WWE SummerSlam 2012: Breaking Down Ideal Card for Marquee PPV

Although RAW 1000 is likely still fresh in the minds of most wrestling fans, it is now time to look ahead to WWE's biggest summer spectacle, SummerSlam. Most would agree that SummerSlam, along with Royal Rumble, is the most important pay-per-view on the WWE calendar aside from WrestleMania, so the creative team must put a great card together.

The only match that has officially been set roughly a month in advance is Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, but that has been assumed for quite some time. Everything else is pretty wide open, but there is great potential to create a memorable event. SummerSlam rarely disappoints, so there is a lot of pressure to make something special.

Also, with the new era of three-hour RAWs beginning this past Monday, it is incumbent upon the WWE to ensure that the buzz around the product remains constant. Things are the best they have been since WrestleMania, but a strong SummerSlam is vital in terms of keeping the ball rolling.

Here is the ideal card that WWE should put together in order to ensure that SummerSlam is a rousing success and that the fans are compelled to continue tuning in.

CM Punk vs. John Cena with The Rock as Special Guest Referee

If it wasn't already obvious that the WWE was looking to rekindle the rivalry between CM Punk and John Cena, it became abundantly clear on Monday. Cena cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the WWE Champion, but Punk retained after Big Show interfered and attacked Cena.

When Punk didn't aid his fellow face, you could tell that something was happening to his character. The Rock surprisingly came out to make the save, and just as he was about to hit the People's Elbow on Big Show, Punk rolled back into the ring and hit The Rock with a clothesline, followed by a GTS.

Punk then stared down in a sinister manner and walked off as Jerry "The King" Lawler proclaimed he had turned his back on the WWE Universe. King's comment cemented Punk's heel turn and should make for an interesting few weeks. My initial thought is that Punk will defend against Cena and Big Show at SummerSlam because of Show's involvement, but that wouldn't be the best move.

I have absolutely no interest in Big Show taking part in this feud, and I believe most fans feel the same way. Everyone wants to see the super-face in Cena take on the disrespected heel champion in Punk. The champ had been teasing a heel turn for quite some time and it appears as though his platform will be that he wants to step out of the shadows of Cena, Rock and others.

To make this match even sweeter, The Rock should be the special guest referee. He already announced that he'll be facing the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble, so he has a vested interest in the match. Also, the event is in Los Angeles, so Rocky figures to be there anyway.

The Rock appearing in any capacity will drive buy-rates, and since he has a rivalry with Punk and history with Cena, he would make this incredible match even better.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H has been a couple months in the making, and it finally became official on RAW 1000. I wasn't optimistic regarding the segment, but the creative team did a great job with it and got me interested in the match despite the fact that the build had been put on the back burner for weeks.

I was happy that Paul Heyman was allowed to do all the talking for Lesnar, and I loved the way that Stephanie McMahon was the one who goaded Heyman into accepting the match on Lesnar's behalf. A normal match between Lesnar and Triple H would be a huge deal since Lesnar has so much mainstream appeal, but there are ways to enhance the bout as well.

The first thing I would like to see is Heyman in Lesnar's corner and Stephanie in Triple H's corner. There is no doubt that Heyman will be there and will get involved, but Stephanie hasn't been utilized consistently in an on-screen role for quite some time. I'm hoping that changes because she and Heyman could have some hilarious exchanges that would add another element to the contest.

I also feel like there should be some sort of stipulation. If Lesnar wins, he should be granted the contract that he initially negotiated with John Laurinaitis and Heyman should become general manager.

If Triple H wins, however, then Lesnar doesn't get paid and both he and Heyman have to drop their respective lawsuits against Triple H and the WWE.

All of that would be happening in a kayfabe sense, of course, but it would add some intrigue. I fully expect Lesnar to win after he put John Cena over at Extreme Rules, so he would get his fat contract and Heyman would be GM.

AJ was named general manager on Monday, but I can't help but think that she is merely a placeholder until a permanent option like Heyman is instated 

Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio

The World Heavyweight Championship has taken a backseat to the WWE Championship as well as John Cena for the past couple months, and it looks like that will continue to be the case moving forward.

That doesn't mean that an entertaining match can't be put together for SummerSlam, though. 

Sheamus has held the title since WrestleMania and has been a dominant force his entire run. Nobody has really come close to taking him down, but he has been involved largely in transitional feuds. He has yet to have a substantial challenger and there still isn't one on the horizon.

One way to circumvent that, however, would be to put him in a triple-threat match against both Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio next month.

The titleholder has already vanquished Del Rio a couple times, so nobody wants to see a one-on-one contest, but throwing Mysterio into the mix keeps things fresh. Mysterio and Del Rio have a bit of a rivalry going, as do Sheamus and Del Rio, so there would be a lot of action to keep track of, and it would make things a lot more interesting.

Dolph Ziggler got involved in this tussle last week on SmackDown since he is the Money in the Bank holder, but there is a better way to utilize him and he doesn't need to be around the World Heavyweight Championship quite yet. Sheamus vs. Del Rio vs. Mysterio would have some intrigue and the match would likely be a great one as it is.

I still don't see Sheamus dropping the belt any time soon, so he figures to come out on top, as usual, but at least Mysterio's injection into the feud will make it a bit more exciting.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho with MITB Contract on the Line

There is no question that CM Punk vs. John Cena and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H would garner more interest from the casual fan, but if Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho do battle at SummerSlam, that will take the cake from my perspective. Ziggler badmouthed Jericho last week and then laid him out despite being his tag-team partner on Monday, so I have no doubt that something is in the works.

I had some concern that Ziggler was going to be a part of the World Heavyweight Championship feud since he was bantering with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio last week, but his actions on RAW 1000 would seem to refute that. Ziggler finally is getting a push that is long overdue after he won Money in the Bank, and having a match with Jericho can only help him.

The dynamic between the two is fantastic because everything is coming together for Ziggler, and his confidence is at an all-time high, though, there is some question as to whether Jericho is losing his touch since he has constantly lost since returning. The basis of the storyline is a great one and I hope it carries into SummerSlam.

To make things more interesting, I would have Ziggler put his Money in the Bank contract on the line.

Ziggler can continue to berate Jericho for the next couple weeks until Jericho finally tells him to put his money where his mouth is and defend the contract at SummerSlam. This would suddenly put Ziggler into a big-time feud against one of the best all-around competitors ever.

Since Ziggler is on the ascent and Jericho is scheduled to go on tour with Fozzy, Ziggler would obviously get the rub and retain at SummerSlam. Even if the result isn't surprising, though, the match will be fantastic and the entire build will be highly entertaining as well.

The Miz vs. Randy Orton

Once The Miz returned to a great reaction at Money in the Bank after filming The Marine 3, it was clear that there were some big plans for him. The Miz was mired in a miserable losing streak before taking a couple months off, but that was likely only so he could be phased out quietly.

He returned with a bang, however, and made his first big move at RAW 1000.

Miz defeated Christian for the Intercontinental championship and became a Grand Slam champion in the process, as he previously held the Tag Team and WWE championships, respectively. Miz could defend his IC title against Christian at SummerSlam, but there isn't much of a storyline there and I would rather see him retain against Christian in the next week or two.

The perfect opponent for Miz would be a returning Randy Orton, though.

Orton's 60-day suspension for violating the company's wellness policy is nearly over, so he figures to be a part of SummerSlam in some capacity. Orton didn't have much going on prior to the suspension, but a subtle and forgotten event could lead him to feud with Miz.

Before Orton was suspended and Miz left to film the movie, Miz was complaining in the ring, and that prompted Orton to come out and hit Miz with an RKO. That was the end of the segment and it hasn't been mentioned since. I have to believe that the segment was a way to plant the seeds for a match between the two at SummerSlam, however.

Orton was actually passed over in favor of Miz for the movie role due to the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the marines in real life. Miz can play off that, and since Orton is on wobbly ground with the WWE, the company would likely be fine with embarrassing The Viper a bit.

Miz should ultimately pick up the win and get a huge bump from beating one of the company's top superstars.

Daniel Bryan vs. Kane with Charlie Sheen as Ringside Enforcer

After social media ambassador Charlie Sheen talked trash to Daniel Bryan at RAW 1000 and Bryan reciprocated, I'm a bit worried that they will actually have a match at SummerSlam. Sheen, who lives in Los Angeles, essentially challenged Bryan, so it's a very real possibility. I'm hoping that WWE comes to its senses and goes a different route, however.

I would be fine with having Sheen involved in some way since he could help Bryan get some mainstream attention, but nobody actually wants to see him wrestle. Sheen is a shell of his former self and I doubt he could get around too well between the ropes.

One way to keep the Bryan vs. Sheen rivalry alive without having Sheen compete would be to make Sheen a ringside enforcer of sorts in a match between Bryan and Kane.

He could even be the special guest referee, but since I already have The Rock playing that role in the WWE Championship match, I don't want there to be overkill. The most logical opponent for Bryan would be Kane. Neither Bryan nor Kane have a defined feud right now, but they did face each other on SmackDown and were both formerly in relationships with AJ.

Since AJ is now general manager, I could see her making the match between Bryan and Kane at SummerSlam as a punishment to Bryan, and making Sheen a part of it as well to put Bryan at a disadvantage. I would not be the best utilization of D-Bry, but at least he would on the card in a match that would be treated as an important one because of Sheen.

I'd like to think that Bryan would go over in the match, with Sheen somehow getting the last laugh afterwards, but the result doesn't matter much. As long as Bryan and Sheen have a confrontation of some kind, it should benefit Bryan moving forward.

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