WWE Sumerslam 2018 Preview

One night after the most anticipated wrestling show of the year, comes one of the biggest - and more bloated - shows you could imagine. 10 matches in the PPV, with 3 more in the pre-show. That's a lot of wrestling. Is any of it going to be any good? Who will win? I'll guess about those things and more.

Pre-Show

Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

This will be very good. Both of these guys are terrific. Drew's ground game is one of the best in the business, and Cedric can literally do it all. I've been saying for a long time that Drew deserves this. He's put in amazing work for 205 Live, on the mic and in the ring, and I think it's his time. Cedric is great, but has been booked a bit bland as champ. A change will be good for the show.
Prediction: Drew Gu-locks Cedric for the title

Rusev and Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega

This should be fun. Now, lemme fantasy book for a second: I want redemption for Aiden English. I want him to successfully help Rusev and Lana win, and for Rusev Day to become the glorious face faction it should have been for ages now. I know Cien is still new, and the reasoning may be that he needs this win more than Rusev, but I disagree. There's only so much you can job before you lose your luster. Let Rusev have this.

The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

Formerly underused tag champs take on currently underused tag challengers. The B-Team's run has been glorious, but I think it's time to crown the Revival. Dash and Dawson are so good. They deserve this opportunity to show what they can do as champs.
Prediction: Shatter Machine. Revival goes over.

Main Show

Braun Strowman (MITB holder) vs. Kevin Owens for the Money in the Bank contract

Expect ALL of the shenanigans. Every possible shenanigan. I've said this before: For me, KO is the face in this feud. Brawn has been bullying him, and this time our hero gets to outsmart the monster. But for WWE, Strowman is the face. And a Strowman cash in would send the fans home happy. So I'm having a really hard time deciding who goes over. Should be fun, though.
Prediction: Brawn. Probably. Ugh.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy for the WWE United States Championship

Randy Orton will ruin this match somehow. I don't know how, I don't know when. But he will, and it will be sad.
Prediction: Shin win

The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods) for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship

I keep expecting The BludgBros to deliver the kind of match I know they - well, mostly Harper - can deliver. And I think this is that time. New Day have laid down for them in the past, but this is SummerSlam, and they are the iconic star tag team of the decade. I think both teams get a chance to show what they can do. Am I a fool for this optimism? Probably! But I gotta be me.
Prediction: It's a New Day, yes it is.

Finn Bálor vs. Baron Corbin

I am so over this feud. And I want the feud to be over. I know some people are digging it. I am tired of it. Just let Finn move on.
Prediction: Please let it be Finn.

Carmella vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship

There seems to be a consensus about a two things regarding this match:

1. Mella is losing
2. Either Becky or Charlotte turns
   The general feeling seems to be that Becky is the one to turn. I hope that's wrong. Charlotte is a very good face, but she's a GREAT heel. And Becky is super over as a face right now.
   Prediction: Becky Wins. Charlotte turns.

Dolph Ziggler (with Drew McIntyre) vs. Seth Rollins (with Dean Ambrose) for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Their matches have been good, but there's definitely another level they can go to. The Drew/Dean dynamic on the outside should be interesting. Someone will probably turn on someone.
Prediction: Seth wins

AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship

The promos leading up to this match have not been as good as expected, leading to lesser heat on it. But it shouldn't matter once the bell rings. These guys are both so good that they could deliver a classic in an empty arena. I expect this to be the match of the night.
Prediction: Joe! Joe! Joe!

Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey for the WWE Raw Women's Championship

The Ronda coronation was bound to happen, and I think it's happening here. Will she be able to have a good match? Will she even be asked to have a good match? The best scenario may be that we finally get the clear, unabashed Bliss Gets Squashed match that fans have been waiting for. I love Alexa Bliss, but I think she needs a reset.
Prediction: Ronda Breaks Alexa

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz

These guys genuinely have issues with each other, underlying the feud. It really is eights years in the making. And that's what's gonna make this so good. Well, that and the fact that they're both great. This will have nuclear heat, I think.
Prediction: Miz wins to prolong the feud. This ends in Mania, I think.

Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship

Finally, wrestling's long nightmare will be over. One way or another, Brock's not leaving with the title. But will it be Roman who finally gets to beat him, or the winner of the KO/Brawn fight in a cash in? I say it's gotta be Roman. Enough is enough. For Roman to ever have a career as successful main event guy, he needs to get this monkey off his back. Once he wins, yes, the cash in probably happens.
Prediction: Roman wins. Then loses.

It occurs to me that I predicted every title except the US title changing hands. That's never gonna happen, so I'm probably wrong on a bunch of these.