With SummerSlam 2017 fast approaching there looks to be quite a few good things on the horizon for people. There are a few regular matches but the card is packed full of title matches.
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Stroman vs Roman Reigns
Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs Seth Rollins
United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens
RAW Women's Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Bayley (who will be substitued out due to an arm injury unless it heals in time)
SmackDown Women's Championship: Naomi (c) vs Natalya
RAW Tag Team Championship: Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs The Club
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs The Usos
But the match and title I'm most interested in is the WWE Championship match between Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinuske Nakamura.
Why just that one and none of the others ?? Because I don't have a lingering sense of dread for the champions that hold those other belts, they are all held by top talents and being defended against top talents with the except of the SmackDown Women's title AND for the WWE Championship. I won't get into how Charlotte or Becky Lynch should be after the Women's title but what I get after is the most important title in the world of professional wrestling, the WWE Championship, a title held by Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and so many other legends is still being held by a lifetime jobber who is nothing but the poster child for a marketing push. Jinder Mahal is not worth being the WWE Champion, he never was because he has no talent, he cuts apparent "good" promos when they are merely just cookie cutter "evil foreigner" promos and always seems stiff in the ring. He's not a main eventer and never will be.
The United States Championship has taken a back seat to every big singles title in WWE because it has never been truly showcased except by John Cena. Until now. That title has become more important than the WWE Championship on SmackDown. MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TOP TITLE IN THE COMPANY. Why ?? Because huge name, main event guys are making it important. AJ Styles is the champ and you have top talent like Kevin Owens and in the past a legend like Chris Jericho after that title, it makes it important, makes it worthy. Which is why we get to where we do with this match at SummerSlam. Since Jinder Mahal has made no dent on the Indian marketplace, surprise surprise, they have to put the belt on Shinuske Nakamura because that man is next level talent.
You don't have a guy beat John Cena to become #1 Contender only to have him lose to a jobber champion on the 2nd biggest PPV of the year, thus killing any push he'll have for a long time and almost guaranteeing him a trip back to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Stroman vs Roman Reigns
Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs Seth Rollins
United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens
RAW Women's Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Bayley (who will be substitued out due to an arm injury unless it heals in time)
SmackDown Women's Championship: Naomi (c) vs Natalya
RAW Tag Team Championship: Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs The Club
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs The Usos
But the match and title I'm most interested in is the WWE Championship match between Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinuske Nakamura.
Why just that one and none of the others ?? Because I don't have a lingering sense of dread for the champions that hold those other belts, they are all held by top talents and being defended against top talents with the except of the SmackDown Women's title AND for the WWE Championship. I won't get into how Charlotte or Becky Lynch should be after the Women's title but what I get after is the most important title in the world of professional wrestling, the WWE Championship, a title held by Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and so many other legends is still being held by a lifetime jobber who is nothing but the poster child for a marketing push. Jinder Mahal is not worth being the WWE Champion, he never was because he has no talent, he cuts apparent "good" promos when they are merely just cookie cutter "evil foreigner" promos and always seems stiff in the ring. He's not a main eventer and never will be.
The United States Championship has taken a back seat to every big singles title in WWE because it has never been truly showcased except by John Cena. Until now. That title has become more important than the WWE Championship on SmackDown. MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TOP TITLE IN THE COMPANY. Why ?? Because huge name, main event guys are making it important. AJ Styles is the champ and you have top talent like Kevin Owens and in the past a legend like Chris Jericho after that title, it makes it important, makes it worthy. Which is why we get to where we do with this match at SummerSlam. Since Jinder Mahal has made no dent on the Indian marketplace, surprise surprise, they have to put the belt on Shinuske Nakamura because that man is next level talent.
You don't have a guy beat John Cena to become #1 Contender only to have him lose to a jobber champion on the 2nd biggest PPV of the year, thus killing any push he'll have for a long time and almost guaranteeing him a trip back to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Now while I am almost 100% sure of myself when I say that Nakamura will be the one that beats Jinder for the title that doesn't mean he's going to be the one walking out of SummerSlam the champion.
Shinuske and Baron Corbin were having a feud for around a month leading into the Battleground PPV and I believe that Baron Corbin will be cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on an exhausted Nakamura at SummerSlam to become the WWE Champion. Thus leading to a longer feud between the too. My evidence is not only their previous feud but that Corbin came out after this match to attack Nakamura only to have Cena help him out and this isn't something they would do with the MITB briefcase holder and just some guy who's already feuded with him no this is setting up a continued feud between the next WWE Champion and the one that immediately follows him. Jinder Mahal is old news now and to me old news is good news because Shinuske Nakamura is a HUGE main event talent and Baron Corbin has turned into one over the past year and a half as well.
It's going to be exciting to see Nakamura win, then be cashed in one right away. It's going to lead into a continued solid feud between the "King of Strong Style" and "The Lone Wolf". A babyface that everyone wants to win and an extremely loner heel who cares about no one but himself. Coming out of SummerSlam it will be good times going forward I believe....unless Jinder wins....because if he won this would be the collective face of every fan and even of John Cena (who took a nasty bump in that Nakamura match).
Shinuske and Baron Corbin were having a feud for around a month leading into the Battleground PPV and I believe that Baron Corbin will be cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on an exhausted Nakamura at SummerSlam to become the WWE Champion. Thus leading to a longer feud between the too. My evidence is not only their previous feud but that Corbin came out after this match to attack Nakamura only to have Cena help him out and this isn't something they would do with the MITB briefcase holder and just some guy who's already feuded with him no this is setting up a continued feud between the next WWE Champion and the one that immediately follows him. Jinder Mahal is old news now and to me old news is good news because Shinuske Nakamura is a HUGE main event talent and Baron Corbin has turned into one over the past year and a half as well.
It's going to be exciting to see Nakamura win, then be cashed in one right away. It's going to lead into a continued solid feud between the "King of Strong Style" and "The Lone Wolf". A babyface that everyone wants to win and an extremely loner heel who cares about no one but himself. Coming out of SummerSlam it will be good times going forward I believe....unless Jinder wins....because if he won this would be the collective face of every fan and even of John Cena (who took a nasty bump in that Nakamura match).