WWE SummerSlam 2017: Full Match Card Predictions After Great Balls of Fire

Great Balls of Fire derailed Roman Reigns' dreams of chasing the Universal Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2017.

In what was essentially a No. 1 contender's match on Sunday's Raw-exclusive pay-per-view, The Big Dog fell short. He may have left Braun Strowman hurt, but Reigns could not conquer the monster.

That result will have decided the SummerSlam fate for himself, Strowman, Samoa Joe and universal champion Brock Lesnar.

And after Great Balls of Fire unfolded in Dallas, both brands will get to shine in the second-biggest WWE event of the year.

What bouts await AJ Styles, The New Day, Finn Balor and Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam? The feuds the company has foreshadowed help answer that question. As does trying to piece together the puzzle WWE will be putting together for the summer blockbuster.

Read on for full projections for the PPV card.

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship)

This is a match befitting of a high spot on the WrestleMania card, but WWE may go this route early.

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura would assure SummerSlam an in-ring masterpiece. Their clash at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom last year was marvelous.

Hosting the rematch on WWE would give two of SmackDown Live's top stars something significant to do for the PPV. It would entice and appease the diehard fans. Plus, the U.S. title's involvement would bring welcome buzz to that belt. Styles knocked off Kevin Owens at a live event on Friday to claim that prize.

KO may unfortunately fall by the wayside in the title picture as Nakamura moves past Baron Corbin to set up an electric showdown for SummerSlam.

Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (Raw Women's Championship)

Alexa Bliss fended off Sasha Banks at Great Balls of Fire.

That story may not be finished, as Bliss took the cheap way out and got herself counted out. Once she wraps things up with Banks, a new, daunting challenge will emerge.

Nia Jax has been hovering around Bliss and the Raw Women's Championship for months.

The two formed an alliance with the understanding that Jax would look out for Bliss if she got a future title shot. Jax nearly won that chance via June's Gauntlet match on Raw. She'll get it at SummerSlam as a means to put two of Raw's best emerging talents in the spotlight.

Jax will likely have to slide into more of a babyface role, or at least that of a Strowman-like tweener monster. But that looks to be the bout WWE has been building toward.

Banks will be Bliss' warm-up. The Boss will have to take a backseat briefly while Jax gets her turn.

Rusev vs. Shane McMahon

Rusev appeared to be on a collision course with SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon after moving to the blue brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up. The injured powerhouse demanded a title shot in a series of videos.

He never got it. Instead, he didn't show up on TV for weeks.

The Bulgarian Brute has a date with John Cena at Battleground. That promises to be a warm-up match for Cena, but it could also be a catalyst for Rusev. Should the heel become enraged after the loss, he could start to blame McMahon for not giving him the opportunity he thought he deserved and somehow pin his loss on the commissioner in a fit of paranoid behavior. 

Seeing Rusev dust himself off from the Battleground loss and go after SmackDown's head man would be a drama worthy of the SummerSlam stage.

Cesaro and Sheamus vs. The Revival (Raw Tag Team Championships)

The Hardy Boyz may be done with chasing the Raw Tag Team Championships for the moment.

Matt and Jeff Hardy came seconds away from victory at Great Balls of Fire in a show-stealing Iron Man match. Cesaro and Sheamus left the brothers frustrated. They clanged Matt's head against the ring post. A cut above his eye left him a bloody mess.

All that could easily add up to a brief Hardy Boyz hiatus before they return as the "broken" characters they played on Impact Wrestling.

Cesaro and Sheamus, meanwhile, looked like a powerful machine on Sunday's PPV. They're going to need a new set of rivals in a division that doesn't have many options.

The Revival is bound to make its way to the No. 1 contender's spot in the coming weeks.

Dash Wilder's jaw injury slowed down The Revival, but before that, the smashmouth duo was tearing it up on the Raw brand. Wilder and Scott Dawson ran over The New Day and looked destined for a quick chance at championship gold. They will get that chance at SummerSlam.

The Revival's nothing-pretty approach is a perfect match for Cesaro and Sheamus' physical style.

The Usos vs. The New Day vs. Breezango (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)

The SmackDown tag team division has essentially narrowed to a three-team entity.

The Usos are thriving as the trash-talking champions. The charismatic trio of The New Day is closing in on the gold. And Breezango has been the most entertaining act on the roster thanks to its Fashion Files comedy segments.

WWE can showcase all three of the blue brand's top squads should it book a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam.

The New Day's interactions with SmackDown's fashion police leading up to the event would be wild fun. WWE could balance comic antics with serious drama with this three-team feud. In addition, SummerSlam would benefit from having some variety in terms of match type on the card. 

The Miz vs. Finn Balor (Intercontinental Championship)

The Miz knocked off Dean Ambrose at Great Balls of Fire. His Miztourage aided him in securing a cheap victory.

Even though his win in Dallas wasn't decisive, WWE has to move on. This feud has no juice left. The intercontinental champ needs to find a fresh foe. Luckily, a rising star is in need of a high-profile opportunity.

Finn Balor's feud with Elias Samson has always felt like a stopgap. It has a main event star playing around with a midcarder.

WWE is going to end that tale well before SummerSlam.

Balor needs a bigger match, and The Miz can provide that. The Hollywood A-Lister has arguably been one of the top three performers on the roster for the past year and a half. He and Balor would have one hell of a feud and create something electric in the ring. 

And if Strowman, Joe and Reigns are going to crowd the Universal Championship picture, it makes perfect sense to have Balor seek out the IC crown for now.

Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Naomi and Charlotte Flair never got to the apex of their story.

The Welcoming Committee interrupted their rivalry. That led to a soft babyface turn for Flair and a number of tag team battles. The race to become the first Ms. Money in the Bank delayed Flair and Naomi's clash even longer.

That's the match WWE will return to at SummerSlam.

Flair is the most talented option to have oppose Naomi. Her reverting back to heel status is less work than trying to turn someone like Becky Lynch. Naomi needs a quality challenger after having to deal with the vastly inexperienced Lana for the past few weeks.

The Queen versus the champ would likely lead Naomi to her best match to date. Carmella, meanwhile, can lurk in the distance with her Money in the Bank briefcase in hand.

Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns

Reigns essentially named himself No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship in June and demanded to battle the winner of Samoa Joe vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam. The trouble is, he lost on Sunday. Strowman bested him in their Ambulance match.

Logically, The Monster Among Men should get the spot opposite Lesnar.

But what happens to Reigns and Joe in that scenario? WWE will likely pit them against each other, building on their brief history as rivals.

Joe will be furious he couldn't put Lesnar away at Great Balls of Fire despite dominating the match. Reigns showed a dark and vicious side after his loss on Sunday. Perhaps they look to take out their anger on each other, setting up a clash between two Samoan badasses.

Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)

Lesnar nailed Joe with an F-5 at Great Balls of Fire to take down the charging predator. While The Destroyer made the case on Sunday that he deserves another championship opportunity, WWE is likely to avoid doing a rematch for such a key SummerSlam bout.

Strowman earned a title shot by outlasting Reigns.

WWE has teased a Strowman-Lesnar collision in the past. SummerSlam would be an ideal time to revisit that story and to have two titans bash each other on the big stage.

The Monster Among Men is the de facto No. 1 contender after defeating Reigns. He is poised to step into the spot Joe so briefly held.

Jinder Mahal vs. John Cena (WWE Championship)

In the tradition of Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Lex Luger vs. Yokozuna and Cena vs. Rusev, SmackDown's top title match will see a patriot powerhouse go up against a foreign baddie. 

Mahal is bound to finish off Randy Orton at Battleground in their Punjabi Prison match. The Maharaja's reign is just getting rolling, and it's not going to end until at least SummerSlam arrives.

Cena will be in need of a new challenge after charging past Rusev. He will want to go for his 17th world title reign to break Ric Flair's longstanding record. He will want to take down the anti-America egotist.

The story writes itself. WWE is going to follow a familiar pattern at the summer blockbuster as Cena fights in the name of the United States.