10 Predictions For WWE's Direction After SummerSlam 2016

WWE SummerSlam 2016 takes place live from the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, on Sunday August 21st. The first post-Brand Split pay-per-view will be the last time the newly-drafted Raw and SmackDown rosters perform on the same stage until presumably Survivor Series, as WWE look to a future of two monthly brand-specific PPVs.

While Battleground acted as the combined roster’s official “farewell”, SummerSlam feels like a real turning point. Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar is the only inter-brand match currently booked, and once SummerSlam goes off the air, fans should have a much clearer picture of WWE’s post-Split landscape.

They’re off to a good start. Raw and SmackDown have had their ups and downs, but both shows have improved markedly since the Draft, and the build to SummerSlam has been excellent thus far. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler, and Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte are top tier title matches with great stories behind them. Add matches like John Cena vs. AJ Styles and Lesnar vs. Orton to the mix and WWE potentially have their best show of the year on their hands.

Regardless of whether the show goes to plan or not, WWE are sure to give some stories their final chapter and build towards others at one of their biggest shows of the year.

Here are 10 predictions for WWE’s direction after SummerSlam 2016.

Much has been written on both Rusev’s downturn and that of the once-celebrated United States Championship, but if recent weeks are anything to go by, both are back on an upswing. Rusev’s revival started when he and Lana were put back together late last year, and while the League of Nations storyline did little for him, he’s been made to look incredibly dominant in recent months.

The rumoured Roman Reigns match is huge for Rusev, and the result will provide a big insight on how WWE intend to proceed with both performers. Rusev has been stuck with the likes of Zack Ryder and Titus O’Neil since winning the US Title from Kalisto, and Reigns represents a huge step-up. Say what you will about him, but Reigns has been positioned in and around WWE’s main event scene for months: he’s divisive, sure, but he’s still a big deal, and a Rusev victory will do wonders for The Bulgarian Brute.

Look for Rusev to defeat the doghouse-bound Reigns, and continue his and the United States Title’s rehabilitation by moving away from the Zack Ryders of the world, and onto the Sami Zayns and Cesaros. Raw is packed to the brim with exciting in-ring talents whose workrate can be a huge boon to the US division, and Rusev stands tall among them.

As the US Title scene’s dominant alpha dog, look for Rusev to finally ascend beyond the upper-midcard, and towards main event stardom.