WWE SummerSlam 2018 Breakdown & Predictions

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With SummerSlam labeled as one of the WWE’s biggest events of the year, there are a lot of interesting matchups on the card. That being said, who will walk out of Brooklyn as the winner of their respective matches?

Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns

For The WWE Universal Championship

Martin’s Take: Over the past few months, this rivalry has been brewing. Both Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns want to prove that they deserve to be WWE Universal Champion. With Lesnar only showing up on a part-time deal, that does not sit well with a lot of wrestling fans. By the end, Reigns will finally defeat Lesnar to win the title. Paul Heyman is going to play a big story into this, and there is even speculation that Heyman may cost his client the match.

Prediction: Roman Reigns 

Luke’s Take: The plot has been set for Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns, but considering Lesnar is going back to the UFC after SummerSlam, it leaves us with a full-time champion and a manager in limbo. I believe Reigns wins, quite possibly with Heyman turning on Lesnar.

Prediction: Roman Reigns 

Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey

For The WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Martin’s Take: This match has been building up for the past two months, since Alexa Bliss decided to cash in her Money In The Bank Contract in order to win the WWE Raw Women’s Championship. Ronda Rousey has made herself into a household name in the WWE, competing in high-profile matches along the way. Although Bliss is a great champion, it’s obvious that the WWE is going capitalize on Ronda Rousey’s popularity.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey 

Luke’s Take: The best female wrestler over the last few years in Alexa Bliss will be against the UFC convert in Ronda Rousey. This bout has the potential to be one of the best matches of the night, with the story building up over the last few weeks. I am expecting Rousey to get the win here, but a victory via disqualification would not be surprising as well.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey 

AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe

For The WWE Championship

Martin’s Take: This match could be the night, as the two rivals have quite the history. Both AJ Styles and Samoa Joe made an impact once they arrived in the WWE. This is a dream match that everyone called for, and will turn out to be a phenomenal match. The WWE has plans for Samoa Joe, and it may be time for a new champion.

Prediction: Samoa Joe

Luke’s Take: Five years ago, this was the main event in TNA/Impact Wrestling. Now, this is a match happening within the confines of a WWE ring at the second-biggest event of the year. Styles is currently the longest WWE Champion in Smackdown history. Samoa Joe has had enough injuries to hamper his time in the WWE, but could put on a four-star match with Styles in Brooklyn. This is a feud that will culminate with Samoa Joe winning the title, but that will be at the Royal Rumble. At SummerSlam, AJ Styles wins.

Prediction: AJ Styles

Braun Strowman (MITB holder) vs. Kevin Owens

For The Money in the Bank Contract

Martin’s Take: Ever since winning the Money In The Bank briefcase in June, Braun Strowman has had difficultly with Kevin Owens. This match could go either way, as both superstars want to become “Mr. Money In The Bank”. Even though Strowman has been unstoppable as of late, Owens will find a way to sneak out with the briefcase.

Prediction: Kevin Owens 

Luke’s Take: Kevin Owens and Jinder Mahal have come together to make an interesting duo in recent weeks, with Braun Strowman being thrusted in the middle. It is not reflected in the earlier prediction, but there has been rumors that Reigns will beat Lesnar, only for Strowman to cash in immediately after. That would mean that Strowman wins here, and that will be the prediction.

Prediction: Braun Strowman 

Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins

For The WWE Intercontinental Championship

Martin’s Take: Both Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins have put on quality matches against each other leading up to this bout. This is going to be an amazing match, but Ziggler has been on fire since winning the Intercontinental Championship. It would be smart for him to pick up the victory and continue his run.

Prediction: Dolph Ziggler 

Luke’s Take: Dolph Ziggler has been back at his best since his dominant run in 2012-13.  This is the toughest match to call, with both men having a chance to win the title. I believe there will be a new Intercontinental Champion, but that is with no great confidence, as Ziggler could very well retain with Drew McIntyre at ringside.

Prediction: Seth Rollins 

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz 

Martin’s Take: The last few months, the feud between Daniel Bryan and The Miz has reached new levels. With Daniel Bryan’s contract expiring next month, the WWE has to do all it can to make him happy. Even though The Miz has been amazing as of late, Bryan has to win this match if there is any chance that he is re-signing with the company.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan

Luke’s Take: This has been building for quite some time now, going back to when The Miz confronted Daniel Bryan during an episode of “Talking Smack”. We could see the return of Maryse or Brie Bella to some extent, with Bella being brought up numerous times in recent weeks. Daniel Bryan will get the victory here, and it will be a solid match to fill the middle part of the show with.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan 

Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak

For the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Martin’s Take: Just a few weeks ago, Drew Gulak won a #1 contenders match, and is now getting his chance to challenge for the Cruiserweight Championship. Cedric Alexander and Gulak both have unique different fighting styles, as Alexander uses his speed and agility to his advantage, while Gulak is more of a technical wrestler. This is going to be a sleeper match, as both superstars have been put on quality matches as of late. If there is any time to give Drew Gulak a run with the championship, it’s now.

Prediction: Drew Gulak

Luke’s Take: Cedric Alexander has been on a tear since winning the belt at WrestleMania, restoring the credibility that had been stripped from it by a certain “Realest Guy in the Room”. Drew Gulak has been a great servant to the 205 Live brand, and has also been on a run of sorts in the last few months. This should be a solid match, and hopefully it gets the time it deserves. Cedric Alexander will retain, but it will set up for a run coming out of the summer.

Prediction: Cedric Alexander 

Carmella (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

For The WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship

Martin’s Take: Carmella has been running the SmackDown Women’s Division with an iron fist, and adding Charlotte Flair to this match is rather interesting. There seems to be some tension between Becky Lynch and Flair, which has been shown over the past several weeks. Even though all three women are talented in the ring, this would be a great time to start a championship run for Becky Lynch.

Prediction: Becky Lynch

Luke’s Take: Carmella as the women’s champion is something that seemingly has worked out in the long run, although it seemingly has resulted in the burial of Asuka. Becky Lynch has been banging on the door for a while now to have another run with the title, and Charlotte could very well take the title for another run through her queendom. With the tension that has been rising between Becky Lynch and Charlotte, you definitely could see one of those two causing the other to lose. Carmella shouldn’t retain the title here, with Becky Lynch the more likely to go over and regain some of the spark that she had a few years back.

Prediction: Becky Lynch via Submission

Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy

For the WWE United States Championship

Martin’s Take: Ever since Shinsuke Nakamura won the United States Championship at Extreme Rules, Jeff Hardy has been on a mission to get back his title. Nakamura is trying to bounce back from his feud with AJ Styles, and winning the United States Championship is a step in the right direction. Even though Hardy is a terrific performer, his reign as champion was lackluster. With Nakamura only winning the title last month, losing it now would be a poor decision.

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura

Luke’s Take: With Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton having some beef over the last few weeks, Orton should have some sort of say in the outcome of this bout. In saying that, if these allegations against Randy Orton are true, we could see a last-minute change. Nakamura will retain, but have a look at the betting odds closer to time.

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura 

Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

Martin’s Take: Out of every match on the main card, this is least likely to spark any traction. Even though Baron Corbin and Finn Balor have done their best to make this storyline work, it just doesn’t appeal to the WWE community. This feud should end at SummerSlam, and with Finn Balor winning and moving onto better things.

Prediction: Finn Balor 

Luke’s Take: The thorn in the side of Finn Balor and Kurt Angle, Baron Corbin has technically been on a run. He has tried to re-invent himself, but it hasn’t worked as well as he hoped. Hopefully this feud will propel Balor back up towards the main event where he belongs, with Brock Lesnar to be out of the picture by all reports.

Prediction: Finn Balor 

The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day

For The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship

Martin’s Take: Since winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania in April, The Bludgeon Brothers have taken care of the competition in their respective division. Even though The New Day are multiple-time Tag Team Champions, it’s difficult to take the belt away at this time.

Prediction: The Bludgeon Brothers

Luke’s Take: It took a little research to realize that Harper and Rowan had been champions since WrestleMania. They had some great matches, but it’s always been in the background of something better. The SmackDown division is starting to get a little stale, with The New Day getting chance after chance. The Bludgeon Brothers will continue their run, but it will also leave us with a confrontation between them and Sanity moving forward.

Prediction: Bludgeon Brothers 

Rusev and Lana vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega

Martin’s Take: For the past several weeks, Lana and Zelina Vega have been going at it in several matches where Vega has gotten the upper-hand. Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega were called up to the main roster only a few months ago, so they need a victory on a big stage to keep the momentum going.

Prediction: Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega

Luke’s Take: The intriguing part of this match is not what the result will be, but how Aiden English will get involved. During the last few weeks, he has cost Lana the match unintentionally, and the tensions levels are starting to rise. English has proven that he can help push talent to the moon and back, just looking at his time with Rusev. Almas and Vega have done nothing since coming to the main roster, and while they will get the win here, it will be overshadowed by Rusev taking out his backup in English.

Prediction: Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega 

The B Team vs. The Revival

For The Raw Tag Team Championships

Martin’s Take: Since losing The Miz, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas have gone on a remarkable run through the RAW tag team division. The Revival have been a disappointment since being called up to the main roster, but have not been given the chance to showcase their talent. With that said, despite the tough contenders, The B Team should be able to retain their titles.

Prediction: The B Team

Luke’s Take: The Revival have been on a career revival lately, after having a surprise match in NXT at a live event. They came back and have been running through the tag team division on RAW since, now earning a shot at the titles that many thought they would earn a long time ago. The B Team have been a beautiful change within the division, although it feels like they ran their course awfully quickly.

Prediction: The Revival 

 

Credit: WWE.com