WWE SummerSlam 2013: Odds, wants & predictions

SummerSlam is almost here, and the card is looking pretty damn stacked. Cena vs. Bryan, RVD vs. Dean, the Best vs. the Beast. I think it’s safe to say that SummerSlam is looking like it’s going to be better than WrestleMania, and a big reason for that is that it is extremely unpredictable. While the results may be up in the air for fans (except for dolphins, of course), I will try my best to predict the outcome of every match while also giving the odds-on favourite to win and my personal wants.

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Rob Van Dam – United States Championship Pre-Show Match

Odds: While the Shield have been on a roll in 2013, Ambrose and his comrades have been keeping quiet in terms of in-ring action as of late. Rob Van Dam on the other hand, has been winning matches left and right on both RAW and Smackdown, giving him the edge walking into this pre-show championship match.

Want: Anyone who calls Rob Van Dam a part-timer is an idiot. The Rock is a part-timer. Brock is a part-timer. Rob Van Dam is a guy who wrestles every week on free TV and house shows, making him as much an active member of the roster as Daniel Bryan or Christian. That being said, Rob Van Dam didn’t return to the WWE to steal the glory; he came to essentially do what Chris Jericho has been doing for the past two years: put talent over.

While it would be fun to see Rob Van Dam win championship gold again in the WWE, Dean Ambrose is the star of tomorrow and needs a win over another established veteran to further cement himself as a future world champion.

Prediction: Rob Van Dam will win the match, but not the championship. Just as RVD goes to the top rope to finish Dean off with the Five Star Frog Splash, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will emerge from the crowd and push him off, giving Mr. Monday Night the DQ win. But the saga of the Shield won’t end in the pre-show, as the Big Show and Mark Henry will make the save for RVD, setting up a Tag Team Championship match between the Shield and the team of Mark Henry and the Big Show for later in the night.

Natalya vs. Brie Bella

Odds: Why this match is on the main show while Dean and RVD are on the pre-show is beyond me, but I’m not going to complain about the fact that the Divas, more specifically Natalya, get some more spotlight on such a big PPV. Seeing as she is one of the main faces of Total Divas, Brie Bella is definitely the favourite to win here.

Want: Natalya made AJ Lee tap out (twice) on Monday Night RAW, and while the Divas Champion may have got some revenge on Smackdown with a win of her own, it would be awesome to see Natalya chase the gold. For that to happen, Natalya would have to make Brie tap out. I don’t think that’s an unrealistic request, is it?

Prediction: Natalya wins, but not before the entire cast of Total Divas makes an appearance to promote their show (which is airing during SummerSlam).

AJ Lee & Big E Langston vs. Kaitlyn & Dolph Ziggler

Odds: Even though Ziggler has been on a roll with his new found face-dom, AJ Lee has been terrorizing the Divas Division alongside Layla and Big E Langston, giving her the edge heading into this match.

Want: I’m torn here. On one hand, AJ Lee should not be losing non-title matches as champion. On the other hand, Ziggler needs a win here if he has any hope of keeping his momentum going. The best situation would be for Ziggler to get the pin on Langston, which would plant the seeds for the eventual AJ/Big E break up. This would of course mean that Kaitlyn would get another title shot, but hopefully that happens on a RAW or Smackdown so Natalya can challenge AJ at the next PPV.

Prediction: Dolph Ziggler hits Big E Langston with a Zig Zag for the victory after AJ accidentally distracts Langston. AJ will have a tantrum directed at Big E Langston after the match, but their official break-up will be saved for a later date.

Kane vs. Bray Wyatt – Ring of Fire Match

Odds: Bray Wyatt has not had a single match on RAW or Smackdown, while Kane holds the record for most WWE matches ever. I think Kane is the obvious favourite to win.

Want: Bray Wyatt is no doubt one of the most captivating characters to debut in the WWE in recent memory. He has a rare ability to draw the crowd in and have them holding their breath with every word he says. Kane going over Wyatt would almost immediately make the crowd not care about Bray. While Wyatt does not need to essentially win the match, he needs to make a statement, a statement that can only be made by setting Kane on fire.

Prediction: Even though the ring will be surrounded by fire, the Family will still manage to interfere in this match, giving Bray the win. But Wyatt won’t be satisfied with just winning, as he will set Kane on fire.

Damien Sandow vs. Cody Rhodes

Odds: Damien Sandow may be Mr. Money In The Bank, but he has fallen victim to the blue case curse like many before him, as he has been losing basically every match he’s been in. Cody Rhodes, on the other hand, has been picking up a few wins here and there, giving him the edge going into this match.

Want: What I wanted was for this match to have the briefcase on the line. While it may not be on the line, I truly believe that the Money In The Bank briefcase will be on the line in the future, meaning that this feud needs to continue. The only way to validate another match between the two with such high stakes would be for Cody Rhodes to pick up the win over his former BFF Damien Sandow.

Prediction: While I still think that there will be a Money In The Bank match between these two down the road, I think it will come to that conclusion a little differently. You know those hand-cuffs that Sandow has been using to keep his briefcase safe? Expect Cody Rhodes to be handcuffed to the ring post while Sandow goes nuts on him with the briefcase, giving Cody the DQ win while making Sandow look like the future World Champion he is.

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar

Odds: Seeing as Lesnar isn’t an active wrester, CM Punk has the edge going into this match.

Want: Honestly, I could care less who wins this match. Lesnar wins and he comes back in how ever many months looking strong to face whoever he will wrestle. Punk wins and the crowd goes nuts and everybody watching gets a big smile on his face. It’s just a win-win either way.

Prediction: Brock Lesnar has been in a pattern for a while. Lose, win, lose, win. I think that pattern will stop at SummerSlam when he beats CM Punk. The only reason I think he will beat CM Punk is so that his next match (which will likely be either at Survivor Series or WrestleMania) will have more hype around since he will look stronger and scarier going into it. Of course, Paul Heyman will play a role in Brock’s victory – a role that will get him a big fat GTS from CM Punk.

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Championship Match

Odds: Alberto Del Rio will go down as one of the worst World Champions of the last decade. Not because he isn’t awesome at what he does (he is), but because every time he holds gold, the creative team decides that it’s a good idea to make him lose every non-title match he’s in. You don’t look good going into a match when you’re booked like that. Christian is the clear favourite to win this match.

Want: Christian is a guy who should be in the main event. He’s great on the mic, great in the ring, and has been with the WWE a very long time. He’s proved how good he can be in the World title picture in his 2011 feud with Randy Orton, and it’s time to see him work his magic again this year. Christian should win here after hitting Del Rio with a Spear or a Killswitch.

Prediction: Unless Ricardo was suspended again, I don’t think it’s outrageous to say that he will be making an appearance at SummerSlam. Just as Del Rio looks like he’s going to pick up the win, Ricardo will hit him with his bucket of mysterious contents, giving Christian the opportunity to hit ADR with the Spear and pick up his 3rd World Championship.

John Cena (c) vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship Match w/ Special Guest Referee Triple H

Odds: John Cena will be working through an injury while Daniel Bryan will be riding his huge wave of momentum into SummerSlam. The American Dragon will be favourite to win this match.

Want: The WWE has the opportunity to create a new mega star and an amazing moment here. While it’s unrealistic to think that Daniel Bryan will make Cena tap out, it’s not crazy to think that he will win this match. In fact, he needs to win this match. WWE needs him to win this match. If he doesn’t, the fans will riot and their whole angle will seem pointless.

Prediction: John Cena is working through a legitimate injury, and I think that it is going to play a part in the match. After some failed attempts from Vince and Brad to interfere in the match, Triple H will count the one-two-three for Daniel Bryan after he rolls up John Cena for the victory after his elbow gives way.

The crowd will go nuts as Triple H raises Bryan’s hand and Cena sits in the corner in disbelief of what happened. The celebration will be cut short however, as Randy Orton will slide into the ring and hit Bryan with an RKO, much to the delight of Vince McMahon. Orton will give his briefcase to Triple H to cash-in, but Cena will pop up from the corner and hit Orton with an Attitude Adjustment.

Orton will slide out of the ring defeated as a battered Cena comes face to face with a battered Bryan. The two will stare each other down, but Cena will offer his hand. The two will shake hands, and Bryan’s music will hit to continue the celebration.

Agree? Disagree? Tell me why in the comments or on Twitter @SmarkInProgress.