I have no problems with RVD or Christian beating Alberto Del Rio but losing in 4 minutes due to distraction on RAW or Smackdown is completely meaningless and just makes the belt and the belt holder seem as inconsequential as the loss was.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar

Stephen Randle: Hoping for the extended feud because what the hell else is Punk going to do? There are still too many obstacles in his way between Punk and Heyman, so he’ll need to eliminate them all and get through Brock again, possibly at Mania, before he gets his hand on his former best friend.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Jake St-Pierre: Going from total negativity to this; my favorite feud of the year anywhere. I have loved everything about this so far, from Heyman’s insincere “truth” promo to CM Punk to this past week with Punk finally getting the upper hand after weeks of getting killed by the former UFC champ. Every promo has been money, every brawl between Lesnar and Punk has been money, and this match is going to be money. It should be a huge contrast from the plodding, boring HHH/Lesnar affairs we were given over the past year. I can’t wait. Now for the result? I’m thinking Lesnar gets the win here. Why? Because I don’t think this Heyman/Punk thing is over yet. I think the blow-off comes at Hell in a Cell, but this should wet our appetites. I’m only excited for one other match more than this…

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Dino Zucconi: I can’t wait to see how hard they try to convince us fans to suspend disbelief at CM Punk having a chance in hell in this match. I can’t wait to see him try to use his advanced striking and grappling, to see him springboard around the ring. I can’t wait to see this. It’s going to make it that much better when Brock decides he’s had enough, throws Punk all around the ring, and ends it with an F5. I’m in full Jesse Ventura mode for this match- I love CM Punk, I love watching him wrestle, but man was this a stupid move on his part. We’ve got ourselves a dead man walking!

Winner: BROCK Lesnar

James Wright: Now that HHH is going to be the guest referee in the Bryan-Cena match I can quite confidently say that this will be the best match of the night, although I suppose we could see interference from Heyman and Axel which might make this contest just as convoluted as the match for the WWE title, the fact that Axel isn’t booked also doesn’t help to assuage fears of his involvement. Either way though this should be a brutal affair and is probably the most worthwhile match that Lesnar has been in since returning, although his match with Cena could have meant more if he had actually won the thing, or put Cena on the shelf for a little while. I don’t see Lesnar and Punk going past this match, so I’m giving Punk the win here, with some payback on Heyman to boot. It is possible that the WWE might stretch things out to Survivor Series but I would rather see both men have a great match and then move on to other things rather than stretch this thing out for another few months.

Winner: C.M. Punk

Justin Watry: Tough call. If this is the one and only bout for these two, storytelling says the face wins. If this will go for a few matches, the heel should take the initial victory. The problem with using those “rules” is that none of that applies when dealing with part-time wrestlers. Brock can do whatever he wants in WWE. In a lot of ways, Punk DOES do whatever he wants. Thus, it boils down to Paul Heyman. Does he have another ‘guy’ waiting in the wings like Matt Morgan ready to attack? Or a trick up his sleeve? I don’t know. This whole situation seems to be more about Heyman and Punk than actually Lesnar and Punk. In that case, I say Lesnar wins and moves on…while Punk continues to feud with whoever Heyman has next. Paul E gets a GTS from Punk, but Brock hits an F-5 for the pin fall.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Michael Weyer: Match of the night right here. The build has been great and we know both guys can turn in a fantastic match so all they need is enough time and they’ll tear the house down. It’ll be a great match of skill vs power, don’t be surprised to see some blood and a few nasty spots in between. As much as I love Punk, Brock is clearly going over to justify his return and remind us of the powerhouse he is with yet another great SummerSlam battle on his record.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Nick Sellers: Fingers crossed this one delivers like it should, because it could be a MOTY contender all going well. I’m guessing a return match is planned for either later in the year or possibly at Wrestlemania, so whoever gets the W here will almost certainly get that back whenever the return happens. Really, there’s no wrong winner. A Punk loss just gives him more reason to vent and express his displeasure at recent events, which to me is when Punk is at his most pumped up and in his pomp. It gives Brock a big win in the Staples Center and HOLLYWOOD will think he’s a big deal and whatnot. But a Punk win makes him look strong, and after doing jobs earlier in the year for Rock and Undertaker, I think he’s due a big win to restore some of his credibility and to give him some positive momentum going into the winter and beyond. There’s no “wrong” winner per say, but the key, as always, is how they execute it and follow it up.

Winner: CM Punk

Rory James: Here we go! I cannot even begin to tell you all how much I am loving this match. For me, other than his match with Cena, Lesnar’s return has been a bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed it, but it hasn’t lived up the high standard I was expecting. This feud is however. These two just work together. I’m reminded of all those excellent matches Shawn Michaels had with big men like Vader, Taker, Nash, hell, even Sid. The story in the ring for this writes itself, and I’m expecting it to be highly compelling. As for who will win, I can see value in whichever way it goes. I’m making my pick based on the simple wrestling logic of whomever wins the final confrontation loses the match. But as long as the match lives up to the hype, does it matter?

Winner :Brock Lesnar

Matt O’Connell: This is the match I’m most looking forward to, and the first Lesnar match I’ve cared about since his return. I suspect that these two will consciously evoke Lesnar’s classic match with Guerrero, with the indomitable face refusing to be conquered by the strength of the beast. I also suspect that Lesnar will win here, because a) people are going to start noticing that Brock’s win/loss record since his return has been pretty unimpressive and b) this feud has been amazing and it needs a gimmick match to blow it off properly, likely a Hell in a Cell or a last man standing.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Jack Bramma: This is where the PPV will make its money. Lately, people seem to be blaming the fed for being too obvious in certain ways. Rock beating Punk, Cena winning the RR, Rock/Cena Twice in a Lifetime with Cena getting his win back was maligned because it was “obvious.” Yet, something being obvious to the most die-hard fans in the world doesn’t make it bad and it doesn’t mean the WWE should swerve us because we can see the angle coming. Heyman turning on Punk at MITB was “obvious” as was Punk losing so that he would face Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. And ditto for Punk attacking Lesnar and Heyman from behind on RAW. But almost no one is complaining that it’s obvious because it’s riveting and captivating and well-told. No one cares about obvious when it’s done effectively and expertly. Granted though, something that’s not obvious about this feud is who wins and when it’ll end. Will Punk win? Will Brock win? Will they draw it out to Royal Rumble? Wrestlemania? If it’s multiple chapters, then Brock has to go over first. Even if it’s only one match, Punk is at a natural disadvantage due to size, strength, etc. so that him losing to Lesnar is entirely believable and wouldn’t hurt his character in the slightest, though it may hurt his momentum.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

John Cena © vs Daniel Bryan
WWE Championship
Special Referee: Triple H

Stephen Randle: Every shred of conventional wisdom says that Daniel Bryan must win this match and be given his shot. I was almost certain that Orton was going to cash in to end the show and kick off the next feud, especially given Cena’s elbow injury giving them a reason to move focus away from him for a bit, and it may still happen, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Bryan maybe got a month and lost the belt at Night of Champions instead. In any event, Bryan must win. This is one of those opportunities you don’t get again, WWE. Don’t fuck it up.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Jake St-Pierre: It wouldn’t be a hot summer angle without Hunter being involved, now would it? But, I think his involvement is going to work in this situation. Bryan has been underestimated by everyone around him in this feud, and he’s out to prove that he’s just as good as this Cena fucker. I envision Bryan beating Cena clean, but running right into a Triple H Pedigree after some hand-raising. Then whose music do we hear? Randy Orton’s. Orton cashes in his contract and shakes Triple H’s hand, followed by the McMahon’s, and we have a new hot heel in Corporate Champion Randy Orton and a huge feud to follow the show. Or Kevin Nash could show up again and have a ladder match with Triple H at TLC.

Winner: Daniel Bryan, but Orton cashes in almost immediately after.

Dino Zucconi: YES! YES! YES! I’m here. I’m so here. The second this match was announced, WWE had effectively taken $55 from me. It was a rather simple sequence. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan was the perfect match to throw on the top of the marquee for SummerSlam, and I’m just shocked to pieces that we actually got it. All whispers and “news” aside, I just never have a lot of trust for Vince McMahon when it comes to seriously pushing the smaller guys. Cite all contrary examples if you must, that still doesn’t change my level of trust on this front. But here we are, with Cena actually showing that this match matters, and not making dick and poopy jokes the whole way while Bryan tries to make him care. Sure, we’ve had the “wrestler vs. sports entertainer” thing done a few times now, but it feels like they’ve found their true split in the Universe. This match, I dare say, is going to be freaking fantastic, and I cannot wait to watch it.

Winner: And NEW WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan!!! (until Randy Orton immediately cashes in, and we get our Viper back)

James Wright: I’m not sure there has been a match since Cena-Punk at Money in the Bank 2011 where the stakes are so high in terms of the WWE either sticking with the same old shit or taking a chance that could prove to be a big shift in the current dynamic of what it takes to be a champion. Some might argue that Punk’s win didn’t actually do much, but I would argue that Bryan might not actually have even gotten this chance at the title had Punk not proven to be so popular despite his look and size going against what some might think is the correct model for a champion. The thing is here that Cena really doesn’t need the win in any way, whereas Bryan could seriously benefit from triumphing over the champ here and the WWE could add another name to their solidified main event talent pool. Clearly Orton is going to play a role in this match, he hasn’t been booked and he has been appearing at every given opportunity, despite surely wanting his cash in to be a surprise, not exactly sneaky on his part but whatever. A lot of people have been talking about a Bryan win and then an Orton cash-in and heel turn. While that isn’t the worst thing that could happen, I also like the idea of Orton failing to cash-in and turning heel anyway. Basically either way you have a program with Bryan in the title picture feuding against a heel Orton, which could, if done right, run all the way to Wrestlemania with each man having a McMahon in their corner (Cena going on to face Rock, Lesnar or Undertaker at the big XXX), also either way this has Bryan beating Cena so it’s all good to me.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Justin Watry: For those who read the great Ask 411 Wrestling column, my prediction here is no mystery. I made it known a few weeks ago. Daniel Bryan will defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship. The real question is what happens from there. The obvious answer seems to be something involving Randy Orton cashing in his Money in the Bank brief case and creating some kind of ‘Corporation’ turning him heel. Either with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon helping or just Vince McMahon and Brad Maddox? While all of that seems logical, it always is a total carbon copy from Summerslam 2011 two years ago. I am going say Orton does NOT leave as champ, and WWE gives Bryan his moment.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Michael Weyer: Cena is losing the belt. That was clear even before word of his injury got out. He loses and puts Bryan over in a great match, hopefully clear of massive interference or overbooking and with HHH, we should be spared a ref bump. Now, the question is whether Orton cashes in or not. My dream is he does but Bryan still retains, past time someone else failed in a cash-in of MITB. Whatever the aftermath, it’s Bryan’s moment to shine in the main event and winning the belt and that is worth buying the whole show by itself.

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Daniel Bryan

Nick Sellers: It’s delightful to see Bryan having so much momentum behind him, and this one really does have a big fight atmosphere about it. The build-up has been great, as they willfully acknowledge that Bryan doesn’t look like the type of WWE Champion they envisage and that they want to change his ways and make him corporate. His refusal to comply is almost like a PG version of Austin’s anti-authority appeal and it’s working just as well. This has a similar feel about it to the Punk/Cena build-up for Money in the Bank 2011, but unlike Punk, Bryan is a much more loveable, endearing character loved just as much by the adults as he is by the kids. I think it’s the perfect time for Bryan to go over. Sure, they could play it safe with a Cena victory. But they have the chance here to create a moment. We could look back on this in months, maybe years to come and go “remember the night Daniel Bryan won the WWE title from Cena in the Staples center at Summerslam?” It would be absolutely bloody brilliant. But as wonderful a wrestler as Bryan is, Cena is WWE’s main event post/mail man: He always delivers, and this will be no different. So while Bryan will get praise heaped on him either way, remember that it takes two to tango and Cena would deserve plaudits too. Daniel Bryan isn’t the new John Cena. He’s not the guy to take over the mantle from him, but he doesn’t NEED to be the next John Cena. If he wins the title at Summerslam, he could cement himself not as the next John Cena, but he could be looked at as the first Daniel Bryan.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Rory James: The Punk/Lesnar match would having me buying this event on its own. Having this match on the books as well means it is absolutely, 100%, take the day off work to watch it live, must-see. Bryan has been tremendous over the past few months. Seeing the reaction to him at a live event here in Australia cemented my opinion that he could be the next main guy in WWE. The key word in that sentence is could. I don’t think Bryan has to win this to be elevated. If he loses to Cena clean, that would be terrible. If he wins the title, and Orton robs him of it, that would be fine. I’d even settle for Triple H turning on him, provided the follow up feud was handled properly. I’m looking forward to sitting back and watching Daniel Bryan have him moment. He has earned it. As for my pick, erm,…..

Winner: John Cena

Matt O’Connell: If you ever find yourself thinking that not much can change in a year, just remember that at SummerSlam 2012, Daniel Bryan was fresh off a World Heavyweight Championship loss and facing Kane in what at the time seemed to be a throwaway match, while John Cena was challenging for CM Punk’s WWE title for what felt like the hundredth time that year. And yet, a mere twelve months later, Bryan has parlayed his chemistry with Kane into a monster babyface run, and Cena is once again WWE champion. Honestly, I can’t believe that WWE would, having caught lightning in a bottle with Bryan, simply have Cena retain here. Daniel Bryan must win; it’s the only culmination of his last year’s journey that makes sense. Will Randy Orton cash in? He is suspiciously absent from the card, but all I can do is predict the matches that have been announced.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Jack Bramma: Similar to the above, Daniel Bryan shouldn’t win only for Randy Orton to cash in this Sunday because it’s too “obvious.” While I wouldn’t be a fan of that outcome, it’d be hard to say that it wasn’t effectively foreshadowed in the past few weeks whether it was by Orton holding up the briefcase at every turn or Vince McMahon saying he wanted neither DB nor Cena as champ. But if that indeed is the outcome, I don’t see that as bad storytelling just because it was “obvious” to some of the audience. Triple H inserting himself as special guest referee is aggravating but it does introduce a few more wild cards and possibilities into the mix especially with the word that Trips may turn heel in his feud with Vince. Will Trips turn heel? Will Orton turn heel? Will Daniel Bryan turn heel? Will we have a new corporate champ? Just for the record, the least satisfying conclusion would be yet another screwy finish where Triple H doesn’t see someone’s feet on the ropes just like two years ago for Punk/Cena no matter who wins. I’d much prefer some Jesse Ventura-like refereeing justice from SS 99 where Trips Pedigrees an interfering Orton/Vince/Miz (unlikely)/Shield/Family to keep the peace and counts the 1, 2, 3 for the hopeful winner Daniel Bryan. I see the most “obvious” outcome and yet the most foreshadowed and effectively built conclusion: Daniel Bryan beats Cena, Vince tries to get Orton to cash in with Brad Maddox’s help, Triple H fends them off to restore order. No heel turns from Triple H, Daniel Bryan, and of course not Cena.

Winner: Daniel Bryan