We're now on the road to Summerslam 2018.
Or should that be like we're on the beach walk to Summerslam 2018?
Whatever the case, the biggest party of the summer is around about 4 weeks away and this
past week's episodes of Raw and Smackdown have started their builds.
But what are some of our crazy predictions of the show?
Let's count them down.
8.
Bobby Roode Turns Heel This one has been a long time coming.
Bobby Roode's main roster debut was just after Summerslam last year, dropping his potential
money making heel persona from NXT to a smiling babyface who was just an entrance, a catchphrase
and little else.
He won the United States Championship but hasn't had a memorable match or moment since
his main roster debut.
He is in desperate need of a character refresh.
He needs an edge, he needs something to him.
This past week on Raw, Roode lost to Dolph Ziggler after asking for an Intercontinental
Championship match.
Backstage he was laughed at by Mojo Rawley about not being as glorious as he claims.
This to me suggest we are well on our way to the much-needed Bobby Roode heel turn.
And with that, perhaps a multi-person match for Summerslam over Dolph's IC title.
Maybe throw Mojo in there, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor or the newly heel Roode.
This could be the perfect reset point for Roode's main roster run.
7.
Alexa Bliss Beats Ronda Rousey Back at Money in the Bank everyone thought
it was too soon for Ronda Rousey to capture the Raw Women's Championship – and that
still hasn't really changed.
The chase for the belt is what is going to make Ronda's crowning as champion interesting
– not hot-shotting it on to her.
So would it really be the worst thing for Bliss to beat her at Summeslam?
Maybe even pull the trigger on the rumoured Natalya heel turn and have her cost Ronda
the match – which then sets up Ronda v Nattie for the September and October shows before
she faces Bliss again at Survivor Series.
There she can win the belt, and keep it until WrestleMania where she'll likely face Charlotte
Flair.
6.
Becky Lynch vs. Carmella/James Ellsworth Becky Lynch has been getting a big push on
Smackdown Live in the build up to Extreme Rules – tapping out Sonya Deville, both
members of IIconics and former champ Charlotte Flair.
This past week after tapping out Mandy Rose, Lynch was granted a match with current champ
Carmella next week – where if she wins she'll be given a title shot at Summerslam.
But there's always that James Ellsworth factor.
Not only did he help Carmella retain over Asuka twice, he has previous issues with Lynch
herself.
So what if Paige sets up a handicap match for Summerslam after his involvement in their
match next week?
Or even better, a triple threat match!
It would add another dimension than just a plain Carmella match, and let's be honest
the more smoke and mirrors she can hide behind the better.
5.
Kurt Angle Has A Match Against Baron Corbin Last month Baron Corbin debuted his new gimmick
of Constable Corbin – an avatar for the will of Stephanie McMahon.
Since then he's butted heads with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, which can only mean one
thing – it's leading to a match at Summerslam, right?
What if Corbin gets so frustrated with Angle's antics – like giving Ronda Rousey a championship
match and stealing his phone – that Stephanie orders a match between the two – with Kurt's
job on the line!
It gives the card that nostalgia match that WWE are enamoured with for big 5 PPVs, and
it gives Corbin a huge rub from being in the same wrestling ring as Kurt.
4.
Nikki Cross Debuts For Sanity It was really odd for WWE to bring up Sanity
without Nikki Cross – considering she was such an integral part of the act – but it
made some sort of sense in keeping an established name like hers in their women's division
that lost a lot of names leading up to the Royal Rumble and after WrestleMania.
But NXT's women's division will do fine without her.
They've got Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Lacey Evans, Bianca Belair, Kairi Sane and Shayna
Baszler.
And if this past Smackdown is anything to go by, we could see another six man tag between
Sanity and New Day at Summerslam – and what better time than that to debut Sanity's
Twisted Sister?
3.
WWE Debut Women's Tag Team Championships This Bayley and Sasha Banks storyline has
to be going somewhere, right?
And there must be a reason that WWE has so many female tag team partnerships like Riott
Squad, Absolution, IIconics, Nia & Nattie, and Alexa Bliss & Mickie James, right?
Maybe the point of all of this is that Kurt Angle announces that they're unveiling Women's
Tag Team Championships at Summerslam with a tournament leading up to it – the best
of Raw vs. the best of Smackdown.
Bayley and Banks can be the regular odd couple, and face off against IIconics at Summerslam
where they either capture the belts – or continue to feud forever and ever.
2.
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns AND Bobby Lashley Last week Kurt Angle announced that we would
crown a new number one contender for Brock Lesnar at Summerslam – which will be decided
this coming Monday in a match between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley.
Please, don't get too excited.
Now the obvious answer would be Reigns.
He is still the company's golden boy and big merch seller, and they've been wanting
that coronation moment for him since WrestleMania 31.
God that was a long time ago.
He also lost to Lashley at Extreme Rules, and WWE 50-50 booking dictates he will get
his win back here.
But what if there's some shenanigans and we don't get a decisive winner?
What if the match went to a draw, and the main event of Summerslam wasn't Brock Lesnar
vs. Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley and was instead Brock Lesnar vs. Roman
Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley?
A triple threat would allow WWE to book a match that won't be too heavily booed – like
the Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar match was at WrestleMania – and could still give them
their crowning moment of Roman winning the belt.
But what if someone else has other plans?
1.
Braun Strowman Cashes In Money In The Bank Braun Strowman said on Monday night that he
didn't need to be in the number one contender matches for Summerslam as he has his Money
in the Bank briefcase – which means he can cash in at any time and face the Universal
Champion on his terms.
What if WWE were planning a repeat of WrestleMania 31?
Or Survivor Series 2015?
Where Roman finally becomes the crowned champion, only for someone to steal it from him.
And then we can build to WrestleMania 35 where we can coronate Roman Reigns on the fifth
time trying.
Oof, saying that out loud hurts my insides.
We've got other opinion videos here on WrestleTalk, so click the video and playlist on screen
for more information.
I've been Luke Owen and that was wrestling.
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