PTP vs. Los Matadores vs. Lucha Dragons vs. The New Day (WWE Tag Team Championship)
Predicted Winners: Prime Time Players
The tag team division is once again in a state of poor booking. Instead of having a strong match between two teams, they decided to jam everyone into an 8-person mess. While there are potentials for some fun high spots, it will likely not flow in a convincing manner. Expect Prime Time Players to retain, at least until they have a non-multi-man match.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
Predicted Winner: Rusev
This feud was booked very odd from the beginning. Lana looks awkward with him, and Rusev was never really meant to thrive in a romance angle. Luckily, Rusev was able to turn this around and make it somewhat interesting and funny with his awkward Bulgarian mannerisms. Ziggler is always known to put on a strong show in-ring, so this match will, at the absolute least, provide entertaining action. Ziggler looked strong on the go-home show for Raw, so expect Rusev to pick up this win via submission, and keep on dominating going forward.
Stephen Amell & Neville vs. Stardust & King Barrett
Predicted Winners: Amell & Neville
Of all the celebrities to choose from, Amell was a smart choice. He’s athletic, and a huge WWE fan. Not only that, but he has been practicing for months now. While you should not expect him to perform like his partner, he will still provide some fun spots to the match. Expect Neville to carry the majority of that end of the ropes. Other than that, Stardust and Barrett will put on a good show, and Amell will pin Stardust. The celebrity will go over, end of story.
Ryback vs. Big Show vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
Predicted Winner: Ryback
This feud has fell flat on its face from the beginning. Ryback is not a bad in-ring performer, but he is a little sluggish. Big Show is past his prime, and The Miz has never been a treat to watch in-ring. The Miz was inserted in here for promo boosting, so do not expect him to come out the winner. Big Show seems to be moving to a more part-time schedule, so count him out winning too. Ideally, Ryback will win in a convincing fashion, and move onto new challengers. Hopefully, this match will not be allotted too much time, as it will not be a crowd pleaser. Ryback to win with a double shellshock.
Team Bella vs. Team BAD vs. Team PCB (Elimination Match)
Predicted Winner: Team PCB
While it may be a little chaotic, this match was bound to happen. This is a good chance for all the women to get some offense in and showcase their skills (without showing the weaknesses of some of them). Having Charlotte score the final pinfall will setup for a good feud with Nikki going forward. Ideally, we will get Sasha vs. Charlotte in the end, to set up some future foreshadowing (and some excitement for the crowd). Even though the women have been given more time as of late, expect a few eliminations within the first couple minutes. Charlotte to win via Figure-Eight.
Wyatt Family vs. Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns
Predicted Winner: Wyatt Family
If this feud is to continue into the next PPV (possibly with adding Eric Rowan and Sting), the Wyatts should win to stay dominant. This match will be entertaining, but we have seen this happen multiple times. Hopefully, Bray will win clean, as he could use a little more of a credibility bump. Let’s also hope that the next time they meet, it will be a gimmick match. Expect to see Roman be the victim of a high spot (announce table, steel steps etc.), and Ambrose to jump off of something dangerous. This should be a good match, so try and sit back and enjoy this one without too much criticism.
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
Predicted Winner: Sheamus
Including singles and multi-man matches, Randy Orton and Sheamus have been in the ring together on PPVs 13 times (see below for exact PPVs) since 2009. If you count television, the number rises astronomically high. This feud needs to end, and completely dismantle on this night. If Sheamus is to truly keep the MITB, he needs to begin looking stronger. A win over Orton at SummerSlam will provide a good launching pad for going forward. No matter how great this match may be, it will be hard to enjoy for some, as we have seen this so many times. Sheamus to win with a Brogue Kick.
Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro
Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens
Bret vs. Owen. Michaels vs. Razor. Bulldog vs Bret. Some of the greatest matches in WWE history have happened on the SummerSlam stage. While this may not reach the same legendary status of the aforementioned matches, it has the possibility to steal the show and live on as match of the year for 2015. Both of these men have stolen the show as of the past few months. Both have worked together on many occasions (including the Indy scene), so they are very comfortable working with each other. Cesaro and Owens are both on the cusp of reaching a higher status in this industry, and understand the importance of delivering on this day. I will expect nothing less than a 4.5/5 match on the PWI scale. The winner doesn’t matter as much as the delivery, but it is probably safe to say that Owens will come out victorious.
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (US Championship & WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins
This is another match that should be a great show stealer, as it should since it is one of the main events. Whether you love him or hate him, Cena has been putting on some of the most entertaining matches of his career over the past year or so. Whether that is based on his opponents or not can remain speculative. Seth Rollins has also had a great year, putting on fantastic matches and remaining a fun heel to boo. These men have had strong showings together (particularly in the triple threat at the Rumble with Brock Lesnar), so expect another solid in-ring match. With regards to the finish, expect Seth to pull out the victory with some kind of sneaky tactic (return of Kane or J&J perhaps). I cannot see a non-finish for the second time in a row for the WWE title, so Seth to take both titles.
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
Predicted Winner: The Undertaker
Just like Rock vs. Hogan, this match has a special presence to it. It resonates, regardless of how the actual in-ring action will be. Whether we see a blow-off match with these two remains to be seen, but it does make sense for Taker to go over. It sets up for a strong presence at WrestleMania, which resides in his home state of Texas. It is interesting to see how the Undertaker is almost playing a heel role in this feud, and Brock is treading the lines of a babyface. This also could have been due to the fact that Raw was clearly in Brock country this week. Expect similar action to their WrestleMania match, maybe with a few new moves added in. The Undertaker’s matches are very numbered, so again, just sit back and enjoy the show. Multiple Tombstone piledrivers to win.
*Orton vs. Sheamus PPV matches courtesy of rawbubba on Reddit/r/SwuaredCircle: *This includes all singles, tag, triple threat, four-ways, and money in the bank matches, Does not include Royal Rumbles…
Royal Rumble (2010) Elimination Chamber (2010) WWE Fatal 4-Way (2010) SummerSlam (2010) Night of Champions (2010) Hell in a Cell (2010) Elimination Chamber (2011) Over the Limit (2012) Money in the Bank (2013) Elimination Chamber (2014) Money in the Bank (2014) Money in the Bank (2015) Battleground (2015)
