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SummerSlam 2021 is less than a week away. It's slated to be the biggest WWE pay-per-view of the year, with the attendance expected to be nearly thrice of WrestleMania 37.
While The Show of Shows faced restriction issues, SummerSlam may not. It's going to make for a good pay-per-view, but it's key that the right superstars win. These five WWE Superstars desperately need to win at SummerSlam 2021.
#5. Bobby Lashley - Needs to defeat Goldberg at SummerSlam 2021
Bobby Lashley could register the biggest win of his WWE career at SummerSlam 2021 if he beats Goldberg and retains the WWE Championship. He is shy of six months into his reign and has been dominant despite a couple of unnecessary losses on RAW in June and July.
Money in the Bank turned out to be the perfect exhibit for The All Mighty as he squashed former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. Following that, his sights were set on SummerSlam and only one night after Money in the Bank 2021, Goldberg returned to challenge him.
Bobby Lashley desperately needs this win. It won't take away his credibility to lose to the WWE legend, but it won't be a decision too well-received. He was one of the MVPs of the Thunderdome/Pandemic era of WWE and deserves to have a title reign that extends beyond the upcoming pay-per-view. There's always the possibility of Goldberg winning, especially looking at the example of The Fiend in 2020.
This will be the Hall of Famer's second SummerSlam appearance since 2019 and his third overall appearance. His last appearance was in 2019 against Dolph Ziggler, which served as a more comedic match. It also helped him bounce back from the disastrous match against The Undertaker at Super ShowDown two months before.
The good news for Bobby Lashley fans is that Goldberg may not walk out of The Biggest Party of the Summer as the WWE Champion. According to the latter, he is contracted with WWE for two matches a year up until 2023. Speaking on The Pop Culture Show, he said:
"I am contracted with the WWE for the next two years through 2022, '23. I've got two matches per year," said Goldberg.
Since Goldberg already faced and lost to Drew McIntyre at Royal Rumble 2021, this will be his second match of the year. The chances of him winning are slim unless WWE decides to give him a short-term extension for 2021-2022.
Bobby Lashley may just get the victory he desperately needs.
#4. Nikki A.S.H. - Needs a win at SummerSlam to cement credibility?
Nikki A.S.H.'s reign as the RAW Women's Champion has been interesting, but it could end at SummerSlam. It's always good to see veterans like Nikki, who have worked hard for years outside of WWE get big opportunities.
It seems to have paid off and for the last month, she has been the focal point of the women's division on RAW along with Charlotte Flair. At SummerSlam 2021, Nikki A.S.H. will defend the RAW Women's Championship against Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match.
With Nikki this SummerSlam season, there has been pros and cons. The main pro is that she is a good babyface champion who is legitimately popular among fans. Her size and look also make her a far more relatable character to viewers than an athlete like Charlotte Flair.
The biggest con is that her character doesn't portray herself as a champion. On RAW, her overall confidence heading has been low and she has been unsure as to whether she can even win matches. However, that could also be a part of her "Almost Super Hero" character.
She hasn't been the worst-booked superstar, but she desperately needs a win at The Biggest Party of the Summer to make her a more credible RAW Women's Champion.
#3. Drew McIntyre - A win at SummerSlam to restart his journey to the top
WWE has taken the right approach with Drew McIntyre heading into SummerSlam. With his Money in the Bank opportunity gone, Jinder Mahal has been McIntyre's primary focus.
He carried the company for almost all of 2020, a feat that will only be truly appreciated years from now. But even then, he seemed to overstay his welcome in the WWE title picture post-WrestleMania.
Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank saw a definitive (and temporary) halt to Drew McIntyre's WWE title pursuits. At SummerSlam 2021, he will face his old 3MB partner Jinder Mahal in a grudge match.
The build-up to the match has been entertaining. McIntyre has been made to look as strong as he was before, only without the WWE Championship around his waist. This could mean that Mahal picks up the win at the pay-per-view, but it shouldn't happen.
WWE could still continue the feud if Drew McIntyre wins at SummerSlam 2021. However, it wouldn't be surprising if The Modern Day Maharaja wins and the feud extends beyond the event.
McIntyre desperately needs the win as it will be a crucial step into building himself back up.
#2. Damian Priest - Enough momentum for a first title win at SummerSlam 2021?
Damian Priest has won nearly every match in WWE this year heading into SummerSlam 2021. He debuted in the Men's Royal Rumble this year and his pairing with Bad Bunny did wonders.
While Bunny was undoubtedly the star of his match at WrestleMania 37, Damian Priest got the rub. He even continued his feud with The Miz and John Morrison and came out victorious.
He took a small hiatus due to an injury and returned to his winning ways. It led to a SummerSlam feud against Sheamus, where The Archer of Infamy will get his first opportunity at a title on the WWE main roster.
Damian Priest is a former NXT North American Champion, but he has a chance at dethroning Sheamus and capturing the United States Championship. Credit must be given to The Celtic Warrior, who has done well to carry the United States title despite not having the strongest set of opponents.
All reigns must come to an end and at SummerSlam, it's Priest who needs the win more than Sheamus. While one could argue that it's less "desperate" than others on the list, it would be deflating to see him lose to Sheamus after all the momentum he has gathered.
#1. Seth Rollins - Needs to win at SummerSlam to enter Universal title contention
Edge will take on Seth Rollins in a dream match at SummerSlam. Their marquee bout will be nearly seven years in the making and knowing the in-ring skills of both men, the match should be nothing short of a classic.
It's been an intense rivalry on SmackDown and the premise of their feud began this year in the build-up to Money in the Bank 2021. After defeating Cesaro, Rollins was furious to find that Edge returned to get a Universal title shot and not him.
He set up his match by interfering in the Money in the Bank main event, costing The Rated-R Superstar a potential 12th world title. Rollins' argument was that if he couldn't get a Universal title shot, neither should Edge.
The Hall of Famer lost his last two matches in WWE, getting pinned by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37 as well as Money in the Bank 2021. Since he may most likely take a hiatus post-SummerSlam, it makes sense for Seth Rollins to win.
Reigns is expected to retain the Universal title at the pay-per-view, meaning that Rollins winning would set up a clash between the two former Shield brothers.
Edge winning at SummerSlam would undoubtedly get the best reaction, but Seth Rollins is arguably more deserving of the win in the bigger picture.
