Now that Extreme Rules is in the history books, it's time to look forward to the next pay-per-view in the WWE calendar. Up next is SummerSlam, which is typically referred to as the second biggest event on the calendar year after Wrestlemania, and is touted as the "biggest event of the Summer".
This year's edition is taking place relatively early compared to previous editions of the annual extravaganza. It will take place in about four weeks on Sunday, August 11 and will emanate from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It will be the thirty-second event under the SummerSlam name and will stream live both on pay-per-view and on the WWE Network
At the time of writing, WWE has officially announced only three matches and they are as follows:
- Brock Lesnar (c) Vs Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
- Becky Lynch (c) Vs Natalya for the Raw Women's Championship
- Bayley(c) Vs Ember Moon for the SmackDown Women's Championship
We would expect WWE to add around nine to ten matches to the card as SummerSlam is expected to run for about six hours, including pre-show. More matches are expected to be added to the card as we proceed towards the big show.
WWE's top stars will be in action, and this year many part-timers are likely to compete at the event as well, such as Shane McMahon and even The Undertaker.
However, not all matches deserve to be on the card. Some are not fit for a stage like SummerSlam or are not feasible options at all. For example: At SummerSlam 2017, Big Show and Big Cass faced off in a match that few fans cared about, their reception to the match was horrendous and the match had no right to take place at the event.
Let's look at three matches that we really hope don't take place at SummerSlam 2019.
3. Roman Reigns Vs Shane McMahon
Although Roman Reigns and The Undertaker defeated Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre at Extreme Rules, it appeared as if the rivalry between Reigns and Shane wasn't finished just yet. Shane and Reigns have been going at it for almost three months now and it has been one of the most tedious rivalries in recent memory.
Reigns and Shane have fought before and the match was forgettable. Shane came out the winner, which makes me believe that WWE would want to do a one-on-one rematch between Shane and Reigns in future. The feud between Shane and Reigns hasn't had a proper pay-off. A one-on-one match between Reigns and Shane is a possibility and could happen at SummerSlam.
A report from PWInsider claimed a few weeks ago that the feud between Reigns and Shane could continue beyond SummerSlam.
However, there are many reasons as to why Shane and Reigns shouldn't face each other at SummerSlam. Firstly, the feud has run past its expiration time and fans lost interest in the feud a long time ago. Hence, fans would not be excited about another match between the two stars. Secondly, Kevin Owens has insulted Shane on a number of occasions nows and he also hit the Stunner on Shane on SmackDown last week. Owens has targeted Shane, hence Shane now has his focus on the Prizefighter. Thus, Shane facing Owens makes more sense than the former facing Reigns.
On this week's edition of SmackDown Live, Shane fined Reigns for "disrespect". This indicates that the feud between the two isn't over just yet.
2. AJ Styles (c) Vs Ricochet for the United States Championship.
At Extreme Rules, The Club helped AJ Styles win the United States Championship from Ricochet. Styles hit a Styles Clash from the top rope to pin the high-flying Ricochet. The closing moments of the match proved that the rivalry between the two stars wasn't over.
On Raw, these two ran into each other quite a few times. This all indicates that a match between Styles and Ricochet is inevitably going to take place soon. Ricochet and Styles' rivalry has only escalated, and it is expected to continue through SummerSlam.
Make no mistake about it, Ricochet and Styles are two world-class athletes with immense talent and in-ring prowess. But, too much of anything is bad. Ricochet and Styles have battled so many times over the past month that another match would seem stale and lackluster. WWE could always do a six-man tag team match between The Club and a trio featuring Ricochet and any two partners of his choosing. Although a six-man tag team match would be a better option than a standard rematch between Styles and Ricochet, I still feel that Styles should move on.
There are a plethora of talented stars in WWE. The likes of Rey Mysterio, The Miz, Braun Strowman and many others would love to have a shot at Styles' US title.
- Baron Corbin vs The Undertaker.
The Undertaker looked to be in great ring shape at Extreme Rules, as he teamed with Roman Reigns to conquer the duo of Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre. He is expected to work more events this year and, with an improved physique, could work the biggest event of the Summer.
After Taker returned last June, rumors were running rampant that the Phenom had chosen Drew McIntyre as one of his potential future opponents. From a story-line perspective, Taker Vs McIntyre makes absolute sense and fans would gladly accept a match between these two behemoths. However, a match between Taker and Baron Corbin is certain to draw the ire of a majority of WWE's fanbase.
According to recent rumors, suggested by Forbes, Corbin Vs Taker is an option that is being considered backstage even though it may not sit well with fans. Brad Shepard, a wrestling pundit, said:
"One match currently being considered - versus Baron Corbin at SummerSlam..."
Corbin has been booked very strongly lately. He recently retired Kurt Angle and put up a fight against Seth Rollins on many occasions. Even in defeat, Corbin came out strong. WWE management is extremely high on the former acting Raw GM. Given that Corbin retired Angle at WrestleMania, it appears that WWE has no problem allowing him to face the best on the biggest stages. Hence, there's a possibility that we might witness a match between Taker and Corbin, as soon as SummerSlam.
Taker Vs Corbin is a match that fans don't want. Many fans believe that Corbin is just not on Taker's level, which is why a match between Taker and Corbin should not take place.
What potential SummerSlam matches are you worried will get added to the card? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.