10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE SummerSlam 2020

7. Mandy Rose Vs. Sonya Deville

Bray Wyatt Braun Strowman
WWE.com

Expectation:

This article is a public service in expectation management - one of these days you'll understand that the company that buried The Fiend and Ricochet on the same show may not have grand plans for Mustafa Ali's jump to RAW! - but it's also just a bit of snarky fun at the expense of WWE. They don't half invite it virtually all of the time.

This is different.

This is an ultra-rare triumph sold, mostly, by the women themselves. Sonya Deville is the best promo on SmackDown by some distance. She has convinced WWE fans that she despises her real-life best friend. There's a real working magic to her performance, and the material is soapy, but the strength of Deville's performance is in the contrast to it. She makes WWE scripting believable. The brawls are fire, too. There's a palpable desire not just to impress, but to make all of this mean something. It's a passion project they've earned the living sh*t out of - even creative has met the ambition to honour it - and Deville and Rose will earn the big stage they have worked so admirably towards.

Reality:

No snark.

This is going to bang

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!