Notes from the Nosebleeds #73
July 10, 2010
By: Matt O’Brien of Wrestleview.com
Predicting what a wrestling company will book for matches on an upcoming card can make for a profound look at where a company is headed. Speculation for Wrestlemania matches runs all year long. Right now, WWE is in a strange place. They have been holding pay per views that have been built less around the matches and more around the Nexus invasion or Kane’s quest for the man who attacked his brother. While it all makes for a good reason to buy the show, the upcoming Summerslam is typically the second biggest show of the year, and needs to be built strong match-wise. With so much going on in the company, the show will be huge, but the actual card seems pretty hard to roll out as of yet. While there are so many questions to be answered such as who attacked the Undertaker, and who is the mystery GM of Raw, questions as to how WWE will best express these storylines in match form are true head scratchers. What will be the main event matches? Here is a look at what we might see at Summerslam 2010.
WWE Championship Match
If there is one man’s name bound to the main event of Summerslam this year it is none other than Wade Barrett. The Nexus storyline is thriving and a culmination in Barrett’s WWE Title win feels inevitable. The question now is just who will Barrett dethrone in August. The most obvious choice would be John Cena, that is assuming he defeats Sheamus in their steel cage match at the Money in the Bank pay per view. A one-on-one encounter between Cena and Barrett would be huge for the Nexus storyline. A perfect stipulation for the match would be Lumberjack Rules.
WWE may decide to go in a different direction for the main event. It seems very soon to take the title off of Sheamus at MITB. With Sheamus showing such prominent apathy towards the invasion, they may be building towards a Shemaus turn-around. The cage match at MITB could be ending in a no contest with Nexus taking out both men. The Summerslam main event would then turn into a triple threat between Sheamus, Cena, and Barrett. While those three names together in one match may not sound the most appealing, it is the most natural match to do. Cena and Sheamus have been the two most integral parts of the title picture for the past few months. Taking Sheamus out of the puzzle now would remove a big piece. Another advantage would be protection for all three men. Triple threat matches allow for clean wins, yet rightful claims at rematches since the champion doesn’t have to be pinned. Depending on how the ending goes, Sheamus can come out still looking strong, Cena could be “screwed” out of the title, and Barret could walk out champion. Even better, the Cena-Barrett match hasn’t been blown through yet. The big climactic match can still happen at Survivor Series or even Wrestlemania.
World Championship Match
This summer’s most pleasant surprise has been Rey Mysterio’s championship reign. It has been four years since Mysterio held that very title. While Mysterio may very well defeat jack Swagger at MIRB, his participation in the title match at Summerslam is still up in the air. There is no telling what may happen between now and then. That is why Mysterio is so intriguing as champion. He could drop the title to anyone on any night. That being said, anyone he fights at SS will make for an interesting matchup. Many may like to see one more match between him and CM Punk. After one of the year’s best series of matches, a main event slot on a big pay per view would be a nice stage for both. Another Mysterio opponent may be the Big Show. Summerslam could be Show’s night finally claim his spot on the top of the world.
While both Show and Punk are appropriate for Mysterio title defenses, Summerslam may be the ascension of Drew McIntyre. Love him or hate him, and most people hate him, McIntyre has been pushed very hard this year. Now that he is in the MITB ladder match, he could end up retrieving the briefcase that guarantees him a title match. Teddy Long, and the audience, would be powerless to stop him.
The Undertaker and Triple H Returns
Whoever put Undertaker in a vegetative state is in for a gigantic push. Most speculation has led to Kane, which even after several programs between the two, would feel fresh again. Yet having Taker confront his attacker at Summerslam may be a bit too soon. The mystery of who attacked him is one of a few on WWE television right now. Perhaps waiting a few more weeks after Taker’s return would be better. One very interesting match for Summerslam would be a special attraction match built up between the two returning icons: Taker and Triple H. Perhaps the Raw GM could make the match. The announcer could garner interest in the match by talking about both men’s places in WWE history, Taker’s retirement of Shawn Michaels, and just how these two men will have changed after their traumatic experiences. WWE could have two big stars face off to sell some tickets, and then have them return to their perspective shows to confront Kane and Sheamus.
The Rest of the Show
Other than the returns of HHH and Taker, there are still two brands full of wrestlers who deserve spots n the Summerslam card. Randy Orton was the top guy on the roster in 2009. This year he has taken a backseat while his character undergoes some changes. A climactic match with Edge would be appropriate. Another great opponent would be Chris Jericho. With Jericho possibly on his way out, WWE should jump and do this match while they still can.
The Nexus cast will hopefully be featured on the show as well. Teaming up any two or three of them to take on a few raw guys would be a fitting match. Even a one-on-one affair between Justin Gabriel and Evan Bourne would be thrilling.
Another big question mark for the show is Miz. This guy is ready to be the champion. However, with Barrett more likely to be champion, Miz may have to wait a few more months, even a year. Finding something to keep him hot poses a challenge to Creative.
The coming weeks will tell us where this is all headed. Both the Raw and the Smackdown brands are doing very well right now. How the MITB winners use their title shots, the developments on NXT, and the rest of the championship circumstances will undoubtly lead to a blockbuster show.
Matt O’Brien
mattman5436@yahoo.com