PREVIEW: WWE SummerSlam 2023

Welcome to The Wrestling Estate’s WWE SummerSlam preview! I’m Russ Good, and I’ll be walking you through all the announced matches on the card for the Biggest Party of the Summer, and I’ll share my picks along the way.

We’ll have a few laughs, and we’ll probably disagree on the outcomes of some of these matches, but as long as we have a good time I’m fine with it.

That’s enough introduction, it’s already nearly the end of summer! We’ve got seven matches (possibly every one a Main Event if WWE’s announcers are to be believed) and one battle royal to preview, so let’s get this party started!

Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal

As of writing, only six participants have been named in this best bit of branding since the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match. Sheamus, Ciampa, Gable, Otis, Nakamura, and the guy who’s going to win – and deservedly so – L. A. Knight (YEAUH). The man is more over than Rover and is beloved by fans and internet columnists alike. Get a rocket for this man and send him to the moon. (Sorry, Cameron Grimes.)

Cody Rhodes versus Brock Lesnar

This match was basically announced on the Raw after WrestleMania, when lovable Farmer Brock Lesnar turned on Cody Rhodes during their tag team match with the Bloodline. Since then, Brock has obliterated Cody every chance he’s gotten, with Cody stealing a win at Backlash and Brock murdering Rhodes at the most recent Saudi show.

Surprisingly, no stipulation was added to the match on Monday night’s go-home Raw. I was expecting a bull rope, or Extreme Rules, or even Hell in a Cell. As it stands, it looks like we’ll be getting one of those classic WWE blood feuds that just kinda ends in a regular match. Unless it’s a swerve, and Brock absolutely destroys Cody but the American Nightmare refuses to allow a referee stoppage…or somebody changes the rules the night of the show. Who’s to say?

Regardless, I’m going with Cody here. The timing of the release of his WWE documentary is no coincidence, and the everlasting tale of THE STORY Cody will need to finish (at WrestleMania 2024, maybe) needs a victory over The Beast Incarnate to solidify Cody as the tough-as-nails babyface many already believe him to be.

Ronda Rousey versus Shayna Baszler in an MMA Rules match

Well it only took Ronda Rousey’s entire WWE run to finally get where we needed to in a pre-match build. Let narration, and a good video package, shine where Rousey’s mic skills falter. Let Shayna Baszler make good on the promises she made in the Elimination Chamber in 2020.

I’ve actually enjoyed watching this feud develop. From the WTF moment when Baze turned on Rousey in the middle of their tag match, to Monday Night Raw’s well-produced segment that showed both womens’ sides of the story, everything has improved as this rivalry has moved forward.

Allegedly, this will be Ronda Rousey’s farewell match, and I see her putting her real-life buddy Baszler over one last time before she rides off into the sunset. The stipulation of “MMA Rules” does nothing for me, because it’s not going to be a real fight and trying to make it look that way probably won’t work. Still, there’s no doubt these former training partners have chemistry, and Shayna deserves to have a monster heel run.

Ricochet versus Logan Paul

This match, basically born from one cool spot in the Royal Rumble, has blossomed into a full-on feud that fans have clearly chosen their sides for. It’s also shown Ricochet in a great light, something that hasn’t really happened up until this point in his main roster run. The knock against Pretty Ricky has always been his mic work, but that’s been improving in this matchup – and Logan Paul is (unsurprisingly) really good at being a jerk. It’s been a fun build, with Ricochet hitting some cool moves and a full-on superhero landing at one point. But WWE knows it owes Paul a win for the losses against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, and Ricochet doesn’t NEED a win here.

Seth “Freakin’” Rollins © versus Finn Bálor for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Judgment Day appears on nearly every WWE show, nearly every week. Between Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and Finn Bálor, purple seems more of an official color than red, blue, or black and gold. With Finn and Seth renewing their Universal Championship rivalry with this new consolation prize, I feel like WWE thinks there’s a much more intense and amazing rivalry than what’s appearing on screen.

Yes, seven years is a really long time to seethe over a loss – but has Finn been seething? He seemed pretty happy during his extended babyface run. Regardless, a breakup seems to be on the horizon. Priest and Bálor have been increasingly in each other’s way since Señor Money in the Bank (God, I hate that name) won the case. I could see Rollins winning here, barely, Priest attempting to cash in, Finn getting mad that he lost and that Priest disrespected his chance at winning, and maybe a three-way breakup – Finn staying heel with his missing buddy J.D. McDonaugh, Priest as an antihero? Dom and Rhea 4-eva, though.

Asuka © versus Charlotte Flair versus Bianca Belair in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Championship

Nothing quite like a title match where the title holder means the least in the rivalry. Asuka is incredible, she’s amazing – and she’s the third wheel in her own title picture. Charlotte Flair, returning from a long hiatus, casually inserted herself into the championship feud between Bianca Belair and Asuka. To sum up, right now Asuka is a nothing character with cool face paint, Belair would be better served turning heel than staying a boring babyface, and Charlotte…Charlotte needs another title run like I need another hole in my head.

I just don’t care about any of these women anymore, and I’d rather none of them have the championship at the end of the night. So I’ll go ahead and predict the Genius of the sky, IO Sky, to successfully cash in and become the Queen of the Sky. A ruler we don’t deserve, but the one we need right now.

Gunther © versus Drew McIntyre for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

This will likely be the match of the night. There’s a non-zero chance this could be match of the year. These two very large men are going to meet in the middle of the ring, and we’re gonna get my very favorite kind of match. BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPIN’ MEAT! It’s gonna be brutal, and choppy, and while there might not be much blood, there’s gonna be a lot of bruising.

With no reason for it besides a feeling in my heart, I’d love to see Ilya Dragunov make his main roster debut as a new addition to Imperium, possibly as a replacement to Ludwig Kaiser, who’s gotten some beratings recently from Gunther – who will retain his IC title in a banger.

We wrap up with the biggest storyline in all of wrestling, the pinnacle of the WWE Cinematic Universe until the next show. Roman and Jey with everything on the line. The undisputed championship. The seat at the head of the table. The role of tribal chief. That cool red necklace that Reigns wears to the ring. The ability to take ten minutes to get to the ring. It’s all there for the taking, but will Jey take it?

No. Come on, man.

Jey’s been great for this chapter of the Bloodline saga. Hell, everyone has. Roman, Paulie, Solo. But we’re nowhere near done with this tale, not while there’s still money to be made. Since Roman hasn’t seen a finish he couldn’t dirty up a bit, I fully expect Jimmy Uso to return and attack his brother for the sin of … not visiting him often enough in the local medical center, I guess.

Look, it’s not some cinematic achievement. It’s gonna be a fine match, maybe even a good one, but I’ve been burned one too many times to ever bet against my tribal chief – OUR tribal chief. So it’s Roman all the way, via interference, shenanigans, and goings on.

You can follow The Wrestling Estate on Twitter @thewrestlingest and Russ Good at @ElOsoPequeno.