Predictions For Each Star in WWE SummerSlam Fatal 4-Way Universal Title Match

The obvious was finally made official on July 24's Monday Night Raw: Brock Lesnar will face Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman at SummerSlam. The winner of that Fatal 4-Way will be the WWE Universal champion.

Just because it was obvious does not mean it wasn't exciting.

The match could have happened on Raw; the fans were ready for it. Had Lesnar been there, there may have been no better time for all four men to wage war. But WWE wants that for the summer spectacle of course, which is the right call. It's the biggest main event in recent memory, and the SummerSlam stage is the perfect place for it.

It's a main event worthy of WrestleMania, and it's happening on August 20. But what will happen with each man on that night?

Only one man can walk away with Raw's top title, but there's more to it than that. Each fighter will surely go into SummerSlam strong, and each must come out strong as well. That's no easy task in any situation, especially with such an important pay-per-view as SummerSlam.

The booking must be perfect, which is also not an easy task. WWE has never been accused of getting it right every time; the company can't consistently please everyone.

But these are four top guys, and that's the difference. Will they be able to bounce back and remain unaffected despite what happens? Or will one wrong move hurt one, or perhaps all, of them?

Samoa Joe

Next to Lesnar, no one in this match is more experienced than Samoa Joe. But how will that come into play at SummerSlam?

Joe knows how to take his time and work the crowd. He also knows how to incorporate his own brand of psychology in a match. His "seek-and-destroy" method works every time, and it makes him a man to be feared between the ropes.

However, he may not have the time at SummerSlam to do what he does best.

The pace of the match will be high tempo in the beginning, and it could remain that way until the end. If that's the case, then Joe will have to take his shots when he can; stick and move as often as possible.

He doesn't have to outrun his opponents, but he does have to budget his time wisely.

He will not back down at any point during the bout, that much is obvious. His fearlessness separates him from many other heels who would rather run than throw hands. Joe is cheered for this, and no matter how much he spews hate at the crowd, the fans love him for it.

They also respect him. Fans familiar with his work outside of WWE and NXT know he's the real deal, and he's always deserved the opportunity to prove it on the worldwide stage. So, when the Fatal 4-Way is over, Joe needs to be bigger than he is now.

Working Reigns had him flirting with main event stardom. The same was true when he worked Seth Rollins. But being near that level is different than being on that level. Joe was made for the WWE spotlight, and he proved that when faced Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire.

Every fan who ever supported him and believed in him should see that support manifested at SummerSlam. Joe needs to leave that event on a higher level than he is now.

He will fight, he will impress, and he will give everything he has in the match. He may win the title or he may not, but it will be clear he's earned it when the final bell rings.

Braun Strowman

Stone Cold Steve Austin once told Bret Hart "you'll have to kill me to be finished with me." That could very well be the case for Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns.

The feud that never ends is still going, and it's turned Strowman into the next big thing. The man who once followed Bray Wyatt is now one three-count away from becoming the second top titleholder in WWE. Much of his current success is indeed thanks to The Big Dog.

Strowman's inclusion in the Fatal 4-Way was not guaranteed, though fans felt it was coming. He has been on another level since he began working with Reigns, and now fans expect The Monster Among Men to do great things.

But Strowman can't fight Reigns forever. Like Batista versus Triple H in 2005, eventually the rising star will have to stand on his own. The real test for Strowman comes at SummerSlam, as well as afterward.

Strowman will be the human wrecking ball at SummerSlam because that's what he does best. He will attack Reigns as he's done for months now, and he will attempt to plow through Joe as well. Strowman will crush anything that gets in his way.

Then he will step up to Lesnar.

This is the great unknown for fans, as it's the showdown that has never happened. From the moment Strowman began getting hot, the whispers started about a possible dream match with The Beast Incarnate. 

Of course they did. Fans want to see Lesnar fall. That's become the gimmick now. An unbeatable champion who's never around is not the kind of champion fans really want. They will cheer for him when he's there, because he's so explosively dominant. But the expectation of seeing him go down is too much to ignore. That's why Goldberg got over on him even though he had walked away 13 years earlier.

Strowman is the untested challenger, the man who is the next logical contender. He will not be easily tossed around, and he will never be intimidated. The two primary weapons at Lesnar's disposal will not be as effective on Strowman. 

Strowman will stay on his feet for a while but will eventually go down. However, when he gets back up, he will ravage the other three Superstars.

Much like Joe, Strowman has been dancing around the main event scene, but he will be on that level after SummerSlam.

He's also popular like Joe, which means the Fatal 4-Way could end with two new babyfaces in the ring. 

Roman Reigns

Reigns is on top, and that's where he will stay after SummerSlam.

Fans know that, and expect it. The company would not invest this much time, money and effort into The Big Dog just to tear him down now. Reigns will be the Universal champion, and he will reign atop WWE with the title. 

But will he win it at SummerSlam?

The issue here is WrestleMania 34. Reigns versus Lesnar was the match that made the most sense. Reigns took down Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Taking down Lesnar one year later would put him on an untouchable level that no one else could reach.

It's not as though he would need more Hall of Fame accomplishments on his resume, but he is the top guy. He's not even begun accumulating those moments, and the next couple of years will prove that.

Beating Lesnar and taking the Universal Championship is perhaps the next big moment for him. Why would that moment come before WrestleMania 34? Following that logic, it's safe to assume that a new champion could be crowned at SummerSlam.

Reigns may not be that champion.

Reigns is in a great spot here because his main event future does not hinge on this match. The same is not true for Joe and Strowman, though, as both men are working to reach the next level. Reigns just needs to show up and fight his heart out, as he typically does.

"Reigns must look strong" may be a tired mantra among fans, but it's just as true now. That's especially the case because of his feud with Strowman.

Of all the men who have stepped up to Reigns, no one has been a more dangerous threat to him than Strowman.

Reigns may be the top guy, but that does not mean he is invincible. That's been proved with Strowman, who has left him for dead more times than fans can count. So, if anything should come out of SummerSlam, it should be a reminder to fans that Reigns is still the man.

His haters will hate, but WWE will not let that affect his booking.

Reigns could come away from SummerSlam with the Universal Championship. If he does, then the WrestleMania 34 main event will perhaps be something much different than what fans have predicted.

Despite what happens on August 20, Reigns will come out of it rock solid as always.

Brock Lesnar

Lesnar missed all the fun on Raw.

While his three opponents brawled, Lesnar was nowhere to be found. The absentee Universal champion is not a full-time star, and he hasn't been since 2004. Lesnar has a schedule that any top Superstar would love to have.

He's obviously well-paid, and he's booked on top every time he comes back.

The most curious part about this Fatal 4-Way is Lesnar himself. He could lose the championship, and nothing would change. He could retain the championship, and nothing would change. Lesnar is the Universal champion in name only; the real top stars carry Raw every week without fail.

Lesnar is the top draw, but that will not last forever. He will surely leave WWE at some point again and when that happens, the company will carry on without him. Rather than depend on him full-time now, he is used sparingly so the rest of the main event roster can work to establish themselves.

When the moment comes that Lesnar leaves, WWE will hopefully be ready.

So that means anything can happen at SummerSlam. Lesnar can lose the title and demand a rematch with the winner at Hell in a Cell on October 22. Lesnar versus Reigns. Lesnar versus Strowman. Lesnar versus Joe. Any of those three bouts would surely be a cell match to remember.

If Lesnar wins, however, he will likely not be finished with his three SummerSlam opponents. 

One by one, each man could get an opportunity at Lesnar, keeping him busy until WrestleMania 34. The fact is Lesnar will face three of Raw's top stars; he will surely not be able to shut them all down that easily. 

That means he may not be on his game at SummerSlam.

Suplex, repeat. That's what Lesnar does and no one does it better. Instead of actually wrestling a match—as Lesnar could do—he smashes his way through his opponents and throws them around the ring with the greatest of ease. But will he really be able to do that on August 20?

He's facing three big guys, and Lesnar can have his way with them separately. But in a Fatal 4-Way full of intensity and mayhem, will he really devastate each man at the same time? Or could he be triple-teamed by three guys who hate each other but hate him more?

Lesnar is along for the ride in this match. Win or lose, he's the same guy, and he will just move on to the next appearance. He has nothing to prove here, and everyone knows it. But it's what the other three guys can prove against him that matters most.

Lesnar will likely leave SummerSlam with the Universal Championship. But it's the match itself that matters more than the outcome. 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com