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EditorialWWE SummerSlam 2018 Heat Index: What's Hot and Cold for Sunday's PPV?

WWE SummerSlam 2018 Heat Index: What’s Hot and Cold for Sunday’s PPV?

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Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on SummerSlam 2018 coming this Sunday night.

The way this works is a pretty simple three-way breakdown of Hot, Lukewarm and Cold. If you like something and you’re very interested in how WWE is setting up the program, it’s Hot (aka Good). If you’re a bit on the fence about it and see some problems, but it’s not awful, then it’s just Okay or Lukewarm. The ones that are the most problematic that you have no interest in are Cold (aka Bad).

Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns = Cold

If you’ve followed any of my articles or podcasts on any of the sites that I contribute, you’ve known since February 2017 how I feel about this match, because my opinion hasn’t changed.

In short, I thought it was a horrible idea for Goldberg to win the title just to drop it to Brock Lesnar just to hold it for a whole year to fight Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34, I stood by that claim for over a year, and I’ve echoed the same “this is such repetitive bullshit nonsense and I’m sick of it” mentality into the Greatest Royal Rumble and onward.

I’m not even going to watch the match and give it a chance. I know what it will be, as I’ve seen it what, six times? Superman punch, spear, F5, German suplex, over and over. I’m only interested in how they’ll mess up the ending of it. If this ends in anything other than Paul Heyman helping Reigns turn heel to win or Braun Strowman pinning Brock Lesnar to win the title, I’ll be annoyed, even if it means Kevin Owens is holding the title, and he’s one of my favorites. I like Roman Reigns and I think he deserves so much better than the way WWE has booked him, and I feel this is a no-win situation.

WWE Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe = Hot

One of the primary feuds I’ve been interested in seeing for both AJ Styles and Samoa Joe has been for the two to face each other, and it’s finally happening.

Yes, I saw it in TNA to a certain extent, but I was never fully following Impact Wrestling and this is a different ballpark.

I’m excited to see the chemistry the two have with each other and I’m anticipating a new champion being crowned, so that can be very fun as well.

Styles has had a long enough reign and Joe really needs something like this to counteract how he’s not accomplished much of anything on the main roster yet, so basically, I see this as a good match that will help put someone over that I’m a fan of. What’s not to like about that?

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey = Hot

By now, I have to admit that I was wrong in selling Ronda Rousey short in the ring, so I have to give her the benefit of the doubt that she’ll put on the best match she possibly can with Alexa Bliss—who will, undoubtedly, help carry her for a portion of it, as well—and this could end up being one of the best-executed segments of the entire pay-per-view.

I’m hoping it’s on the shorter side to avoid any potential problems that could arise, as I’d rather be left wanting more than to look back and wish they had cut a few minutes so a few pitfalls could have been avoided.

We shall see, but with a title change looming, Bliss being one of my absolute favorites on the roster and the potential for this to be perhaps the only match that isn’t overbooked, I’m sold.

SmackDown Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match: Carmella (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair = Lukewarm

Frankly, I was more interested in this when Charlotte Flair wasn’t involved, as I think her inclusion just takes hold of the situation and makes it all about her.

I’m fairly confident we’re getting a new champion, and I’m rooting for Becky Lynch to be the one to take that title. However, I’m getting more and more suspicious that this will just end with a Flair heel turn and a Becky vs. Charlotte match at Evolution, which would mean Flair would win the title here instead.

I don’t really want to see another Flair title reign right now, and I would have preferred Asuka to be in that spot (the next champion after Carmella who turns heel and has a match where she drops the belt at Evolution to Becky Lynch) but oh well, I guess we’ll just have to see.

There’s some intrigue in here, so that gives it the Lukewarm spot, but I’m nervous that I’m going to look back on this match and retroactively wish it had remained Carmella vs. Becky without Charlotte.

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak = Hot

More than anything, I’m just glad to see the cruiserweights are finally getting a spot on a pay-per-view after sitting out every event since the co-branded structure.

That is ridiculous, in my mind, and 205 Live has felt like it has no importance because of that, so I’m really hoping these two get their proper, deserved time in order to show off their skills, because both Cedric Alexander and Drew Gulak are extremely talented. For my money, they’re two of the most underrated stars in WWE today.

I fully expect this to be a rock solid match, even if most people don’t pay much attention to it. At the very least, I will.

United States Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy = Lukewarm / Cold

Why isn’t Randy Orton involved in this? A generic rematch like this has no heat to it without the guy who is driving the entire story for Jeff Hardy at the moment, particularly because Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t doing anything on his own.

Orton interferes, and until then, we’re just waiting for that to happen. Pass.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins = Lukewarm

I have no doubt Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler will be able to put on a great match, but I feel like there’s no way they can top what they did in their Iron Man match by taking a step backward and having just a regular one-on-one no-gimmicks encounter.

An appearance by Dean Ambrose could be fun, depending on how they use him, but what comes before it should be equally, if not more, important.

I can’t quite give it a Hot, due to it being a repeat and not much else, but I’m certainly not giving it anything lower than a Lukewarm, as I’m still interested in seeing them lock horns again.

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens = Hot / Lukewarm

God, I love this stipulation, but I’m so, so, so worried it’s going to mean that Kevin Owens somehow cashes in at the end of the night and wins the Universal Championship almost purely as a means to avoid having Brock Lesnar and/or Roman Reigns look bad, and I don’t want that to happen.

I want Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens to be treated with the proper respect I feel they deserve as top guys, rather than for EITHER of them to be inserted into the main event as pawns to play a part in a different game that they aren’t priorities for.

My hesitation to trust this makes me have to include the Lukewarm, but if all goes well, it could be a Hot.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The B-Team (c) vs. The Revival = Cold

Saw it on Raw, basically, and it seems like the goal is to just go as long as possible with “lol, losers win again” so I’m not really into seeing The Revival come up short again, or have to fight to win the titles on the pre-show and become forgettable transitional champions.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day = Lukewarm / Cold

By now, I’m confident in saying that I don’t enjoy The Bludgeon Brothers as champions, which is sad, as I wanted Harper and Rowan to team up again and got my wish.

We’ve already had The New Day against The Bludgeon Brothers, so I’ve already seen it and I can’t imagine getting anything out of this that would surprise me.

If The New Day win the titles, I’ll be happy, as I’m still a big fan of that stable. If The Bludgeon Brothers retain, I won’t be devastated, as they can still drop the belts to SAnitY down the line.

However, I’m really only interested in where WWE goes from here, rather than what happens for this particular segment.

The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan = Hot

I wanted The Miz to win the Money in the Bank, to cash-in on Daniel Bryan after he won the WWE Championship from Samoa Joe, Bryan to win the Royal Rumble and for this to be one of the three main events of WrestleMania (universal title, preferably with Strowman winning it, and Flair vs Rousey being the other two).

I’m likely not getting that, but that goes to show how much I feel this is an important feud to do.

With that in mind, I can’t say this is anything but a Hot, right? No matter who wins, I’ll be okay with it, as I’m a big fan of both, so it’s a win/win scenario.

Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin = Cold

I’m supposed to care because this will be the third match between the two, where they both won before. I don’t.

Finn Balor has done nothing for me for a long time, and while I’m fond of the Constable Corbin gimmick, I just can’t get invested in this feud. This feels like the utmost filler and I’m sure I’ll be using the majority of the match to catch up on my coverage and review articles rather than actually paying full attention to it.

(Pre-Show) Mixed Tag Team Match: Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega vs. Rusev and Lana = Hot / Lukewarm

I love it when WWE goes with the most logical solution and the best path, instead of going all over the place.

This was exactly what should have happened as the next step of this feud, and it should be on the kickoff, just where it’s placed. Perfect.

I’m actually good with either team winning, as Almas/Vega can lose without being made to look bad, but Rusev/Lana can put the newer team over and still accomplish something in the process.

All in all, big thumbs up on this. I can’t quite give it a full-on Hot, as I don’t think it’s going to make the biggest splash on the card or anything, but I do fully endorse it 100%.

X vs. X = Hot / Lukewarm / Cold

X

X vs. X = Hot / Lukewarm / Cold

X

Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!

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