By Mat Elfring on Aug 13, 2018 11:14 pm
On Sunday, August 19, WWE's Summerslam returns to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for a fourth year in a row, bringing along with it a massive card and plenty of championship matches to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. This is going to be one, long show. Prepare yourself. Summerslam begins at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT on the WWE Network. The programming schedule for August 19 has been released, and the Kickoff Show will start two hours prior. Just like the the past couple of years, Summerslam's Kickoff has been two hours long. So if you plan on catching the entire event, make sure to tune in at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT, as the Kickoff Show tends to have a couple matches on the program. As of this writing, there are 12 matches at 2018's Summerslam, and there's a possibility one more will be added. If you're looking to watch Summerslam, but don't have the WWE Network, you can sign up for free for a month right now. After the trial subscription is up, the service costs $10 a month. However, there is no obligation to continue using the WWE Network after the trial. While there are a lot of matches on the Summerslam card, one of the most notable is Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz. While you could say this rivalry dates back to 2010, when Miz was the mentor to Bryan on the first version of the TV series NXT, things really heated up back in August of 2016 when Miz went off on Bryan on an episode of Talking Smack. At the time, Bryan wasn't cleared to wrestle, but now he is, and this is the first time these two have faced each other in the ring in years. This is easily the best match build on the card. Additionally, many titles are on the line, including the WWE Universal Championship, which Brock Lesnar still has in his possession. He'll be facing Roman Reigns yet again, and this may be the time Lesnar finally loses the title, but we've been wrong on countless occasions before. Summerslam match card: - Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina Vega (Kickoff Match)
- Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak (For the Cruiserweight Championship)
- Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy (For the United States Championship)
- Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch (For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
- Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
- Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (For the Intercontinental Championship)
- Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
- The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day (For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
- Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
- Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (For the Raw Women's Championship)
- AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (For the WWE Championship)
- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (For the Universal Championship)
Come back to GameSpot on Sunday, August 19 for live coverage of Summerslam.
Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina Vega (Kickoff Match)
This feels like a perfect Kickoff match for Summerslam. Rusev vs. Andrade Almas--on its own merit--would be a really great PPV match, and the addition of Zelina Vega and Lana is fine. We'll get to see how these women have evolved as wrestlers a bit more. Regardless, this does feel like a push for Almas and Vega, since Rusev and Lana couldn't be more over right now. Because of that, I'm thinking Almas and Vega will get the win. Our prediction: Almas and Vega win
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak
(For the Cruiserweight Championship) I miss the days where Drew Gulak would come out and mention he had a Powerpoint Presentation, and we'd all laugh at his antics. Now, he's a serious wrestleman and has a shot at winning 205 Live's Cruiserweight Championship from the delightful Cedric Alexander. While Gulak was a dynamite comedic heel, he's evolved into something new and improved, and this seems like the time for him to start a championship run. Our prediction: Gulak wins
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
Why am I enjoying this rivalry so much? It's pretty much just another story where a big guy thinks he can beat up a small guy because there's a size difference. It's a pretty standard story, but what I'm finding so appealing about it is that both of these men are pulling it off. Although this feud has been going on for a bit already, I'd like to see it continue past Summerslam, which means Balor needs the win, so he can use his "Constable" powers to make Balor's life hell, post-PPV. Our prediction: Balor wins
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day
(For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship) While I'm a fan of both these teams, I have lukewarm feelings towards this match. New Day and Bludgeon Brothers have a history with each other, like when they almost murdered Xavier Woods, so there's some heat behind the match. I see New Day squeaking out a win with all of these men being locked in a giant cage for Hell in a Cell in a rematch next month. Our prediction: The Bludgeon Brothers
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
(For the Money in the Bank contract) On the flip side of the "big vs. small" storylines, here is one featuring two of Raw's most interesting characters that's falling flat for me. Because Strowman's Money in the Bank contract being on the line is a bit of a curveball, this leads me to believe that Owens will win, even though it feels like Strowman should come out on top. Regardless of who wins though, they will be cashing in that contract at the end of the night. Our prediction: Owens wins Secondary prediction: The winner will cash in later in the evening.
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins
(For the Intercontinental Championship) While the finish for their Ironman match at Extreme Rules was lackluster, this rivalry has been straight fire. It has showcased some phenomenal in-ring action the past couple of months. I could watch Ziggler and Rollins fight forever. However, Ziggler as champion, with Drew McIntyre protecting him, is working well on television, so I'm thinking Ziggler will win again with the help of his friend/monstrous bodyguard. Hopefully, this will lead to a triple threat between all three men at Hell in a Cell. Our prediction: Ziggler wins
Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch
(For the Smackdown Women's Championship) Can anyone stop Carmella's reign of terror over the women's division on Smackdown? I hope not, but Summerslam could be the place where it happens. She'll have to defend her championship against both Becky Lynch and Carmella in a triple threat match. While Lynch and Charlotte are friends, they'll have to put their feelings aside for the battle, which could play into Carmella's hands. However, if you've been following these predictions the past year, you know I'm a Lynch supporter, so as always, I'm giving her the win. I truly hope I'm not wrong again. Our prediction: Lynch wins
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
(For the United States Championship) Nakamura and Hardy's rivalry continues into Summerslam, and maybe this time Hardy wears a cup as his opponent loves hitting people below the belt. This is Nakamura's time to shine as a champion, and the United States Championship is the perfect fit for him right now. I don't see him losing the title or this match. Our prediction: Nakamura wins
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
Out of every match on the Summerslam card, this is the one I am looking forward to the most. Daniel Bryan and Miz have a longstanding feud, dating back to Bryan's first appearance during the NXT reality show days. Now that Bryan can wrestle again, this will be the first time in years the two men have faced each other in the ring. This rivalry won't and can't end here though. It could honestly go either way, but personally, I like the idea more of Miz winning here by despicable means and Bryan demanding a fair rematch in order to prove he's better in the ring. Our prediction: The Miz wins Come back to GameSpot on Tuesday, August 14 for an interview with Bryan about his history with The Miz.
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
(For the Raw Women's Championship) When it comes to this match, I guess the biggest question about it would be "Is it Ronda Rousey's time?" She's had a few televised matches and a couple more house show matches, but that doesn't mean she or the fans are ready for her to carry the title. While undoubtably Rousey will someday be the Raw Women's Champion, I don't think Summerslam will be where her journey begins. Our prediction: Bliss wins but there will be a rematch
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
(For the WWE Championship) At least someone in the men's division is defending their main event title regularly. With AJ Styles as champion, Smackdown viewers are treated to dream match after dream match. Sure, most of matches already happened in NJPW, ROH, and TNA, but it's new to the WWE audience. And while I may be predicting one too many title changes for Summerslam, I want to see these guys battle more than once, and more importantly, I want to see Joe as champion, even if that means dethroning Styles, who is doing a phenomenal job--pun intended. Our prediction: Samoa Joe wins
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
(For the Universal Championship) For the past couple of years, I feel like a broken record saying, "This is when Reigns will win the Championship, and Brock will leave, never to return." Sadly, every single time, Lesnar comes out on top, and we're stuck with a Universal Champion that rarely defends his title or shows up on TV. As a WWE fan, it is frustrating because the majority of us want to see the title around someone else's waist. However, Lesnar really does seem on the outs with the company, and I truly think--like the mark that I am--that this will be it for him. However, he's still going to beat Reigns, mainly to pull a fast one on the audience and get them enraged, and then it'll be Owens (or Strowman if my previous prediction is wrong) who cashes in the Money in the Bank contract at the end of the match to beat Lesnar for the title. Our prediction: Lesnar wins Secondary prediction: The MITB contract is cashed in and Lesnar loses the title, finally.
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