WWE SummerSlam 2017 Predictions Part 1

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World! I hope you are all well and good and have had a good start to the week! So the time has finally rolled around. The final countdown to SummerSlam has kick started as we reach the last week before the event itself. Now, two years ago this week would have been dedicated to single prediction posts. Taking a look at each and every match on the card I would have run through my full predictions for those matches both for RAW and Smackdown LIVE. However, I honestly do not have the time what so ever and there really is no way I'm going to be able to write and upload around eight predictions if not more in one week especially a week that is of course my birthday and having so much going on. So, what I am going to do is something I have done for a couple of pay per views this year, my last minuet SummerSlam predictions. Throughout both twenty sixteen and seventeen I have written posts like this and they've gone down just well and I've totally enjoyed writing these more than the longer individual posts. As I have mentioned already my uploads this week are going to be a little all over the place but I'm so glad I was able to get this done and uploaded for you. Just so you know I am pre posting this a week in advance and I'll be changing things throughout the week. I'm also planning on writing and uploading an NXT Takeover Brooklyn version of this post also so keep an eye out for that which should go up sometime tomorrow or the day after! I will of course be live tweeting throughout both shows As always, any recent blog post will be linked bellow, and finally, you can let me know what your predictions are for both SummerSlam and NXT takeover by leaving a comment or tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

New Champions in Tag team Division?

The tag team divison on both RAW and Smackdown LIVE is looking rather interesting to say the last. It's evident that two thousand and seventeen has been the year of tag team break ups. From Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens, over to NXT's Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa back to the likes of Enzo and Cass and American Alpha. We've seen so many break ups this year that we now look at at tag team wrestling as a whole in the WWE and are left feeling a little empty. I am going to be writing a full post talking about these break ups in more detail and what I think but lets just say that the general vibe isn't great and I really do feel as though so many mistakes have been made. One of the biggest issues they've had is the lack of competition. After the brand split a year ago the WWE had the chance to showcase all their tag team talent perfectly but instead have left the divisions on both sides feeling rather empty and the lack of teams on each brand has led to repetitive storylines and feuds throughout the past year with a lack of actual interest. Heading into SummerSlam this weekend we have two tag team title matches to look forward to. The first comes from Smackdown LIVE and will see the Usos look to re capture the Smackdown LIVE tag team championships from the New Day. Okay, so we've seen these guys go head to head on several different occasions throughout the years and the work between them this year has been going on for a few months but actually (totally contradicting what I just said) I'm really looking forward to this match. I am starting to loose interest in the actual story but these guys work so amazingly well together and continue to raise the bar for tag team wrestling., There hasn't been a match so far from them that I haven't enjoyed. Both teams have been leading the tag team divison in the WWE for a few years now and as a result are two of the most popular and over teams in the company and the matches we have seen from them have all been strong. This weekend I'm expecting the same standards. There's great heat between the teams, the Usos have been killing it in the heel role over the past seven months or so and I've found myself enjoying their work 100x more. On Sunday night I'm totally expecting this to be one of the standout matches of the night. These guys are forever raising the bar and the matches between the Usos and the new day really are always entertaining and totally gripping. Who do I think will walk out champion? Honestly, looking at everything this could go either way. Personally I'd like to see the New Day retain and keep hold of the titles for a little longer but I wouldn't be angered if the titles do change hands. Talking of the actual championships I'm one hundred and ten percent expecting to see the new day debut new championship designs.

Over on Monday night RAW things are looking a little more interesting. For the past month or so the WWE have been teasing a mini Shield reunion. Okay, so its not really a Shield reunion but with Ambrose and Rollins' paths meeting again the question has remained; Will the pair reunite and work together to leave SummerSlam with gold (or in this case red and silver). If you have been reading my RAW highlights posts you will probably have picked on the fact that I'm a little conflicted here. I've written a couple of posts recently talking a heck of a lot about Seth Rollins. I've raised the point that I'd love to have seen Rollins challenge Miz for the IC championship and I know that rumors of a triple threat including Ambrose were going around but that was never something I really liked the idea of. I've also spoken about my interesting in Rollins moving over to Smackdown LIVE and the link for the post where I talk about that in more detail will be listed bellow. Because I have so many opinions regarding Rollins and him switching brands I haven't been too sure what to think of him and Ambrose chasing after tag team gold however, their story is something I'm totally invested in. The chemistry between Rollins and Ambrose is something you just can teach. The pair have worked so amazingly well together throughout their careers dating back to FCW and the story between them is something I have been following for years. Because of their phenomenal history whenever they are put in the ring together I'm hooked and they honestly do have my full attention. With it finally being revealed that the pair will challenge Sheamus and Cesaro for the RAW tag team championships things really have gotten interesting. Throughout the past few weeks these two haven't been able to trust one another completely and their relationship has been rocky to say the least. Can they work together at SummerSlam to leave as champion? Again, I have no idea how this match is going to go. We have four amazing talents here who have all the potential in the world to put on one of the best matches of the weekend and potentially one of the best tag team matches of the year but as to who walks out as champion I'm still totally conflicted. I wouldn't be surprised with either result but at the same time I also have no idea who I want to win. I believe Sheamus and Cesaro are amazing champions and make for a great team but I'm not sure how much more they can bring to the table but I've always been a huge Shield fan and that moment, seeing Rollins and Ambrose put what happened three years ago aside and work together to leave SummerSlam as champions. I really do think this could be an amazing match and the end result is one I'm super excited to see and with Ambrose potentially turning heel there is every reason to tune into this match.

Will We see a Cash In?

It was just a couple of months ago that the Smackdown LIVE roster presented the two thousand and seventeen Money in the Bank pay per view which for the first time in history saw the women's divison given their own money in the bank ladder match and while the first one on the night wasn't the best in the world Natalya, Carmella, Becky Lynch, Tamina and Charlotte nailed it a second time round there is no denying that the right decision was made and Carmella was one hundred and ten percent the perfect choice. Since the pay per view the women's divison has been very up and down and I've comment on how messy I feel it is. At last months pay per view a fatal five way elimination match was booked with the winner of the match going on to challenge Naomi for the Smackdown LIVE women's championship. Again, in my review of that show I noted that wasn't impressed with that match in the slightest and while I'm huge fan of Natalya I'm not entirely sure whether or not she was the right women for the job. I mentioned in my highlights post and over on social media that when it comes to SummerSlam I want to see big time matches booked. I wanna see the best in the best matches competing for gold and the booking to be completely right. I've always been a  huge fan of Nattie and I've commented time and time again on how underrated underutilized she is however, if I was booking SummerSlam and wanted to have a standout women's match I would have most certainly given fans Naomi vs Charlotte for all the obvious reasons. Of course I'm going to remain positive. Natalya and Naomi are brilliant in ring performers, very different but very talented and If they are given enough time they could very easily put on a great match. I'm over the moon that Nattie is finally being given some kind of push and a big time championship match at a huge pay per view. Will she walk out as champion? Honestly, I don't know. Smackdown LIVE is such an unpredictable place and they really do thrive on that land of opportunity vibe and it has worked in the past. I wouldn't be surprised if she did but I also wouldn't if she doesn't. Personally I will be rooting for Natalya. I would really love to see her finally given the chance to shine and standout that she really deserves. Such an underrated talent Nattie has always deserved better and its about time a title is put on her waist and she is able to have a lengthy title reign. Of course now when we talk about championship matches here we have to also touch on Carmella. I've already commented on in previous posts that I believe there is a high chance she could cash in this weekend. I am expecting Corbin to cash in also but I'll get into that in more detail soon. Honestly, I don't want to see two cash ins on one night and at the moment I'm undecided on who I want to see actually do so. With the women's division we are seeing Carmella and Naomi have so much tension at the moment I can totally see Carmella cashing in if Naomi picks up the win. There's a story to be told if she was to cash in Natalya but with Nattie working as a heel I can't see it being as effective and if Nattie walks out as champ I'd much rather see her have her moment. I like the unpredictability here a lot! There so much potential for great stuff here and I'm very interested in seeing where it goes.

Keeping on the theme of cash ins one of the biggest rumors heading into SummerSlam this weekend is Corbin cashing his money in the bank contract on Shinsuke Nakamura. As we know, after defeating John Cena in a number one contenders match a couple of weeks back former NXT Champion will challenge Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam for the WWE championship. Okay, before we get started on the cash in and all things Baron Corbin we need to talk about this match itself. When the number one contenders match was first announced I was honestly super excited. Cena vs Nakamura is a dream match regardless of what you personally think of either superstar. Both so massively different inside the ring yet two of the biggest and most popular male wrestlers in the world today, this is a dream match for any wrestling fan and I was left really really excited to see the pair collide for the first time. The match itself lived up to expectations. Of course I would love to see them go one on one again in the future and have the opportunity to battle it out in a full on storyline but this was a brilliant taster and one of my personal favourite Smackdown LIVE main events of the year so far. Although, I have to admit that despite totally loving the match the end result was not what I was expecting. I've mentioned in previous posts and over on social media that I really did believe the SummerSlam WWE Championship match would see Jinder Mahal defend his title against John

Cena. It made sense. Jinder is all Mr Anti America and Cena... well he's John Cena. The main reason I was expecting this however was to do with Cena making history and becoming a seventeen time champion. SummerSlam is a huge pay per view and I would have totally expected them to go down that root with a surprise cash in from Corbin. Instead,we have Mahal vs Nakamura. Again, mixed opinions. I don't believe this will be the match of the night at all and I'm not entirely sure the booking is right at all. However, I'm certain both men will get a reaction and the end result will for sure be an interesting one. Do I think the WWE would have got a bigger reaction out of fans if we had Cena vs Jinder? One hundred percent but we're just going to run with it. I definetley have an interest in this match, not as much as I should but there's interest there and I'm excited to see the outcome. Now, Baron Corbin is a big big name in this picture.Set to take on Cena at SummerSlam this weekend he is also still being heavily spoken about. There really is a strong likely hood that Corbin could walk out of Summer Slam as WWE Champion. As far as the match itself I'm expecting to see Nakamura get the win despite having the feeling Jinder could still bring a lot to the table, I honestly can't see him walking out with gold. Corbin and Shinsuke have had a feud going on for quite some time now and Corbin still hasn't been able to get the upper hand. If Nakamura competes in a killer match and is left completely tired after Corbin has the opportunity to blindside attack the new champ, cash in and walk out as champ. Of course any of these three men could walk out as champion but I honestly do think that with the rumors and the current booking state, Corbin is gonna need momentum and walking out is champion while its risky booking would certainly change things around for him.

Part two of this post will be uploaded later in the wee!

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