Wild, interesting, bloody, disappointing, underwhelming, decent, brutal...these are some of the words being used to describe this year's SummerSlam. Now that the biggest party of the summer is in the books, it's time for damage control, also known as storyline development and progression.
As SummerSlam came to a close, nearly 16,000 fans were chanting "GOOOOLLLLLLLLLDBERG," as Randy Orton laid his face down, in a puddle of his own blood. Many will say the finish was a result of lazy booking, while others might be content or even satisfied. Regardless of your thoughts on the ending of tonight's SummerSlam, there are a lot of questions moving forward. Have we seen the end of Orton vs. Lesnar? Will Lesnar go on a full roster rampage? Or possibly some other scenario?
Whatever the case may be, WWE creative has some work to as they move forward, especially with the expanded pay-per-view scheduling. With that said, let's take a look at five possible scenarios, resulting from the SummerSlam finish.
Lesnar vs Orton continued
Sure, Lesnar and Orton are on opposite brands, but there's a very real possibility that Randy Orton will be wanting to see Lesnar swimming in his blood, just as Lesnar left Orton at the end of SummerSlam.
How could this happen? Well, Orton and Lesnar both could continue to work the invasion type of storylines. For instance, as Lesnar and Heyman stand in the ring tomorrow night at Raw, gloating about how they destroyed the Viper, Orton could once again sneak in with an "RKO outta nowhere," followed up by Lesnar attacking Orton on Smackdown and so forth.
This could eventually pay off at a future pay-per-view, such as Survivor Series in November.
Lesnar turns his sights on the Universal Title
At the conclusion of Lesnar’s vicious attack on Orton, Shane-O-Mac received an F5 from the Beast Incarnate. This could be something that Stephanie approves of. In fact, due to the fact that Stephanie is currently feuding with her brother over brand supremacy, she may find great joy in what happened to Shane.
In turn, Brock could be rewarded from the Billionaire Princess, with a shot at the Universal Title.
Suspension angle
Let's be honest, Brock Lesnar is getting a lot of shade from all directions lately, primarily due to the UFC scandal. Plus, Brock already works a very limited schedule with WWE. With that said, this could be a prime opportunity to have Lesnar take a brief hiatus. Oh, and let's blame it on him busting open Orton and attacking Shane.
Putting Lesnar on "suspension" could potentially result in a good build of anticipation for his return, resulting in a better overall reception.
Brock Lesnar vs Shane McMahon
This is another possibility that isn't far from reality. Shane is obviously going to be fuming from Lesnar’s actions. He's also going to want payback. Payback could come in the form of the aforementioned Orton vs. Lesnar continuation. However, it's important to note that Shane has the testicular fortitude to step into the ring with anyone, including Brock Lesnar.
If the end result is money, Shane McMahon is all in and it could result in a Wrestlemania match.
Goldberg
There was a lot of speculation going into SummerSlam about the possibility of a confrontation between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. At one point towards the end, I actually thought we just might be getting that angle. However, as we all now know, it either isn't going to happen, or it simply wasn't time.
So, can it still happen? Of course, it can. Despite the fact that Goldberg is turning 50 at the end of the year, he's still in outstanding shape and has mentioned he would consider a possible comeback. Personally, I think this one will come down to dollars and sense. If there are enough DOLLARS on the table for both feature attractions, then it will make sense.
If it's going to happen, look for a Wrestlemania type of build, with a payoff in Orlando for Wrestlemania 33.
