WWE SummerSlam 2017: B/R Expert Match Picks, Predictions and Analysis

WWE's yearly SummerSlam pay-per-view is finally upon us. This is treated almost like a second WrestleMania, so we should expect a few surprises during the super-sized event.

Here is a look at the card as it stands, according to WWE.com:

• Jason Jordan and The Hardy Boyz vs. The Miztourage
• Akira Tozawa vs. Neville (Cruiserweight Championship)
• Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
• John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
• Rusev vs. Randy Orton
• Big Show vs. Big Cass (Enzo locked inside shark cage)
• The New Day vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
• Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (Raw Tag Team Championships)
• AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship, Shane McMahon as special guest ref)
• Naomi vs. Natalya (SmackDown Women's Championship)
• Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
• Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)

Bleacher Report's lineup of contributors will examine each feud and provide predictions for the matches on the SummerSlam card. Our group is made up of the following:

• Anthony Mango (@ToeKneeManGo).
• Kevin Berge (@TheBerge_).
• Ryan Dilbert (@RyanDilbert).
• James Moffat (@JamesMoffat).
• Alfred Konuwa (@ThisIsNasty)
• Yours truly, Chris Mueller (@BR_Doctor).

Jordan and the Hardys vs. The Miztourage wasn't announced when the questions were distributed, so there will not be a slide for that match.

Rollins and Ambrose vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Titles)

Q: Do you think it would have been better to have Rollins and Ambrose come together at SummerSlam or was it better to reunite them on Raw before the PPV?

Alfred Konuwa (AK): I was quite surprised to see Rollins and Ambrose reunite one week early, but I felt the segment went really well. Reuniting at SummerSlam in Brooklyn would have caused a hotter reaction, and potentially a more memorable moment, but it couldn't have been that much better than the energy that poured down from the TD Garden.

Prediction: Rollins and Ambrose win the Tag Team Championships. Dean Ambrose turns on Rollins and takes the belts with him.

Ryan Dilbert (RD): I've really enjoyed how WWE has handled this reunion and mined a ton of drama along the way. It's been among the best stories the company has told all year. At SummerSlam, there will still be tension between Rollins and Ambrose, giving this tag match an added dimension.

Prediction: Rollins and Ambrose win the titles despite not being a completely unified front.

Anthony Mango (AM): If WWE had teased that they had the title match and still weren't on the same page, it would have felt obvious that they'd win the titles and reunite, making it predictable. Now that they've already done it, there's a possibility it was a red herring and Ambrose turns heel, so that makes it more intriguing to me. In the end, it'll all work out OK, so it doesn't really matter.

Prediction: New tag team champions are crowned.

Kevin Berge (KB): I would have preferred the two only showed complete solidarity after their SummerSlam match, win or lose. It would have been a great story for the two to lose with Rollins taking the fall for Ambrose, forcing Ambrose to finally admit he trusts Rollins. Their crossed fists on Raw made for a nice moment but felt rushed in a feud that has been largely well-paced.

Prediction: Sheamus and Cesaro use Ambrose and Rollins' lack of experience as a unit against them and defeat the accomplished veterans, but Ambrose shows his respect for Rollins and helps him get back to his feet and walk to the back.

James Moffat (JM): WWE actually did this right. Reuniting Ambrose and Rollins pre-SummerSlam was necessary for fans to be truly invested in their partnership. I feel the two should have come together two weeks earlier when Rollins saved Ambrose from a Sheamus and Cesaro beatdown, but that's splitting hairs. WWE hit all the right chords on this one heading into SummerSlam. 

Prediction: Rollins and Ambrose dethrone Cesaro and Sheamus for the tag team titles.

Chris Mueller (CM): I was happy to see them reunite as friends before SummerSlam. This way their match can be more about the quality of the wrestling instead of the question of whether Rollins and Ambrose can work together effectively.

Prediction: Rollins and Ambrose win the match, but they might not win the titles due to a DQ or countout.

The Usos vs. the New Day (SD Tag Titles)

Q: Which brand currently has the superior tag team division and why?

AK: SmackDown gets a slight edge here. Rollins and Ambrose are the most interesting thing going in tag team wrestling right now, but The Usos and New Day have had that mantle for what seems like months. The Hardys are the most popular tag team in WWE, but Breezango are the ones breaking ground with an innovative gimmick. Meanwhile the only thing "broken" about Matt and Jeff is their lawyers' bank.

Prediction: The New Day retains the Tag Team Championships in a match that sees a split crowd reaction, possibly skewing toward The Usos.

RD: SmackDown losing American Alpha hurt the division big time. It now heavily depends on The Usos and The New Day in the ring, as well as the stellar Breezango comedy segments. Raw has more options, more star power, especially when The Revival returns following Scott Dawson's recovery from injury.

Prediction: The New Day hang on in a wild, fast-paced match.

AM: Both divisions are struggling heavily, but for different reasons. SmackDown doesn't seem to want to invest any time in most of their tag teams, while Raw keeps suffering setbacks with injuries to The Revival and feuds being confusingly dropped out of nowhere. Right now, Raw is better, but not by much.

Prediction: The New Day is victorious.

KB: I prefer the SmackDown tag team division because I have a reason to care about everyone. Raw has more teams, but they all feel like they are directionless with Rollins and Ambrose instantly becoming the most interesting team in the entire division with one story. Every week, I tune in to see The New Day, The Usos and especially Breezango on SmackDown.

Prediction: New Day retains in a Kickoff show-stealer over The Usos.

JM: I'd have to say Raw, based on depth alone. Smackdown's tag division is The New Day, The Usos, and that's it. While entertaining, Breezango isn't a real threat to compete, much like The Ascension. At full strength, Raw has five teams that could legitimately go; six if you include Ambrose and Rollins.

Prediction: The New Day retains

CM: SmackDown would have been my answer last week, but with Ambrose and Rollins joining the division, it makes Raw and SmackDown evenly matched.

Prediction: The New Day retains the titles.

Rusev vs. Randy Orton

Q: This match seemingly came out of nowhere. Book a better match with Superstars who aren't on the SummerSlam card yet and explain why it would be better than Orton vs. Rusev.

AK: Is this where I'm supposed to make a formal complaint that Chad Gable isn't WWE champion yet? I'll pass. But here's my scenario: Chad Gable gets squashed by a heel Mojo Rawley. In less than a minute. Rawley attacks him on his way to the ring and his victory causes WWE fans at the Barclays Center to boo so loudly you'd think a foreigner was celebrating his culture.

It would be the ultimate scenario of a WWE-approved character like Rawley getting the better of the little guy, just like Sheamus beating Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds, and it'll only cause fans to naturally rally around Gable. Everybody wins.  

Prediction: Orton beats Rusev but not before the Barclays Center does the wave.

RD: The Miz vs. Jordan would have a better story to build on. It would be a showcase for the newly solo star Jordan. Plus, the Intercontinental Championship would give this higher stakes than Orton vs. Rusev.

Prediction: Rusev gets the win.

AM: All WWE needed to do was replace Orton with Gable and have him and Rusev in a more evenly matched feud where the winner would earn a United States Championship match after SummerSlam. It's that easy and helps push Gable as a credible singles star. Either man could win to face Styles or Owens and the other could work with the loser of that match, easily.

Prediction: Let's flip a coin, because it doesn't matter in the slightest. Oh look, heads. I guess that means Rusev wins.

KB: I'd go with Charlotte (with Becky Lynch) vs. Tamina (w/Lana), building off the story of Lana and Tamina that is already being told. With Lana giving her an opening, Tamina could ambush and beat down Charlotte before Lynch came to save the day, with Lana then convincing Bryan to book the two in a No. 1 contender's match. This match would have more story behind it as well as stakes looking forward.

Prediction: Orton wins with a sudden RKO to get some momentum back.

JM: Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger vs. Breezango in a No. 1 Contender's match for the SmackDown Tag Team titles. This matchup gets four athletic, underutilized Superstars in the ring with real stakes. It also pits two teams fans can cheer for without a telegraphed winner. Zayn and Dillinger aren't going anywhere as singles competitors, so why not use them to build the blue brand's weakest division?

Prediction: Rusev wins in a snoozer.

CM: I would have booked Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis to give them one last chapter to their story. Orton and Rusev have no real buildup to their feud, but Zayn and Kanellis have months of storyline between them.

Prediction: Rusev wins, but Orton hits an RKO to make the crowd happy.

Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt

Q: Should Balor use The Demon persona more often, or is he better off only wearing the paint for big events and why?

AK: The fact that a 36-year-old Finn Balor, who missed eight months due to injury from 2016-2017 and whose body is bound to break down any minute now, is slow-playing a super-over character is insane to me. All these people who want to "make The Demon special," let me ask you some questions:

• How many Clark Kent comic books did you ever buy?
• How many WrestleManias were headlined by Jim Hellwig? How many house show flyers featured The Ultimate Warrior with no facepaint?
• Is Steve Borden in the Hall of Fame, or is it Sting?
• Do you like Bobby Roode's theme song? You do? Well, what if WWE decided to give him generic rock music every week, except for one or two major pay-per-views a year where they could make the "Glorious" theme song "special."
• Do you like Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance? You do? Well, what if WWE decided to give him generic rock music every week, except for one or two big pay-per-views a year where they could make the "The Rising Sun" theme song "special."

Enough with this part-time Demon mentality. It's steaming-hot garbage. This is not World Wrestling Occasional Entertainment. Sting, The Road Warriors, The Ultimate Warrior and Demolition; all had facepaint, all were legit gangsters. The Demon is no exception. There's a reason Balor spent the last pay-per-view cycle being lapped by Elias on TV before getting benched for Great Balls of Fire. It's because as Finn Balor he's an overpaid Noam Dar.

Prediction: Balor defeats Wyatt as The Demon. In October, he brings back the character permanently in a panic after two more months of irrelevance where his name is inevitably floated around in a production meeting as a No. 1 Contender on 205 Live.

RD: It has to be used sparingly. It won't feel special if Balor is trotting out there in The Demon's garb every Monday. And it has to make sense in terms of the current story. The Demon is best served as Balor's secret weapon, one he whips out when he can't beat his foe by normal means.

Prediction: Balor wins.

AM: Entrances should always be bigger on the four biggest shows of the year, so if WWE wants to keep the paint as a special attraction, I see no problem with that. The problem I have is if a feud is built entirely around wanting to see that and nothing more, which is what's happening here.

Prediction: Balor wins.

KB: The Demon is a fantastic concept precisely because it showcases Balor is stepping up, willing to tap into a greater power for the biggest matches. The Demon is the main part of Balor's character that makes him interesting, but that just shows WWE should spend more time developing him separate from his war paint. The Demon will always be cool, but Balor can be more interesting on his own as well.

Prediction: The Demon allows Balor to take an impressive victory over Wyatt.

JM: Balor is a great personality without needing The Demon, so it makes sense to use that persona sparingly. It would be even better if WWE had kept it a surprise instead of making Balor's alter ego a foregone conclusion. I mean, it's not like we weren't watching SummerSlam anyway.

Prediction: The Demon secures the victory.

CM: I know the logistics would be a nightmare because his paint is so time-consuming to apply, but I wouldn't mind seeing him be The Demon more often. It should be his persona for every PPV at the very least.

Prediction: Balor defeats Wyatt by unleashing The Demon.

John Cena vs. Baron Corbin

Q: How do you feel about the way WWE handled Corbin cashing in his Money in the Bank contract?

AK: I truly hope there is more to this story. Hopefully, Corbin either gets his briefcase back, goes medieval on John Cena or all of the above. If not, it was an inexplicable gaffe that made Corbin look like a goof while diminishing the value of a briefcase that has over a decade-worth of great legitimate prestige.

Prediction: Cena defeats Corbin by disqualification after Corbin gets carried away. Corbin gets his briefcase back on Tuesday night.

RD: What a waste of a moment. Corbin's cash-in instantly ranks as one of the worst of all time. He didn't benefit in the slightest from it. Even if he takes down Cena, it won't make up for what he lost in momentum.

Prediction: Cena breaks his SummerSlam losing streak.

AM: While I didn't want Corbin to win the title anytime soon, I also don't think Mahal or Nakamura should be holding it, so I think the entire WWE Championship situation is a mess. And the mishandling of Corbin's title shot was an unnecessary sacrifice that doesn't help his feud with Cena out enough in comparison to how it hurts all the potential good that could have come out of it in the future if it were still around.

This was a rush job to force some heat on this feud all because WWE couldn't commit to writing a better storyline.

Prediction: Poor Corbin either wins and nothing comes of it or he loses and keeps eating crow.

KB: I don't mind the move as it was both unique and unexpected; however, it needs to not be the end of Corbin's story. He has been built up well as SmackDown's monster and needs to continue to stay dominant. If he loses to Cena on Sunday after this embarrassment, he will have lost all the momentum he had built up.

Prediction: Corbin cheats to steal a win off Cena and send him off to Raw.

JM: Insert Stone Cold Steve Austin two-finger salute here. 

Prediction: Cena secures a victory before heading to Raw for a while.

CM: The only way this works out is if Corbin channels his anger into his match with Cena and absolutely destroys him. WWE did a great job building him into one of SmackDown's top heels. There is no point in having him lose his title match unless it leads to something more important. A win over Cena would do wonders for his blossoming career.

Prediction: Corbin wins by nefarious means.

Big Show vs. Big Cass (Enzo in a Shark Cage)

Q: Once Big Cass and Enzo are finished feuding, which Superstar do you think WWE should push harder and why?

AK: Big Cass has money written all over him. He's progressing quite nicely in a feud that's engaging the crowd much better than it should. When someone gets booed the way Cass did on Monday night, I often hear jaded wrestling fans say "he's not getting the right kind of heat," as if they own some type of WWE thermometer that measures the proper heat level where one is supposed to get booed. 

Prediction: Big Cass wins using an intercepted chain Enzo drops from the shark cage. He proceeds to kick Enzo in the face for good measure.

RD: Cass is the more complete Superstar of the two. Amore is more of a manager masquerading as a wrestler. Cass is bigger, a better in-ring performer and is a more believable threat. He's generating great heat as a heel so far.

Prediction: Cass wins a slugfest.

AM: Between the two, Big Cass is definitely the one who needs help in being pushed, but Enzo is the more easily marketable option. Enzo should go to 205 Live, while Cass should be given the right amount of attention to help him transition into success as he still needs guidance.

Prediction: Big Cass wins.

KB: Big Cass is the only one with potential as a singles competitor, and he honestly could be a legitimate star in the future. Enzo may have incredible charisma and mic skills, but he is too much of a liability in the ring to perform at a top level. Cass has the look, the skills and the heat to be a dominant heel soon.

Prediction: Cass forces the referee to stop the match after the damage he does to Show's hand.

JM: It should be Cass, who has all of the tools to be a main event Superstar for a long time. WWE needs to figure out what it wants from Amore, whether that is becoming a full-time manager or a low-tier Superstar with a golden tongue. You can't push guy if you don't know where he fits.  

Prediction: Big Cass wins and (hopefully) moves on from Amore and Big Show.

CM: Cass is the one WWE should put more work into simply because he needs more time to get over by himself. Enzo is popular on his own, so he will be fine, especially if WWE moves him to the cruiserweight division.

Prediction: Big Cass picks up the win to finally end his feud with Enzo and Big Show.

AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (U.S. Title)

Q: After Owens and Styles are done with their storyline, which Superstar would you like to see get a shot at the U.S. title and why?

AK: OK, fine, Chad Gable. Geez!

Prediction: Styles wins after McMahon snaps. McMahon and Owens becomes a Match of the Year candidate whenever it happens.

RD: I'd love to see Styles bring back the U.S. title open challenge and face a number of different foes for a while. This would be a fun way to bring back Shelton Benjamin or give a guy like Erick Rowan an opportunity of a lifetime.

Prediction: Styles wins. Owens leaves furious with McMahon's officiating.

AM: Following what will be a disappointing feud with Cena, I think Corbin needs to enter the U.S. title picture and possibly even take the belt from Styles. If not him, I would love to see Bobby Roode come up to the main roster to start something with Styles.

Prediction: Styles retains the title.

KB: Count me in for a Styles vs. Rusev feud. Rusev sounds like the perfect opponent for Styles with Rusev's size and impressive speed plus the story writes itself given Rusev's insistence that he be treated with respect and be given title opportunities.

Prediction: Styles ends this rivalry with two Phenomenal Forearms.

JM: I'd really like to see WWE explore Gable's potential as a top midcard talent, which means giving him a chance to shine as he did against Styles a few weeks back. Even if it's a short program—a few weeks and maybe culminating in a pay-per-view match—it would give Gable a great chance to shine.

Prediction: Styles retains the United States Championship.

CM: It's clear WWE won't push Zayn as a main event Superstar anytime soon, but he deserves a run with the U.S. title to get himself back on track. He is too popular and talented not to utilize more often.

Prediction: Styles retains and Owens attacks McMahon.

Akira Tozawa vs. Neville (Cruiserweight Title)

Q: How do you feel about WWE giving away the cruiserweight title change on Raw instead of waiting until SummerSlam?

AK: Giving the Cruiserweight Championship away in front of a hot crowd on Raw created a bigger reaction than doing so on a ho-hum pre-show for a pay-per-view. I'm all for African-American talent on WWE TV, so I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Titus O'Neil for basically force-feeding charisma into Akira Tozawa and, seemingly, this entire lifeless division. It's always great to see African-American talent take advantage of what has become a historically limited ceiling.

Prediction: Neville regains the Cruiserweight Championship.

RD: It's a baffling move. After all that buildup to this battle and to have Neville reign for so long, WWE had a hell of a SummerSlam moment in its pocket. Now the PPV gets a retread instead of the big finale.

Prediction: Tozawa retains.

AM: Since we had already seen these two face off so many times before, it's frustrating to see yet another match happening and then to be told you're getting another rematch at SummerSlam. Sure, switching the title prompts a storyline reason for the rematch, but I'm tired of these two going at it; and if giving it away on Raw speeds up the process of moving on to new feuds, good. In most scenarios, I'd hate that decision.

Prediction: Tozawa retains the title.

KB: I hated it. Neville was such a fantastic champion for 197 days, and his reign deserves to end on a larger stage which was easy given they were about to compete at SummerSlam. The win for Tozawa felt anticlimactic, and neither man was wrestling at their best.

Prediction: Tozawa retains and sets off Neville even more with another clean win.

JM: I thought this was a genius move, but only if they stick with the story of Tozawa retaining the title. It would make no sense for Neville to drop the belt only to regain it four days later. This also helps get the rematch stipulation out of the way early, allowing Tozawa and the Titus Brand to move on to a new challenger quickly.

Prediction: Tozawa retains his belt.

CM: It has both positives and negatives. Having a title change hands on free TV will always generate a buzz, but Tozawa winning at SummerSlam would have been so much more satisfying. 

Prediction: Tozawa wins a hard-fought contest.

Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Title)

Q: What is the better booking decision, having Nakamura win the WWE title to make the fans happy or having Mahal retain to continue his push as a main event player?

AK: I'd like to see Jinder Mahal continue his reign. He seems to be getting comfortable with the otherwise repetitive material he's given, and these two have essentially been feuding for one week. It's too early to pay off a Nakamura Championship victory, which, for the record, I'd eventually love to see under the right circumstances. But for now, Nakamura has been mishandled at points during his run on the main roster and needs to come into his own a bit more. It would also help if he shook his early WWE reputation for being dangerous in the ring. 

Prediction: Mahal defeats Nakamura with help from The Singh Bros.

RD: Nakamura as champ would be a great way to close out the year for SmackDown. He can give the title scene some needed electricity. Mahal has already benefited from this push and can remain a prominent part of the show.

Prediction: Nakamura wins the title.

AM: Can we go back in time and have Cena defeat Mahal to win his 17th world title instead? It's too soon for Nakamura, who won't be able to handle the pressure since he can't cut promos, and Mahal has struggled too much in his own right. WWE needs a true main-eventer like Owens or Styles to handle the job.

Prediction: I predict Hell in a Cell is going to make no sense with either of these two as the champion, so SmackDown is screwed for a few months no matter what. Let's just go with Mahal retaining.

KB: Mahal should win because he is not ready to lose yet. His push would collapse with a loss. Nakamura is a star who will be a quality champion when the time is right, but neither man would be better off for Nakamura winning the title at SummerSlam.

Prediction: Mahal uses The Singh Brothers to allow him to steal the win and escape as champion.

JM: Mahal needs to retain, and I don't think there's any question that this would be the right decision. Mahal just had three matches against a 13-time world champion and came out on top in each one. Mahal needs to retain again thanks to shenanigans from The Singh Brothers. Otherwise, WWE wasted three months of Orton's career for nothing.

Prediction: Mahal retains thanks to some hijinx

CM: Mahal winning is the better option here, especially if WWE plans on having someone win the universal title in the other main event. Nakamura can always win the belt in the future, but WWE only has one chance to make The Maharaja's first reign a dominant one. 

Prediction: Mahal wins again thanks to The Singh Brothers.

Naomi vs. Natalya (SmackDown Women’s Title)

Q: Would you rather see Naomi, Natalya or Carmella leave SummerSlam with the women's title and why?

AK: I've really loved the story of Naomi seizing the crown in a women's division that did not carve out a place for her. But Carmella has the hot hand, and I really feel like the time to strike is now.

Prediction: Naomi defeats Natalya in a match where Natalya works over her knee extensively. Carmella goes Tonya Harding on that knee with the Briefcase before cashing it in successfully.

RD: Naomi's title reign hasn't had a chance to really gain any traction. After a holdover feud with Lana, it would be great to see her face a number of superior challengers and get a shot at telling some comeplling stories as champ.

Prediction: Naomi wins. Carmella teases a cash-in but pulls back.

AM: Naomi, undoubtedly. Natalya is excruciatingly boring as a heel and it isn't Carmella's time yet, particularly right after Corbin just wasted his title shot. Naomi still needs to feud with Tamina over the title before preferably dropping it to Asuka, in my mind.

Prediction: Naomi retains the title and Carmella doesn't cash in her title shot.

KB: Naomi has been the champion for a while, but it hardly feels like that is true. Her reign has lacked memorable feuds, and her rivalry with Natalya is only beginning. She should stay champion long past SummerSlam, with Carmella still needing to improve.

Prediction: Naomi retains by forcing Natalya to tap out then avoids a Carmella cash-in.

JM: Natalya needs to leave SummerSlam as champ, and Carmella needs to hold that briefcase through 2017. Nothing against Naomi, who has been a very good champion, but Nattie is better and can help rebuild this division, an excellent veteran who can elevate pretty much any opponent.

Prediction: Natalya wins the SmackDown Women's Championship.

CM: Carmella is so good as the cocky heel waiting to cash in that it would be a waste to have her use up her title shot this early. Natalya has deserved a title for a long time, but Naomi needs to successfully defend hers on a big stage after being left off a few PPVs recently.

Prediction: Naomi keeps glowing her way to a win.

Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women’s Title)

Q: Why do you think Bayley was booed by the Raw crowd during her recent promo?

AK: Because alcohol is legal in Canada, and after months of awful booking, Bayley cut an even more awful promo that went down the drain quicker than the Toronto Blue Jays' playoff chances.

Prediction: Sasha defeats Alexa Bliss. WWE turns Bayley heel, but only if they're out of their freaking minds.

RD: Some of the audience has soured on her character and booking. With good reason. WWE hasn't figured out how to showcase Bayley as the endearing underdog the way NXT did.

Prediction: Banks wins, putting a strain on her relationship with Bayley.

AM: Part of it was probably the crowd not wanting to hear the same old sob story about how her dreams were crushed but she'll make it back to the mountain top since that character and promo has become exhausting and boring, while part of it was probably just an attempt to have fun booing a babyface. I can't say I didn't laugh, even though I felt bad for her at the same time.

Prediction: Sasha Banks takes the title…but I keep changing my mind every day about this.

KB: It was Toronto, which is a crazy town. While it may have been affected by WWE's poor booking of Bayley, most crowds are not booing Bayley especially when she's injured. That was an anomaly scenario.

Prediction: Bliss once more uses every trick in the book to escape with her championship.

JM: Because Toronto fans wanted to be the stars of the show instead of enjoying the stars in the show. Sometimes you simply get a bad group of fans. For example, at Elimination Chamber two years ago, the Corpus Christi, TX, crowd was terribly dead. In Toronto two weeks ago, the fans wanted to be funny. They weren't, and I hope WWE remembers that when they choose where to send the TV cameras next time.

Prediction: Sasha Banks defeats Alexa Bliss to win the Raw women's title.

CM: WWE was in a smark-heavy town that night, so it was bound to happen to one of the babyfaces. When Bayley returns, she will get a big pop, and management will put her right back in the hunt for the title. 

Prediction: Bliss manages to squeak out another victory.

Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Title)

Q: If you could book this match, who would leave SummerSlam as universal champion and why?

AK: Lesnar, with an outside shot of Reigns if there is a heel Shield reunion in store. I'd also be on board for Paul Heyman to screw Lesnar in the process and become the mouthpiece for this group.

Prediction: Lesnar pins Samoa Joe and calls out Jon Jones.

RD: Joe. He's been so tremendous as Raw's resident predator. His NXT run was a revelation and he's topped that on Raw. The time is now to crown him whereas Strowman and Reigns are younger and have time to reach the mountaintop later.

Prediction: Lesnar retains in a Match of the Year candidate.

AM: In my mind, absolutely anybody but Lesnar should win this match. Lesnar as champion does nothing for Raw in the months he's absent and, if he beats all three of these guys in the same match, I'm not going to care to see him beat them again later. I don't want him to hold the belt all the way until WrestleMania, specifically, if he's going to face Reigns; the sooner he drops the belt, the sooner Raw can restabilize the roster behind someone who can actually put the belt on the line more often.

Prediction: Sadly, Lesnar is going to retain.

KB: I hate the idea of the Raw world championship on a part-time talent, so I would absolutely move the title. Joe has been incredible these past few months and already has the experience needed to be a world champion, so I would have him walk out of the match as champion, stealing a pinfall win on Reigns from Lesnar.

Prediction: Lesnar walks out still champion, pinning Strowman.

JM: Lesnar. He's under contract, he's the biggest draw in the company and having him defeat three behemoths means someone new needs to challenge Lesnar the next time around. Lesnar without a title is a disinterested fellow, and I don't want a half-hearted effort from him if he's only sticking around for a few more months. I want a beast, and that only happens when he's fighting for the top prize.

Prediction: Lesnar retains.

CM: My ideal scenario would be Samoa Joe choking Lesnar out to become the champion, but I know that probably won't happen. However, I do still think WWE might put the belt on Joe to give us a shocking ending to the PPV.

Prediction: Samoa Joe beats Reigns to win the title, while Lesnar and Strowman are fighting somewhere else.