Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Bodeen Green and Ben Williams will be making their early predictions for SummerSlam 2020.

It may be a few months until the biggest party of the summer takes place, but it is always fun to predict what the biggest matches at SummerSlam will be. Especially as this year we have new world champions and a reduced roster due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But what will be the main event? Will there be a high profile return? And will we see NXT dominate again?


ALLSOPP: For me, it has to be Drew McIntyre vs Brock Lesnar in a rematch of their WrestleMania 36 encounter. The reason for this is simply due to the surreal manner in which McIntyre won the WWE Championship, as their encounter was very brief and lacklustre. Give these absolute beasts about 15 minutes to put on a classic, and McIntyre should come away with both the belt and a better standing within the company.

GREEN: It depends on the situation at the time and the direction WWE want to go in. If WWE want to start moving forward, then my prediction for the main event would be Shayna Baszler vs Becky Lynch. As I've previously mentioned, the first big pay-per-view with a crowd would be the best moment to pass the torch, especially as the women's division on Raw has grown stale. However, if WWE want to go in a different direction, I can see the main event of SummerSlam being The Fiend or Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns. If this does happen, I can easily see Reigns beating Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship. However, if The Fiend is WWE Universal Champion at the time, I can see the result of that match going either way.

WILLIAMS: I’m predicting the main event of SummerSlam will be Roman Reigns against whoever he is going to defeat to become WWE Universal Champion again! Whether he topples Braun Strowman or The Fiend, I’m almost certain that the closing shot of SummerSlam this year will be Reigns holding up a giant tarnished blue title.


GREEN: Considering this may be the first pay-per-view with a live crowd in attendance, there is a good chance that WWE will put a tonne of effort into the event, meaning there is a big chance we will see some returns. With his 25th anniversary coming up, there is a good chance we may see the King of Kings, Triple H, in action. He could challenge a past foe such as Daniel Bryan, or have a dream match with someone like AJ Styles. Whilst this doesn't really do anything for The Game or his opponent in the long run, it does attract hype for the event. I can also see Ali having his return match and having a classic with Styles, Seth Rollins or even Aleister Black, unless he returns at Money in the Bank.

WILLIAMS: I’d actually like to see John Cena stay off television until around SummerSlam and come back with a bit of edginess to his character to kickstart a feud with one of his oldest rivals, Edge. I think they are capable of having a great match, even at this stage in their careers, and I think the promo segments leading up to the pay-per-view would be stellar.

ALLSOPP: Ronda Rousey. And this is clear to me, primarily due to the fact she is working fans up with her recent comments. Becky Lynch has defeated everyone to come her way since she defeated Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship, therefore the logical conclusion to this record breaking reign is a titanic collision with Rousey. Casual fans will be interested, whilst hardcore fans will be rabid.


WILLIAMS: I personally don’t want NXT to take part in more WWE pay-per-views, because I think it not only weakens the strength of NXT TakeOver events, it also means that less main roster talent will get a spot on a major pay-per-view. This is how we end up with a lack of Women's Tag Team Championship matches, or how the Intercontinental Championship is never being defended. NXT TakeOver events are always a standard for WWE to try and live up to, and I think it’s best kept that way.

ALLSOPP: I don’t think they will be involved, however it is important for them to feature on the biggest shows of the year to validate the brand. NXT gained so much credibility from Survivor Series 2019, and I hope this will be followed up on again this year. But the biggest party of the summer could benefit from some of the most talented and hungry wrestlers in the company putting on one hell of a performance.

GREEN: Yes, it's exciting to see our favourite NXT names on the biggest pay-per-views. Yes, it's good seeing dream matches that we'd never thought possible. And yes, it may also help NXT with ratings, but honestly, if WWE do choose to have NXT at SummerSlam, it can honestly put a dent in NXT's booking. A dent which we saw at NXT TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series. Having SummerSlam so close to another NXT TakeOver event means that it is hard to have any NXT title holders at SummerSlam. Even if someone does go to SummerSlam from NXT, there's a good chance it may interfere with NXT programming. As much as a presence at the big shows may help NXT's ratings, it's only a short term solution.