The Commentary: (Reasonably) Predicting SummerSlam’s Main Event

First off, I’d like to thank everyone who has stuck with Wrestling Rumors despite my prolonged absence. I understand we can only have so much beard and ego on this site, but alas, I am back and ready to roll with you all.

We are at an incredibly exciting time in WWE right now, where a plethora of youth is ready to rise to the occasion within the realm of opportunity. Whether it be Bray Wyatt and his legion of followers, the emergence of hopeful talent via Total Divas or elsewhere, we find ourselves undergoing a changing of the guard right now. SummerSlam has the opportunity to act as the official signal to that change.

The main event WWE Championship match between John Cena and Daniel Bryan is going to be massive. Monday night’s interaction between the two had “segment of the year” written all over it. The delivery from both men was perfectly executed, with a degree of seriousness that we have yet to see from the two.

Bryan has been portrayed as the “Yes” or the “No” man the last 18 months. He’s been described as mentally unstable, crazy or yes, a goat. But this feud has provided the Aberdine-native a chance to brand himself with a new description; one much more fitting to his mantra.

Wrestler.

What better time to finally capitalize off of the motif that Bryan has based his entire career off of than now? Daniel Bryan is the Bizarro John Cena; well-spoken, yet praised for his technical sound in the ring and often ridiculed by many for his appearance.

Cena, on the other hand, is the consumate entertainer. He is everything that the WWE brand is about (many would argue that he is the WWE brand), exhibiting professionalism on all accounts but criticized for his in-ring abilities by many. The feud is now built upon the precipice that one cannot top the other, with the added pressure on Bryan due to the influence of Vince McMahon.

The inclusion of Triple H into the SummerSlam main event brings about the confirmation that there will in fact be extra-curricular activity of some sort, be it during the match or after it. The last time we saw The Game in the SummerSlam main event as a referee (sadly, we can be that specific here), there was a botched call and a cash-in. Expect one of these and not the other.

There is little benefit to having a dirty finish between Cena and Bryan. As mentioned prior, the intrigue is buried within whether Bryan will “outwrestle” Cena, and as to how he can eventually top the 11-time WWE Champion. There is no need for controversy to the main bout that sees Triple H screwing up, and we can assume based off of Cena’s “clean win-only” character that there would be little reason to believe he would get away with anything screwy, or at that, accept a tainted victory.

Enter Vince.

Triple H is the guest referee for the sole purpose of opposing his father-in-law. If John Cena wins, there is little reason for McMahon to have even been included in this conversation. Bryan, who he supposedly views in a negative light, doesn’t win, and thus, would have had little payoff to the previous three weeks of television. With reports of a potential John Cena injury, the likelihood of a Cena victory decreases as well.

Put two and two together, and what do we get? A clean win by Daniel Bryan in the main event of SummerSlam. But that, my friends, is far from where it ends.

Many have interacted with the Wrestling Rumors Twitter of late, and have suggested that they fully expect a Randy Orton cash-in on Sunday. And as WWE television has teased over the past few weeks, they most certainly have good reason to believe such. But how would Orton be able to fend off both Bryan and Cena (as we know that Cena would not merely be OK with a cash-in), with possibly even Triple H in the equation as well?

Simple. The Hounds of Justice.

Whether working for Vince McMahon or not, which I believe the former of which to be most likely given what was discussed prior, The Shield will be involved in the main event. Following the match, expect a beating on potentially all three of those involved in the contest. Vince gets the upper-hand on Triple H, leaves open the possibility for the new champion (Bryan) to be dethroned, and put a beating on the always-defiant Cena as well. If the reports of the Cena injury are true, this takes him off television.

Enter Orton.

Cash-in, new champion. You have a feud between Orton and Bryan to take you into the next few months, and even open up possibilities between Cena and The Shield as well, should he be able to compete. More fuel is added to the fire between Triple H and McMahon, and it is also a good way to ensure that the main event is more so about Cena and Bryan before it is about the corporate struggle.

Some may call it fantasy booking. I just call it being reasonable.

Don’t forget to check out the WWE SummSlam Pre-Show here on Wrestling Rumors this Sunday at 6:00 p.m., hosted via Google+ Hangout. All you need is a webcam to interact! Also see our SummerSlam hub for all the latest news surrounding the event!

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