Sports
Final Picks for Strowman vs. Fiend, McIntyre vs. Orton and WWE SummerSlam Card
0 of 7Credit: WWE.comIf WWE SummerSlam 2020 is anything like the rest of the year, anything can happen at this pay-per-view.Between Retribution’s attacks, the mind games of The Fiend and The Monster Among Men feuding with each other, Randy Orton’s return to The Legend Killer and the debut match for Dominik Mysterio, this event has…
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Credit: WWE.com
If WWE SummerSlam 2020 is anything like the rest of the year, anything can happen at this pay-per-view.
Between Retribution's attacks, the mind games of The Fiend and The Monster Among Men feuding with each other, Randy Orton‘s return to The Legend Killer and the debut match for Dominik Mysterio, this event has tons of intrigue working in its favor.
It could be one of the best shows in a long while, a total disaster or some combination of the two. Brace yourselves!
But until we know for sure if this was a success or not, let's try to guess what may happen while there's still time to toss out some more predictions.
Before the show begins, let's run down the card with one last round of picks for who will win at SummerSlam 2020.
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Credit: WWE.com
The feud between Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt started off logical, but has diverted into a strange new direction.
Now, instead of The Fiend being the personification of evil, its The Monster Among Men who is looking like the heel as of late. Telling Alexa Bliss he doesn't give a damn about her and press slamming her in the ring throws this all for a loop.
In contrast, its seeming as though Wyatt's becoming more chivalrous while Strowman goes down a darker path, which may mean WWE is planning a double turn. For that to be the most effective, a title change could take place.
Strowman was never the original plan to hold this championship earlier this year anyway. He was the emergency backup option to the Plan B match WWE opted to go with following Super ShowDown.
WWE may want to go back to Wyatt as champion like things were before the Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns scenario was instituted and fizzled out, and we may see Bliss help The Fiend recapture the gold.
Knowing WWE and its preference not to put the belt on Strowman until it was a necessity, it wouldn't be shocking if his run is up here and the status quo of The Fiend as champion is restored, especially since he last won the Universal Championship in a Falls Count Anywhere match, too.
Prediction: Wyatt wins the title.
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Credit: WWE.com
For months, Seth Rollins has targeted Rey Mysterio and his allies in an attempt to right the wrongs he sees holding Monday Night Raw back from true success.
It's been a flimsy idea with an even more bland execution, as nearly every week, the same few people fight in the same brawl segments.
At least with this Street Fight, though, we'll be seeing the first official match for Dominik Mysterio. His debut is easily the most interesting element to track in what could otherwise be just a series of kendo stick shots and nothing more.
If WWE is feeling generous, he'll win with some help from his father as well as possibly Aleister Black, Humberto Carrillo and maybe even Kevin Owens. But if WWE wants nothing more than to beat the same drum that has been sounding off since Money in the Bank, The Monday Night Messiah will stay on top.
Ultimately, the more interesting thing is for a surprise upset, so let's hope WWE goes down that road.
Prediction: Mysterio wins.
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Credit: WWE.com
Since WrestleMania, Zelina Vega has had her eyes on the Raw Tag Team Championship. Andrade, Angel Garza and Austin Theory (when he was still in the stable) have fought The Street Profits countless times over the spring and summer.
Nearly every time they've clashed, the champs stay on top. It's been a largely one-sided feud that just doesn't end.
As WWE has milked this dry and gotten to the point where Vega is so desperate she's resorted to poisoning Montez Ford, its time for a conclusion.
For the sake of finality, the only way Vega will stop trying to win those titles is if she's successful. Its time for Andrade and Garza to capture the belts.
Whether as a result of lingering effects from the poisoning, some outside interference or just being the better men this particular night, the titles should change hands.
Prediction: Andrade and Garza win the titles.
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Credit: WWE.com
Apollo Crews was set to defend the United States Championship against MVP at Extreme Rules, but was unable to compete for medical reasons. Instead, MVP declared himself the champion and strutted off with the new title as if that made it a fact.
It became undisputed that Crews was still the real champion when he defeated MVP on Monday Night Raw to retain the title, take the new custom championship and carry that on his shoulder going forward.
Instead of taking this in a new direction, though, WWE decided to rinse and repeat. In typical fashion these days, repeat matches are becoming incredibly overdone for seemingly no reason other than to kill time and stretch things out.
There's no reason to think this is anything other than that, especially with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin banned from ringside.
Sure, there's a chance MVP wins the title, if not just for a swerve, but even that just keeps these two feuding and would set up another match between them.
Let's hope WWE puts this to bed and at least has Crews defend the title against Lashley the following week at Payback, rather than copying and pasting MVP as the No. 1 contender for another month.
Prediction: Crews wins.
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Can Asuka take two of the belts away from The Golden Role Models?Credit: WWE.com
The Golden Role Models are both set to defend their singles titles against Asuka in separate matches at SummerSlam. The Empress of Tomorrow defeated Bayley to earn a shot at Sasha Banks, then stood tall in a Battle Royal to become the No. 1 contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
As much as Banks and Bayley love to gloat about having all the gold, there's a chance Asuka takes two of those belts away and leaves them just holding the tag titles by the end of the night to become the fourth double champion this women's division has seen in two years.
Don't get your hopes up, though. That's not too likely to happen.
WWE seems far too invested in Bayley to have her drop the title. Outside of a momentary switch to Charlotte Flair and back again, she's held the title since Money in the Bank 2019.
Even in the face of having no challengers and repeating the same feuds for a full year, WWE keeps sticking to Bayley as champion instead of freshening things up with someone new.
Banks, on the other hand, seems to have won the Raw title just to tell this storyline.
The most logical outcome is that Banks will drop the Raw Women's Championship, but Bayley will somehow retain. This will further the divide between the best friends, which could be fully fractured if they lose the tag titles at Payback.
Prediction: Asuka beats Banks, but loses to Bayley or at least doesn't win her title, even if she wins the match by disqualification or count-out.
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Credit: WWE.com
Just when the feud between Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose seemed dead after weeks of going nowhere, it was resuscitated with a pair of scissors.
Deville's attack on Rose and subsequent cutting of her golden locks was the inspiration for this clash, which was originally a Hair vs. Hair Match.
That has since changed to a Loser Leaves WWE stipulation with a No Disqualification bonus, for reasons yet to be revealed.
The original stipulation felt like a guarantee that Rose would retain her lovely locks and Deville would take the head shaving in stride, possibly unleashing an even more vicious side to her.
Now, with this change, it opens more room for speculation. Suddenly, Rose is no longer impervious to a loss.
But is this a means to get Deville off television so she can take time off to deal with her recent horrific experiences, or is there something else to it?
There is a chance Rose gets sent away, but its a safer bet Deville is still losing this match and will be out of WWE for a little while before eventually making her return.
Prediction: Rose wins.
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Credit: WWE.com
If fans were able to attend these shows, Drew McIntyre would likely get a huge pop every night for having a rock solid title reign. He's proven himself a strong champion every chance he gets, which has been fun to watch.
But there's no one on fire now more than Randy Orton. Once The Legend Killer persona returned, he's been stealing the show and taking out all the competition.
There's no bigger threat to McIntyre's reign than Orton, yet there's no one better suited to take The Viper down a peg than The Scottish Terminator.
If either man wins, it will be both a shock and believable. That's why there's a good chance neither outcome takes place.
To get around having either of them lose, this could be the match where Retribution shows up, attacks both of them and ends the pay-per-view in shambles. SummerSlam will go off air with confusion and chaos and WWE will hope that's enough intrigue to get fans to tune in to Raw the next night.
Prediction: No one wins. Retribution interferes and causes a no-contest.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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