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While an official announcement hasn't been made as of yet, the belief is that WWE is planning to do The Fiend versus Braun Strowman part three at SummerSlam. Believe it or not, it is also very likely that The Fiend will walk away with the Universal Title this time around and take over as the top guy on SmackDown.
Fans might be skeptical about whether WWE will pull the trigger on that move or not, but there are a increasing number of signs that point to this being the plan. In fact, it almost feels like the company has no faith in Braun Strowman at all and are just waiting until SummerSlam to make the switch.
With that being said and SummerSlam only a few short weeks away, here are five signs that Braun Strowman will lose the Universal Title at SummerSlam. As always, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us who you think will win at SummerSlam.
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#5. The Fiend gaining momentum
Momentum is the name of the game in WWE and while The Fiend lost a lot of that after being beaten clean by Braun Strowman, he has rebuilt it by winning the Swamp Fight. Furthermore, The Fiend is now on a run that is blurring the line of reality and fiction, which is only making him more powerful of an entity.
If nothing else, WWE has created a white hot tidal wave of momentum for The Fiend to ride to SummerSlam on and it will most likely result in him winning the Universal title. In fact, between how popular The Fiend is and how enthralled fans are with his persona, it would be a huge disappointment if he came up short.
In the end, the time is now for The Fiend, and fans seem to really understand that notion to some degree. There's something special about this storyline and how it has polarized the WWE Universe, which is why The Fiend winning is really the only possible answer at SummerSlam.
#4. Backstage officials unsure of Strowman
It's no secret that WWE officials have been unsure of Braun Strowman as champion for awhile now and it looks like it will finally catch up to him at SummerSlam. In fact, with the company writing him off television and his gimmick getting tweaked all the time, it's clear that WWE doesn't know what to do with him.
With that being said and Strowman's flaws as champion becoming apparent, it's obvious that WWE is just biding their time until they can get the belt off of him at SummerSlam. They have even started to focus on the Universal Title picture less and less as a way to make the transition more seamless.
In all honesty, WWE needs to put the title on The Fiend at SummerSlam and give up on Strowman's uneventful title run. Now, that doesn't mean this flop was all Strowman's fault or that he couldn't work as a champion in the future, but this version of him and how he got here just seems messy.
#3. One year anniversary
WWE has a weird thing about anniversaries and this year's SummerSlam marks one year since The Fiend had a debut match in WWE. With that being said and the narrative of The Fiend chasing his coveted title, it makes sense for WWE to crown him champion again where his story began.
Of course WWE could have just done this at Backlash or even at Extreme Rules, but it probably wouldn't have held the same significance as it will if he wins at SummerSlam where everything began. It also is a great way for WWE to get fans invested into the fall months of the year, which is always an added bonus.
In the end, it just makes perfect sense for The Fiend's story to come full circle at SummerSlam and that seems to be what WWE is planning. Either that or arguably one of the most controversial finishes in WWE history, which won't do them any favors as they navigate the troubling waters ahead.
#2. Alexa Bliss's involvement in the storyline
The WWE Universe lost its mind when The Fiend attacked Alexa Bliss in the closing moments of SmackDown and the move has to led to a myriad theories on what this could mean for SummerSlam. Furthermore, it has raised an important question of whether Bliss is actually Sister Abigail or not.
Braun Strowman has been involved storyline-wise with Alexa Bliss in the past, and there are a lot of places the company could go with this at SummerSlam. In fact, if Bliss were to reappear as Sister Abigail during a title match between Strowman and The Fiend, it could be WWE's way of costing him in the title.
Not only would it protect Strowman in defeat and get the title on The Fiend, it would probably be one of the most meaningful additions to the character's lore in awhile. Of course Strowman has to take the loss and have the title taken off him in this scenario at SummerSlam.
#1. WWE needing a change
WWE need to make some changes to keep attracting interest from their fanbase and one big change on the horizon seems to be putting the title on The Fiend at SummerSlam. Of course doing a title change is a big decision and it needs to be determined whether it is best for business or not, but it seems like it is in this case.
Not only will The Fiend becoming champion at SummerSlam bring back fans who were upset about the character's previous loss, it also gives them a chance to reestablish him as a top guy again. That could go a long way in helping with viewership and WWE really has no other choice.
In the end, WWE needs to make changes in order to create a fresher product and that begins with at the top of the card. Unfortunately for Strowman, that means losing the title to The Fiend at SummerSlam and going back to the midcard where he can be repackaged to some degree.
