Roundtable: SummerSlam 2018

Are there too many rematches from Extreme Rules on this year’s card?

Chad Gelfand: I think that Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin is the only match that doesn’t need to be revisited again. They had a fine match at Extreme Rules, but it’s nothing that I need to see twice.

Anthony Mahalis: I don’t think there are too many rematches. This card actually looks very good.

Steven Jackson: As you all know I do not follow WWE (bar NXT) closely, so I had to look up the cards for the events to see the amount of rematches from Extreme Rules. There does appear to be a lot of rematches, but when isn’t there?

David Gibb: No. If you really buy this whole “SummerSlam is another WrestleMania” thing (which I don’t), then it makes sense to have set up intrigue/raised the stakes for matchups at the previous PPV. On the other hand, I do think things feel a little like the WWE2K video games lately, where feuding with someone means having singles matches against them on every show for months.

Juan Bautista: Yes, multiple matches feel like copy and paste. The Baron Corbin and Finn Balor feud should be over. Balor should focus on the I.C. Title since management is not giving him a chance at the Universal Title. Corbin should be moving onto the next “small” guy since he’s got beef with small people. The creative team is having two sick games of “let’s see how high we can toss Kevin Owens” and “how many times can we make Braun Strowman look like an idiot.” Although Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler is good wrestling, that’s all it is. There’s no more story to be told.

John Corrigan: Yeah, I’d be fine with the rematches if they were reversed – the standard bouts should have happened last month, so we get stipulations for SummerSlam. For example, a cage match (Strowman vs. Owens) shouldn’t lead to a regular one-on-one bout.

Jack Goodwillie: Just as it was when I found myself continually mentioning Chris Benoit in these roundtables, I feel like I keep going back to WWE’s horrendous booking, err… I mean, writing. And I really don’t mean to keep singling them out, but what the fuck is the logic in making your second biggest card of the year so rematch-centric? In fighting, you only go to the immediate rematch under a handful of circumstances. 1.) If the champion was so dominant that they deserve a chance to avenge defeat 2.) If the fight was so hot, the people just have to see it again or 3.) If there was controversy, like a bad stoppage, bad judging or an eye poke or low blow that decided the outcome. Not only does WWE violate these rules from big show to big show, they’ll even do immediate rematches from big show to Raw. At least in fighting you have two or three months to build to it. Laziness like this is exactly how one can book themselves into a corner.

Who wins: Charlotte, Becky Lynch or Carmella?

Gelfand: Becky Lynch’s journey since Money in the Bank has been building up to her finally reclaiming the Women’s Title at SummerSlam. The addition of Charlotte has seemed to throw a curve ball into the Carmella/ Becky Lynch storyline, but I think it could lead to an interesting character evolution for Lynch. I would have Charlotte be on the verge of defeating Carmella, and then Becky sneaks up behind Charlotte and steals a victory. This could signal to the fans that Lynch is no longer going to play second fiddle to Charlotte.

Mahalis: I have a feeling that the Lass Kicker is walking out of SS with the title. Make it so, Vince. She deserves another run.

Jackson: I would like Becky Lynch to win. She deserves to have a long title reign after Charlotte Flair and Carmella have dominated the women’s division in recent years.

Gibb: I think this is Becky Lynch’s chance to break out of the middle and throw off her chains of “Super Best Friendom.”

Bautista: Carmella retains the SmackDown Women’s Championship. After a competitive match, Becky Lynch finally loses it and turns on Charlotte. Frustration stemming over from Money in the Bank, Charlotte being added to the match and not being able to get a pinfall, Becky turns on Charlotte, which allows Carmella to escape with the title.

Corrigan: WWE seems to be teasing a Becky Lynch heel turn, but if there’s one thing I know from watching pro wrestling all these years – you can never trust a Flair. The Queen will return to her throne.

Goodwillie: WWE can sell the “champion’s disadvantage” spin all they want, but everybody knows this is setting up perfectly for Becky Lynch to do the job only for Charlotte to have another 1-on-1 at the next big show.

Does Paul Heyman screw over The Beast?

Gelfand: I don’t think so. I have a feeling that Brock Lesnar is going to re-sign for another year and I don’t think that Brock would want to be separated from Paul. However, if Brock isn’t going to come back, then Heyman turning on Brock and siding with Roman would be an intriguing possibility.

Mahalis: I thought there was a slight possibility before Raw, but now I’d say no chance. I would say that there is no way that Lesnar walks out of SummerSlam with the title, though. Either Reigns wins or….

Jackson: The is a very interesting question and while I think it would be cool to see Paul Heyman get revenge on Brock Lesnar, I somehow don’t see it happening. I do believe Brock will lose the title, but it may be through other means rather than involvement from Heyman.

Gibb: Maybe, but if he does, he’s doing it on behalf of Strowman or Owens. As much as he’s talked about what a thrill it would be to manage “The Samoan Badass” Roman Reigns, I think that has been an intentionally conspicuous smoke screen.

Bautista: Yes, but probably not in the way you would expect. Because of the Paul Heyman interview, this is the most intriguing match on the card. Siding with Reigns is the obvious scenario, but there’s another potential scenario that has Lesnar retaining, but Heyman introducing him to his next opponent, which is Bobby Lashley. Heyman waits until after the match to turn on Brock and set up a potential WrestleMania match.

Corrigan: As I predicted in December, the advocate will indeed betray his Beast before Lesnar rides off into UFC. Then the door will always be open for a comeback to get revenge.

Goodwillie: I feel like I’m writing the book on WWE booking in 2018 here. Generally, when WWE tries to tease anything, you can pretty much expect the exact opposite to happen because they think they’re trying to be clever and throw the audience off the straight and narrow path. Unfortunately, any fan out of elementary school can see through this one. No, Paul Heyman will not cost Brock Lesnar on Sunday, and will probably even attempt to get involved on behalf of Lesnar, only for Reigns to go all Hulk Hogan and overcome the odds.

Will we see a cash-in?

Gelfand: I think that the cash-in will happen at the Raw after SummerSlam.

Mahalis: If Lesnar beats Roman, we are getting a cash-in. If Reigns wins, I don’t think so. WWE really should take this opportunity to jump start the momentum of The Shield again. Have Ambrose and Rollins come out to counteract possible interference from Heyman, and then after Reigns wins, they just pick apart The Beast.

Jackson: This is the “other” means I was referring to in the previous question. I think that Braun Strowman will cash in his opportunity right after the main event, and beat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title.

Gibb: The fact that the MITB case is on the line early in the show makes it seem like it would be a letdown if there isn’t a cash-in sometime between Sunday and Tuesday. They really want you thinking about that case.

Bautista: No, and it won’t matter who the winner is. If Braun Strowman somehow retains, he’ll wait to beat the snot out of Kevin Owens and disappear into thin air, which besides lifting objects, he does best. If Kevin Owens wins, he won’t get the opportunity to cash in unless he has a restraining order ready on the spot.

Corrigan: Hell yeah! Strowman is going after whoever wins the title and he’s walking out with the belt draped over his shoulder.

Goodwillie: I give this about a coin-flip chance. I’m 80% sure Strowman will beat Owens one more time, this time for real, and if that happens, then he very well could cash in. Why not? If not here, where else could it be?

Which match are you most looking forward to?

Mahalis: I would have to say AJ/Joe by a slight margin over Bryan/Miz.

Jackson: There are two matches that jump out at me: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz and AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe. Choosing just one, I have to go with AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe. We have all seen their innovative chemistry in the past, and we always dreamed that one day they would get a WWE main event spot. I expect great things from this match, and they should feel very proud for reaching such a monumental achievement!

Gibb: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles, of course! 2008: “Short Spot Monkey vs. Dangerous Fat Guy.” 2018: “OMG TWO OF TEH BEST!!!”

Bautista: I’m looking forward to AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship. The opportunity to rekindle some of their TNA magic is there. Samoa Joe will have the opportunity to become a Triple Crown champion of having won world championships in three different promotions. Expectations are not being set as high as when Styles faced Shinsuke. This match may end up exceeding expectations.

Corrigan: Bryan vs. Miz. Much like my house party this weekend (all are welcome), this match has been eight years in the making.

Goodwillie: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe and that’s a no-brainer. I shouldn’t even have to explain why. I’ll also say that it would benefit greatly from going on last, especially if there’s not going to be any theatrics in Brock vs. Roman. It’s about as “slam dunk” of a world championship match as you can have in 2018, and we already know these guys work well together. Styles is the best wrestler in WWE, and arguably the world, while Joe plays to his strengths as well as anyone in the company and may be the best promo right now. I can’t wait.