WWE SummerSlam 2015 roundtable with predictions for the big event – CBSSports.com
Extending the event to four hours, hiring Jon Stewart as a host and ensuring the press for the event is nearing WrestleMania levels, WWE has invested plenty into their 2015 SummerSlam pay-per-view, which will air for the 28th time (just three fewer than WrestleMania itself) on Sunday.
SummerSlam has morphed into WWE’s second-biggest event of each year. As such, CBS Sports has decided to give some staffers a breather from our usual roles. We will break down what you need to know — and perhaps more importantly, what we’re thinking — entering Sunday’s event, which will air live on the WWE Network beginning at 7 p.m.
First, as a matter of introduction …
Dave Richard, Fantasy Football Writer: A life-long wrestling fan who began his career writing a popular column on independent wrestling website TPWW.net, Dave became a producer at WrestleLine.com, one of the leading sports entertainment websites in the early 2000s. In his role there, he was backstage at several wrestling events and interviewed tons of superstars. More recently, he lost a bet to his friend, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and had to do DDP Yoga with him as a consequence. Follow him on Twitter @daverichard.
Denny Burkholder, Producer (Pro Sports): An observer of pro wrestling since 1984 who has covered the industry for numerous outlets over the last two decades, Denny was in the audience when Randy Savage crushed Ricky Steamboat’s throat with a ring bell in 1986. He regrets not doing more to stop the attack. Denny (@DennyBurkholder on Twitter) was a writer for the short-lived ECW Magazine as well as a writer, editor and producer at WrestleLine.com. He is currently a voter for the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame.
Adam Silverstein, Editor (College Football, Golf): The owner and editor of the uber-successful Top Rope Newsletter (1996-2002) and a wrestling contributor for the Miami Herald those same years, Adam has been following wrestling for more than two decades. He’s attended two WrestleManias (XXIV, XXVIII), covered countless live shows and interviewed some of the biggest names in the business, including Mick Foley and Dusty Rhodes. Adam (@SilversteinAdam on Twitter) once did the head shake with D’Lo Brown.
Matt Snyder, MLB Writer: Initially getting into wrestling during the first big boom in the 1980s, Matt was actually in attendance with his father and brother for the infamous Hulk Hogan screwjob in Market Square Arena (Indianapolis) that led to a tournament for the title in WrestleMania IV. After a sabbatical from watching the product, Matt got reintroduced to it in college and has passed his watching habits on to his young son. Find him on Twitter at @MattSnyderCBS.
And now, the roundtable on the squared circle …
Brock Lesnar got the best of The Underatker at WrestleMania 30. (WWE)
1. WrestleMania 31 exceed the expectations of most and WWE is obviously trying to build up SummerSlam to be their No. 2 event each year, extending the show to four hours for the first time ever. How do you feel about WWE’s product entering this event and does the card as a whole live up to your expectations?
Richard: I get where WWE is trying to go with SummerSlam. The funny thing about it is that they should have done this five years ago, before WWE Network, to boost the price of pay-per-views. Now they’re making a big spectacle of an event for the same price as all their other events. It’s a win for the fans that already pay for WWE Network, so that’s great. I don’t know how many subscriptions they’ll earn for the next couple of months because of their “summer drive,” though.
Burkholder: WWE has a lot of talent on the roster right now that can really, really go. Several of these matches stand a legitimate chance at being great to excellent. That’s provided the chemistry is there and the booking direction doesn’t put a damper on the action. But on paper, this show is as solid a show as we could reasonably expect, I think.
Silverstein: Considering WWE is a 12-month product, it makes sense for the company to create a second major event that can, in some ways, rival a WrestleMania. They have certainly put their promotional machine behind the endeavor, and the card is stacked with a lot of talent and fan favorites. Some of the matches will be blockbusters, others will be duds. As with anything the WWE does, like Denny mentioned, it is all up to the booking.
Snyder: My big worry for the event as a whole is that they’re approaching the WrestleMania 16 route in that they’re trying to cram so many people onto the card that we are absent lots of big-time, one-on-one matchups that feel special. We’ve already seen these main events and even some of the mid-card and undercard matches, whether on television or during prior events. I am holding out hope, however, because the build to WrestleMania didn’t seem great and the event itself was incredible. Maybe they’ll pull it off again.
2. Looking at the undercard for this event: Are you actually enthusiastic about any of these matches or do you feel like they’re just throwing as many people into the ring as possible? If so, which one stands out to you and why?
* Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
* Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat: Ryback vs. Big Show vs. Miz
* Comic book match: Stephen Amell & Neville vs. Stardust & King Barrett
* Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. vs. PCB
* Tag Team Championship Fatal 4 Way: Prime Time Players (c) vs. New Day vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores
Richard: It’s an underwhelming undercard. Period. I figure a few of these matches will have some entertaining finishes, but I’m not hyped up for any of them. To be honest, I’ll probably watch preseason football instead of these matches and follow our live blog so I know when to tune in. Predictions: Russev, Miz (new champion), Amell & Neville, Team B.A.D., New Day (new champions)
Burkholder: The least-exciting matches to me are the Intercontinental title match and “comic book” match. Celebrity cameo matches are what they are: a novelty to see how a guest star performs in this genre. The match is usually constructed in a way that’s careful not to embarrass the visiting celeb. It’s hard for me to get too amped about that kind of thing. It’s a one-time throwaway attraction. Big Show is a wonderful human being, but he’s stale. The rest are all potentially great matches. I hope the women are given enough time to put on an NXT-caliber match, and yes, if you’re paying attention, we’ve reached the point where WWE matches aspire to be as good as those of their training group when it comes to the women. That’s not a knock. It’s a good thing. It points to a bright future for that division, provided the creative team doesn’t forget about them. Predictions: Ziggler, Miz (new champion), Amell & Neville, PCB, New Day (new champions)
Silverstein: What’s really a shame about the undercard is all of the talent on it being held down by others that have no business even being on a show like SummerSlam. Ziggler vs. Russev is stale, but those two will put on a great match. WWE could find no better opponent for its second-biggest title than Show and Miz? Neville is a top-tier athlete being bogged down in a celebrity match. I’m not even going to address the stale, boring tag team division. This undercard is an example of WWE’s poor booking; the company consistently wastes opportunities to improve their product by cramming talent and stale storylines down the throats of viewers. The only match I could see being a standout is Ziggler and Rusev; they’re young, hungry talents and both deserve better. Predictions: Ziggler, Ryback, Amell & Neville, PCB, New Day (new champions)
Snyder: Let’s do some quick-hitters on all these. A three-way would’ve been perfectly fine for the tag team title match, as Los Matadores have no business even being on the show; those other three teams would have worked well together. I understand the use of Amell with Neville here and at least he looked like he had some athleticism in his earlier spat with Stardust. If they let Neville do the heavy lifting while Amell picks his spots, this could be a sleeper hit. The “Divas” division is infuriating and has long deserved more time and opportunity from the company. So they’re giving them the time and opportunity now … without a storyline. Nothing has been accomplished by these same teams fighting for weeks and nothing is on the line for them at SummerSlam. The mix for the Intercontinental title match is a rough one. Gone are the days when the belt was up for grabs between athletic performers that were on their way up in the company and needed a boost. Ryback is a fine performer, and he’s only just getting started, so they need to see what kind of momentum he can build as a champion. For me, Ziggler and Rusev will be the best match of the undercard. Predictions: Rusev, Ryback, PCB, Amell & Neville, New Day (new champions)
Cesaro and Kevin Owens may bring the house down at SummerSlam. (WWE)
3. There are three mid-card matches, if you will, all of which have their own level of intrigue and most of which feature young talent getting an opportunity to shine on a major stage. How do you feel about the storyline for each match entering this event and how do you see them playing out?
* Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
* Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
* Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
Richard: The former Shield/kind-of Wyatt Family match should be fun. There is talk of an Ambrose heel turn, which might disappoint because I really like what I’ve seen from him over the last several months. How they would do that, exactly, remains to be seen. WWE has gained momentum with him as a face, and it seems like they aren’t giving him a true push. Cesaro/Owens should be an entertaining match as well. Adding Owens to the main roster injected life into John Cena, and now he’ll do the same with Cesaro. I’ve always liked Cesaro and am glad he’s getting a chance to put together what should be a 10-to-15 minute match with Owens, who has been the hot new heel the WWE has sorely needed. On that note, though, the Orton/Sheamus match does absolutely nothing for me, especially with nothing on the line or up for grabs (like the Money in the Bank briefcase). Predictions: Wyatt/Harper, Owens, Orton (but more in store for Sheamus later)
Burkholder: Separating Wyatt from his minions did none of the affected any favors, so I like seeing Harper back with him. On the other side, it’s never a bad thing to see Ambrose and Reigns as a team. Those four have serious chemistry in the ring and potential for an amazing match. I smell a heel turn, but I feel like a Wyatt Family expansion needs to happen first. Both occurrences in the same match would be overkill. Cesaro vs. Owens is my main event. Both of those guys are innovative and exciting, and it’s great to see the audience finally getting behind Cesaro again after a few stop-starts in his creative direction. My only concern here is that Owens doesn’t exhaust or injure himself against Finn Balor right before SummerSlam and end up unable to give Cesaro 100 percent. Orton needs to win here for storyline purposes due to Sheamus holding the aforementioned briefcase. Sheamus will stay relevant as long as he holds that thing, and Orton is not currently a champion. Sheamus simply doesn’t need this win. Predictions:Wyatt/Harper, Cesaro, Orton
Silverstein: Like the other guys said, Orton/Sheamus is a bathroom break, snack retrieving period, at least until the RKO at the end. So let’s focus on the other two matches. The tag team match is another example of the WWE having tremendous talent and not knowing what to do with it; the bookers basically resorted back to an old storyline just to get these guys all on the card. It will nevertheless be entertaining because the wrestlers in the match are talented, but I doubt it will be memorable unless a turn (or return) occurs, as mentioned by Denny. The only one of these matches that will be talked about the next day in a positive way will be Cesaro vs. Owens. WWE did right by these guys, booking two potential show-stealers against each other in a match that may very well open the event if the company wants to set the tone for an amazing show (though all the other matches could pale in comparison). I’m not even sure it matters who ultimately goes over because both are so strong right now a rebound is easy, though Owens has certainly been losing a lot lately. Predictions: Wyatt/Harper, Cesaro, Orton
Snyder: We’ve seen the tag team participants blow the roof off arenas before, but there is no momentum behind the match. The move would be to have Wyatt/Harper go over, but WWE will probably keep building Reigns here. I’ll concur with the other three: Cesaro vs. Owens is going to steal the show; hopefully, their performances help spin them both toward the main event picture. Both are clearly capable in the ring and have the charisma to carry through. Give them 20 minutes to bring the house down and they’ll reward you. Even though Orton is one of my favorites to watch, this is the match I’m least looking forward to. What is so special about it? How is it going to be different from any of their other showdowns? Yawn. Predictions: Ambrose/Reigns, Owens, Orton
Seth Rollins enters SummerSlam as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. (WWE)
4. OK, let’s move on to the double main event. WWE has made Seth Rollins vs. John Cena a “Title vs. Title” match. What do you think about that booking, and who do you see coming out of this with the titles?
Richard: Lately, I’m actually finding myself more interested in what Cena’s doing. Since he won the US title he’s done a really nice job in his promos and stepped up his in-ring ability. Suddenly, I’m not so bored watching him, and it even feels like the US title means something, which was the point all along. This match is proof of that since it’s title vs. title, and the WWE has done a nice job making the US title grander in stature. I think most expect some sort of lame, no-decision finish where Rollins and Cena both keep their respective belts, but something tells me that Cena walk out of SummerSlam with both straps … only to get attacked by Sheamus after the match and drop the world heavyweight title to him. That’s what I would do if I was the booker, and I think the WWE will do it, too. Prediction: Cena (new world heavyweight champion)
Burkholder: If we’re being honest, John Cena is one of the most valuable performers of 2015 so far from a quality wrestling perspective. I had been growing tired of his act, but combining the US title open challenge stuff with his match work with guys like Owens and Cesaro, and he is definitely due some credit. Cena’s position in WWE is such that he could coast on his name for the rest of his career and do quite well. Instead, he’s adding to his move set. He’s working with new opponents that have a very real chance of one-upping him if he doesn’t bring his A-game, and he is holding up his end of the bargain every time. Rollins has done very well as champion. As for the stipulation: To me, that narrows your booking options for the finish. If the finish isn’t a shmozz and one guy leaves with both belts, that’s a significant boost to that guy’s status. A win like that should be reserved for a guy destined for a huge babyface run, and Cena’s probably not that guy anymore. Barring that, it should go to the incumbent heel. That would be Rollins, who can carry both belts until the creative team gets to the point where they’re ready to pull the trigger on that next babyface star. In the meantime, Rollins does the Ric Flair thing and hangs on to the belts long enough to get fans excited for his eventual downfall. Prediction: Rollins (new US champion)
Silverstein: This match screams no-decision or disqualification to me, which would be a shame because WWE truly has a unique opportunity to build on two strong trajectories with this showdown. Cena has really stepped up his game, both in the ring — spending more time on his match plan and chemistry — and on the mic, where he has (mostly) dropped the hokey, trying-to-be-light-hearted-in-the-face-of-serious-situations gimmick for a slightly edgier good-guy approach. Rollins has taken the opportunity given to him by WWE and run with it; he has become the company’s dominant go-to heel in just a handful of months and a great champion. There are just too many ways for this match to end without a clean finish for me to believe there will be one, but Cena’s promo dominated at the Monday Night Raw go-home show, so if I had to guess which one of these guys could leave with both titles … Prediction: Cena (new world heavyweight champion)
Snyder: Unlike these guys, I’m so utterly tired of Cena’s act. I know it’ll never happen, but he desperately needs to turn heel. His booked feuds are monotonous; opponents are a joke until he beats them, then he finds some reason why it does not matter before steam-rolling them over the next three months. Following that trend, Cena will probably lose to Rollins, get his rematch, win the title and then beat him twice more. If I get to go way out there with a prediction, here it is: Rollins wins due to outside interference, The Shield re-forms and joins the Authority. But that’s not my prediction. No, that would be too creative. Expect to see the Authority get involved. Hopefully we get to see Rollins look a little dominant at times here. He’s really had very few clean wins as champion and has been built as a bit of a paper champ. At some point, you have to start showing him as worthy. Prediction: Rollins (new US champion)
The Undertaker’s had the upper hand on Brock Lesnar recently. (WWE)
5. Whether Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker is the final match or not remains to be seen, but it is certainly the one getting non-wrestling fans to tune in. We just saw this showdown a bit over a year ago at WrestleMania 30, and The Undertaker struggled to keep up with Lesnar from a conditioning standpoint. Do you think this will be a clunker or a must-see, and how do you see this thing going?
Richard: Expect to see these two pull out all the stops with The Undertaker getting the victory in the end. Think about this: When’s the last time Lesnar won a big match? His squash over Kofi Kingston in Japan doesn’t count. WrestleMania? Lost. Battleground? Lost. They’re using Lesnar as a guy to get people over. Then again, does The Undertaker really need to get over? I figure it’ll be a bloodbath because Taker can’t put together a compelling match over 20 minutes with a guy twice his size. Lots of spots, lots of fun, though Taker winning is far from a sure thing. Prediction: The Undertaker
Burkholder: Lesnar’s style is vicious and methodical, but it’s not particularly fast-paced. From that perspective, The Undertaker’s age and mileage can be hidden somewhat, as long as he doesn’t get legitimately hurt. However, that exact thing happened the first time they wrestled. I’m less concerned about Taker keeping up with Lesnar and more worried that we’ll see the match cut short due to injury. Lesnar’s not going to intentionally hurt anyone, but when “Suplex City” is your gimmick, the chance of injury probably increases. Prediction: The Undertaker
Silverstein: There are only two ways I see this match playing out, though the end result in about nine months will be the same: This is The Undertaker’s retirement tour. Lesnar could demolish Taker, knocking him out until WrestleMania and giving him the ultimate opportunity to get revenge against the one man to embarrass him twice on a major stage. Taker could then conclude his career with an epic win over Lesnar at WrestleMania 32, possibly in a Casket Match. The other option is that WWE gives Taker the redemption here at SummerSlam and sets up a rubber match of sorts in the spring, where the outcome and match type would likely be the same. You watch this match for the history and spectacle more than the in-ring performance, though I do have high hopes for it considering how much healthier Taker has looked over the last few weeks. Prediction: The Undertaker
Snyder: I’m looking for Lesnar to steamroll Taker the same way he did Cena last year at SummerSlam. The build says that’s possible, too, with Taker getting the upper hand several times. My gut tells me there’s a rematch coming at Wrestlemania, though, so somehow, someway, the Dead Man could pull it off. Kane’s been away for a bit. What if the Big Red Machine version of Kane re-introduces himself and the brothers put the hurt on Lesnar? After the Rollins incident knocked him out, there’s an opening for him to come back in a different storyline. Prediction: The Undertaker
6. Do you feel this card is strong enough overall for WWE to deliver on its goal of making SummerSlam a legitimate WrestleMania clone that can draw national attention and WWE Network subscriptions?
Richard: Nope.
Burkholder: It’s never a bad idea to make any show as big and important as possible, but I’d hesitate to try and position SummerSlam as an equal to WrestleMania. For one thing, it just isn’t, and unless they’re going to turn it into a stadium show with an unbelievable stage and light show, it never will be. But aside from that, I think if the shows were booked and promoted equally, it wouldn’t elevate SummerSlam as much as it would diminish WrestleMania as being less special than it used to be. That’s shaky ground.
Silverstein: There are some matches that certainly make you excited to watch the event — Cesaro/Owens, Rollins/Cena, Lesnar/Taker — but there is so much filler it is a lot to ask to have fans sit down for this four-hour show. As I mentioned earlier in this roundtable, WWE suffers from uneven and sub-standard booking at times. Usually they find a way to turn things around during and after big pay-per-views, but there is no excuse for having certain performers on this match and devaluing things such as the Intercontinental and tag team titles.
Snyder: I don’t have high hopes, but they’ve surprised before. The two main events do have the combination of star power and talent. Cesaro/Owens is going to be incredible and there’s good potential in the Divas, tag and “Arrow” matches, too.
7. Do you like the ideas of these pay-per-views having hosts? Jon Stewart seems to be a legitimate fan. Do you think he’ll do a good job?
Richard: I am positive Stewart will do a good job because he’s great at everything he does. But the whole host thing doesn’t really matter or appeal to me. When they let C.M. Punk host a pay-per-view, I’ll be more intrigued.
Burkholder: Stewart will be perfectly fine in his role. If they use him for the occasional interview with very little gimmickery, it’ll be OK. The only concern is that Stewart is respected as a no-B.S. type of guy, and he will be actively participating in a scripted endeavor here. In other words, making him play along with storylines might backfire. As for pay-per-view hosts in general, it all depends on the host and what they expect of him.
Silverstein: The idea of having a “host” for a pay-per-view is a strange one and has been since WWE started doing it a few years ago. Sometimes they’re barely on screen, and when they are, they add little value to the show. Stewart is a bit different in that he’s the first host coming from outside WWE’s own world, he knows the performers and actually has a passion for the business. I think it’ll be fun to have him there … in limited quantities.
Snyder: I generally don’t like the host concept, but sometimes it works out fine. Hulk Hogan “hosting” WrestleMania 30 basically consisted of him doing one cool promo with Steve Austin and The Rock. That worked. If you’re going the celebrity route, someone who can work a crowd like Stewart is a good selection, and his segments (both on Raw and The Daily Show) with Rollins were outstanding. I think he’ll do a great job and make most future hosts look terrible by comparison. Speaking of which, what if Stewart turned “heel” to help Rollins beat Cena? That would be something.
John Cena will try to leave SummerSlam as the World Heavyeweight Champion, too. (WWE)
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