WWE SummerSlam 2016: Match Card, Odds, Potential Spoilers, Picks and More

Dream contests and rematches comprise a robust WWE SummerSlam 2016 card sure to showcase the building blocks of the New Era.

John Cena and AJ Styles will meet two months after their instant classic at Money in the Bank. Sasha Banks and Charlotte will reverse roles from their excellent Women's Championship on Raw in July. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins collide in a match sure to thrill en route to one man becoming the inaugural universal champion.

And two surefire future Hall of Famers will meet when Randy Orton tangles with Brock Lesnar in SummerSlam's marquee matchup.

With that lineup, it's easy to envision SummerSlam outdoing WrestleMania this year. The pay-per-view is sure to deliver slugfests and displays of athleticism. But who will come out victorious in all of these battles?

For the most part, it will be WWE's emerging stars who claim victory.

WWE will be looking to charge into the New Era with fresh faces at the top of the card and up-and-comers holding on to gold. That's great news for fans pulling for Finn Balor, Apollo Crews and the rest of the recent NXT transplants.

News, Potential Spoilers

WWE world champ Dean Ambrose's words may end up affecting his booking.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), Ambrose caught some backstage heat thanks to his interview with Steve Austin on the Stone Cold Podcast last week. Officials were reportedly unhappy that he aired out his issues with Brock Lesnar and talked negatively about WWE Creative.

As petty as it would be, WWE could take that out on Ambrose and have him drop the title at SummerSlam. 

The Biggest Party of the Summer may include a huge star not on the card. Keep an eye out for Goldberg possibly popping up at the event.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson noted that Goldberg will be in New York for the weekend and making his "first appearances under a WWE banner since departing the company in March 2004," likely as part of WWE 2K17 promotion. Johnson also wrote, "We have not heard whether or not he is slated to make a cameo at SummerSlam."

Eva Marie's suspension for violating WWE's talent wellness policy will make sure she doesn't show up to SummerSlam. It will also shake up the bottom of the card.

She was set to have her first official match since SmackDown drafted her in July, but she will now be out of action for the next 30 days. A match featuring six wrestlers is now down to five. It's not clear how WWE plans to handle that.

John Clapp wrote for WWE.com, "Will Alexa and Natalya power through without the 'eternally beguiling' redhead and battle Becky, Carmella and Naomi in a 2-on-3 Handicap Match? Or will the fierce Bliss and the tactical Natalya recruit a partner in time for The Biggest Event of the Summer?"

Perhaps a familiar face will take Marie's place.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported that doctors have cleared Nikki Bella to step back into the ring following her neck surgery. Satin added that "she's been instructed by WWE officials to take things slow upon her return."

Competing in a tag team match where she would only have to wrestle briefly qualifies as taking it slow, right?

Match Card

• American Alpha, The Hype Bros and The Usos vs. Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains (Pre-show)
• Sami Zayn and Neville vs. The Dudley Boyz (Pre-show)
• Carmella, Becky Lynch and Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss and Natalya
• Cesaro vs. Sheamus (First match in Best-of-Seven series)
• Enzo and Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens
• The Miz vs. Apollo Crews (Intercontinental Championship)
• The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (Tag Team Championship)
• Rusev vs. Roman Reigns (United States Championship)
• John Cena vs. AJ Styles
• Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte (Women's Championship)
• Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE World Championship)
• Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

SummerSlam Odds

Match	Favorite	Underdog
Sheamus vs. Cesaro	Sheamus (-140)	EVEN
Rusev vs. Roman Reigns	Rusev (-300)	Reigns (+200)
The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson	The Club (-250)	The New Day (+170)
The Miz vs. Apollo Crews	Crews (-200)	The Miz (+150)
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte	Banks (-1200)	Charlotte (+600)
John Cena vs. AJ Styles	Styles (-300)	Cena (+200)
Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar	Lesnar (-350)	Orton (+225)
Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler	Ambrose (-700)	Ziggler (+400)
Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins	Balor (-160)	Rollins (+120)

Charlotte is the biggest underdog of the night.

That's due to the fact that WWE is highly unlikely to change champions again so soon. Banks just dethroned Charlotte on July 25. It makes no sense to undo the momentum The Boss is garnering right now.

Orton fans will be happy with these numbers. Oddsmakers actually give him a reasonable shot to upset Lesnar. 

That feels like wishful thinking, though. The Beast Incarnate is 8-2 in one-on-one PPV bouts since his return in 2012, per CageMatch.net.

Predictions

• American Alpha is key to the victory over the heels
• Zayn and Neville over The Dudley Boyz
• Carmella, Lynch and Naomi over Bliss and Natalya
• Sheamus over Cesaro
• Enzo and Big Cass over Jericho and Owens
• Crews over The Miz
• Gallows and Anderson over The New Day
• Rusev over Reigns
• Styles over Cena
• Banks over Charlotte
• Ambrose over Ziggler
• Balor over Rollins
• Lesnar over Orton

Breakdown of Top Matches

Styles vs. Cena II

If WWE truly wants this to feel like the New Era, a Styles win is a must. Cena triumphing in the key match of a feud is the norm. Styles emerging as the victor is the headline-making move.

WWE may have had its doubts about The Phenomenal One thriving outside of TNA and Japan, but his string of stellar performances has to have won the company over. Expect him to knock off Cena and move into the world title picture for a long stretch.

And this is the safest bet as the night's best match. These two killed it against each other at Money in the Bank.

Banks Remains The Boss

Her rise to the championship enthralled fans. WWE would be foolish to pull the plug on Banks as champion already. The power of her victory would suffer should her reign end at SummerSlam, and The Boss looks more and more like a star WWE needs to build around.

This rematch won't have the emotion that Banks' win last month did, but these rivals' chemistry with each other regularly leads to excellence.

SummerSlam is bound to be Charlotte's last chance at the title for a while. WWE is going to need to insert a fresh face into the title hunt. Look for Banks to score a definitive, climactic win.

Ambrose Ends Ziggler's Cinderella Story

Ziggler will not be among the Superstars who walk out of the Barclays Center with championship gold. His hot streak will end against Ambrose.

WWE has never fully gotten behind The Showoff. He has only flirted with a top-tier position. His latest foray into contender's status will be temporary.

Bray Wyatt will see to that. The Eater of Worlds has hung around the periphery of this story for weeks. And while Wyatt failed to push Ziggler aside and claim his spot as Ambrose's challenger, his recent presence suggests he will factor into this battle.

Count on Wyatt interfering on Sunday as he gets the next crack at The Lunatic Fringe.

The Demon Rises

WWE will continue to keep a jet pack strapped to Balor's back.

The former NXT champ has only been on the main roster since the end of July, but he's already been treated like a marquee star. He owns a clean victory over Reigns, he's in the middle of a prominent storyline and he's in contention for Raw's brand-new world title.

Expect WWE to keep this bold booking going.

Rollins winning the title won't create the same buzz as the recent arrival climbing to the mountaintop in record time. And WWE wants people talking when SummerSlam ends. Balor introducing himself in emphatic fashion will have that desired effect.

The Beast vs. The Viper

As well as WWE Creative has done to sell the audience on the power of Orton's RKO, Lesnar is the clear Goliath in this story.

WWE has long booked The Beast Incarnate as a dominant force. This is the man who ended Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania, who steamrolled Cena two SummerSlams ago. Another impressive stretch is on the way.

Even though Lesnar's return to UFC was tainted with a failed drug test, WWE is going to want to take advantage of the momentum born from that victory. The company will want his momentum overflowing by the time WrestleMania rolls around.

Beating a 12-time world champ in Orton will be the start of that path. Lesnar will again feast at SummerSlam.