The WWE SummerSlam weekend is finally here. 'The Biggest Party of the Summer' will be emanating from the Scotiabank in Toronto, Ontario this Sunday night. Crazy how the last time Summerslam emanated from Canada, it was all the way back in 2004.
The match-card looks stacked with some major bouts like Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship, Becky Lynch vs. Natalya for the RAW Women's Championship, Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, and Bayley vs. Ember Moon for the SmackDown Women's Championship match.
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus will also be returning to the ring to face Charlotte Flair. In addition, Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon will finally get their hands on each other. WCW Legend Goldberg also made a surprise return earlier this week to make his match against Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam official.
In this article, let's take a look at five things which the fans don't want to see at the event, but will most probably happen.
#5 Goldberg squashes Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler has been going after several WWE legends these days. Most recently, Ziggler has been trying to embarrass Shawn Michaels and Goldberg whenever he gets the chance.
Since Goldberg's lackluster performance against The Undertaker at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia, The Showoff has used every opportunity he got, to make Goldberg feel embarrassed for it. He used the phrase "Goldberg Bad" for things he disliked.
Goldberg finally decided to confront Ziggler for constantly taking shots at him. This past Monday night on RAW, the former World Heavyweight Champion made a surprise appearance, after Ziggler was tricked into signing a contract for a match against him at SummerSlam.
Since Goldberg's return to WWE, most of his matches ended in a few seconds, with Goldberg squashing his opponents. The only two matches in which we saw some competition were Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33 and Goldberg vs. The Undertaker at WWE Super ShowDown back in June.
Judging by these results, we can expect Goldberg to squash Ziggler at SummerSlam, since he only has long matches with legends. However, fans would not be interested in seeing another Goldberg match which ends instantly.
Dolph Ziggler has been rocking this "Legend Killer" gimmick so far. WWE should capitalize on this opportunity, and make Ziggler vs. Goldberg a competitive bout. Even if The Showoff doesn't end up as the winner, he'll have some credibility left as a competitor.
#4 Ember Moon wins the SmackDown Women's Championship
Bayley won the SmackDown Women's Championship at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, after cashing in her contract on Charlotte Flair, which she won earlier that night. This was the first time Bayley won the Women's title on the blue brand.
This title run has been pretty different for The Hugger, because she's not on RAW anymore, so she's getting more opportunities to prove herself. Moreover, Sasha Banks not being with Bayley is also making a huge difference in her current run as a single's competitor.
Her title reign has been quite intriguing so far. The fans are enjoying the character change Bayley has shown. Bayley is set to defend her title against Ember Moon this Sunday at SummerSlam. There's a possibility that WWE puts the title on The War Goddess. However, this might not be a very smart choice.
Bayley should have a lengthy title reign with the SmackDown Women's Title. She just won it a couple of months ago. In addition, she just had one feud for the title so far, which was with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. The champ is finally getting the spotlight she could not get as the Women's Champion on RAW.
Besides, Ember Moon doesn't look like she's ready to be the top champion on the blue brand yet. WWE should give her some time to establish herself as a threat on the SmackDown roster. She definitely has the potential to be a top star, but she needs some time to get to that spot. WWE can't just pull the trigger on her all of a sudden.
Bayley is really deserving of a lengthy title reign. Not only can she bring credibility to the title, but she can also give the SmackDown Women's division a much-needed boost.
#3 AJ Styles vs. Ricochet has a messy finish
The rivalry between AJ Styles and Ricochet reignited last week on RAW after Ricochet won a gauntlet match to earn the opportunity to face Styles for the United States Championship at SummerSlam. Ricochet made some bold comments after his win, while Styles kept laughing backstage.
Ricochet made the first move this week by saving Xavier Woods and Big E from getting a beat-down by The OC. The OC beat Ricochet, Woods and Big E in a six-man tag team match which was set up due to Ricochet's interruption.
Styles and Ricochet have been embroiled in a rivalry for the United States Championship for almost two months now. The last time they went face to face, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson kept interrupting during the match, which cost Ricochet the United States Title.
The two are going to lock horns once again at SummerSlam this Sunday. Ricochet will be fighting alone as usual, while Styles will have The Good Brothers by his side. Just like every Styles' match recently, there's a huge possibility that Gallows and Anderson will help him out against Ricochet as well.
However, the fans wouldn't really be pleased with the same angle for the second month in a row. The Phenomenal One and Ricochet are two really talented wrestlers, and they can tear the house down if given the opportunity. WWE should go for a clean finish in this match, no matter who wins in the end. They should just give the fans an instant classic, which is inevitable when Styles and Ricochet will step in the same ring.
#2 Charlotte Flair beats Trish Stratus
Charlotte Flair challenged Trish Stratus to a match at SummerSlam when the seven-time Women's Champion returned to SmackDown on The King's Court with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Flair could not earn herself a SmackDown Women's Championship match at SummerSlam, but she landed up in an even better match, with a legendary opponent, as she promised.
Charlotte Flair has received a huge push from WWE. Every year, she wins at least one title. Her push could continue at SummerSlam, by defeating Trish Stratus in her hometown. However, WWE should not go with Flair as the winner in this bout.
Fans would love to see the WWE Hall Of Famer winning the match. We all know Vince McMahon likes to embarrass hometown heroes, but he should not follow the trend in this bout. In addition, this is going to be the last time Stratus steps inside the squared circle, so WWE should consider giving her a send-off with a win.
We already saw Kurt Angle retiring this year with a loss. Trish Stratus should not have the same fate. The WWE Universe would love to give her a proper send-off, that too in her hometown. A win against Flair would just make her retirement perfect. On the other hand, a loss for Charlotte Flair from a legend like Trish Stratus wouldn't do her any significant damage. The Queen rarely loses major bouts in WWE, so WWE should do the unexpected thing this time. She already main evented WrestleMania earlier this year, and then won the SmackDown Women's Championship a few months later. Her push can continue after SummerSlam anyway.
#1 Brock Lesnar retains the Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins has been the most intense rivalry on the road to SummerSlam. Rollins and Lesnar have been going at it since the road to WrestleMania. Rollins had the upper hand in the feud until The Beast Incarnate cashed in at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view to win back his Universal Championship which he lost to Rollins at WrestleMania 35 back in April.
Since then, Lesnar has completely dominated The Man. He made a surprise appearance last week on RAW and brutalized The Man outside the ring, by hitting him with a German Suplex on the floor. Following that, Rollins was hit with an F-5 on the ring-post. The Beast was far from done and took Rollins to the ring, where he hit him with three F-5s on a chair, which severely injured Rollins' ribs, and caused internal bleeding.
Rollins returned in a poor condition this week on RAW, where he dragged himself to the ring. Lesnar showed no mercy and beat down Rollins again, but this time, it was less vicious than before. However, Rollins had his spirits high and left the arena with a promise that he would defeat Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Knowing WWE, Rollins' chances of winning look pretty small at SummerSlam, unless a miracle happens. Vince McMahon won't let Rollins beat Lesnar twice in one year.
Fans wouldn't be very pleased with WWE if Lesnar walks away with the Universal Title this Sunday. WWE is already suffering from low attendance at house shows, and the absence of the main Champion would have an adverse impact on RAW's house shows. The already low ratings would also go down even further, due to lack of interest from the fans.