What will be the match order of WWE SummerSlam 2019?

The success of a pay-per-view rides on a variety of factors, from match quality to star power. But one of the most important determinants for a show's quality is the match order and whether everything is effectively positioned on the night.

SummerSlam is in a few hours and WWE will want the optimum utilization of every element of their line-up. Therefore, the correct placement of matches is incredibly important for this show. There are ten matches currently scheduled for the event, with one likely to be moved to the Kickoff show.

The card has a lot of potentials, as many matches could impress and enhance the quality of the show. They need to be positioned effectively for WWE and the fans to gain the most out of the show. This could be one of the best main roster pay-per-views this year.

Here is how WWE should lay out the SummerSlam 2019 match card, from Kickoff show to the main event.

Kickoff show: Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan (Cruiserweight Championship)

As has been the case many times in the past, the Cruiserweight Championship will likely be contested for on the Kickoff show. It looks like WWE is finally booking less, instead of more. So this could be the only kickoff match, depending on whether there are any late additions to the card. These kinds of matches generally do well in this position and with the recent form that 205 Live has been in, expect nothing much different.

Oney Lorcan won a 6-pack challenge match to face Drew Gulak and the match is likely to be a characteristically good one for the division. It will likely be hard-hitting, providing the fans with some really solid action before the pay-per-view begins properly. The NXT-205 Live dual-branded Superstar will give Gulak one of his better title defenses for sure, but the current Cruiserweight Champion should keep hold of his title for a few more months at least.

#1 Bayley vs. Ember Moon (SmackDown Women's Championship)

The SummerSlam pay-per-view should begin with a solid match, one that would benefit the most from opening the show. Bayley vs. Ember Moon seems like a really good match on paper, but the build to this encounter has honestly been pretty weak. It may be the match with the least excitement heading into the show and putting this match later in the card could cause it to suffer.

The Toronto crowd is guaranteed to be hot at the start of the show, so Bayley and Ember coming out and winning over the crowd with the story they tell during the match could work wonders. Having the War Goddess win following a beautiful Eclipse would also provide a crowd-popping title change to begin the stacked show.

#2 AJ Styles vs. Ricochet (United States Championship)

Last month, AJ Styles and Ricochet faced each other for the United States Championship at Extreme Rules. The match was good, but it wasn't a classic. Perhaps, it was because of how late it went on during the show. It was the seventh match out of ten, with the Philly crowd slightly fatigued during it. WWE could solve this problem by booking the US Title match early on the card today.

AJ Styles and Ricochet are more than capable of wrestling an absolute blinder of a match, with each other and with others as well. This is the perfect time for that to happen. A similar scenario happened with the Phenomenal One and John Cena, with their SummerSlam classic coming over two months after their rivalry began. Give them over fifteen minutes and watch the magic unfold.

#3 Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon

This is one of the biggest matches on the card, so seeing it happen so early would be a surprise. Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon would be the perfect palette cleanser, given the stark contrast between this match and AJ Styles vs. Ricochet. This will not be a proper wrestling match, it will be a brawl. And, it won't be pretty. Expect Shane O'Mac to take some crazy bumps, selling his butt off to make Owens look incredible.

KO should come away with the feel-good victory, although a victory for Shane could present more storyline opportunities. Either way, this match should happen relatively early to spread the biggest matches on the show and get the 'Best in the World' shenanigans over with. Hopefully, this is the last we see of him for a while.

#4 Finn Balor vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt

After the brilliance and the chaos from the previous two matches, the fans would need a breather. So out comes The Fiend to destroy Finn Balor. Bray Wyatt has not wrestled for almost a year and his return match, tonight, is likely to be short and sweet. Balor will be spending a couple of months away from WWE, so it only makes sense for The Fiend to decimate him with no retaliation.

Last year, there were three squash matches at SummerSlam. Funnily, the Demon was part of one of them, as he disposed of Baron Corbin in next to no time. This year, the Irishman should be on the receiving end of one of these. A short but visually menacing demonstration that Bray Wyatt is for real, would be a nice refresher for the crowd in between full-length competitive matches.

#5 Becky Lynch vs. Natalya (Submission match for the Raw Women's Championship)

When this match was announced for SummerSlam, it was not exactly the most exciting match in the world. But, the past few weeks have been solid for the story of this rivalry. Becky Lynch has been cutting some of her better promos in the past year and Natalya has been more intense than she has been, possibly ever. The submission stipulation also helps this match, with a straight-up shootout between the two in-ring specialists.

The match will likely be in the middle of the card, similar to The Man's match at last year's SummerSlam. This is not the most high profile feud that The Man will have, but the aftermath could be interesting. Becky desperately needs better challengers for her Raw Women's Championship, otherwise, her momentum could die out.

#6 Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)

Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton is the story that could propel the former's title reign to further heights. The history that they have with each other dates back to 2009, making this match a pretty big deal. Victory will be vindication for Kofi, a true full-circle moment. The build to this match has been superb, playing on the real-life events that caused the New Day member's push to be abandoned.

WWE likes to separate their two world title matches on the biggest shows and this may be no different. It is important that this match is placed perfectly, not too early for a WWE Title match and not too late for the fans to be tired of it. Matches like AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston himself, have benefitted from happening at around the halfway point of really long shows.

#7 Dolph Ziggler vs. Goldberg

After what will likely be the most emotionally draining match of the night, the fans will want another breather. Enter Goldberg. The former WCW icon decided that his legacy would not be defined by what happened in Jeddah so here he is, set to face Dolph Ziggler. The match will not last very long, so expect Goldberg to finish Ziggler off in a couple of minutes.

It would also be easily digestible for the fans, following the story of Kofi and Orton. The Showoff does not need to win here and he will sell Goldberg's offense like death, making this a perfect late-show attraction, serving as another break before the final couple of matches on this card.

#8 Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus

Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus is another attraction match, one that we all know how it will likely go. The Queen will pick up the victory after this generational dream match between the best of each of their eras. Trish's entrance will possibly be the pop of the night, with the show being in her hometown of Toronto. So, having this kind of match happen just before the main event would make perfect sense.

The crowd will certainly be alive for the entirety of this match, something that matches close to the main event of such long shows lack. This is also going to be the final match of Trish Stratus' career, as per herself, so there will be a guaranteed atmosphere no matter where it is on the card. This is the best full-length choice to go on second to last on SummerSlam.

#9 Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins (Universal Championship)

Even if this match is not as compelling as WWE would have liked, Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins will be the main event of SummerSlam. It feels like this feud has played out and is past its expiration, despite the fact that we haven't actually seen a proper match between the pair. Their WrestleMania 35 opener was more of a moment than a match and Lesnar's Money in the Bank cash-in at Extreme Rules was obviously only ten seconds long.

Rollins has had a rough few months, as nothing of his has clicked. His feud with Baron Corbin was too long, his partnership with Becky Lynch stalled their momentum and it is difficult for fans to get behind his pursuit of reclaiming the Universal Championship, particularly because of his comments on Twitter. He is not working anymore and while the match between himself and The Beast will probably be very good, the Big Red Belt should not change hands again.

Hopefully, the story that they tell in the ring tonight is compelling enough for the fans to be hooked and Seth Rollins redeems himself as an effective babyface.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for the live SummerSlam results!

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Edited by Israel Lutete