Rasslin’ Roundtable for WWE Summerslam 2016

Features, Top Story

WWE Summerslam 2016 is TONIGHT on WWE Network, here is the full match by match preview from the Pulse Wrestling Crew.

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_AmbroseZiggler--9fb8a0a6c738812c6a697b3c8004b9d4
WWE Title
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

James Wright – Despite what some are saying *cough* Booker T *cough* I am really looking forward to this match and I hope it gets the time it deserves. There are several factors going into this that could sway the results but first of all let me just say that these guys have been on fire in their promos against each other over the past few weeks and I wouldn’t mind this rivalry continuing on until Survivor Series, or at least No Mercy. There is a lot of talk of Ziggler losing and turning heel, but also there are rumblings of beef over Dean Ambrose’s appearance on the Stone Cold Podcast, which I get because it was weird at best. Ambrose is one of my favourites and I dig his style but for someone who had finally achieved winning the WWE title he came across as guarded and jaded. I don’t know, I get that he’s had a hard road, but you’d think being champion (as well as having the lovely Renee Young as his partner) would put a bit of a spring in his step, that is of course unless it was all a work. If it was though Austin didn’t seem to think so, he looked pissed the whole time. Now I don’t know if I should put so much stock into this type of thing but frankly if I was Vince McMahon and I was watching that interview I would be pissed, how the hell is this guy supposed to represent the company in interviews if he is that nonsensical and noncommittal in such an environment? It honestly makes me think that Ziggler will get the win on Sunday, so that’s who I’m going with, no matter how stupid it might make me sound.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (New Champion)

CB: Ziggler has shown a lot of fire on SmackDown, and I think his rebirth will be cemented here.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Brittney- I am both a Ziggler fan and an Amrbose fan. But, at the moment, I don’t see Ziggler walking out with the title, yet. A feud between these two could be awesome, if they’re given the time and space to do it. By space I mean creative freedom. These guys are great when they’re able to let loose a little so if both this match and feud are given a chance it could be one of the better moments for both of these men’s single careers. To push this feud on I think Ambrose will retain the title but Ziggler will remain hungry and hunting for it.
Winner: Dean Ambrose

Michael McMonigle – I still find it hard to believe that Ziggler is getting an honest to goodness push. Unless he was promised this to re-sign months ago, thus justifying his months/years long losing streak. He needs to add something to his character as well. I’m not sure exactly what though. As for Dean Ambrose, for better or worse, the WWE tied their cart to this horse. I can’t see them moving the belt here.
Winner: Dean Ambrose

Lewis Michie: Ambrose to take this one. I’d like to see Ziggler turn to win the title, but Smackdown has plenty of heels to challenge Ambrose. Plus I’m predicting another turn in another match, so I don’t see two happening
Winner: Dean Ambrose

Widro – Tough to imagine Dolph winning here.
Winner: Ambrose

20160815_SSlam_MATCH_BalorRollins--2dac2d40b47a0d6841c148c96767a346
WWE Universal Title
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

James Wright – Balor’s pairing against Rollins was just as unexpected as Ziggler’s rise to number one contendership, however, now that he is in the spot I legitimately think he has a damn good shot at going home with the gold. I kind of love the potential of both title matches to steal the show, as well as both being really hard to call. On the one hand Rollins deserves to be champion after all the work he has put in, he is also the number one heel on Raw so it makes sense for him to hold the belt right now. Finn on the other hand is an unproven commodity on the main roster and getting the title that quick would be a massive statement, one that the WWE wouldn’t normally make I don’t think. However, the presence of the Demon this early on makes me think that Vince McMahon might actually believe in Balor enough to give him the title right off the bat. If there is one thing McMahon loves it is a good character that fans react to and can be a spectacle, and the Demon is certainly that. I agree with arguments that putting the Demon out there so early on and having Finn lose will hurt the character before it has even really landed and it just seems silly to me since they could have easily saved it for another time if Finn wasn’t going to win here. In the end I have to go with my belief in McMahon’s love of spectacle and keeping such things strong, so as unlikely as it might seem due to his relative newness to the Raw landscape, I am going with Balor here.
Winner: Finn Balor (New Champion)

CB: What should happen: The Demon King wins clean … and that’s exactly what will happen, too.
Winner: Finn Balor

Brittney- Okay, here’s another situation in which I am fully expecting my favorite guy to win. Balor has done so well since coming to NXT and his momentum hasn’t stopped since coming to the WWE main roster. As for the match itself it really could go either way. Both Rollins and Balor have the fan support & corporate support to win. I expect this to be the match of the night.
Winner: Finn Balor

Michael McMonigle – The Universal Title. I wonder if this will be a traveling championship and be defended on other planets. If so, that is a major expansion for Vince. Maybe he is missing the days when he destroyed the territories and is now looking to take on the Martian Wrestling Alliance. Balor has made a big impact in the past couple weeks, and as much as I would like to think they would put the belt on him, I think they already have faith in Rollins, so they go the safe route for now. Plus, if it sets up some rematches later on, that wouldn’t be bad. This is THE match on the card, and should be the main event, no matter what WWE propaganda would like you to believe.
Winner: Seth Rollins

Lewis Michie: Here is where I think a turn comes. I think the Balor club ends the night standing tall with the tag titles and the new Universal title. Gallows and Anderson help Balor win, therefore turning him into a villain and finally giving the fans a reason to cheer Rollins, like they really want to.
Winner: Finn Balor

Widro – While things seem to point to Seth getting the title, it would be a crime not to shoot Balor right to the top here.
Winner: Balor

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_SashaCharlotte--8937301cc78afd4915bf17317fb7f438
WWE Women’s Title
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte

James Wright – I don’t know if this even needs a discussion, Banks is retaining unless something is massively fishy backstage. I just hope that they can make a statement with a match like this on such a grand scale, much like they did at Wrestlemania.
Winner: Sasha Banks

CB: Sasha will retain in Brooklyn, where she is extremely comfortable. Perhaps with Bayley’s help, too, who will cancel out Dana Brooke yet again.
Winner: Sasha Banks

Brittney- Hopefully this match is as great as it can be but that depends on the time given to the women. Sasha and Charlotte are great competitors so if they’re given the time this could be an amazing match. I feel like there will be a lot of close pinfalls and a bunch of near misses in this match but, in the end, I think Sasha will come out on top in the long run.
Winner: Sasha Banks

Michael McMonigle – They built up Sasha Banks’ chase for the title and then gave it to us for free. This is the PPV match they should have had already. I think the WWE will be tempted to put the belt back on Charlotte here, to begin a record number of championship reigns for her, but there are just too many good women wrestlers to showcase going forward. My gut tells me that Sasha retains here and Charlotte begins a program with an incoming Bailey.
Winner: Sasha Banks

Lewis Michie: Short title reigns are few and far between in WWE nowadays. Sasha Bank’s reign is not a time to start having them more often.
Winner: Sasha Banks

Widro – They did rush the title change on Raw, but it would be too quick to change it back at Summerslam.
Winner: Banks

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_LesnarOrton--a810c28e9f43392d26aad98b29f3b2f4
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

James Wright – When I first heard about this match my reaction was a resounding ‘meh’. But as the weeks have gone by the return of a rejuvenated Randy Orton has made me reconsider. I used to be the biggest Randy Orton fan, I loved his stuff in Evolution and even his face run with the title was great to me. I was just at that right age where he just seemed cool, even if it did all end rather abruptly and then went into an endless feud with the Undertaker that he did not come out the better for. For some reason he has gotten that old fire back, but without the temper and he seems cool, but cagey. Add to this the fact that the WWE has been playing up their similar starts in the business, as well as their attitude problems and relative status as modern giants in the business and it comes across as a much bigger deal than it actually is in terms of the current WWE landscape. I kind of wish that Lesnar was used more to put over newer talent, but failing that I suppose a match with Orton is the best way to go. Do I think Orton can win? No. Do I hope that he stays on with this same levity and passion once the match is done? Hell yes!
Winner: Brock Lesnar

CB: I’d love to see Heath Slater come out and actually cost Brock Lesnar the win. Highly unlikely, so I say Brock continues his dominance and wins here.
Winner: Brock Lesnar

Brittney- Both of these men are top stars. Both are going to put on a great match. The difference here is that Lesnar is truly part time and Orton was out with an injury/ some personal time. While I don’t doubt either man’s commitment to the industry I think Orton is more likely to appear a bit more after Summerslam so I think it’s likely he’ll be the one to walk out the winner, after a well timed RKO.
Winner: Randy Orton

Michael McMonigle – Yawn. I like Lesnar and I normally like watching him destroy anyone he faces. But he is facing Randy Orton here. And the amount that I care about Randy Orton is less than the time it takes me to type this sentence. Honestly, the little angle/destruction of Heath Slater last week was more interesting than this match-up.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (hopefully in very short order)

Lewis Michie: This is a tough one. Lesnar doesn’t take an awful lot of loses, and Orton doesn’t really need to beat him. It is also probably easier to talk Orton into a lose. However, Orton might be one of the few guys Brock might be willing to lose to. I’m going to say Brock wins, Orton has plenty of time week to week on Smackdown to recover from the lose. I’m sure they’ll have big plans for Brock at Wrestlemania; despite his recent problems with drug test failures in the UFC.
Winner: Brock Lesnar

Widro – RKO outta no where.
Winner: Orton

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_TheMizApollo--fdebb7919c25391463fd211b83ff675b
WWE Intercontinental Title
The Miz (c) vs. Apollo Crews

James Wright – The Miz’s Hollywood heel run has been decent, and it’s always nice to see Maryse, but it is time for his run with the IC title to end and I think Crews is a great person to end it. Apollo has a great look and great athletic skills, but his character needs something, and failing an actual decent creative direction the title could at least give him something to do and hopefully he can transition that into the crowd actually caring about him, rather than just his spots.
Winner: Apollo Crews (New Champion)

CB: Apollo Crews does nothing for me. I’d love to see Miz retain.
Winner: The Miz

Brittney- Honestly, the outcome of this match doesn’t matter much to me. Not because I don’t care about the Intercontinental Title, because I do, but because WWE is still struggling to bring some prestige back to the title. I like both The Miz & Apollo Crews but the buildup to this match hasn’t been as good as I’d like and I’m honestly waiting to see what the company does to make fans care about the title again. I don’t doubt it will be a good match but I’m not sure it’ll be a great match..
Winner: The Miz

Michael McMonigle – Honestly, I haven’t watched enough WWE television recently to know why Apollo Crews has a title shot here. After 30 seconds of research, I have learned that Crews defeated Baron Corbin and Kalisto in a triple threat match to earn this title shot. Wait? What? THAT is what earns an Intercontinental Title shot? That’s just … sad. And while I am sure the WWE would love to put the belt on Crews here, I still think Miz is just too money in his current role to have him drop the belt yet. He needs to keep it for a lot longer and start pulling Honky Tonk Man comparisons before losing it.
Winner: The Miz (with an assist from Maryse)

Lewis Michie: This is a match with potential, that is why we will almost definitely see it again on the first Smackdown exclusive pay per view. As with such a stacked card, actually, not just stacked card, but stacked weekend, this match will probably be forgotten. They could have Apollo win, as I believe this match will take place on the pre-show, so they might want to show anything can happen there. I say Apollo loses in a screwy finish, allowing him a rematch at Backlash.
Winner: The Miz

Widro – Crews seems directionless on the main roster and may have been rushed up before he was ready.
Winner: The Miz

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_CenaAJStyles--fce1ed06e7d6cbc464dfde98da1adda1
John Cena vs. AJ Styles

James Wright – Fool me once WWE…I can’t see Cena losing here, I just can’t. Now maybe Styles will actually win a third match at No Mercy and he will be the first guy in a long while to actually come out on top of a rivalry with John Cena, but I won’t hold my breath. Either way I think Cena is winning here. I think they will have a great match but yeah, Calf Crusher reversed into the STFU for a tap-out victory, put it in the books.
Winner: John Cena

CB: John Cena does not have a great record at SummerSlam. However, with this being 1 on 1 and AJ already having beaten Cena, I think BIG MATCH JOHN takes it.
Winner: John Cena

Brittney- JBL calls Cena “Big Match John” and while that’s usually true we have to remember that last year at Summerslam John Cena lost his US Title and his chance to take the WWE World Heavyweight Championship off of Seth Rollins. (Yes, Jon Stewart was involved, but still.) I wonder if this year AJ Styles will take the win on Sunday. Pardon the play on words but maybe it is not Cena’s time anymore and it may be AJ Style’s time to take the lead in the company (or at least be part of those taking over as we head towards retirements, part-time schedules, etc).
Winner: AJ Styles

Michael McMonigle – Honestly, I am not really sure of the reasoning behind this match either. Didn’t Styles already beat Cena one-on-one? Then didn’t Cena get his 50/50 win back in the six-man match last month? If Cena wins here, then Styles really looks like a chump. The only logical solution here is to have Styles back up his “phenomenal” claims and pin Cena clean. Anything less, and everything Cena has said about Styles appears true and AJ gets buried. But this is the WWE and this is John Cena.
Winner: SuperCena. (sigh)

Lewis Michie: I know one thing for sure, this will be a fantastic match. Logically Styles wins here, there is a lot more positives to be gained from that outcome. We all know that doesn’t mean it will happen though. I’ll have some faith in WWE here.
Winner: AJ Styles

Widro – Cena seems to respect AJ and there needs to be a big win over Cena at some point, I’m going here.
Winner: Styles

20160805_SSlam_MATCH_RusevReigns--058048706d434a31221559a319a598eb
WWE United States Title
Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns

James Wright – You know you are in trouble when even moving a guy down the card to feud with a less IWC favoured heel isn’t enough to stop a guy being met with a hail of boos. The problem with Reigns is he is just so smug, just like John Cena, and smugness isn’t really something a good guy should be, unless he is facing off against a totally anal prick heel. Think the relationship between Lister and Rimmer in Red Dwarf, if the guy isn’t begging to be mocked with his every word and action then you are just going to look like a dick, even if you are in the right. This is especially true when you are a guy who has got all the gifts and opportunities to be a top guy, you just look like you think you are better than everyone. Anyway, despite the continued negative reaction I don’t think the WWE have any intention of changing their plan to push Roman as much as they can, we should just count ourselves lucky that he isn’t WWE champion right now, despite the wellness suspension.
Winner: Roman Reigns (New Champion)

CB: The U.S. title would actually be a good thing for Roman, to keep him away from the main event.
Winner: Roman Reigns

Brittney- Between serious fan hatred and his Wellness Policy violation and subsequent suspension Roman Reigns has not been having the greatest summer. Likewise, until recently, Rusev hasn’t been having the greatest year ever either. Sure he married Lana and has the U.S. Title but beyond that his year had been pretty uneventful. With both men looking to prove where they stand in the company we may see a decent match and, if we’re lucky this will turn into an actual rivalry. With the brand split these two can have the time slot needed to give a feud a good run but every feud has to have fuel and for that fuel to keep going someone will lose, in a very bad way, on Sunday. Whether Roman beats down Rusev or Rusev & Lana sneak a win out of Roman I am not sure how satisfying of a finish the match on Sunday will be but at least, hopefully, it’ll lead to a good feud.
Winner: Rusev

Michael McMonigle – I know Vince is just itching to push Reigns into another title. And while Rusev has been good during his run as US champion, I think he gets the shaft here. As was mentioned on this site previously, how is Rusev NOT the face in this feud? Oh yeah, ‘Murica.
Winner: Roman Reigns

Lewis Michie: I’m not sure Roman Reigns needs the US title at all. The US title also doesn’t really need Roman, it has looked pretty good with Rusev. What the US title does need is credible challenges, so that it can basically co-main event Raw exclusive pay per views. If Rusev keeps the title, it has the potential challengers of Sami Zayn, Nevile and Cesaro. Whereas Reigns could face challenges from Jericho, Kevin Owens, Sheamus and of course a rematch with Rusev. I’m hoping they keep it on Rusev, but….
Winner: Roman Reigns

Widro – Roman got the win on Raw, I think Rusev wins or at least doesn’t lose the title.
Winner: Rusev

20160801_SSlam_MATCH_TagTeam--4fc7a0bb1127606577fb65ec72da29d9
WWE Tag Team Titles
The New Day (c) vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows

James Wright – Oh my god please let the Club win, both for their sakes and ours! The New Day haven’t needed the titles for over six months now and the tag team division is suffering heavily from it. Give the belts to teams who aren’t so completely over that they have their own breakfast cereal!
Winner: The Club (New Champions)

CB: Could the New Day finally lose their tag titles? Yes.
Winners: Anderson and Gallows

Brittney- Am I the only one who find the Anderson & Gallows promos about “ringpostitis” to be simultaneously silly and annoying? Oh well. With Big E injured I am curious to see how the New Day fairs without their third man at ringside. However, just because Gallows & Anderson are an actual threat to the title it doesn’t mean we should discount The New Day just yet. Their title reign will end eventually but I wonder if that will be this Sunday. It was last year’s Summerslam that The New Day won the titles and they’ve held it for almost the entire year. I wonder if they’ll hold them for over the year mark or if their luck will finally run out.
Winner: The New Day (call me an optimist)

Michael McMonigle – So Big E gets put out of action for a while forcing Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to defend against Anderson and Gallows. Sometimes the simple storytelling is the best in wrestling. And sometimes it is just so transparent that it is almost insulting to the viewer. The Club takes out the strongman on the team. They win the belts because the champs are short-handed. The strongman comes back and they get a few more matches out of this feud by switching up the New Day members competing. Eventually someone turns and the New Day implodes. Can we move on now?
Winner: Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows

Lewis Michie: It has been a good run for the New Day. I, unlike some others, have not grown bored of the New Day. I would however, like to see Gallows and Anderson take the tag team titles. You open up some interesting possibilities by doing so and it just makes the division feel a bit more fresh.
Winners: Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

Widro – With very few other title changes planned, this one looks like it could be a switch.
Winner: Anderson & Gallows

20160808_SSlam_MATCH_EnzoCassJerichoOwens--14e3a971d5286359b5b103ff42458d92
Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass

James Wright – This is a hard one for me as I can see why Enzo and Cass should win here to keep their momentum going. Also Jericho and Owens don’t in anyway need the win at all…but it’s Jericho and Owens! I don’t care! They’d better win or everything I believe in is a lie!
Winner: Jericho and Owens

CB: Enzo and Cass are gonna get it? What? It!
Winners: Jeri-KO

Brittney- All four of these guys are fan favorites. Both teams are hilarious together. There is not title on the line, just bragging rights and that may be enough for these four men to put on an excellent match. It’ll be interesting to see which pair comes out on top and honestly I literally flipped a coin on this one because I can’t figure out what path this feud may take.
Winner: Enzo Amore & Big Cass

Michael McMonigle – This is an interesting match, even though I am not sure where the Jeri-KO team originated. I guess they had to team up some singles wrestlers since there are only like 4 teams on each brand. But all four guys are over, so this could be fun. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that Owens will once again eat a pinfall on PPV though.
Winner: Amore and Cass

Lewis Miche: Another match with some great talent, but I can’t help but feel the match will be overshadowed by the rest of this stacked weekend. Inline with my pick in the tag titles match, Gallows and Anderson will need challengers, therefor a win for Enzo and Cass makes sense.
Winners: Enzo Amore and Big Cass

Widro – Jericho is here to job at this point.
Winner: Enzo & Cass

20160815_SSlam_MATCH_CesaroSheamus--75bc6ab940c75fa9263b6b9d4bb7b051
Best of 7 Series Match #1
Cesaro vs. Sheamus

James Wright – While these two will probably have a great series and I am glad they have SOMETHING to do, Daniel Bryan was right, Cesaro is being completely under-utilised on Raw. It reminds me of when Bryan himself was being put against Sheamus, we just have to hope that Cesaro will get his own ‘Yes’ moment somehow and be pushed up the card. Despite that I am completely sceptical about him winning here, after all when there is a really talented guy who is lower on the card than he arguably should be, what do the WWE love to do: give them a losing streak, hurray!
Winner: Sheamus

CB: In a best of 7, the heel usually gets the upper hand first, so…
Winner: Sheamus

Brittney- Both Cesaro and Sheamus do not get enough recognition. Sheamus went from the main event to the back of the line in the blink of an eye and Cesaro always comes close to the limelight without stepping into it. This best of 7 series could do wonders for these competitors and give them the opportunity to stand out and for fans to become invested in their characters once again. I can’t say who will win the series but I do believe Cesaro will get the first match in his favor.
Winner: Cesaro

Michael McMonigle – Honestly, this could be great. I don’t love Sheamus, but he can put on some good power matches. And Cesaro is awesome as we all know. But this best of 7 series just seems so much an afterthought. They have already showed that Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon don’t wish to honor their promises to either man, so what good will a best of 7 series do? Perhaps they will just team up at the end of the series to make this all the more pointless.
Winner: Let’s say Sheamus. Because WWE.

Lewis Michie: I’m actually really interested in this idea, I think we will get some really good matches out of it. Best of seven might be overkill, but maybe will get some really great storytelling. I kinda hope they do a few of these matches of house shows. I feel like the winner here has to be Sheamus, as it would make sense to have the good guy, Cesaro, playing the underdog and trying to claw his way back from loses and build a comeback story.
Winner: Sheamus

Widro – Heels usually win the first match and Cesaro has won two in a row over Sheamus heading into this one.
Winner: Sheamus

20160818_SSlam_MATCH_BeckyNattie--04048349314d4935d527ed5a08dece02
Divas Tag Match
Carmella, Becky Lynch & Naomi vs. Natalya & Alexa Bliss & ??

James Wright – Well this match is now buggered. Surely it was a throwaway thing anyway to showcase the new women of Smackdown. Without Eva Marie I have no idea who they will get to replace her…except there is a possibility that someone who was the surprise tag partner of someone last month might do the same here…only one problem with that, it would be for the heel side, which would make absolutely no sense. OMG though, what if we got Dark Bayley after another devastating loss to Asuka?! Speculations!!!
Winner: Dark Bayley (If not, then the face team)

CB: Oh Eva, what could have been?
Winners: Carmella, Becky and Naomi

Brittney- So apparently the third woman on Natalya & Alexa’s team was supposed to be Eva Marie. But, she’s suspended. So either way this match isn’t looking good for the heel women. Even if they get a surprise third partner I feel like the faces will get the win.
Winner: Carmella, Becky Lynch & Naomi

Michael McMonigle – Hey, it is all the women’s division on Smackdown! Minus Eva Marie, of course. What do they have to fight about? Is there a championship on the line? Even a #1 contendership for a title? Anything? No? Ok. Let’s just throw them out there. I have a bad feeling we will be seeing this same exact match about 438 times in the coming months. Maybe they will try to make a new star out of this mess.
Winner: Carmella, Becky Lynch, and Naomi

Lewis Michie: It’s unfortunate Eva Marie failed that drug test. I feel like her role in this match would have been interesting. Anyone reading my ratings war columns will know I am a fan of her work in recent weeks. Nonetheless, it just so happens Nikki Bella has apparently been cleared for action. I could see her slotting in nicely to that heel side. She might not be quite ring ready, but they might just give her limited involvement. As long as they know she will be back properly eventually. Her and Becky Lynch could have some really fun matches. Also, as she would be on the heel side…
Winners: Team Natalya

Widro – Maybe a heel will step in for the third person or maybe not. Either way I think the faces win.
Winner: Carmella, Becky Lynch & Naomi

Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs