This Sunday night, it's "The Biggest Party of the Summer" as the WWE presents SummerSlam live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
After six straight years in Los Angeles, the WWE's summer spectacle returns to the Big Apple for the first time since 1998 with a stacked super card of 10 matches.
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The 28th installment is highlighted by a double main event that will feature WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. United States Champion John Cena in a title-for-title battle and a WrestleMania XXX rematch between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar.
Paul Heyman has advertised this main event as "too big for WrestleMania" and with "The Demon from Death Valley" set to wrestle his first match at SummerSlam since a Hell in a Cell clash with Edge in 2008, it is sure to live up to the moniker.
10 Booking Decisions We Want To See At WWE SummerSlam
SummerSlam has always had plenty of swerves and surprises, and this year shouldn't be any different. Here are Sports World News' predictions for the event in the projected order that the matches will occur. To view this in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
Fatal 4 Way for the WWE Tag Team Championships: The Prime Time Players (c) (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) vs. The New Day (combination of Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara & Kalisto) vs. Los Matadores (Diego & Fernando)
Though the WWE has done a good job of adding a blend of teams to the tag division, there is a lack of substance and a lot of the squads are very vanilla. The company seemed to be onto something good when The New Day used the Freebird rule, but rather than milk mileage out of it, the creative team opted to put the titles on The Prime Time Players in yet another instance of the gold changing hands.
Los Matadores have the lowest betting odds out of anyone in any match on this card, according to SkyBet, so it's doubtful they'll walk out as champions. The Lucha Dragons provide a wild-card team, but it's also unlikely they'll win.
It seems as though it'll be between the PTP and The New Day, but it doesn't make sense for Young and O'Neil to have such a short reign. The match will be fun, but it won't do much for the division.
The Pick: The Prime Time Players
One of the best Tag Team Championship bouts in SummerSlam history saw Demolition defend against the Hart Foundation 2/3 falls in 1990:
Singles Match: Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro
These are two darlings of the WWE Universe, but aside from Owens' big series with John Cena, both of these Superstars have been placed on the backburner by WWE creative. The fans will likely be fully behind both men in this match and the two could really take this opportunity to stick it to WWE creative for using them as afterthoughts.
Cesaro has the "it" factor, but the "Swiss Superman" has been passed over time and time again for a big push. Owens already proved what he can do, but there's fear that the WWE is starting to stick him with a "bad luck" gimmick after he lost the NXT Championship and back-to-back bouts with Cena following his meteoric rise. With Owens wrestling the night before, it seems Cesaro may win here, maybe with help from Finn Balor.
The Pick: Cesaro
WWE Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat: Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show vs. The Miz
Oh this match. We almost got this out of the way at Battleground, but Ryback had a serious staph infection and now the boredom comes to SummerSlam. I'm sorry, this match just does nothing for me and Daniel Bryan's injury has altered the momentum of the Intercontinental Championship.
Ryback should win this match since his title reign is pretty new, but his injury could scare the WWE into taking the belt off him.
The Pick: Ryback
Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog in 1992 is the only IC title bout to main event SummerSlam:
Singles Match: Dolph Ziggler w/ Lana vs. Rusev w/ Summer Rae
This feud isn't my favorite heading into the card as the relationship storylines never really resonate with me, but all drama aside, this should be a solid match. "The Showoff" and the "Bulgarian Brute" have been at odds for months now and they'll finally settle the score at the second biggest event of the year.
This is a bout that could go either way, but one thing you can bank on is Summer Rae and Lana mixing it up on the outside. With Rusev injuring Ziggler in kayfabe not too long ago, it seems like a babyface revenge story is in order, but this feud is far from over.
The Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler has won the IC title twice in his career at SummerSlam, including last year
Tag Team Match: Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
These four have amazing chemistry together and this nearly two-year long rivalry was recently reignited and will come to a head on Sunday. There is a lot of speculation that Ambrose or Reigns will turn heel as the WWE has shoved their over-the-top buddy-buddy relationship down everyone's throats.
It's possible that the big swerve the WWE pulls could be no swerve at all, but if one of them turns, they should be on their own and not join The Wyatt Family. Whether or not a major angle comes from this, it should be a great match. For the sake of SummerSlam tradition, I'm banking on an Ambrose heel turn to let out his inner-Brian Pillman as a crazy Joker-style heel.
The Pick: The Wyatt Family
Reigns def. Randy Orton in his first big singles match last year at SummerSlam:
Singles Match: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
The placement of this match on the card depends on whether or not the WWE wants to have Sheamus cash-in his MITB briefcase later on in the show. Though they've done it in the past --most recently in 2013 with Orton -- I'm betting there will be no cash-in this year at SummerSlam.
While both of these guys have grown pretty stale and "The Celtic Warrior" looks utterly ridiculous, they do have some chemistry and this should be a pretty good match between two veterans that can deliver.
With Sheamus absorbing the loss at Battleground and needing to look strong as Mr. Money in the Bank, it would make sense for him to go over here.
The Pick: Sheamus
Orton cashed in MITB on Daniel Bryan in 2013
Tag Team Match: Stephen Amell & Neville vs. Stardust & King Barrett
While I'm never too keen on celebrity involvement, Amell is an exception as he actually seems like he wants to be there. The actor's passion also came through a few weeks back on RAW as he was very convincingly angry at Stardust.
This has been an odd feud, but it's decent midcard fodder even if it ends up not doing much of a service for the heel tandem. Neville should get most of the offense in while Amell should strike at the right time so that it doesn't make the villains look too weak when facing a non-wrestler.
The lock of the night is the faces going over in this one.
The Pick: The Red and Green Arrow
Three-way Divas Elimination Tag Team Match: Team Bella (Bella Twins & Alicia Fox vs. Team P.C.B. (Paige, Charlotte & Becky) vs. Team B.A.D. (Sasha Banks, Naomi & Tamina)
The WWE has done a great job of making the Divas storylines matter, now they need to put a cherry on top by giving these ladies time to tell a good story at SummerSlam. While the way the factions came about was wonky with Stephanie McMahon just slapping them together rather than forming them organically, it gets a pass due to the greatness that has followed.
It seems as though Charlotte or the very impressive Becky should pin Nikki to get the win and set them up as the next No. 1 contender. It would also be logical for Banks to do it for her squad as the NXT Women's Champion (pending Saturday's result) looks to be the next big star.
With this being elimination, the WWE could pull a surprise by having the Bella team go out first and the other two trios battle to become their successors.
While a new contender seems plausible, Nikki will only be on Day 272 of her title reign come Sunday and it looks like the WWE will keep it on her to pass AJ Lee's record 295-day reign.
With Banks defeating Bella cleanly on RAW and Becky getting a win to represent P.C.B. that same night, it looks like the Age of the Bellas will continue with a win here.
The Pick: Team Bella
The First Lady of Wrestling Miss Elizabeth shocked the world at the initial SummerSlam event:
Title-for-Title: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. WWE United States Champion John Cena
There are several factors building toward this match and adding to its unpredictability, which makes this one of the most highly-anticipated contests in quite some time. SummerSlam and New York City provide an excellent backdrop for this clash, which harkens back to The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI.
So many things could happen here, but I just hope the WWE books Rollins to look strong. It was very exciting when "The Architect" won the gold at WrestleMania, but his constant bickering with Kane and the way he weasels his way out of things has made him look like a placeholder champion when the WWE needs to stamp down that the future is now.
Win or lose, Rollins needs a strong showing at SummerSlam.
If the former Shield member somehow can beat Cena cleanly, that would do wonders for his career, but that is the least likely scenario. With the ratings down and shareholders reportedly upset, it wouldn't be a shocking twist to have Vince McMahon put the title on Cena, his golden boy, to bail him out.
Cena has had a hell of a year and one could argue his work in the midcard and programs with Rusev, Cesaro, Owens and others is deserving of a reward, but he doesn't need the WWE's richest prize. The Cenation leader has been striving with the U.S. belt, making it mean something for arguably the first time ever in the WWE.
One thing that goes against Cena possibly winning is that he literally just started sporting his 15-time World Champion shirt, so they may balk at booking another reign. Still, the WWE loves making history at big events and SummerSlam 2015 could be the place Cena ties Ric Flair for most title reigns.
There is always the wild-card of Sheamus waiting in the wings and the WWE has never been shy about doing a cash-in on the summer's version of WrestleMania, but I don't see it happening. It would be a good way to avoid having one man hold two belts, however, so anything is possible.
The smart money is on some sort of non-finish to keep the status quo, which is lame for SummerSlam, but makes sense from a booking standpoint in this winner-take-all event. One should never count out the Authority from getting involved either.
With host Jon Stewart having his issues with Rollins in theh past, he may also be a factor as well.
If there is a clean finish, which I doubt, it will go to Cena.
The Pick: John Cena
Cena defeated Orton to retain the WWE Championship in 2007
Singles Match: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. The Undertaker
The wrestling world was shook to its very core when "The Beast" was booked to defeat "The Deadman" and end The Streak at WrestleMania XXX. That April night in 2014, the WWE Universe bared witness to one of the most shocking booking decisions in history.
It seemed a bit odd when The Undertaker returned to face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31 while Lesnar was in the main event, but the WWE was keeping an ace up its sleeve for the second biggest event of the year.
'Taker disrupted Lesnar's chance to win back his gold at Battleground and now one of the most hyped main events in SummerSlam history is coming to New York City.
In a way, the WWE has booked itself into a corner here as it's hard to imagine The Undertaker, the WWE's legendary Superstar, losing twice to the same opponent. The company has also built up Lesnar as an unstoppable beast, so if a 50-year-old 'Taker who was legitimately injured in their last meeting beats him, it's hard to accept it without scratching your head.
With Lesnar recently signing a new contract, the WWE knows what the future holds for him. Outside of a likely WrestleMania 32 bout, the same can't be said for The Undertaker. Perhaps it's wise to protect McMahon's current and future investment instead of having him lose Sunday.
The booking of this event depends on what the WWE has planned for these two. If they want to start the retirement hype, The Undertaker could fall here. If they want to make it a trilogy, the "Demon from Death Valley" needs to tie this series up to avoid a one-sided affair.
There are possibilities of a swerve as Heyman could turn on his client, a new adversary for Lesnar could get involved, or quite possibly Sting could finally fire a salvo to build toward a match with "The Deadman," to close out their respective careers. "The Vigilante" will be in New York City after all.
At the end of the day, The Undertaker did Lesnar and Vince McMahon a huge favor by jobbing at WrestleMania 31 to build toward the former UFC champion's legendary climb. Now, it's time for the veteran to get his win back.
The Pick: The Undertaker
The Undertaker face Stone Cold in a memorable WWE Championship bout in 1998:
Brock Lesnar won his first WWE Heavyweight Championship in his SummerSlam debut in 2002:
This Sunday, it's the summer's version of WrestleMania in what should be a legendary night when SummerSlam invades New York City.
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