Predicting 2021 WWE SummerSlam Match Results That Will Anger Fans

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It may not seem like it but SummerSlam is quickly approaching.

In some ways, The Biggest Party of Summer feels bigger than WrestleMania this year because it will take place in Las Vegas and live crowds are back in full force. However, the event doesn't quite have the same momentum that many fans had hoped.

Yes, Sasha Banks, Goldberg, John Cena are back to lend their star power to the "Big Four" pay-per-view. But some of the matches on the card don't spark the same interest as these high-profile names.

Nevertheless, the event could still turn out to be a shot in the arm for WWE. After all, last year's iteration was one of the best shows to take place in the ThunderDome as Roman Reigns made his return and shockingly turned heel.

In the months following the PPV, The Tribal Chief transformed SmackDown into the company's best weekly series and made the Universal Championship more relevant than ever.

This weekend, there is a chance that Becky Lynch could make a similar return to reinvigorate the women's division. That would certainly be a way to send the fans happy, but there are just as many ways to upset them.

Here are three predictions for match results that will anger the audience.

Let's be honest, there is no satisfying way to wrap up the bizarre game of one-upmanship between Alexa Bliss and Eva Marie.

Most viewers don't seem to care about Marie's current direction. Even more, she and her new protege, Doudrop, aren't even getting the intended reaction from the live crowd. That's not good because All Red Everything's strength was her ability to generate heat.

Now, though, fans are apathetic at best when she enters the arena doing the same shtick that didn't really work during her initial run with the company.

Meanwhile, Bliss is attempting to make the best of her current character in front of a crowd that's split. Unfortunately, Bray Wyatt's recent release has caused some fans to turn on her and chant "We Want Wyatt" during her matches. Others seem confused as to how we're supposed to react to the hokey segments featuring her creepy doll, Lilly, or her apparent face turn for the sake of this feud.

Seriously, who is the crowd supposed to cheer for in a program where both competitors cheat to win? It's also fairly obvious that Marie isn't going to wrestle at SummerSlam because she always finagles her way out of a fight. So, this match could easily end with a DQ finish, giving these three women more mileage in the next few weeks.

It's hard to imagine that many fans want to see more of this feud, but WWE has backed itself into a corner with this Catch-22. There's no way it will deliver a definitive ending. An eyeroll-inducing distraction or uninspiring cliffhanger is more plausible, and that won't go over well.

WWE is in a tricky situation with Charlotte Flair, which is a shame because she is a tremendous athlete and a fantastic antagonist.

However, most fans just don't want to see the second-generation star as champion again. That's not her fault because she is merely doing the best she can with the material she is given, but her championship wins don't feel special anymore. Instead, it appears to be an inevitability that rarely amounts to a compelling story.

Think about it. When is the last time The Queen has had a truly interesting reign or a memorable feud as champion?

Moreover, a handful of baffling decisions contributed to the growing displeasure surrounding her time at the top of the women's division. Remember when Flair beat Sasha Banks in October 2016 to regain her title in the first women's Hell in a Cell match just four weeks after The Boss won the prize on Raw? That's standard fare for WWE, right?

Then there were more egregious victories like her win over Carmella at SummerSlam in 2018 when the fans were clearly behind Becky Lynch. The chain of events caused the Barclays Center crowd to side with The Irish Lass Kicker as she transitioned into The Man.

Similarly, Asuka dropped the SmackDown women's title to Flair just two weeks before WrestleMania 35. Robbing the Japanese star of a chance to defend it at The Showcase of the Immortals in exchange for a Winner Take All match never sat right with many viewers.

Finally, the 35-year-old halted Rhea Ripley's star-making year when she defeated her for the NXT Women's Championship at The Show of Shows the following year.

There's a pattern here and even Flair's staunchest defenders can't deny these booking decisions have damaged her opponents. Even worse, it made it hard to get excited for yet another title that seemingly came at their expense. To that end, there's still so much that WWE can do with Nikki A.S.H.

Still, would anyone be surprised if The Queen dethroned the would-be superhero on Saturday night? It seems highly likely, and it would start this same cycle all over again with Flair.

Goldberg is a perfect example of how WWE's overreliance on nostalgia can be a double-edged sword. The Hall of Famer is undeniably popular, but his most recent run has amounted to diminishing returns.

His triumphant comeback in 2017 as a father who just wanted to impress his son was heartwarming and surprisingly entertaining. This was also an excellent way to revisit his infamous match with Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania XX and tell a better story. However, many fans didn't agree with the decision to cut Kevin Owens' tenure as universal champion short.

Goldberg beat The Prizefighter in 22 seconds at Fastlane 2017, and KO has yet to secure another world title win since. Meanwhile, his opponent won the top prize for the second time in 2020 when he made quick work of "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. This was a highly controversial victory because WWE booked Wyatt as an invincible demonic figure up to that point and he had a vocal fanbase.

It looks like history could repeat itself this weekend as Bobby Lashley has been one of the most protected men in the company for over a year. Logic would dictate that a current superstar could use the win over The All Mighty much more, but the ever-present temptation to make Goldberg champion again hangs over their upcoming contest.

Some viewers may not want to hear it, but there are benefits to going that route. However, Lashley has unfinished business with The New Day and Big E is Mr. Money in the Bank. That opens the door for a matchup between the two and a rewarding end to that plot point.

WWE could kill two birds with one stone if Goldberg's win sets up a cash-in at SummerSlam. This would also be a great way for Big E to fulfill his dream of wrestling the former WCW star and correcting what will probably be a very unpopular result.