Smark Out Moment

Among the current Big Five PPVs, SummerSlam undoubtedly has held the least relevance in recent years. What has typically been known as the Biggest Party of the Summer for WWE has become the disappointing afterparty to the often awesome NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn shows.

Furthermore, SummerSlam hasn't held the same significance as the other shows in the past few years. WrestleMania remains the grandest show of the year, Royal Rumble has the greatest gimmick match in history, Money in the Bank determines future champions, and Survivor Series is the battleground for brand warfare.

But, there is a very simple way WWE can make this SummerSlam memorable for all the right reasons, and that is by using it as the coronation ceremony for a champion that will lead WWE into an exciting new era.

No, not Roman Reigns. Never Roman Reigns.

Instead, SummerSlam should be headlined by Ronda Rousey dethroning Alexa Bliss and capturing the Raw Women's Championship.

Alexa Bliss: The Perfect Heel for Ronda Rousey to Conquer

When Alexa Bliss won the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashed it in the same night to once again win the Raw Women's Championship back in June, my initial reaction was one of disillusionment.

Alexa Bliss joined Raw on April 10, 2017, and first won the Raw Women's Championship on April 30. So, in the 447 days since Bliss graced the red brand (at the time of writing this), she has been its champion for 347 days. She doesn't call herself the Goddess for nothing.

So, in the immediate aftermath, I was simply desperate for something a little different. But, now I've had a chance to sit down and reflect, Alexa Bliss was not only the right choice on that night, but was the perfect choice.

Bliss' undoubted strength over anybody in the women's division is her mic skills. Coincidentally, this is Ronda Rousey's biggest detriment since she joined WWE - she's not horrendous, but it's quite apparent she is still adjusting to WWE's scripted promos. With Bliss around to carry that side of the feud, particularly while Rousey is serving her suspension, the often awkward interactions that underlined the Rousey/Nia Jax feud will be far less frequent.

Furthermore, Alexa Bliss is a true heat magnet in an age where it's difficult to get heels legitimately booed. The manner in which she stole the Raw Women's Championship is testament to this, as is her partnership with the veteran Mickie James and how much she loves the sound of her own voice.

This is critically important in establishing Ronda Rousey as Raw's biggest babyface star. What caused many fans to turn their nose up at Rousey challenging Jax for the title at Money in the Bank was that it was her first singles match, and she hadn't "earned" a title shot ahead of other, more established names.

Now, after Money in the Bank, people are seeing things differently - Rousey's surprisingly strong performance and the manner in which she was screwed out of the championship has made her a lot more beloved among even the smarkiest of smarks. Just listen to the reaction of her beating up Bliss and Kurt Angle on the Raw following the PPV to feel how excited the crowd is for her.


Meanwhile, Bliss' tremendous heel work and cowardice makes her a tremendous storyline villain, while she simultaneously receives a lot of flak from "smarter" fans who feel (like I did before coming to my senses) that she has held the championship way too long and are desperate for a change. This is a perfect storm of both kayfabe and legitimate heat!

Of course, we'll have to endure yet another Bliss title match with Nia Jax at Extreme Rules. Yet I think that's a small price to pay for a SummerSlam match that could take Ronda Rousey's already bubbling potential and launch her as Raw's biggest superstar.

Why Alexa Bliss vs Ronda Rousey Should Headline SummerSlam

So, now we've established why Alexa Bliss is the perfect champion for Ronda Rousey to overcome, now I'll outline why I think it should main event. Beyond what I've already said about the fittingness of this feud, this would be the happy ending and history-making moment that would ensure this SummerSlam lives long in the memory.

First and foremost, if WWE wants to continue to push the "Women's Evolution", it is fundamentally important that a women's match main events one of the Big 5 PPVs in the near future. Rousey has all the potential to be a megastar for the company, and putting her in the main event would go a long way to translating that to fans and the wider media.

But, even if WWE wasn't pushing their women's divisions as strongly as they are, this feud makes far more sense to main event SummerSlam over a number of the alternatives.

Sadly, the main contender to main event SummerSlam this year appears to be Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, again. The status of this match is shrouded in confusion, with reports suggesting that Lesnar will not be competing at SummerSlam, and is holding the title hostage until after he announces he will be returning to the UFC in late 2018 or 2019.


Now, while I remain skeptical that this will actually prove the case, as I still believe this is an ill-fated attempt by WWE creative to make Lesnar unbelievably unlikable in order to make Reigns the de facto babyface. It didn't work at WrestleMania 34, and it won't work in front of a rabid New York crowd.

If the black hole of excitement that is Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns main events SummerSlam this year, it will leave another sour taste in the mouth of WWE fans and tarnish its legacy, no matter what took place beforehand.

If recent history is any indicator, WWE will not entrust the SummerSlam main event to a SmackDown match, even if AJ Styles defends his WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, or both. While that would almost certainly be a better match than either Lesnar/Reigns or Bliss/Rousey, WWE has regularly pushed the blue brand's title matches further down their PPV cards, so I can't envision them changing this trend for SummerSlam.

The only other alternative would be a rumored match featuring The Undertaker. It would be a great nostalgia pop for sure, but I don't feel it would have the long-term significance or star-making potential of Ronda Rousey headlining the summer blockbuster.

So, if WWE wants this year's SummerSlam to be:

• A landmark event for women's wrestling;
• The coronation of a superstar babyface; and
• Safe from being hijacked by crowd apathy

Then I believe Ronda-Mania running wild on Alexa Bliss should be the final image of this year's event.