WWE SummerSlam 2016: Early Match Card Predictions, Storylines and More

WWE SummerSlam 2016 will be a balance of fresh faces and marquee names, the first true pay-per-view of the New Era. 

The major event promises to feature a long-awaited matchup for Charlotte's Women's Championship. Brock Lesnar will face a fellow bruiser. And John Cena and AJ Styles will put their story to rest.

SummerSlam will be WWE's means to propel itself in a new direction. The landscape will look much different following the draft on July 19 and the brand split between Raw and SmackDown. 

Chances are, the summer blockbuster will see WWE crown a second world champion and introduce a wrestler from NXT capable of being one of the building blocks for the future.

From The New Day's tough test to Roman Reigns' transformation, the following is what one can expect to see when WWE invades Brooklyn, New York, in August.

The New Day vs. The Club vs. The Wyatt Family (Tag Team Championship)

The New Day and The Wyatt Family's recent bickering makes it obvious that those teams are on a collision course. The tag champs have mocked the bearded monsters on Raw for two weeks straight.

That sets up the tag team title match for Battleground, but SummerSlam will have to top that. That's where The Club comes in.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson's rivalry with The New Day never came to a real conclusion. That leaves the door open for The Club to come chasing down the champs again. Pitting all three teams against each other will create some compelling chaos and add a good mix of names to the SummerSlam card.

At that point, The New Day will likely hold the record for longest reign as tag champs. Per WWE.com, Big E and Co. have owned the titles for just over 300 days. The 334-day record set by Brian Kendrick and Paul London in 2006-2007 is about to be broken.

SummerSlam will then feature The Club, as well as Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman of The Wyatt Family, trying to end a historic run with the belts.

Crowning a 2nd World Champion

Possible matchup: Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Rusev vs. Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro

Signs point to WWE resurrecting the World Heavyweight Championship to give both Raw and SmackDown their world titles.

WWE.com now refers to Dean Ambrose's title as the "WWE Championship." The "world heavyweight" part of the title is gone. Monday's Raw featured that same distinction.

If the big gold belt is indeed coming back, count on WWE crowning the champ at SummerSlam. That major moment would be right at home at the huge pay-per-view.

Going with a five-man elimination match would allow WWE to fit a large number of talents into one match. That would make things easier on WWE Creative, as the writers wouldn't have to come up with individual stories for Orton and Wyatt. Instead, the company can showcase some of the brightest stars of a single brand in one shot.

Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (Women's Championship)

Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks, the match fans have long expected and pined for, is the safest bet for SummerSlam.

After Banks failed to dethrone Charlotte in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania, she fell to the wayside. Charlotte moved on to new foes. That was reportedly by design.

According to the Wrestling Observer (h/t Nick Paglino of Wrestle Zone), WWE's plan was for Natalya to challenge Charlotte early in the year and hold off until SummerSlam to have The Boss take on the champ.

That is looking to be exactly what WWE had in mind, as Banks has suddenly emerged and gained momentum in a hurry. She is currently on a six-match winning streak, per CageMatch.net (link contains SmackDown spoilers).

Combine that with Banks' recently chasing after Charlotte and staring the champ down, and it's clear a showdown between them is on the way.

Count on Battleground being a transition to this SummerSlam clash, with Banks and Charlotte either meeting in tag team action or The Boss getting a warm-up opponent.

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. Breezango (Pre-Show)

At first glance, this doesn't look like something that would garner a SummerSlam spot. Every pay-per-view needs filler, though.

Remember that Los Matadores had a SummerSlam match last year, and that comedy act Santino Marella went into the 2012 edition of the event as U.S. champ. 

Besides, WWE is obviously high on Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. The two new arrivals from NXT have consistently been on TV, never left wanting for airtime. This bout would be an excuse to cram them onto the card and provide a bit of silly fare for the pre-show.

At the very least, WWE knows that Amore and Big Cass would garner a huge reaction from the New York crowd, with the former being from New Jersey and the latter from Queens.

John Cena vs. AJ Styles Comes to a Close

After John Cena and AJ Styles killed it at Money in the Bank, their story did not slow down. Styles and The Club have since attacked Cena on Monday's Raw, clearly setting up a sequel to their instant classic.

The Battleground pay-per-view is either going to host Cena vs. Styles II or a tag team match to serve as a bridge between Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. Either way, the conclusion of what indy wrestler Gran Akuma called "a SummerSlam-level feud" is on its way.

This is the perfect merging of a household name (Cena) and a wrestler on the rise, one giving the roster a boost with his fresh presence (Styles). Plus, their first meeting was stellar.

WWE can book this rematch with confidence, knowing that this is a bout worthy of the SummerSlam stage.

Brock Lesnar vs. Kevin Owens

Brock Lesnar will wrestle at SummerSlam just weeks after competing at UFC 200, but there are few clues as to what WWE has in mind for him at the marquee pay-per-view. The Beast Incarnate has not appeared on WWE programming since WrestleMania.

One has to assume, though, that WWE will give him a big opponent who fans can buy as handling himself in the ring with a tank like Lesnar.

Kevin Owens is the right man for the job.

As one of WWE's most promising emerging stars, Owens is due for an upward move on the company hierarchy. Facing Lesnar would be a major step in his trek toward the top tier. 

It's a clash Owens has long hinted at. For example, Owens told KATC-TV out of Lafayette, Louisiana, (see video above) that he had issues with Lesnar after the two collided on Raw in January.

Owens slugging it out with Lesnar is an appealing option, one that furthers the idea of ushering in the New Era.

The Miz vs. Sami Zayn (Intercontinental Championship)

The Miz and Sami Zayn have history to build on. En route to the Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 32 and the Fatal 4-Way match at Extreme Rules, these two men locked horns several times over.

Revisiting that animosity will make plenty of sense after Zayn is pulled away from his rivalry with Kevin Owens after the brand split. Zayn vs. Owens at Battleground is being billed as the end of that feud, likely a hint that the enemies will end up on different shows post-draft.

That will open the door for Zayn to get a decent push, remaining in contention for the IC title as SummerSlam arrives.

Zayn and The Miz have shown strong chemistry in the past. That and the desire to keep Zayn's momentum going will inspire WWE to set up this title bout for August 21.

Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

Finn Balor is the safest bet among NXT stars to move to the main roster by way of the WWE draft.

He is not sticking around Full Sail University to further his development at this point. Balor has looked ready for Raw and SmackDown for a long time. After winning and losing the NXT Championship and having what could end up being a farewell match against Shinsuke Nakamura on July 13, it will be time to call up The Demon.

To introduce Balor as a star from the get-go, WWE will pit him against a top-notch opponent, Seth Rollins.

With this pairing, the company can guarantee itself a special match right off the bat for Balor. These rivals' combined athleticism, high-level performances, speed and agility will make this a stunner of a bout.

Expect Balor to move quickly up the ladder as WWE continues to sell fans on the New Era.

Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship)

Dean Ambrose's battles with his former brethren from The Shield won't end at Battleground. Instead, his issues with Roman Reigns will intensify.

Ambrose has to fend off both Reigns and Seth Rollins at Battleground to retain the WWE Championship. Chances are high that he'll do just that. As powerful of a moment as it was for The Lunatic Fringe to seize that gold in May, WWE isn't likely to trample over it by having his reign end in short time.

Look for Reigns' character to keep shifting in a darker direction.

All the frustrations and failures he has experienced have to affect him over time. His increased aggression feels like a precursor to the full-blown heel turn many have long expected. That change would make him an ideal foil for Ambrose.

To help distinguish this matchup from their previous clashes, bet on WWE spicing things up via a stipulation. Making this a Steel Cage match or a Street Fight will make it feel bigger and more fitting for the SummerSlam stage.