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FOUR MATCHES WWE COULD AND SHOULD HEADLINE SUMMERSLAM WITH

With Summerslam coming in a few weeks, one question that springs to mind is what match will headline the biggest show of the summer, especially after the WWE brand split has created far more opportunities and main event positions on the Raw and Smackdown brands.  It's an interesting topic to dive into as WWE looks to create the best possible value for their audience and to create the most exciting spectacle possible for the biggest show of the summer.

With Summerslam expanded to four hours, WWE has to insure that each hour closes out with a big match that will build the excitement level of the card and then properly pick the right main event bout to close things off with a major, exciting conclusion to send fans home happy, yet anticipating what could happen on Raw and Smackdown Live over the next 48 hours.

It's important that WWE provide the best value for their audience & make sure that their WWE Network subscribers find the best value out of the four hours plus they will invest into watching Summerslam when it airs 8/21 from Brooklyn, NY.

There are a number of different possibilities as to what will close out the show, so let's look at who might close the PPV and why they should:

*Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor - Designed to crown the first-ever WWE Universal champion, this should close out Summerslam for a number of reasons.  One, they have to establish the new championship as something credible and important to the fans and they aren't going to do that by having it established in the middle of the show.  Second, while NXT fans are well aware of Balor's excellence as a performer, fans of Raw and the main roster in general are generally aware of him by reputation only.   While WWE got Balor out of the gates strong with his wins over Roman Reigns and Rusev on Raw and have started the build to unveiling the Demon King persona, Balor needs to be presented as one of THE STARS of the company for him to click with the audience at the level the company is hoping for.  He can't be someone who just shows up - he needs to be presented with all the pomp and circumstance of a major attraction, because if WWE presents him as one, he will become one.  The match itself looks to be excellent on paper as Rollins rarely, if ever, fails to produce on a major PPV and Balor, on the biggest stage of his career, isn't going to go at half-speed.

*Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton - Despite his recent controversies, the reality is that Brock remains an insane athletic freak of nature and one of the most exciting performers in the history of WWE.  He hasn't wrestled since a lackluster Wrestlemania bout against Dean Ambrose, so this is his chance to break out and put all the talk about him to rest with an amazing performance.  With Summerslam being the first major PPV match for Randy Orton since returning from shoulder surgery, Orton (who has looked energized since returning) should also be looking to make a statement for the company with a great performance.  Plus, this is the one and only "cross-brand" bout as a Raw star will face a Smackdown star.  Add in that a lot of the promotion for the show has been built around this match and that they will be having their first-ever high profile bout, that could be enough to give it the nod above and beyond everyone else on the show.

*Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte - With all the talk of the men main eventing, why not change gears and close out with the WWE Women's championship?  The quality of the Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte match on the first New Era Raw energized WWE TV in a way that has, as of this writing, been unsurpassed.   The WWE Women's championship has been built up as a legitimate attraction and a legitimate championship since it was instituted at Wrestlemania earlier this year.  By having their most talented women surprisingly close out Summerslam, WWE would be putting the exclamation point on a statement that their audience has already written out for them.

*Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler - The Smackdown brand owns the WWE World championship, the belt that can be traced back to the days of yore featuring Buddy Rogers and Bruno Sammartino, so it should go on last, right?  Well, WWE doesn't always adhere to traditions, but in this case, perhaps they should.  Dean Ambrose is the WWE champion and deserves the respect and the right to close out the Summerslam show.  His challenger, Dolph Ziggler, has been the perennial underdog that the audience, especially the online audience, has complained hasn't been used right or pushed properly.  With this bout (and his recent work on the Smackdown brand priming him for a main event bout here) Ziggler has the chance to show that all the criticism of how he has been used was indeed correct.  This could be his moment to stand out and shine like a star for the first time since he eliminated the Authority at the 2014 Survivor Series, which seems as if it was eons ago.  Ambrose, with his rough and gritty character, would be best served being in an environment where he can let loose without having to worry about leaving something on the table for whoever is following him.  Having him positioned in the main event is the perfect storm in that regard.

Four top matches and four hours to close out with.  WWE has quite the juggling act on their hands to make sure that the best value for their audience is laid out in a way to end the summer in the hottest way possible, if you forgive the pun!

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