WWE SummerSlam 2015: Top Stars Who Must Be Showcased at Major PPV

SummerSlam is the second most important show of the year for World Wrestling Entertainment, and as such, the company breaks out the brightest stars and biggest matches for the extravaganza.

With the 2015 edition of the event taking places in the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, there will be even more pressure on the company to deliver a show that lives up to the lofty expectations of the WWE Universe.

In recent years, SummerSlam has been home to some star-studded matches, including the 2014 main event pitting Brock Lesnar against John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This year, WWE arrives at the Biggest Party of the Summer with one of the most talented rosters in its 50-plus-year history and only so many spots for its performers to fill.

Which Superstars absolutely must be spotlighted on August 23? Who are the men and women integral to the success of this year's show, both from a marketing and in-ring standpoint?

John Cena

This one is a no-brainer.

Because he is the franchise star of World Wrestling Entertainment, it would be ridiculous for the company not to book its biggest full-time attraction in one of the highest-profile storylines at SummerSlam.

Whether that storyline results in the culmination of his ongoing rivalry with Kevin Owens or sees the leader of the Cenation's return to the main event remains to be seen.

What should be of no doubt to anyone is that the current United States champion will figure prominently into the company's plans as it moves SummerSlam from the Staples Center for the first time in six years.

The Champ should be, and will be, spotlighted, if only because WWE has done a poor job of building any stars to be at, or even near, his level of mainstream notoriety.

Seth Rollins

For the last year, Seth Rollins has been that rare heel who the entire card can be built around. A villain who dominates television time not unlike Triple H did back in the early 2000s, he is the most hated man in WWE and has more than earned his spot at SummerSlam.

No Superstar has been under more pressure to carry shows based on his character and performances than Rollins in 2015. He has been the centerpiece of WWE booking and has more than lived up to the expectations placed on him by WWE Creative.

He may not enter the show as the WWE World Heavyweight champion, especially after his upcoming title defense against Brock Lesnar at Battleground, but he certainly deserves a spot in or near the main event.

Perhaps a Triple Threat match with his former Shield brethren is in order?

Roman Reigns

Speaking of former Shield members...

The juggernaut of the group has had an interesting 2015 to say the least. He won the Royal Rumble, wrestled a Match of the Year candidate against Brock Lesnar and stole the show at Extreme Rules, working a fantastic Last Man Standing match against Big Show.

Yes, Big Show.

Since then, he has remained in the main event mix, working Seth Rollins and Kane in Raw and SmackDown headliners but otherwise staying just outside the spotlight. As SummerSlam approaches, WWE Creative needs to refocus on Reigns if it still plans on anointing him the face of the company in the near future.

Kevin Owens

The breakout star of 2015, Kevin Owens has delivered two straight pay-per-view Match of the Year candidates against John Cena, not to mention a phenomenal match against Finn Balor at the Beast in the East special. By the time SummerSlam rolls around, he should be in the midst of his first United States Championship reign if everything goes according to fans' wishes at Battleground.

Owens has been so good that shuffling him into the undercard following the conclusion of his rivalry with Cena would be a huge mistake, one that would cost him considerable momentum and ruin the connection he has made with the audience.

Worst of all, it would threaten the credibility that the feud has lent to the United States title.

Owens has made the most of the push given to him thus far, and as a potential main event heel, something the company is sorely lacking at this point, it is imperative to keep the spotlight on him as WWE looks to develop stars for the future.

Dean Ambrose

The Lunatic Fringe is the most popular star on the WWE roster right now, but you would never know it based on the way he has been booked in the wake of his loss at Money in the Bank. He has been beaten by Kane, pinned cleanly by Bray Wyatt and stuck in a meaningless Raw match with glorified jobber Bo Dallas.

In order to prevent Ambrose from losing the momentum that Creative helped him rebuild over the spring and early summer months, it is imperative to shine the spotlight on him at SummerSlam. Failure to do so would cool him off once again, something the company cannot continue repeating.

After all, heating up and cooling down Superstars has been a trademark of the writing team. As it has seen with others on the roster (Sheamus, The Miz), there are only so many times you can ask the fans to invest in a character before they refuse to play the game any longer.

Brock Lesnar

The other obvious one on this list, the Beast Incarnate is the biggest box office attraction in the sport, the man people exclusively buy pay-per-view events to see destroy something or someone. He has been a staple of the SummerSlam show for the last three years and figures to play a huge role in this year's event as well.

As the greatest marketing tool the company has at its disposal, Lesnar will pay huge dividends both as the name on the marquee and the face on the promotional materials.

His feud with Seth Rollins and The Authority should have climaxed in Brooklyn, but because it is culminating at Battleground instead, it remains to be seen exactly what Lesnar will do at the show. Regardless, the spotlight will be permanently fixed on him in the weeks leading into the broadcast.