WWE SummerSlam 2014: Bold Predictions for Massive Showcase

SummerSlam is less than a week away, and as far as we know, the entire card for the August 17 event is set.

This is WWE's second-largest pay-per-view of the year, and the company has done a great job building it up as such. Many of the matches feel like main event-level bouts, and there are plenty of possible repercussions from the outcomes.

The big match that anchors the whole show, slated to be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, is Brock Lesnar challenging John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but there are plenty of other things to look forward to.

Brie Bella will finally get her hands on Stephanie McMahon; Paige will challenge AJ Lee for the Divas title; Roman Reigns will take on Randy Orton; and much more.

If the WWE Network weren't only, say it with me, $9.99, then this might actually be a show worth paying $50.00 for.

Let's go through the card and attempt to make some predictions.

Jack Swagger vs. Rusev

Jack Swagger will be taking on Rusev in a flag match for patriotic pride and personal glory, but this program is almost as much between Lana and Zeb Colter as it is between Rusev and Swagger.

These two powerhouses have been feuding for several weeks, with Swagger technically being the first person to gain a victory over the Bulgarian Brute, albeit by disqualification.

A flag match will allow Swagger to get another win without Rusev losing by pin or submission, which is just one of the reasons Swagger will come away with the win at SummerSlam.

The great thing about this feud is that neither man has been booked to look like the obvious winner. Most feuds are easy to predict in advance, but this one has kept fans on their toes.

Swagger winning makes sense for two reasons—WWE gets to have the patriot stand tall on one of the biggest shows of the year after losing to Rusev at Battleground, and Rusev still gets to claim that nobody has ever been able to pin him or make him tap out.

Prediction: Swagger

Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho

Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho are polar opposites, which is one of the reasons why this has been a very fun feud to watch unfold.

Their first encounter at Battleground saw Jericho come away with the win, even with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan ringside.

Jericho has been able to ensure that Harper and Rowan won't be ringside for this one, which is why Wyatt's win at SummerSlam will be that much more deserved.

Wyatt has stated that he doesn't need to win matches in order to make a statement, which is true, but he does need this win to break his PPV losing streak.

His last victory on a PPV came at Extreme Rules, when he defeated Cena. He went on to lose to Cena at Payback, failed to win at Money in the Bank and lost to Jericho at Battleground.

Wyatt is being groomed as the next big heel in WWE, even if he does get babyface reactions sometimes. Having him lose at a fourth straight PPV just doesn't make sense at this point.

Prediction: Wyatt

Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon

Bella and McMahon have been booked in one of the most bitter rivalries we have seen in quite some time. It all began with Triple H and Daniel Bryan, but things shifted to Brie and Stephanie when it became known that Bryan needed to take off for surgery.

It stinks that Brie had to get such a big push because her husband is injured, but WWE took the lemons it had and tried its best to make lemonade. No, that is not an Adam Rose reference.

Nikki Bella took the brunt of Stephanie's anger over the past several weeks, but now Brie is back and fully in the cross hairs of The Authority.

Both women have had each other arrested, and both of them have physically assaulted each other, but it was Stephanie who took things to another level when she took out both Bellas with Pedigrees.

This match gets two predictions. Not only will Stephanie take home the win, but she will do it with the help of Nikki Bella after she turns on her sister. Nikki was put through hell while Brie was gone, which is why she will probably turn on her sister to make her own life easier.

Prediction: McMahon

Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns

Reigns has been on a roll ever since The Shield disbanded the night after Payback. He may not have won at Money in the Bank, but he has been dominating in almost every other match he has appeared in.

It's pretty obvious that WWE has huge plans for Reigns heading into 2015, and a great way to continue his rampage would be a win over Orton at SummerSlam.

Orton doesn't need this win. He could lose a dozen PPV matches in a row and still be a main event star just because he's been in that position for so long.

Putting Reigns against a guy like Orton will help legitimize the young star and give him what will be his biggest singles win to date.

Prediction: Reigns

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins

One of the biggest grudge matches at this year's event is going to be Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose. These two can't go a week without brawling or costing each other matches.

Ever since Rollins turned on The Shield, Ambrose has been seeing red. Rollins won Money in the Bank, but every time he tries to cash in, there's Ambrose to mess it up for him.

When these two finally lock horns in a Lumberjack match, it's going to be brutal. Not only will they be looking to hurt one another, but all the people they have attacked during their time with The Shield will be keeping them from leaving the ring.

Both men will likely be pushed following this feud's conclusion, which means WWE doesn't want to make one look more dominant than the other.

Since Rollins won the MITB briefcase, it makes the most sense for Ambrose to pick up the win in this bout.

Prediction: Ambrose

The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler

One of three title matches that will take place at SummerSlam will be Dolph Ziggler challenging The Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

As much as this writer would like to see Ziggler walk out of SummerSlam with the IC title, it doesn't seem like the logical choice.

Miz won the title in a Battle Royal just last month at Battleground. WWE has been doing longer title reigns for its champions the past few years, which is just one reason why it doesn't make sense for Miz to lose after only a month.

It wouldn't be much of a title reign if he lost in his first PPV defense. Miz is also the only heel champion right now. Even if Lesnar wins the title, WWE needs at least one heel champion who is there every single week.

Miz has been doing well as a heel since returning. There's no point in messing that up.

Prediction: The Miz

AJ Lee vs. Paige

Bella and McMahon are going to be the ones who deliver the drama on Sunday, which means it's up to Paige and AJ Lee to deliver the quality wrestling.

These two women have what it takes to out do everyone else on the Diva roster if given enough time. They're both very technically sound, but more importantly, they both have that certain edge you just can't teach.

AJ defeated Paige on the June 30 Raw to regain her Divas title after being absent for several months and then retained against Paige at Battleground.

This match will almost certainly be better than their last encounter, but the result will be the same. WWE would be stupid to take the title off of AJ this soon after putting it back on her, which is why AJ will retain.

Paige was a good champion for the most part, but she didn't quite get over as well as hoped. As a heel, she will have the ability to really spread her wings, but she needs time without the title to establish herself.

This bout will likely end their feud for the time being, but don't expect Paige to go down without a fight. This could easily turn into the most physical Divas match we've seen in a long time, simply because both women will take the necessary risks to put on a good show.

Prediction: AJ

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena

SummerSlam looks like a great show on paper, but the whole thing hinges on the main event performances of Lesnar and Cena.

The buildup for this bout has been one of the best we've seen in a long time, and all signs point to a brutal encounter between the two on Sunday.

Paul Heyman has been the driving force in this feud with his incredibly entertaining promos, but when Sunday rolls around, it's all about Cena and Lesnar.

Cena defeated Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2012, but that was then, and this is now. Lesnar is back to being the dominant monster he once was, and there are few people who could believably overcome him.

Cena will put up a valiant effort, but Lesnar is going to walk out with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Some may criticize this decision due to Lesnar's sporadic schedule, but nobody really knows how much he will be around if he does win the title.

Having Lesnar as champion will give WWE some great mainstream media coverage, and it will almost certainly help boost network subscriptions if people think he will be wrestling on more PPVs going forward.

Putting the title on Lesnar makes sense from both an entertainment and business standpoint, which is why it's almost an inevitability.

Prediction: Lesnar

What are you SummerSlam predictions?

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