WWE Summerslam 2012 Preview - Will Brock Lesnar Destroy Triple H?
It's the 25th Anniversary of Summerslam, we take another look at how the PPV could play out according to our crystal ball.
With the success of the Olympics this year it's easy to cast your mind back to 1992 and the fantastic Summerslam card that saw Bret Hart main event in an Intercontinental title contest against the late British Bulldog. How things have changed. Twenty years later and the once prestigious Intercontinental strap is now so downgraded in importance that it may as well not exist. This year, Summerslam will focus not on championships or great technical contests but instead on a semi-retired 'suit' and an ex-MMA champion who will do anything he's asked given the payoff he's receiving slugging it out in a pseudo power struggle that will have minimal impact on the overall product, at least from a title stand point. Be that as it may, the Summerslam main event has been hotly anticipated for months and it's finally with us. You can order the PPV via Sky Box Office or your On Demand Service provider. But is it worth £15 of your hard earned money? Let's take a look. PPV PRE-SHOW: UNITED STATES CHAMPION SANTINO MARELLA vs ANTONIO CESARO
I know WWE has this 'hot' new idea to show a match on Youtube before every PPV but I would personally have liked to see this on the PPV itself. What better platform to elevate the Cesaro character than on one of the 4 biggest cards in the wrestling calendar? That being said, no one in WWE land seems to feel the same way so this will likely be a quick squash and the crowning of a new champion. Obviously crowning a new champion of any kind isn't worthy of real TV time. Oh no, don't be silly. Prediction: The former Claudio Castagnoli simply has to win or his WWE career will be dead in the water in my eyes (and that's all that counts). Christian will then be the right opponent for the big bald badass going forward. Rumours are also doing the rounds that this will see the end of the US title and instead the European title will be brought back in its place. Exciting stuff for Youtube. R-TRUTH & KOFI KINGSTON vs THE PRIME TIME PLAYERS - WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
To be honest I'd completely forgotten that Truth and Kingston were still the tag champions. Do they ever appear on TV defending the straps anymore? Given the quality of the opponents I'd rather this be the pre-show match than Santino/Cesaro. All I know about the challengers is they used to be managed by Abraham Washington but now he's been shit-canned so they're on their own, which doesn't bode well for a team with zero charisma. One of them has modelled himself on Ahmed Johnson for goodness sake! Way to aim high Titus O'Neil! Reach for the stars! I wish this was Summerslam 1991 - at least we had The Nasty Boys Vs The Legion of Doom. Prediction: When they had AW in their corner I'd have given this to The Prime Time Players, but things are looking bleak for them as a team if you ask me. Not that that wont stop WWE switching the belts though. They're tag team championship straps - no one keeps them for very long anyway. THE MIZ vs REY MYSTERIO - INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Wow! Rey rey is back and he's fighting Miz for the IC title. Not a bad choice WWE, well done for giving the belt a little significance again on such a big card. Miz has been in the doghouse for months so it's good to see him back and with a little momentum but this could be rey's last big run so it makes sense for the masked marvel to go over at the PPV. This will likely be a contender or match of the night if all the stars align. Prediction: Rey wins via 619 but loses it quickly in the coming weeks. DANIEL BRYAN vs KANE
I have to be honest. I'm not all that excited to see D-Bryan and Kane lock up AGAIN. Sure, they're entertaining and have surprisingly good chemistry but why is this feud still going on? Why isn't Bryan showcasing his skills against an opponent with a similar style - Rey perhaps? Hell, why isn't he fighting Charlie Sheen? Did I miss something. It's not all that clear where WWE is going with Bryan's character. We get that AJ is messing with her ex lover but are they going down the 'Bryan is crazy' route or what? I don't really get it but who am I to question Vince and co? Prediction: Bryan needs to win clean but if this feud is to get a blow off then Kane has to get the victory. Let's go with Kane wins following distraction from the new RAW GM. Click "next" below to read part 2...