13 Match Quality Predictions For WWE SummerSlam 2018

8. Cedric Alexander Vs. Drew Gulak - Cruiserweight Title Match

Alexander Gulak
WWE.com

Drew Gulak is a treasure. He refers to his dragon sleeper hold as the Gu-lock. Why isn't he the most over wrestler in the company on the strength of that patter-tastic pun alone?

That is precisely the sort of facetiousness Drew has (mostly) dropped from his act, in parallel with the added seriousness with which the brand is treated. Gulak's jokes are of the sicker variety under Triple H's creative direction, but since that brand remains an island, the act likely won't land even in New York City, spiritual home of the hardcore set.

It's a strange match with which to re-advertise the Cruiserweights to a pay-per-view audience. The anticipated narrative doesn't promise the sort of flashy, athletic action that may stand a chance of ungluing the crowd, if only at the breathless climax. Gulak wrestles, defiantly, on the mat. He does it very well, with sadism and character, but depriving fans of the sort of action they're already not particularly interested in is, sadly, a non-starter of an approach, no matter how well it serves his delight of an act. This may all work, were Cedric Alexander really over. He performs on 205 Live, and so he isn't.

With another bloated card looming, fans will care less about this than they would in a vacuum.

Predicted Star Rating: ***1/4

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!