10 Shocks WWE Could Pull At SummerSlam 2018

5. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jeff Hardy Doesn't Happen Again

Roman Lesnar
WWE.com

The Shock:

Randy Orton, once he's put lil' Keith back in his trunks, has a part to play on Sunday. That much should be obvious by now. At which point Orton enters the fray is the key intrigue here.

It would accomplish nothing, other than irritate an audience sick of inconclusive match finishes - the events of the Extreme Rules Iron Man match felt less like a rejection of the match itself, and more the regurgitation of being steadily drip-fed bullsh*t - were Orton to simply drop Jeff Hardy with an RKO after nine minutes or so of ultimately pointless action. It's not as if New York fans need any further fuel to add to the potential dumpster fire that is the main event.

Instead, we may yet see a repeat of the Extreme Rules pay-per-view - in addition of course to the four bloody rematches from it - in which it is Orton who saves a clearly fried Jeff Hardy from a PPV singles match, leading to a less demanding Triple Threat at Hell In A Cell.

The Likelihood: 50%

As if a Writer is going to pitch that Orton just waits until Tuesday to follow a grand SummerSlam tradition and "stick the winner".

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!