7 Matches We Could See at WWE SummerSlam 2015
Next to WrestleMania, SummerSlam is one of WWE's grandest events of the year, and rarely does it disappoint in delivering a sensational show. As such, it often features many monumental matches and moments only worthy of occurring on the grand stage.
Since 1988, SummerSlam has been WWE's biggest blockbuster of the summer, but somewhere along the way it lost its luster. However, it's managed to recapture that same magic in recent years with historic happpenings such as Daniel Bryan's unforgettable WWE Championship win, Brock Lesnar's unholy annihilation of John Cena and much more.
As the summer season quickly approaches, the long-term buildup to bouts transpiring at the event will begin within the next few weeks. With seeds for several matchups already planted, the card for this year's SummerSlam pay-per-view is slowly shaping up to be something special.
If the last few months have been any indication, this summer will be a fun one for fans of WWE. From The Beast Incarnate resurfacing to the meteoric rise of Kevin Owens, there are a number of things to get excited about as the stage is set for SummerSlam.
Although we're two months out from the highly anticipated event, it's never too soon to start speculating about what matches we could see.
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
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For the first time in over a decade, Brock Lesnar showed signs of becoming a fan favorite shortly before January's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. This became apparent following a ruthless attack on Seth Rollins at the end of the Jan. 19 edition of Raw, teasing that a babyface turn was on the horizon.
At the Rumble, Lesnar was successful in defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Rollins and John Cena in a Triple Threat; however, it wouldn't be the last time that he and The Architect would cross paths.
In the meantime, he turned his focus to 2015 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns, who he looked to assert his dominance against in the main event of WrestleMania 31. Although he annihilated him the same way he did John Cena at SummerSlam, Reigns withstood the violence and took it to The Beast Incarnate.
Before the bout could reach a proper conclusion, Rollins took advantage of the ultimate opportunity by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With it becoming a Triple Threat, Lesnar didn't have to be pinned in order to lose the match, allowing Rollins to beat Reigns to take home the title.
Lesnar looked to invoke his rematch clause the next night on Raw, but was instead suspended by Stephanie McMahon for viciously assaulting the commentators and other employees. It remains to be seen whether Rollins will still be champion by the time he returns, but a championship rematch between the two is all but confirmed for the SummerSlam main event.
Ryback vs. Sheamus
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Following a four-month layoff due to injury, Sheamus made his anticipated return on the post-WrestleMania 31 Raw and has been running rampant over the entire WWE roster ever since. Sporting a new look and undergoing a change in attitude, he's been nearly unstoppable in embarking on a path of destruction.
Sheamus' intentions for coming back have been made quite clear: He wishes to rid WWE of its underdogs. From Dolph Ziggler to Zack Ryder to Daniel Bryan, he's taken them all out one by one, and he will seemingly not rest until he is atop the food chain yet again.
While he may be no underdog, Ryback isn't one to underestimate, and as he told Sheamus himself, he doesn't like bullies.
Ryback has seen a career resurgence in recent months and was rewarded for his efforts with an Intercontinental Championship victory at Elimination Chamber. In fact, it was Sheamus who he pinned inside the steel structure to win his first major singles title in WWE.
Their match on the May 18 edition of Raw was actually enjoyable, and the controversial finish left the door open for a rematch down the line. With Sheamus holding a singles win over The Big Guy, he should be in line for a title shot against Ryback by the time SummerSlam rolls around.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
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For months, John Cena has defended his United States Championship with honor each week by offering an open challenge to anyone on the roster. From Dean Ambrose to Rusev to Sami Zayn, he has reigned supreme against all opposition and has etched his names in the record books as a proud holder of that star-spangled prize.
On the May 18 edition of Raw, Cena's U.S. Open was accepted by none other than Kevin Owens, who wished to leave a lasting impression his first night in WWE but in a different way. Instead of facing off against Cena, he berated him on the microphone before brutally laying him out with a Pop-Up Powerbomb, symbolically stepping on the U.S. title belt with his own NXT Championship held high above his head.
In one night, Owens solidified himself as a star to the masses by going straight after the top dog. He sent a message to everyone in the WWE Universe that the future had indeed arrived.
Then, at Elimination Chamber, Owens gave Cena the fight of his life, and in the end his offense proved to be too much for The Champ to handle. Cena ultimately succumbed to defeat, handing Owens one of the most monumental victories in recent WWE history.
The two will do battle yet again at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in two weeks, though it's uncertain if either of their championships will be up for grabs. Regardless of the outcome on that night, it's fairly certain their feud will carry over into SummerSlam, where it could very well wrap up.
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
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In the two years he's been on the main roster, Bray Wyatt has seemingly mixed it up with almost all of WWE's top talent. From John Cena to The Undertaker to Daniel Bryan to Dean Ambrose, there aren't many Superstars he hasn't crossed paths with since his arrival on the scene.
Among the few individuals missing from that list is Randy Orton.
Not once have they done in-ring battle, nor have they even encountered each other inside the squared circle. The only history they have together was when Orton punted Wyatt's former self, Husky Harris, in the skull four years back, essentially morphing him into what he's become today.
Orton has been doing some of the best work of his career as a tweener since his return several months ago and has finally found his groove as a character. Wyatt, on the other hand, has floundered as of late, bouncing from feud to feud without any real direction.
Past Money in the Bank, it's unknown what the future will hold for Orton, but a feud with The New Face of Fear would be welcomed. Wyatt desperately needs to re-establish himself with wins over notable names, and The Viper is at a place in his career where he can take a loss or two and not be damaged by them.
Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler
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It's been a tumultuous last few months for Rusev, starting with his shortcomings against John Cena. Although he managed to defeat Cena in decisive fashion at the Fastlane pay-per-view, their feud was far from over.
The two met in a rematch at WrestleMania, and Rusev suffered his first pinfall loss and relinquished the United States Championship to Cena. He was also unsuccessful in beating him in their subsequent outings, which caused dissension between himself and his main squeeze Lana.
Out of frustration, Rusev scolded Lana in the middle of the ring on the May 18 edition of Raw and seemingly severed ties with her. That same night, Lana resurfaced and locked lips with Dolph Ziggler, cementing her split from the Bulgarian brute.
In a jealous fit of rage, he assaulted Ziggler the very next week on Raw when Lana made it clear to him that they were through. The rivals were set to meet inside the Elimination Chamber that Sunday, but due to suffering an injury on the May 29 SmackDown, Rusev was pulled from the match.
On the June 1 Raw, Rusev admitted he was a broken man, but that he would regain what was rightfully his upon his return. Although no timetable has been set for his comeback, it's possible he's back in time for SummerSlam to settle his score with Ziggler once and for all.
Stardust vs. Stephen Amell
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We're quickly coming up on the one-year anniversary of when the Stardust character first debuted, and what a wild ride it has been for the former Cody Rhodes.
Fed up with disappointing his brother Goldust by constantly coming up short in tag team matches, Rhodes underwent a complete makeover and thus Stardust was born. From there, the two took the tag team division by storm and quickly captured the WWE Tag Team Championship.
By early 2015, they started to tease tension with each other and finally parted ways shortly before WrestleMania. Since then, Stardust has been his own entity and has been mostly marginalized as an undercard act as of late.
On the May 25 edition of Raw, Stardust came face-to-face with the star of the hit show Arrow, Stephen Amell, who was sitting ringside. Rumors then proceeded to run rampant that WWE was setting up a match between the two for SummerSlam, with it being unofficially confirmed by Hollywood Life over the weekend.
Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns
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For nearly two-and-a-half years, The Shield were the most dominant force WWE had seen in some time, and it was their unity that made them unstoppable. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns had a brotherly bond and it seemed as if nothing could tear them apart.
But on the June 2, 2014, edition of Raw, that dark day came to be. Rollins betrayed his brethren and in a shocking turn of events aligned with The Authority. This forced Ambrose and Reigns to break off into singles competition and focus on their own endeavors.
Although The Shield officially ended that fateful night, Ambrose and Rollins remained close cohorts. They'd have each other's back from time to time, but it wasn't until just recently that they started teaming on a more regular basis again.
In recent weeks, Reigns has been aiding Ambrose in his quest of winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Rollins, but to no avail. All the while, it's apparent his eyes are on the prize as well, a title he came close to winning at WrestleMania 31 before Rollins crushed his dream.
With Reigns confirmed for the Money in the Bank ladder match and Ambrose receiving another championship shot, the gold will undoubtedly cause a rift between them at some point soon. One will turn on the other eventually, and when it happens the stage will be set for their SummerSlam encounter.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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