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 Super ShowDown 2019 coming this Friday afternoon.
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: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin = Lukewarm
Even more so than before, this week proved that the only thing “interesting” about this match is waiting for Brock Lesnar to cash-in, if he even does that at all. That’s a shame, as if someone else were holding the briefcase, this would be just a regular match that could stand on its own.
There’s no way Rollins loses the title to Corbin, so I can’t be too excited about a match that is just there to eat up time until someone else does or doesn’t do something.
Prediction: Seth Rollins wins.
WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler = Hot
I’m desperately hoping this doesn’t result in a Brock Lesnar cash-in and that Kingston and Ziggler can go out there and just have an amazing match with no weird booking getting in the way, as they’re more than capable of stealing the show.
They are two of the better in-ring performers on this card and have had plenty of great matches in the past against each other. Now that they are even more seasoned and know how to tell stories better than before, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be awesome.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston wins.
The Undertaker vs. Goldberg = Hot / Lukewarm
If this were 20 years ago, good lord would this be amazing and the main event of WrestleMania and you could take all my money. Now that it’s 2019…that isn’t the case.
Let’s be real. This is going to be Goldberg’s entrance, Undertaker’s entrance, lots of staring, and a few small minutes of something that won’t wow anybody. They’re too far past their primes and they don’t need to kill themselves for this payday when the whole point is the personas they have built up over the years, rather than the actual in-ring performance aspect of this.
I’m Hot for the feel of it, and I’m Cold on what the match will be, so that balances out to a Lukewarm, but since The Undertaker is my #2 favorite of all time, I feel weird giving them a true Lukewarm. Maybe you’re more cutthroat than I am and won’t wimp out like that.
Prediction: Goldberg wins.
50-Man Battle Royal = Hot
By no means is this going to be good, but it’s going to be Hot Garbage. I wish that there was some sort of prize for the winner, and I wish they would have actually announced more than just a couple names who will be competing, but I’m excited about it nonetheless.
Who will pop up in it from NXT, NXT UK or 205 Live? Who is going to win, and will it mean anything? How in the hell are 50 people supposed to fit in this ring?
I’m intrigued and oddly hyped, so WWE wins.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre or Mansoor wins.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Andrade = Hot
This is one of the few matches on the card that I think the performers will go full-force in, and try to steal the show.
I’m not big on the Demon Balor gimmick, as I’ve expressed multiple times, so that aspect of this match is actually counter-productive to me. That hurts this match, rather than helps it, as I think that means Balor is going to retain, since they’re protecting his character.
But I still think Balor will have a great match with Andrade, who will come out of this looking good enough to get a rematch at Stomping Grounds, and that will be where he wins the title.
Prediction: Finn Balor wins.
Triple H vs. Randy Orton = Lukewarm
I enjoyed their promo on Raw this week, and I’m a fan of both guys, but I don’t like how these events keep pairing off two people to revisit a former feud or just at random and WWE’s entire idea of building it is to just say “this will be special.”
I’ve seen them feud so many times already that I feel like they won’t do anything here that will be different and stand out in my mind. However, I also know they’ll make sure not to phone it in, and they’ll try to put on a good show.
Prediction: Randy Orton wins.
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley = Lukewarm / Cold
Despite being two of the bigger names on the Raw roster, I’m not feeling this feud. It’s not either of their faults, too. It’s just the writing.
I will say, though, the fact that they had Strowman win the arm wrestling match instead of having Lashley break it off and start attacking him before he lost was a neat touch. They always do the DQ ending, and that made me appreciate this feud some more.
But this still feels like filler that has no real direction and won’t carry on much afterward, and that bums me out, no matter how much I’m a fan of Strowman and how much I want Lashley to be doing more.
Prediction: Braun Strowman wins.
Handicap Match: Lars Sullivan vs. The Lucha House Party = Extremely Cold
I get it. He’s the big, tough guy that will be doing this stuff for months until he loses to Reigns or whatever. I know where they’re going, I’ve seen it a million times, I don’t care whatsoever, I think Sullivan has a flat and uninteresting character, and I don’t care to watch a handicap squash match that I’ve already seen happen in non-match form what, four times now?
I guarantee you, I’ll be working on writing up other aspects of my reviews for this show while this match is going on, and I won’t miss a single thing by diverting my attention elsewhere.
Prediction: Lars Sullivan wins.
Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon = Cold
This will be the type of thing you expect it to be. Shane will get some hits in when Drew McIntyre and Elias and anybody else will help cause distractions. Then, Reigns will find a way to overcome the numbers game and beat Shane, since there’s absolutely no reason he should lose to him.
I’m glad Reigns is in a noteworthy match of sorts, but I wish it was with someone else and that this whole Shane push didn’t even happen, or at least ended with The Miz at WrestleMania. It didn’t need to keep going on past that, and I have no sense of urgency to see Reigns and Shane fight, as that feud has been lackluster for my tastes.
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins.
The Usos vs. The Revival = Cold
Remember how WWE announced that these four were in the battle royal? Scratch that off. Now, they’re competing on the Kickoff.
I have to assume this exists only to give Shane McMahon’s side a win (with some help from Elias and Drew McIntyre) to help set up the idea that they’ll screw over Roman Reigns later in the show. That way, when that happens and The Usos come out to help Reigns, it can lead to Reigns getting the victory.
I’m not all that interested in waking up an hour earlier to be able to watch this match, as much as The Usos and The Revival are good.
Prediction: The Revival wins.
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!
