Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena
Heat Index = Scorching
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins.
Thoughts: I don’t expect this to be one of the best matches of the year, but the energy behind it could make it one of the most fun segments of 2021, that’s for sure. The way I see it, either scenario is cool in my book. I want Cena to eventually win the Universal Championship and to get his 17th world title, but I also want Reigns to keep it. Win-win. That makes it easier to be excited about this as I’m not worried about anything happening.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg
Heat Index = Chilly
Prediction: Bobby Lashley wins.
Thoughts: Spear. Maybe another. Kick out. Spear. Jackhammer or failed attempt at one. Kick out. Spear from Lashley. Maybe another one or two. Hurt Lock. Goldberg passes out. The end. We know Goldberg’s limitations. There’s no way this is more than a handful of moves and less than five minutes. Zzzzzz. At least Goldberg has awesome entrance music.
RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE THREAT MATCH:
Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Charlotte Flair wins.
Thoughts: WWE has firmly established Rhea Ripley is not good enough to beat Charlotte Flair, no matter how little that helps Flair and how much it hurts Ripley. Nikki A.S.H. has been booked like a total fluke of a champion, too, who has been fine with losing most of her matches. WWE wants Flair vs Becky Lynch again. The belt’s going back to The Queen. As great as she is, I’m not exactly thrilled to just keep rinsing and repeating.
SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins.
Thoughts: Their match at WrestleMania was among the very best. Both are supremely talented and if they’re able to have the time to tell a good story, I think this could be the best match of the card. For some reason, my gut is telling me Banks wins the title, even though it could stay on Belair and they could still drag this out to Extreme Rules regardless.
SINGLES MATCH:
Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie
Heat Index = Freezing
Prediction: Alexa Bliss wins.
Thoughts: Who cares? That’s mean, especially since I’ve been a big fan of Bliss from the start of her NXT days and I think Piper Niven deserves better, but it’s an honest assessment of how little this matters.
RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
AJ Styles and Omos (c) vs. RK-Bro
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Randy Orton and Matt Riddle win.
Thoughts: I’m absolutely loving RK-Bro. Ever since Riddle switched to his stoner gimmick, he’s been among my favorite Superstars to watch. Pairing him with Orton has been a master stroke as it’s breathed new life in The Viper while helping The Original Bro by proxy. They’re the perfect team to dethrone AJ Styles and Omos.
SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
The Usos (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio & Rey Mysterio
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: The Usos win.
Thoughts: The match should be good, but we’ve already seen what this pairing has to offer, multiple times. It’s just a rerun. I can’t be exactly super hyped to watch something I’ve seen before, especially when I just assume the titles stay where they are and it’s all just a waste of time, in a sense.
UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Sheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Damian Priest wins.
Thoughts: I’m excited for the title change that I think is going to happen, as well as how I think these two will work together in the ring. You never know who will have great chemistry and I could be wrong, but I have a feeling I’ll enjoy this match quite a bit.
SINGLES MATCH:
Edge vs. Seth Rollins
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Edge wins.
Thoughts: I almost went Lukewarm with this, to be honest. This feud hasn’t lived up to my expectations. I thought they’d be able to do more with each other than the standard promos and the most generic basis for a feud out there. Nevertheless, I’m interested to see how they work together in the ring. Both are great performers, so they should mesh well.
SINGLES MATCH:
Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal
Heat Index = Chilly
Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins.
Thoughts: McIntyre is trying his ass off to get this to work. I admire that. Sadly, I’m not super into this. This just feels like total filler and on a holding pattern until they have their real gimmick match at Extreme Rules that we’re just waiting to see unfold. I don’t want another month of handicap matches and such, so I wish this could have just been a No DQ or something to cut to the chase (maybe with Angela).
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index =Â Lukewarm
Thoughts: We’re all over the place with this one. Only one Scorching, some Hot, some Chilly and Freezing, lots of Lukewarm and Temperate. It kind of balances out to a slightly more positive middle of the road. SummerSlam has the ability to be a great show if booked well or a total dud if WWE has poor booking decisions in mind. I would have had some different matches, to be honest, but I think there’s potential here.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE SummerSlam? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
