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One of WWE's biggest pay-per-views is a mere week away. The card is star-studded yet overall underwhelming; but at a huge event like this, there's always a chance it could bring the house down.
With that said, WWE needs to ensure they avoid doing certain things that could make the PPV less than memorable.
Here are five things WWE must absolutely avoid doing when they roll into Brooklyn for SummerSlam.
#5 Poorly ordering the card
One of the biggest mistakes WWE occasionally makes is ordering the PPV card in a strange way. It can take a lot of steam out of the event because of how much it confuses and/or bores the fans. Just look at this year's Money in the Bank. Breezango took on the Ascension in the final match before the main event.
And if you'll recall, the main event at MITB wasn't even the world title match. That means Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton had their match for the WWE Championship before Breezango and the Ascension went at it.
On top of that, the main event was the MITB ladder match itself, removing any possibility that the winner could cash in that night. Logically, it was just awkward.
WWE needs to avoid making the same mistake at SummerSlam. There is a clear match that should be main-eventing, and that is the fatal 4-way for the Universal Championship. It has four of the biggest stars in all of WWE and could feature arguably WWE's biggest attraction, Brock Lesnar, losing his title.
If that isn't the final bout of the night, something is terribly wrong.
#4 Brock Lesnar retains
Allowing Brock Lesnar to retain the Universal title this Sunday would be a horrendous mistake. Lesnar has more star power than anyone in WWE not named John Cena, but the circumstances surrounding him are all saying that now is the time for him to drop the belt. And if he doesn't, it could be catastrophic for RAW.
The hype surrounding a potential Lesnar vs Jon Jones UFC fight is picking up quickly. "The Beast Incarnate" reportedly re-entered the USADA drug testing pool recently, meaning he is seriously considering another UFC fight. And that interest was confirmed by Lesnar responding to Jones' challenge when he said, "be careful what you wish for."
Yes, Lesnar has fought for UFC before while still being under contract with the WWE. But he didn't have RAW's most coveted prize in his possession at the time. Plus, a part-timer holding the top championship on a brand gets old pretty quickly with or without the threat of leaving for UFC. It's time for a change of pace.
Any one of Lesnar's opponents in the fatal 4-way would make for an amazing next Universal Champion. The only wrong decision would be to let Lesnar retain.
#3 Booking a throw-in match
WWE has an unexplainable habit of booking random throw-in matches the day of the PPV. The most recent example of this is pictured above, as Heath Slater and Curt Hawkins went toe to toe just before the huge fatal 5-way main event.
Of course, the camera wasn't focused on these two for very long as the main attraction was Braun Strowman being pulled from the wreckage backstage. But why bother with this match at all? It's just disorganized.
Another example that has stuck with me strictly due to its randomness was the impromptu Curtis Axel vs R-Truth match that took place at Fastlane in 2016. That match also took place just before the main event, and had fans bewildered and bored. It was just unnecessary.
This isn't something WWE does very often, but it does happen. And although this shouldn't need to be said, they need to avoid doing this at all costs at a PPV as important as SummerSlam.
One of the worst things they could do is take the steam out of the crowd by booking something like Mojo Rawley vs Konnor just because they feel like it.
#2 Baron Corbin cashes in and loses
It's looking increasingly likely that Baron Corbin could cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase this Sunday at SummerSlam. He's held the briefcase for a couple of months now, and given the situation he's in, the timing couldn't be better.
To be clear, Corbin likely won't cash in unless Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Jinder Mahal and becomes WWE Champion. But if Nakamura is victorious, you can pretty much bank on a cash-in, no pun intended.
Corbin has made it clear he isn't finished with the "King of Strong Style", despite the fact that Nakamura is clearly busy in another feud right now. What better way to get retribution on your rival than watching him win the WWE title and ripping his dreams away as soon as he achieves them? It would be incredible.
Of course, not cashing in would be fine too. Maybe there's a better time down the line. The only thing that absolutely must not happen is a failed cash-in by Corbin. Whether you believe he's destined for stardom or not, there's no point in stunting his growth before it really even starts.
He has the briefcase, so eventually, he needs to capture the title so we can see what he's got. Do not abort the mission yet.
#1 Jinder Mahal retains thanks to the Singh Brothers
The Singh Brothers have been brilliant since they were paired up with Jinder Mahal. They added an element to his character that elevated him into a somewhat interesting champion, and they were great during Mahal's feud with Randy Orton. Just watching Orton throw them around was worth the price of admission.
I won't go as far as to say the act is stale. The Singh Brothers shouldn't go anywhere for a long time. But they should not be the deciding factor in the WWE Championship match this Sunday. Because the whole "distract the opponent so Jinder can blindside them" thing has gotten old. It would be a disappointing way for SmackDown's marquee match at SummerSlam to end.
Mahal retaining is not the worst thing that could happen by any means. While it would be incredible to see Nakamura finally reach the top, Mahal has been solid. "The Modern Day Maharaja" leaving Brooklyn with the gold is fine, as long as it isn't all thanks to the Singh Brothers.
It would be a travesty to have Nakamura lose his first match in that fashion. It just wouldn't do him, the fans, or the stage justice.
