WWE SummerSlam 2017: 10 Ways to Beef Up Boring PPV Card

SummerSlam is billed as the biggest party of the summer by WWE, but the current lineup doesn't appear to have the makings of an epic event.

Over the years, this pay-per-view has evolved almost into a second WrestleMania. WWE has even held SummerSlam Axxess events in recent years during the week leading up to the show.

As of this writing, 10 matches have been booked, according to WWE.com. Once Nia Jax faces Sasha Banks on Raw for a shot at Alexa Bliss' Women's Championship, there will be 11.

Nine of them are singles bouts, one is a tag team match and the main event is a Fatal 4-Way. It's not exactly a stacked card in terms of effectively using Superstars.

Even with almost a dozen matches, WWE still has yet to put the Raw tag or intercontinental champions in matches, which just feels like lazy booking when we are getting Randy Orton vs. Rusev for no reason at all.

There are plenty of ways management can make SummerSlam a more exciting event. This slideshow will look at 10 options to help add some excitement. The items on the list will include booking decisions, additions to the card and other tweaks WWE can make.

10. Have Someone Cash in Their Money in the Bank Contract

A Money in the Bank cash-in is almost guaranteed to generate excitement during any event, and having one of the two briefcase holders choose SummerSlam as their big moment would help make the night more memorable.

Carmella isn't booked on the card, so having her wait until Naomi and Natalya destroy each other in their match to pounce would be a great way to add a third women's match to the show.

Baron Corbin is set to face John Cena in what is sure to be one of the more physical bouts of the night, but once he has that challenge out of the way, he should be waiting to see how the Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura match turns out.

It would be a waste to have both Corbin and Carmella use their title shot at SummerSlam, but either one of them cashing in would get a huge pop from the live crowd and help make some headlines in the process. 

9. Make the Cruiserweight Championship Match a Fatal 4-Way

Neville has been running roughshod over the cruiserweight division for the better part of the past year, and it's time for someone else to have a run with the title

There's no denying how great The King of the Cruiserweights has been since turning heel and joining the 205 Live roster. He has been doing the best work of his WWE career, and he only continues to get better.

He has bested the likes of TJP, Rich Swann, Austin Aries and Jack Gallagher. At this point, the best thing WWE can do is maintain his image as the dominant force in the division.

By making the Cruiserweight Championship match a Fatal 4-Way, WWE can protect him by having someone defeat another competitor to become champion.

Someone like Cedric Alexander would excel with the title around his waist, but Akira Tozawa might be a better choice right now. He has been building momentum for months, and giving him a belt would help push Titus Worldwide to a whole new level. 

This way, Neville gets to maintain his nearly unbeatable reputation while someone else has a chance to rule 205 Live as its champion.

8. Find New Opponents for the Hardys

The unfortunate timing of Scott Dawson's injury has stalled The Revival's second push on the main roster, but it has also left The Hardy Boyz without SummerSlam opponents. 

Matt and Jeff don't need the titles to be one of the biggest attractions on the card, so anyone who faces them will get a lot of exposure.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are the obvious choices, but we shouldn't rule out The Miztourage. Just because The Miz is a singles competitor doesn't mean his cohorts can't compete in a tag team match. 

Sheamus and Cesaro don't even have challengers for the Raw Tag Team Championships yet, so there is always the option to add a multiteam title bout to the show to make things a little more interesting.

Whatever WWE decides to do, it needs to include the Hardys on the SummerSlam card. They are too popular right now to leave on the bench.

7. Give the Pre-Show Three Matches

The two-hour pre-shows before WWE's biggest events end up regularly pushing these shows over the six-hour mark. 

The standard setup is to include two matches during the Kickoff, but it should be three instead. Not only would this give the panel more time to rest, but it would help keep the pre-show from being as uneventful as it usually is.

We don't know which of the 11 scheduled bouts will be pushed to the pre-show as of writing, but based on the lineup, it wouldn't be surprising to see Big Show vs. Big Cass and the cruiserweight title match on the Kickoff.

People often see being put on the pre-show as a demotion, but it's not. Anyone who gets to work a pay-per-view benefits from the exposure.

Adding a third women's match, a tag bout or a random singles match to give some Superstars something to do would suffice as long as it features talents who can get the fans on their feet like Sami Zayn or Breezango.

6. Add a Battle Royal

To continue the point from the previous slide, if WWE wanted to make the pre-show a bigger part of SummerSlam, it could add a Battle Royal to the two-hour Kickoff.

These matches are a great way to feature a lot of people who deserve screen time but don't currently have a storyline worthy of a PPV match.

The winner could be rewarded with a future title shot against the IC or U.S. champion, or the prize could be some kind of Raw vs. SmackDown trophy if WWE decides to include Superstars from both brands in the match.

Struggling Superstars like Zayn, Dillinger, Mike Kanellis, Luke Harper and Elias Samson would get a huge boost from a Battle Royal victory, even if it's on the pre-show.

This would also be a great way to give a few NXT Superstars some exposure on the main roster before they are officially called up.

5. Take the Title off Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar holding the Universal Championship has allowed Raw's other titles to shine a little more, but it's time for the belt to come home.

The Beast is a great draw, but having him essentially hold the title hostage until he decides to work another match is getting old. 

Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe have been working hard to carry WWE's flagship show without a championship for months. One of them deserves to be rewarded for all their hard work.

WWE can keep Lesnar's unbeatable image by having one of the three challengers pin someone else, which is something we have already seen addressed on WWE television multiple times during the buildup to SummerSlam.

The threat of Lesnar leaving WWE is nothing but a storyline, so it doesn't matter if he leaves for a few months. It would even make a return during the 2018 Royal Rumble more exciting because people might not expect him to show up if they think he no longer works for the company. 

The universal title hasn't had a lot of time to establish a legacy. Having it in rotation more often is the only thing that will help.

4. Give Finn Balor an Epic Entrance

SummerSlam is one of the few PPVs when WWE goes all out on the presentation, and this usually means a few Superstars getting special entrances.

Finn Balor's storyline with Bray Wyatt is obviously leading to the return of the Demon King persona Balor made famous in NXT, so he should be one of the Superstars who gets a flashy intro.

Painting him with a unique design and giving him a cool jacket won't be enough. There needs to be an army of demons accompanying him to the ring or a special rig to make him rise out of the stage. 

It wouldn't take much to give him a memorable walk to the ring, but WWE has to do something to make it stand out from all the amazing entrances he had in NXT.

3. Book Chad Gable vs. Jason Jordan

Jason Jordan being Kurt Angle's son made it seem like he was in store for a monster push, but he isn't even on the SummerSlam card.

WWE broke up American Alpha without having the two former champions address the issue face to face. There was no closure to a team many fans loved since their days in NXT.

Chad Gable has had a few outstanding matches on SmackDown since the breakup, but these performances haven't led to a real storyline.

WWE should take this opportunity to give us one Raw vs. SmackDown match with Jordan taking on Gable. Kurt Angle could even justify the decision by telling Jordan he needs to beat his former partner to move on.

Both men are incredibly talented technicians, and if they were given 15 minutes, they might just steal the show. Nobody has to turn heel, and it could end with a handshake and a hug to make the WWE Universe happy.

2. Have Pete Dunne Defend the United Kingdom Championship

Anthony Benigno of WWE.com recently named Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate from NXT TakeOver: Chicago as the best match of 2017 so far.

It was an incredible performance from two young and hungry pro wrestlers, and WWE should build on their momentum with a match at SummerSlam.

Marc Andrews, Trent Seven or Wolfgang could be added to give the match a different feel from the TakeOver encounter, or this could be billed as Bate's official rematch for the United Kingdom Championship.

Having Dunne defend the belt at indy shows is unique, but it will only bring new people to these events if they see what he can do on a bigger stage.

1. Don't Be Afraid to Take Chances

This one might seem a little vague, but it's relevant to the current product. WWE has been too cautious in recent years, and it has made the programming feel stale at times.

One of the reasons the Attitude Era was so popular was because management did things fans didn't expect. Mick Foley winning the WWE title is just one example of a risk that paid off in a big way.

The roster is more loaded than ever with incredibly gifted wrestlers capable of things most Superstars wouldn't have thought possible 20 years ago, and they are being wasted.

Even the reveal of Angle's illegitimate son felt predictable. WWE has to start taking chances again, otherwise, the ratings will continue to fall. PPVs get a lot of attention, so there is a greater opportunity to produce headline-worthy surprises.

SummerSlam is usually a great time for wrestling fans, but there is so much more WWE could be doing to make this year's show worth sitting through. The things on this slideshow are just the tip of the iceberg.