SummerSlam 2020 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss SummerSlam 2020.

Which match are you most looking forward to?

Jenna Leigh: I’ve sung Bayley’s praises since the NXT days. I’m excited to see her doing some of her best work, both as a character and in the ring. I’m really interested to see where things go with her/Sasha and Asuka.

Juan Bautista: Dominik vs. Seth Rollins will be an intriguing match. It will be the first opportunity to see what Dominik is made of.

David Gibb: The Women’s Title matches. I’m intrigued by the idea of each match having an interior story, but then the two of them also being interconnected. It’s the kind of thing that makes you really hope they have two good finishes planned.

Matthew Smith: Braun vs. The Fiend. While Drew vs. Randy is going to be the best match on the card by a longshot, the storytelling here has me hooked. It’s the best Braun has ever gotten in his career — he went from laughing at the thought of Bray beating him to laughing at the thought of hurting Bray. He also pointed out how everyone touched by the Fiend changes, including himself. Gone is the long hair and smiling Braun; we now have a monster chasing another
monster. Bray has also showcased his range. This doesn’t feel like a three-month feud of the same match. I just hope WWE does right and gives both men the payoff they deserve.

Chad Gelfand: Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio. This is the match that has the best build and I’ve been very impressed with Dominik’s performances. The street fight element guarantees that there will be shenanigans and interference, but it should still be a fun, brutal match.

John Corrigan: Dominik vs. Rollins. We’ve been waiting 15 years for Rey Rey’s Baby Boy to get in the ring.

Jack Goodwillie: I’m most curious to see how Rollins vs. Dominik plays out. We have heard going on for maybe two years what a great prospect Dominik is for pro wrestling, how quickly he has taken to the in-ring component and how receptive he is to feedback. And as much as I have loathed Seth Rollins’ booking since WrestleMania (as well as how passive he has been about it), there’s probably nobody better to have your first match with. Well, except maybe Adam Cole, right John?

What do you think of Raw Underground?

Leigh: It has tons of potential. It adds a different element and feel, other than the usual over polished flash and glitz of a typical WWE show. Let Shane do what he thinks is best – he has innovative ideas and is a great entertainer.

Bautista: It’s child’s play compared to Lucha Underground. It shows laziness and incompetence.

Gibb: The problem with doing something “real” is it makes everything else that isn’t explicitly real faker and invites people to look for fakeness because it’s supposed to be real in a way that insists on itself. I love wrestling that looks like a shoot, but it’s being presented as a side dish in a way that doesn’t help it or the rest of the show right now.

Smith: I’m not the biggest fan of it; however, I do appreciate WWE trying new things out. Ryback said it well on his podcast that it just exposes the wrestlers too much, things they shrug off in the ring suddenly look devastating in the Underground. It could have a bigger upside if they simply kept the third hour of Raw in that setting and maybe bump up the TV rating as well. Then, use this hour to let wrestlers have a chance at cutting raw promos, something like Austin in the ECW days. Use only talent that you don’t see on Raw every week, bring NXT guys that aren’t used often, maybe even add a title. It just needs more substance than knuckle fighting and pole dancers.

Gelfand: It’s certainly different and a change of pace. As it is currently presented, it feels disconnected from the rest of the show and hasn’t been too impactful.

Corrigan: From the clips I’ve seen online, it’s not enough to get me to tune in.

Goodwillie: I’d say thus far it has accomplished its goal, which is the same goal as anything WWE does, and that is to incite a reaction, positively or negatively. I don’t agree with that philosophy as it makes for bad television, but apparently Vinnie Ru made more of an impression on Mr. McMahon than anyone could have imagined. That said, if we look back on it in two years and someone like Dabba-Kato is a household name, it’ll have been a success. We’re still missing the ‘why’ though, and until we get it, it’s going to go the way of Orioles’ first baseman Chris Davis: Home run, strikeout, and nothing in between.

Does Alexa Bliss make a good Sister Abigail?

Leigh: At first, making her Abigail was just shoehorning her into yet another high visibility feud. But this could be an opportunity, if she REALLY embraces it, to show an entirely new dimension.

Bautista: I would prefer Liv Morgan or even Nikki Cross.

Gibb: I’m not even going to dignify this with an answer because everything that has ever been said and done related to “Sister Abigail” has always wound up hokey and terrible.

Smith: Right now, yes. Long term, I’m not sure. She fits so well in this storyline and is a credit to Bray for finding someone Braun had a long on-screen relationship with. Sure, they didn’t date, but the tension was always teased. However, Alexa is too talented of a wrestler to be locked down as just Bray Wyatt’s voice in his head and little helper.

Gelfand: Alexa is good in the role she’s in right now being manipulated by The Fiend, but I’d like to see someone else get a shot at the Sister Abigail role since Alexa’s already been given and accomplished so much.

Corrigan: As a Blissfit from way back, I support The Goddess in all endeavors.

Goodwillie: Alexa makes for a good companion for Bray Wyatt or anyone on the roster for that matter because she has a propensity to stand out in any segment she’s involved in. She has some killer acting range, which is not something WWE was sure it was getting when she came in seven years ago. To say that we have to label her as “Sister Abigail” because internet fans have been concocting reasons for a physical Sister Abigail to exist for years is probably an unreasonable expectation. Remember when people wanted Paige to be Sister Abigail? How about Liv Morgan? Daffney??? And this is before and after Erick Rowan came out and said Sister Abigail was never meant to be an actual person.

Who wins the hair match: Mandy Rose or Sonya Deville?

Leigh: I just don’t see Mandy cutting her hair. Being a “hot blonde” is kinda her entire gimmick.

Bautista: Mandy is losing because it would make Sonya look like an idiot if she loses, especially because she already had the opportunity to finish the job.

Gibb: Mandy. The short hair would fit Sonya’s look and toughness better. Also, you could then take Sonya’s cut-off hair and use it to choke the guy who tried to kidnap the two of them, and dark hair is much better for revenge.

Smith: Crazier things have happened, but I just can’t see Mandy shaving her head.

Gelfand: It’s almost a guarantee that Mandy Rose wins this match. Mandy just got a new look after Sonya cut her hair, so it only makes sense that Mandy would get Sonya back at SummerSlam.

Corrigan: Corey Graves will have a heart attack if Mandy loses her hair.

Goodwillie: I’d handicap Sonya Deville in the -20000 range, and that may not do it justice. I appreciate WWE going to this well. It’s old school and has Bruce Prichard’s fingerprints all over it. My only complaint would be that when Luchas de Apuestas is done right, you could make a reasonable argument for either competitor to lose what’s at stake. Anytime it has been done in WWE, the outcome has been so blatantly obvious that perhaps it takes away from the matches. And make no mistake, Mandy Rose is not losing her hair on Sunday. If I woke up the next morning and saw that happened, I would shit bricks. But again, I’m just happy to see that kind of stipulation back on television.

Who wins the WWE Championship match: Drew McIntyre or Randy Orton?

Leigh: I’d love to see Drew continue, but I feel like RKO will be champ…again.

Bautista: Randy. He has gotten the most random wins since 2017. If he doesn’t get involved in the hair match, Otis might cash in.

Gibb: Uh, whoever the opposite of “the fans” is.

Smith: I love Drew as champ. It’s been a long time coming and I hate that COVID kind of robbed him of that big WrestleMania moment in front of fans. If anyone deserved that showering of love and acceptance, it was him. He is a believable champion, he doesn’t pander too much and he brings the fight every time he is on the screen. With all that being said, Orton is on fire. He has a rare ability to just turn it on unlike any wrestler I’ve ever seen. Whether it be with Triple H, Cena or Edge, when Orton is healthy and invested, he quite possibly is the best to ever lace a pair of boots. Unfortunately for Drew, RKO claims the title once more.

Gelfand: I’ve loved Drew McIntyre’s reign so far. He’s been a great, intense, fighting champion who deserves to be performing in front of an actual crowd. Randy Orton is doing some of the best work of his career right now and has built himself up quite the momentum. With that being said, now’s the time to strike with Randy and have him win the title here, building to Drew eventually winning it back from him.

Corrigan: As Juan predicted in the beginning of the year, Orton will once again win the WWE Championship.

Goodwillie: The collision course between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton as two of WWE’s standout stars of the pandemic has been one of the only things keeping Raw from being completely unbearable. This match is definitely going to deliver. Drew needs the win more than Randy does, and Randy, the heel in this equation, can afford to eat a clean pin. If they opt to run it back, and my impression is that they will, I do expect Orton to claim the belt at some point.