'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's a few weeks until the WWE's second biggest show of the year, SummerSlam. They usually build the card as if its the WrestleMania of the Summer and huge stars are often in top matches. It's where we witnessed "The Match Made in Heaven" between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. It's also where Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan squared off in 2005.Last year, we saw Ronda Rousey win the RAW Women's Championship by beating Alexa Bliss and Roman Reigns finally conquered "the Beast" Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship.
Although some fans are fine with the matches that ultimately comprise the show, how exciting is it really for Becky Lynch to defend against Natalya? And I'm not a huge fan of Randy Orton, so I'm not exactly looking forward to a title match with Kofi Kingston, if that's the route WWE decides to go.
Even though we can always hope for some dream match-ups to come to fruition at the biggest shows, they don't always get booked. If we had the power to make some of the matches for this year's event, here are alternative title contests we would put on the show.
#4 United States Championship match - AJ Styles (c) vs. Ricochet vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE might be going the route of having the Club vs the pairing of Ricochet and the Usos for SummerSlam. While that might be an interesting match (as long as it isn't made 2-out-of-3 falls like WWE just can't resist these days), the title needs to be defended at the biggest shows.
Styles might defend the belt again before 'Slam, but a perfect match for the card would be for the leader of the Club to defend against both Ricochet and Rey Mysterio. Styles and the former champ have great chemistry and Mysterio's style would also mesh well into the match. The Master of the 619 is still among the most revered stars still going and he just returned from injury. Technically speaking, he didn't lose the belt. It was a strange switch from Joe to Mysterio to Joe again. We all know how the belt traveled out of Joe's hands.
Mysterio and Ricochet have fought each other before. If you haven't seen it, just try to find their match online from Lucha Underground. It was amazing and could still have some of the magic left in the pairing.
Having it be for a title ups the importance, as does having "the Phenomenal One" present. Having older stars in matches is fine as long as the majority of them are giving rubs to the younger stars.
#3 Intercontinental Championship match - Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Ali vs. Andrade vs. Daniel Bryan
WWE really needs to start featuring more of the extremely talented young performers on this roster. While the likes of the Hardyz, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio are still valuable, they are better suited to putting over the younger talent to help the future. Mysterio and Hardy are still in great shape and put on good matches, but their time has past. In fact, Mysterio has already put over Andrade more than once.
Since SmackDown has an overabundance of talented Superstars, the best way to do that is have new champion Shinsuke Nakamura defend his title against three other stars in a Fatal Four Way. Among the opponents would be Andrade, Ali and a wild card in Daniel Bryan.
Bryan is still loved by fans who admire character work and his "Yes" chants are always over with the crowd. Ali was primed for Kofi Kingston's historic run and he's still an amazing performer who is willing to take amazing chances.
I know I said that WWE needed to stop trotting out stars that were bigger even five to seven years ago, but Bryan missed three years due to early retirement. He's also proven that he is one of the best all-around stars in the company regardless of if he is a heel or a face. There's a reason why he was given a run with the WWE Championship and the SmackDown Tag titles. Ali and Andrade have already proven themselves and are future title holders.
#2 WWE Championship match - Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Big E vs. Xavier Woods
While this is a match that WWE would likely not book due to how valuable the trio is from a marketing standpoint, there would be huge money in a title match featuring all three members of one of the most over groups in WWE history.
Kingston has been a fighting Champion and has taken on all comers from Daniel Bryan to Kevin Owens to Samoa Joe. Dolph Ziggler had his chance, but as mentioned on the previous slide, we'd like to see some newer and different names get title shots.
It would only seem fitting for Kingston to want to battle against his friends because if they didn't win their gauntlet match before WrestleMania, then Kingston would not have received his title shot at the show.
He could "pay them back" by offering them both a title shot or one of Woods or Big E could say that they want a chance that it took Kofi 11 years to get. The story writes itself and WWE always loves to write break up angles for teams.
The New Day wouldn't necessarily have to break up before or after the potential match for this to work. Big E has been on the cusp of a main-event run and Woods has really upped his game over the last two years. Fans would just have to root for their favorite member of the group instead of rooting for them as a team.
#1 Universal Championship match - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Bray Wyatt
Wyatt and Lesnar did cross paths a few years ago but it didn't involve a title. The fans ate it up when "the Beast" and Wyatt stood face to face with each other. Of course the rest of the Wyatt Family turned things in Wyatt's favor, but it did give Lesnar some lackeys to toss around.
Since WWE has gone a long way in rehabilitating and re-creating Wyatt, the best way for a return on investment would be to have him face and defeat "the Beast" at 'Slam instead of a potential showdown with Finn Balor. Fans reacted positively last week when he reemerged from the Firefly Funhouse, so it's apparent that a huge portion of the WWE Universe is ready to root for Wyatt once again.
Other analysts on this site have also championed this match, and if we're thinking about it, a lot of others members of the WWE Universe would love it as well. Wyatt could truly be one of the next big stars for the future if WWE books him that way. His promos would carry weight as Champion and it would freshen up a lot of the feuds for the title. Rollins vs. Lesnar has been done enough lately. Give "the Fiend" a chance. Let him in.
Is there a title match you'd rather see at SummerSlam this year? Share your ideas in the comments section!
For more WWE coverage, stay right here at Sportskeeda!
