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WWE presents SummerSlam tonight live from Toronto. Here's our take on what will happen at the show
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins.
Dave: I think anyone reading this knows how I feel about a part time guy being the champion. And given how Lesnar has destroyed Rollins, the story here should be that Seth overcomes all of the adversity to win his Title back at one of WWE's biggest shows of the year. I hope that is the story that they choose to tell.
Mike: Rollins promised he was going to survive and win the title. Traditionally, you don’t have your number one babyface say that unless he’s going to win. But, whenever Brock is involved, you have to throw logic out the window. I can see them having Brock wipe out Seth and KO him. I can even see them having Becky hit the ring to check on him and Brock F5ing her for the big heel moment to close the show either way. If it’s me, Seth should win, because if he doesn’t, you’ve now made your top hero a liar to the fans.
Richard: With the way that Brock has thrown Seth around the last few weeks, I want to see if he can send Seth over the CN Tower. With his last promo, Seth has fully morphed into the John Cena of the current WWE. Let Brock retain so we can get Brock versus Taker in Saudi Arabia so Taker can get revenge for the Mania 30 loss.
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton.
Dave: To me, this should be a "good win" for Kofi. Randy doesn't need the Title and they are still in the process of making Kofi and seeing what he can be as the champion. If he beats the made man, it helps make him. I say put Kofi over here, and don't do any cute finishes. Just have him win.
Mike: There will come a day where Kofi drops the belt and his run will end, but this should not be that moment. These two can have a really good match but to me, when it’s toime for the WWE Championship to leave Kingston’s hands, it should be done to build someone up for the next level of their career. Orton is a made man and someone who isn’t even utilized every week on TV. He’s more of a living legend now than a Legend Killer – and he should be used to reinforce Kofi. Kingston survives the RKO and scores the pin.
Richard: This match has one of the best builds with ten years of history, but I don't necessarily want to see this match. Kofi should retain to close another chapter in Kofi's eleven year quest to get the title. But who is next for Kofi?
Dave: I would love to see Shane lose here but I just get the feeling that they go the other way and then Owens can torture Shane as a non-employee, which will lead to Shane reinstating him down the road, maybe with KO's chance to get back in being on the first Smackdown Live on FOX.
Mike: If this is anything but Owens hitting the stunner and getting the pin, they have lost the plot. I expect a lot of shenanigans here and wouldn’t be shocked if they make this a No DQ right before the bell so Drew McIntyre, Elias, etc. all get involved. The best thing would be to have all of Shane’s minions abandon him so Owens hits stunner after stunner to really put an exclamation point on the end of this story and get Owens over as the guy who foiled Shane once and for all – then give Shane a must needed rest from TV storylines.
Richard: Kevin should win, but we will get the Jeff Jarrett TNA title defense booking with everyone trying to help Shane win the match. If Kevin does lose, let Shane cut his victory promo on Tuesday and then get into his limo to leave and when he tells the driver where to take him, we see that it is Kevin.
WWE Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch vs. Natalya: Submission Match
Dave: They have done a good job in getting Natty hot again for this match and she should be really over in her home country, but I see Becky coming out with her Title in hand.
Mike: Natalya winning would be a nice moment for Toronto fans, but I don’t see WWE investing in her long-term, especially when Becky Lynch has been such a franchise for the company. What I expect is a war where we see the best Natalya match of her career, but in the end Lynch wins – Natalya is in the Disarmher and refuses to tap, so she either passes out from the pain or Lynch “breaks the arm” and the referee calls for the bell. Natalya goes out a hero but Becky retains.
Richard: Whatever they try to do to make Nattie seem evil only makes me compare her to Pat Boone when he did the metal covers album. It would be a big story for Nattie to win in her home country, but she isn't even the female on the card who has the HomeTown Hero label. Becky should retain.
WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley vs. Ember Moon.
Dave: This is kind of intriguing because it's Ember's first real shot. It would not shock me to see her win and then have Bayley chase her for the belt.
Mike: I like Moon and I expect this will be a good match but I don’t feel any major oomph to this bout. I can see Bayley retaining. If there was a show to have Sasha Banks make a big return, this would be it, and Banks vs. Bayley is something they still could get a lot of mileage out of on the main roster. We’ll see if it happens here.
Richard: Of the three women's matches on the card, I would say this is the third most important in the way it was booked. It is a shame because they could have done something to build this match. Bayley's victory was a good thing at first, but they have ignored this story for the other two women's matches. I don't think WWE has put Ember in a position to be seen as the champion, but that is probably why they would give her the title. Let Bayley retain and then give Ember another shot at the next PPV before the move to Fox.
WWE United States Champion AJ Styles vs. Ricochet.
Dave: I really think after all of the stuff that AJ has done here, Ricochet needs to beat him and get his Title back. This should be off the hook.
Mike: No way Ricochet wins the title here. I suspect we’ll see Styles on the ropes until the O.C. interfere and the numbers game allows AJ to retain. WWE is still building the heat on the Club and it’s way too soon for to Styles to take any sort of major loss. The goal instead, in my mind, is to build sympathy and respect for Ricochet so the fans can connect with him as something more than the guy who does some cool stuff in and above the ring.
Richard: This should be a real good match and I would not be surprised if Ricochet wins the title back, but if AJ retains (and since there are no tag matches announced at this time), let AJ, Karl, and Luke walk around with all of the gold for a while. Give this 15 to 20 minutes for us to enjoy.
Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor.
Dave: Here's a thought, if you were Finn and fighting a Fiend, wouldn't you break out the Demon? I sure would. If he doesn't, Finn goes down here and they can build to a Demon vs. Fiend match.
Mike: Wyatt HAS to win here. If he doesn’t, what a waste of all the time they have put into rebranding him. WWE very rarely has a chance to reboot someone correctly and give them a second lease on life. They have found themselves with that chance here. If it’s me, Wyatt destroys Balor in a shocking fashion to set the tone that he’s the most destructive thing we’ve seen in WWE in forever.
Richard: The Demon beat Bray the last time they met so I would have The Fiend beat Finn this time. Then you have Finn question his performance and after some time away, he comes back as the Demon and we see that match at Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania.
Bill Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler.
Dave: Undertaker got his chance to wipe the bad taste of Saudi Arabia out of his mouth last month, this time it's Goldberg's chance. Usually I want to see the younger guy win but Ziggler isn't your normal younger guy. Since he has shot off his mouth about Goldberg, I see a Jackhammer and Spear in his future.
Mike: I expect spear, Jackhammer and pinfall.
Richard: If Doug Dillinger has a kid, Dolph needs to have him leading the security detail knocking on Dolph's door and walking him to the ring (or get Ralphus so someone can talk about it after it happens). Dolph Ziggler is the Smackdown equivalent of Baron Corbin to me (and I am enjoying the time that they are remodeling the Bennigan's that Baron moonlights at to keep him off TV) so I hope we get a quick Jackhammer victory for the man they call Goldberg.
Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair.
Dave: Conversely, Charlotte is at the top of the division and as much as I like Trish, she shouldn't win here. I would have her put in an amazing effort and look great, but fall just short. Maybe she even earns Charlotte's respect after the match, which would be a good visual to end the bout.
Mike: Stratus has been saying she expects this to be her final match. If that is the case, Flair should be winning. But, would WWE actually have Stratus lose her last ever match in her hometown? That doesn’t sound like something they’d be keen to do. I expect this will be a great bout and Stratus will bring everything she has. Flair should get the win here in my opinion.
Richard: This is the women's match that will probably get the best reaction because of Trish being in her home town. Charlotte should win this match but Trish will put up the good fight. I hope they don't have Charlotte wrestling at an Orton or Lesnar pace of taking her time to try to put Trish away.
Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan for the Cruiserweight Title
Dave: This should be really good. These guys can go. I love Drew with the Title so I have to him retain here.
Mike: I have seen these two have really amazing matches back in their EVOLVE days, so if they are given the time to have something of consequence, it will be a lot of fun. Their biggest problem will be how much time they are given. I don’t foresee there to be a title change here.
Richard: This match is still on the main card of the PPV as I am giving my thoughts on the show. This should be a good match between these two and I expect to see Drew retain. Even if they give them enough time, I think we would still see a better match on 205 Live.
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