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SummerSlam is just one month away. Typically, it’s easy to see where things will line up, particularly at the top of the card, as far off as WrestleMania. This year, however, given the reemergence of the Bloodline, the rise of Oba Femi, and two looming giants in the form of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk, there’s just no telling how the chips will fall. Many questions will be answered this Saturday at Night of Champions. Before we get there, I thought it would be fun to explore all the possibilities surrounding the main event picture.
Roman Reigns
He’s guaranteed to defend his World Championship. That he’s not currently involved in a one-on-one feud seems to indicate he’ll be facing the winner of KOTR. With the Bloodline only recently reforming and with no true sign of tension between he and Jey, it seems most likely Roman would face Oba Femi in the biggest match the company can offer at the moment. If that were to happen, it would make sense for Brock Lesnar to appear in front of his hometown crowd and cost Oba the match, extending their program and sparing a more genuine battle between Reigns and Femi for WrestleMania.
If Brock is instead able to wrestle a potential final match in Minneapolis, that would leave Roman without a dance partner. The easiest path here would be CM Punk resurfacing for a rematch from WrestleMania.
I won’t, however, say a match against Jey is entirely out of the realm of possibility. In the event Oba faces Brock and Punk either doesn’t return in time for SummerSlam (even though he’s heavily featured in promotional materials) or returns to challenge a different opponent, it’s possible a short program with Jey could be rushed.
Possible opponents: Oba Femi, CM Punk, Jey Uso
Oba Femi
His is perhaps the clearest forecast. If Brock Lesnar is to wrestle at SummerSlam, Oba is the only possible opponent. Lesnar’s resurfacing would be the thing to cost Oba his KOTR finals match against Jey Uso while simultaneously setting up Oba-Lesnar III. If not, we can still count on Brock to make an appearance at SummerSlam. And if that’s the case, the only reason he’s showing up is to cause problems for Oba. The only other potential opponent for Femi, and the person who would benefit from Lesnar’s interference, would be Roman Reigns.
Possible opponents: Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes
How unusual that Cody, while currently involved in a three-way program, doesn’t appear to have a readymade opponent for the second biggest show of the year. He has two paths, each with various outcomes: Either with the championship or without.
Let’s explore the first option. If Cody is WWE Champion heading into SummerSlam, a one-on-one defense against whichever challenger from Night of Champions leaves with the most credibility makes sense. With multiple recent matches against Gunther, that pairing would feel a bit flat for such a big show. Sami, on the other hand, even while also having faced Cody recently, carries a lot of intrigue as a potential one-on-one big show challenger. This is largely due to Sami’s evolving character and ongoing personal issues with Cody.
Another logical opponent, but one that could only take place in a world where Oba faces Brock at SummerSlam, would be KOTR winner, Jey Uso. The two share enough of a history that such a match feels worthy of the major spotlight of SummerSlam.
The wildcard option with Cody as champ, and the one that could best carry the main event of Night One, would be defending against a returning CM Punk. Following their promo prior to WrestleMania, it’s not matter of if this match will happen, only when.
Cody’s options without the title feel considerably less fitting a wrestler of his stature. Certainly, he could challenge whoever he lost the title to at Night of Champions. He could even square off against Punk, though without the title, that match lacks some luster. Regardless, it’s still big enough to carry a main event slot.
Those challengers aside, we reach the wildcard portion of this path – a returning Randy Orton. Given the conclusion of their WrestleMania match, which saw Cody laid out with a punt kick to the skull, the personal issues more than make up for the lack of title ramifications. This would, of course, be dependent on Orton’s injury status.
Possible opponents: Sami Zayn, Gunther, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Randy Orton
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Jey Uso
Should Jey win the KOTR tournament, he would have four possible options as SummerSlam opponents. The most likely would come from the Night of Champions WWE title match.
A matchup against Cody Rhodes would align perfectly with the current Bloodline story and Roman’s manipulative encouragement to earn a spot at the other head of the table. If Sami were to win, the intrigue would come more from the shared history and ongoing friendship between the two. Such a match could possibly even lead us a step closer to Sami rejoining the revamped Bloodline. A matchup against Gunther feels like a step beneath either of these potential title matches. The two battled plenty last year, and although Jey holds the most important victory in that feud, it feels as though we already got everything we need from this pairing.
Should Jey lose to Oba Femi at Night Of Champions, there doesn’t appear to be a path for him to a major singles bout. Perhaps he could square off against Jacob, but I think their current differences are part of a bigger picture and, much like with Roman, it feels far too soon for any major infighting amongst the Bloodline.
Should he not earn a title shot, the most obvious spot for Jey would be teaming with Jimmy, potentially against an odd couple pairing like LA Knight and Solo Sikoa.
Possible opponents: Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Gunther, Roman Reigns, LA Knight/Solo Sikoa
Sami Zayn
No one has been more slow-cooked over the past year than Sami Zayn. The steady course he’s endured began with him feeling over-exposed and in need of a major overhaul. Instead, he chose to lean into the lost nature of his character. It took a minute for things to catch on. Fans were groaning over the “ride or die” sentiments before they began to take shape. Almost miraculously, Sami Zayn is now nearly back to being as over as he’s ever been. This is all a way of saying it seems highly unlikely he would be left off the SummerSlam card altogether. Yet, shy of a WWE Championship win, it’s difficult to see where he slots in.
Should he defeat Cody Rhodes and Gunther this Sunday, and that no longer feels like a long shot, the smart money would be on a rematch with one of the two competitors. A match with Cody has more inherent intrigue, but if Rhodes is tied up with someone like Punk or Orton, it would be easy to heat things up between Zayn and Gunther and slot them into an opening match on one of the two nights. A champion Sami would also work well against KOTR winner, Jey Uso, for all the reasons stated above.
The problem with most of those potential matchups, though, is that they go against the current direction of Sami’s character. Even though fans are increasingly getting in on his act, WWE would be best served continuing to match Sami up against wrestlers the fans love. That leaves room for Cody. It also opens the door for a potential wildcard: CM Punk.
It’s easy to envision Punk surfacing after Night of Champions to commiserate with a fallen Cody Rhodes. It wouldn’t take much from there for an overlooked and insulted Sami to get himself into trouble with both men.
Sami without the belt gets trickier. It seems inevitable that he’ll eventually become ensnarled in the Bloodline drama. Whether he’s with or against them would go a ways in determining a potential SummerSlam opponent, be it LA Knight, Solo Sika, or even Jacob Fatu. More likely, he will continue on his “Last Good Guy” path for now, and if that’s the case, we could see things finally develop between him and Johnny Gargano. Once he finds his voice, Sami may not like what he has to say.
Possible opponents: Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Jey Uso, CM Punk, Johnny Gargano
Gunther
Having been left off of some major shows this past year already, it often feels as though WWE isn’t totally sure what to do with Gunther. Part of that is undoubtedly the company knowing they have something special with him and not wanting to overexpose or damage the Ring General by using him without solid direction. With that in mind, he could fall anywhere from a title match at SummerSlam to sitting at home, and in my opinion, much of it depends on whether both Lesnar and Punk appear in matches.
A title victory at Night of Champions clears things up considerably. From there, Gunther could defend in a one-on-one rematch against either Sami or Cody, determined by who he screws over more in order to win the belt. Another major wildcard option also exists. It’s so unlikely, though, that I didn’t even list it as a possibility in this wrestlers profile. Gunther would be the one person despised enough to earn the ire of Oba Femi and convince him to put his designs on Roman Reigns to the side at SummerSlam and instead go after Gunther’s belt. It’s a path that would possibly place Gunther in the main event of Night One.
That said, I don’t see Gunther entering SummerSlam as champion. I can, however, see him feeling the most wronged by a Sami Zayn victory, enough to put him in a one-on-one title match. Should that opportunity fall to Cody, however, Gunther would have little time to cook up a program with another upper mid-card name currently looking for a dance partner. Perhaps he sets his sights on another title? Gunther vs. Trick Williams has a nice ring to it.
Trick is currently involved with Ricky Saints and appears to be destined for an eventual program with Carmelo Hayes. If WWE is looking to cement his status as a future top guy, though, a program with Gunther could work wonders for him.
Possible opponents: Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi, Trick Williams
My Predictions
Night Two Main Event:
World Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Oba Femi
Night One Main Event:
WWE Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk
US Title Match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Gunther
Usos vs. LA Knight & Solo Sikoa
Thanks so much for reading. Feel free to leave a comment or drop a line via email at jeffp.rush@gmail.com or on Twitter/X @nottherightjeff
MORE: Read PWTorch editor Wade Keller’s evaluation of the Summerslam men’s main event options in this week’s PWTorch Newsletter cover story. VIP member, CLICK HERE to access the article now. Not a VIP member? CLICK HERE for VIP signup options.
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