6 ways WWE can make Super Show-Down a pay-per-view classic

For the first time in its thirty-three year history, WWE will be hosting their first pay-per-view in Australia. It is clear that WWE is trying to host more pay-per-views outside of America, and with Crown Jewel confirmed in November, this is the first year since 2002 that the WWE will hold 3 pay-per-views outside of the United States.

However, despite the positives of the WWE bringing more pay-per-views all over the world, in order for WWE Super Show-Down to be a success, the WWE needs to avoid the mistakes they made at The Greatest Royal Rumble.

Whilst Greatest Royal Rumble was hailed as a political success (as well as the beginning of a 10-year deal), the pay-per-view itself fell a bit flat with a number of matches with no build-up to and a main event that awarded the winner a belt that we haven’t seen since.

WWE has done well so far in giving every match build up and interest for the WWE Universe, but in order for this event to be significant, they will need to do so much more to make this from a good pay-per-view to a memorable one.

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#6 Naomi will not be ready for Asuka’s implosion

Asuka may not all be laughs and smiles on the night.

With the exception of Drew McIntyre, every wrestler from the NXT roster that has joined the main card since WrestleMania this year has made little to no impact on the main shows. The IIconics are no different, with their only major impact on the Smackdown brand being their contribution to Charlotte’s title loss when Carmella cashed in her Money in the Bank contract.

At WWE Super Show Down, anything far from the IIconics winning their first pay-per-view on their home turf would be a disastrous outcome, considering Naomi and Asuka have very little history as a team.

Whilst the unusual combination of Naomi and Asuka is a refreshing change to the women’s division, it is safe to say both women are better as singles wrestlers. Furthermore, any wrestling fan that followed Asuka in NXT or even her earlier days will vouch how good of a villain she can be.

After Asuka lost her streak at WrestleMania and then failing to claim the Women’s Championship against Carmella in back to back pay-per-views, another loss could cause Asuka to implode on Naomi.

#5 Bryan to take a leaf out of The Miz’s book

One slight diversion could give this feud even more life.

The ongoing feud between Daniel Bryan and The Miz has become so personal that their wives have got involved in their most recent match at Hell in a Cell. Whilst both of the results have ended in The Miz’s favour, it should be safe to assume that Daniel Bryan will finally taste a bit of redemption at WWE Super Show-Down.

Despite their feud starting 8 years ago, the WWE Universe is just as passionate about this feud then to when it was revived again a few months ago and the Miz/Daniel Bryan saga could easily go on for a few more months before they go their separate ways.

A clean Daniel Bryan win could potentially end the feud once and for all, but a sneaky victory for Daniel Bryan would be a sweet comeuppance for the Miz after the events of both SummerSlam and Hell in a Cell. It also feeds significantly more to their ongoing story considering Daniel Bryan has labelled The Miz as a coward on multiple occasions and could also be interesting as it shows that Daniel Bryan could develop elements of a ‘darker side’.

#4 Samoa Joe winning the WWE Championship

Could be a similar image at WWE Super Show-Down

Despite being the first-ever wrestler to win the NXT Championship twice, Samoa Joe has yet to win any gold on the main show, following a couple of near-misses with the Universal Championship last year.

The only other wrestler that has won the NXT Championship twice, Shinsuke Nakamura, has failed in all six attempts to win the WWE championship largely at the hands of AJ Styles. There are a few reasons why WWE should be avoiding the same outcome for Samoa Joe.

Firstly, to justify the NXT Championship considering it is the opening for the future generation of wrestlers to become WWE champion. So far, of all the NXT champions that have moved to the main roster, only a quarter have won a major belt, yet the majority of them are extremely talented wrestlers who could easily be in the running for major title opportunities.

The second reason is the significance of the WWE Championship changing hands abroad again. In its entire history, the WWE Championship has only changed hands once outside of North America, and that honour goes to AJ Styles when he dethroned Jinder Mahal in Manchester, England. How fitting would it be if he was to lose the title the same way he won it – on foreign soil.

#3 Rousey suffering her first loss

The Riott Squad being victorious will make this a pay-per-view to remember.

Ronda Rousey losing her first match in a six-woman tag match seems like a preposterous idea on the surface. If you also take into consideration that broken streaks usually happen at major event (eg. Asuka at this year’s WrestleMania), Ronda taking her first loss in a six-woman tag match seems unlikely for a one-off pay-per-view in Australia.

However, that’s the thing – it is six women fighting and Rousey doesn’t need to actually get pinned to lose the match itself. Either of the Bella twins could lose while having zero effect on Rousey’s character, so a loss on the first pay-per-view in Australia would give the match a lot more significance and will definitely make it a night to remember.

It is also important to prevent Ronda Rousey becoming like a Lesnar-type character. Delivering a first loss early on in her career (even if she is not the one getting pinned), would prevent this from happening.

Moreover, The Riott Squad has done very little since their arrival to the main roster back in November. A victory by hook or by crook over Ronda Rousey will make their stable one to be reckoned with.

#2 The Lunatic Fringe ends the Brotherhood

What will Ambrose do at WWE Super Show-Down?

Keeping a stable consistently interesting isn’t always easy, but a couple of ways to do it include unpredictable characters and the occasional break-up. From the Hart Foundation to the nWo, D-Generation X to Evolution, there always seem to be a balance between breaking them up and reuniting again, depending on the reason.

The Shield are no different, as Seth Rollins betrayed his brothers back in 2014 and aligned himself with The Authority. Despite the fact that The Shield are, without a doubt, the most effective and dominant stable to grace the WWE roster in the last ten years, having the Hounds of Justice go their separate ways again is just as an interesting idea and could lead to new potential feuds, storylines and most importantly, alignments.

The last few weeks have suggested that if someone was to betray the brotherhood, it would be Dean Ambrose. His loyalty has been questioned, the fact his brothers need him has been highlighted and – of course – nobody quite knows what Ambrose is going to do next.

On top of this, Rollins has already broken the Shield up once before, and the chances of WWE turning Reigns heel are slim to none despite what the fans may think. If Ambrose betrayed The Shield and aligned himself with The Dogs of War, The WWE Universe would be talking about Super Show-down for months to come – possibly right up until Wrestlemania.

#1 John Cena seeks revenge after his WrestleMania loss

John Cena hasn't forgotten what happened at WrestleMania

It is safe to assume that the main event will be between Triple H against The Undertaker in a last match ever between the two icons of the industry. If you add the Phenom’s Brother of Destruction, Kane and the co-founder of D-Generation X, Shawn Michaels into the mix, this seemingly unanticipated match has quickly turned into a personal feud that has kept the WWE Universe on tenterhooks over the last month. The thing that makes this match most interesting is quite simply: how will it end?

As Triple H and commentators alike had dubbed their last match against each other back at WrestleMania XXVIII as ‘The End of an Era’, it is safe to say that these two stalwarts battling it out in their last match ever should have an interesting end - and the possibilities are endless.

Shawn Michaels could attack Undertaker and come out of retirement for one last match, Undertaker could officially retire if he loses this match or a new upcoming superstar could attack either wrestler to make a name for themselves.

One option that must be considered is John Cena costing The Undertaker the victory. In his twelve year tenure and counting, John Cena has won almost everything there is to win in the WWE.

However, Cena’s last twelve months in the WWE have been nothing short of forgettable – even his Wrestlemania match against the Undertaker was underwhelming. Whilst WWE has been reluctant to turn John Cena into a villain since the early days of Dr. Thuganomics, it is safe to assume that Cena has passed the torch to Roman Reigns (see No Mercy 2017) as WWE’s key franchise player – making John Cena the villain a much more realistic possibility.

The reality is there is no better way than to turn yourself into a villain than brutally attacking a fan favourite like The Undertaker. This could even lead to a WrestleMania rematch with, hopefully, a match lasting longer than a few minutes.

Whilst this is a highly improbable possibility of suggesting John Cena costing Undertaker the match, it isn’t impossible as John Cena is confirmed to appear to be on the pay-per-view. Furthermore, Cena’s obsession with fighting The Undertaker at WrestleMania didn’t generate a response from The Undertaker until the actual pay-per-view itself.

In comparison, Undertaker has appeared in several weekly shows in the build-up against Triple H. One can compare this to The Undertaker showing a lack of disrespect for John Cena, who preaches ‘Hustle, Loyalty, RESPECT’.

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