WWE SUMMERSLAM 2023
AUGUST 5, 2023
FORD FIELD
DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Watch: Peacock

MEET YOUR PREVIEWER:

Swimsuit Williams: Your intrepid WWE Correspondent is checking in for the largest occasion of the summer time. What does intrepid really imply? I take advantage of it in these intros once I don’t have some other pithy ideas to begin the preview, and I believe I’m utilizing it accurately. However I’m undecided. Let’s discover out.

The definition of intrepid, courtesy of Oxford: fearless; adventurous (usually used for rhetorical or humorous impact)

As I anticipated, I used it 100% accurately. If you wish to be an intrepid traveler, wade your method by the dump that’s modern-day Twitter and observe me @SuitWilliams earlier than I hit my breakpoint and nuke the factor.

GEEK SLIM JIM SPONSORED BATTLE ROYAL

It’s a geek battle royal. The final considered one of these I bear in mind was on Survivor Sequence 2021, the place I made a decision to provide a play-by-play on the Sunday Evening Soccer sport that was on on the time. Sadly, there won’t be any soccer on Saturday, not even the goofy spring leagues. What else is there to say? LA Knight is bafflingly over, even to somebody who likes him like I do. He ought to win this. So, I’ll be good and choose another person. I dunno, what’s The Miz doing? Prediction: The Miz

MMA RULES MATCH
SHAYNA BASZLER VS. RONDA ROUSEY

In line with experiences, with first credit score to Dave Meltzer, Ronda Rousey will end her second run right here. She’ll be doing it in opposition to long-time buddy and former associate Shayna Baszler.

It’s laborious to explain this run of Rousey’s as something greater than an abject failure. At one level, Ronda Rousey was one of the vital well-known girls on the planet. When she signed with WWE again in 2018, Ronda Rousey nonetheless had some shine from her dominant run within the UFC. WWE used her title to construct to an all-women’s PPV, Evolution, and had her in the primary occasion of WrestleMania in opposition to Becky Lynch…and Charlotte Aptitude. (Be aware: They by no means did Rousey vs. Lynch one-on-one.) What was extra necessary was the power that surrounded her matches. I used to be stay at Wrestlemania 34 for her debut match, a combined tag match the place she teamed with Kurt Angle in opposition to Triple H & Stephanie McMahon. The power within the Superdome for this basic-ass tag match was unreal. Ronda Rousey felt like each bit the massive star she was marketed to be.

That power, which had nearly petered out when she left after Wrestlemania 35, was non-existent when she got here again to win the 2022 Royal Rumble. Ronda Rousey was simply one other girl on the roster, only one that got here out with licensed music. The power that made her first run so fascinating additionally lined up a few of her flaws as a employee, and the three-year sabbatical didn’t precisely assist issues there. Ronda Rousey wasn’t a star anymore. She wasn’t an enormous deal anymore. She was only a below-average wrestler with waning star energy.

Rousey put up a stinker in opposition to Charlotte Aptitude at Wrestlemania 38, a match that appeared even worse in comparison with the ladies’s title match the next evening between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair. Ronda would go on to have a feud with Liv Morgan in an try and get Morgan over as an underdog. As a substitute, Morgan appeared like a geek that fluked her option to the title, Rousey appeared like an fool that couldn’t put her away, they usually each got here away trying worse for put on. Rousey would go on to randomly lose the Smackdown Girls’s Title to Charlotte on the final Smackdown of 2022, then shifted over to teaming with Baszler. After a run that was abbreviated on account of harm, they break up out of nowhere at Cash In The Financial institution, main us right here.

Whereas I believe a match of this kind ought to solely be held within the Lion’s Den, will probably be MMA Guidelines as an alternative. Whereas a cursory look at their MMA data would have Rousey because the heavy favourite, the truth that this isn’t a shoot says that Rousey will cross her long-burned-out torch to Baszler. Prediction: Shayna Baszler

RICOCHET VS. LOGAN PAUL

Logan Paul and Ricochet have used their athleticism to make a number of superior moments in multi-man matches this 12 months. There was the Royal Rumble, the place they hit a springboard crossbody on one another in mid-air.

Then there was Cash In The Financial institution, the place Ricochet hit Paul with a dangerous-looking Spanish Fly by two tables.

That spot was the impetus for this match, whereby a little bit of kayfabe breaking, Paul referred to as Ricochet sloppy and unprofessional. My final hope for this match is that Ricochet confirmed Paul his notorious match with Will Ospreay, they usually simply try this match spot for spot. I let you know what, that might be superior. I believe Logan Paul might hit an Oscutter. Prediction: Logan Paul

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH
GUNTHER (W/GIOVANNI VINCI & LUDWIG KAISER) (C) VS. DREW MCINTYRE

After a months-long sabbatical the place his contract standing was in query, Drew McIntyre returned at Cash In The Financial institution and laid out Gunther, making his declare for the Intercontinental Title. I don’t have a lot else so as to add, this match ought to kick ass. Gunther’s reign is the second-longest of all time, just lately passing “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s reign in 1986. By Saturday, he might be 5 weeks away from breaking the Honky Tonk Man’s document for longest reign with the title, a document that has stood since 1988.

The intrigue right here might be if WWE decides to interrupt the document with Gunther, or have McIntyre take that from him. There have been experiences of WWE eager to “replace” their document books, with the lengthy title reigns of Roman Reigns and Bianca Belair being examples. Gunther’s reign has been superior, and having it break the document can be a pleasant accolade for Gunther. However there’s one thing actually humorous about nobody having the ability to break the document, and the Honky Tonk Man ceaselessly being within the document books. I’ve no rooting curiosity both method, I simply need these two to beat the hell out of one another. Prediction: GUNTHER

WWE WOMEN’S TITLE TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
ASUKA (C) VS. CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS. BIANCA BELAIR

I saved this match for final as a result of I don’t have a lot to say about this match. Charlotte has shoe-horned herself into this feud, as Belair can’t appear to get a clear rematch in opposition to Asuka for the title. Iyo Sky and Bayley have been round as nicely, as Sky has the Cash In The Financial institution briefcase too. I don’t have any really feel for this one, so I’ll simply go chalk and choose Charlotte. She is inevitable. Prediction: Charlotte Aptitude

BROCK LESNAR VS. CODY RHODES

Cody Rhodes says that he’s going to finish this right here. I nonetheless don’t know why this began. Brock has by no means stated. What’s Cody going to do after this? Prediction: Cody Rhodes

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
SETH ROLLINS (C) VS. FINN BALOR

This can be a rematch from Cash in The Financial institution, the place Rollins beat Balor after Damian Priest distracted Balor with the Cash In The Financial institution briefcase he had simply gained. The story since then has revolved across the dissension within the Judgment Day. I’m not anticipating a blow-away match right here, as these two had a match final month that was simply superb. With Summerslam being the present the place the historical past between these two began again in 2016, I believe Balor will beat Rollins right here. Then, Priest will money in on him and formally kick Balor out of the group to kick off this system for the autumn. Prediction: Finn Balor; Damien Priest cashes in afterward

TRIBAL COMBAT MATCH: THE WINNER IS TRIBAL CHIEF AND UNIVERSAL CHAMPION
ROMAN REIGNS (W/PAUL HEYMAN & SOLO SIKOA) (C) VS. JEY USO

I’ll say this. Since Sami Zayn joined the Bloodline final 12 months, this storyline has been booked fairly nicely, with one notable exception. Everybody concerned has gotten over and WWE has gotten scorching within the rankings because of this storyline. Reigns had two red-hot challengers on the street to Wrestlemania, then got here out of Wrestlemania absolutely entrenched within the breakup of the Bloodline. He teamed with Solo Sikoa to be able to win the tag workforce titles that the Usos misplaced at Wrestlemania. That led to the Bloodline Civil Warfare at Cash In The Financial institution the place, for the primary time in over three years, Roman Reigns received pinned by Fundamental Occasion Jey Uso.

And that brings us right here. The Tribal Fight match. Something goes, and the winner turns into acknowledged because the Head of the Desk. That’s an excellent storyline. The best way it’s carried out is annoying, but it surely is smart and it’s gotten over to an enormous diploma. However that brings me again to my notable exception.

Why is Roman Reigns nonetheless the Common Champion? You could possibly argue that Reigns ought to have misplaced the title twice, each to Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes, whereas nonetheless getting so far. The story since Mania would have performed the identical method. Roman would have had the identical quantity of Common Title defenses since Wrestlemania – zero. And the advantages to Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes would buoy any losses from Reigns not having the title anymore. Whereas this storyline has been red-hot, the Common Title itself appears like a background decoration. If Rhodes vs. Lesnar was the Common Title feud, it wouldn’t. Possibly the corporate has TWO red-hot storylines going into their largest present of the summer time.

Anyway, Roman will win. Folks have talked themselves into Jey Uso as an precise prime man, which is lovable. However Roman will win as a result of the story by no means ends. God forbid it does, then they’ll must give you a distinct story. Prediction: Roman Reigns

Powered by RedCircle