Why do we love WWE’s Attitude Era? We love nostalgia. We hang on to the memories of our youth and how we felt at the time.
Mind you, a lot of it was garbage. I mean, hot garbage. But wrestling was at its peak with “NWO” and “Austin 3:16” shirts in every mall and classroom you walked into.
It’s the catchphrases, the visuals, the louder-than-life characters who allowed us to connect in such a way that we’ll remember them for years.
SummerSlam is historically for the die-hard wrestling fans, whereas WrestleMania is for the mainstream crowd. As we did for WrestleMania earlier this year, we have put together a prop sheet for your SummerSlam viewing parties.
We wanted to make this loose and fun so wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike can be engaged and have a good time at the party. I encourage all to enjoy it. You can use mine for a base, then add any others you think might be a big hit with the crowd.
(Note: Each correctly answered question is worth a point unless stated otherwise. All odds for the matches are current as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and are courtesy of BetUs.)
The kickoff show
1. Number of celebrity appearances (over/under: 1.5)
An hour before the event, WWE will have a kickoff panel that previews the matches and promotes the show so people will subscribe to Peacock (or WWE Network outside of America). The event is in Detroit this year, and the WWE has some connections with people from the Motor City. Ken Jeong wouldn’t be a total surprise. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see members of the Detroit Lions in attendance.
2. Number of references to cars (O/U: 5.5)
Wrestling loves cliches and tropes. It thrives on them, really. So when it is in a city, it loves to find the most stereotypical aspect of the city and really drive (heh) it home. Since the event is in Detroit, we are going to get a lot of references to cars and engines and manufacturing. This bar might be a little low.
The undercard
Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (-475) vs. Drew McIntyre (+285)
3. Will Ludwig Kaiser interfere?
The mat may be sacred, but the tendencies of Imperium aren’t always. They’ll have the numbers game in this title defense, which, if done successfully, will put Gunther 33 days away from surpassing The Honky Tonk Man as the longest-reigning IC champion. By any means necessary, right?
4. Will McIntyre turn heel?
After stepping away for quite some time after WrestleMania, McIntyre returned as a white-hot babyface. But we’ve seen him like this for years, and with the long odds he has to win, it feels like it’s setting up for a McIntyre heel turn in the not-so-distant future. Will it happen in Detroit?
Singles match: Logan Paul (-500) vs. Ricochet (+300)
5. Number of ‘Holy s—!’ chants (O/U: 2.5)
One thing is guaranteed: When you put Paul and Ricochet in a match together, they are going to defy the laws of physics. We saw it first at the Royal Rumble, when they had a cross-ring collision that garnered the chant. Then, at Money in the Bank, we saw them take a scary bump outside through the table.
What will they do to top it? I’m almost afraid to find out.
6. Will KSI show up?
Jake Paul showed up in Saudi Arabia last year, but he has a fight Saturday with Nate Diaz, so he’s out. KSI has been involved a couple of times in Logan’s matches. (I hate myself for knowing who they are.) But if I had to guess, I would say that KSI will be there and will get involved in some fashion.
7. Will Prime make an appearance?
Prime is Logan Paul’s drink, and we saw it on display at Money in the Bank when KSI threw him a bottle from the front row. But since then, Prime has caught some major flak for its caffeine levels, so I’m going with no here.
The women’s division
MMA rules: Ronda Rousey (+425) vs. Shayna Baszler (-800)
8. Number of UFC references (O/U: 3.5)
Rousey was “the most dangerous woman on the planet” at one point when she was in the UFC, and she’s a big reason for the women’s revolution taking place in combat sports. Baszler, too, had an MMA background before moving to professional wrestling. WWE loves to name-drop, so I expect a lot of UFC mentions throughout the intros and the match itself.
9. How will the winner win: KO or submission?
Those are the only ways to win this match, and WWE did a fantastic job telling the story on “Monday Night Raw” to get us hyped (shoutout to Zack Ryder and MoJo Rawley) for the bout.
With the rumor that Rousey is on her way out of WWE with her contract coming to an end, it seems like she’s going to put Baszler over. To keep her strong for a potential match down the road, my guess is Baszler will lock in the Kirifuda Clutch and cause Rousey to pass out. Lock me in for a KO victory.
10. Will the fans give Rousey a standing ovation at the end of the match?
This is really, really tough. Rousey came into her career on fire, taking on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 34. But her second act in WWE hasn’t been great. Her promo work has been pretty bad, and she just isn’t as crisp in the ring as she was in her first run.
It’s been a love-hate relationship between Rousey and the fans, but I expect them to give her a standing ovation at the end of the match.
WWE Women’s Championship (triple-threat match): Asuka (-140), Charlotte Flair (+175), Bianca Belair (+250)
11. What color will Asuka’s mist be: green, red, black, blue, yellow or purple?
Yes, we are bringing back these props from WrestleMania, as WWE has added Charlotte Flair to the mix. Asuka has turned into a character who closely resembles Kana, which was her character when she wrestled in Japan. One thing she has brought back is using mist on her opponents. Expect Asuka to attempt to use mist during the match.
12. How many times will Belair whip Asuka or Flair with her hair? (O/U: 1.5)
Whipping with the hair? That can’t hurt, right? Well, see for yourself.
13. What will the winning pinning/submission combination be?
Remember, in a triple-threat match, there are no disqualifications, and the champion doesn’t need to be pinned to lose the title. The odds favor Asuka winning this match, but she has felt like an afterthought in the story. Belair ran stale as the champ and needs to get away from the title, so I don’t see her winning.
The money match is Flair vs. Belair at one of the big shows down the road, perhaps WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia. I’m going to pick Asuka to win Saturday, and I think it will come after Belair hits her finisher (the KOD) on Flair, with Asuka throwing Belair out of the ring to cover Flair for the 1-2-3. It protects everyone, and it sets up a rematch for Belair and Asuka down the road.
The main event scene
Singles match: Cody Rhodes (-1500) vs. Brock Lesnar (+600)
14. How many times will we hear, ‘Finish the story’? (O/U: 2.5)
It’s become a meme at this point, as Rhodes has recently pointed out. He lost at WrestleMania 39 in the main event against Roman Reigns, and the story going into the match was his finishing the story by getting the title that his father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, could never win.
Michael Cole is really good at telling the story that WWE wants the viewer to know, so I’m taking the over on this.
15. How many participants will bleed? (O/U: 1.5)
In All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Rhodes would bleed almost weekly. He is as old-school as it gets. And for him, that means color.
As for Lesnar, we’ve seen him bleed regularly in big matches even though WWE doesn’t allow blading. He instead gets his blood the hard way — by genuinely hitting his head into something. (Wrestling is wild, man.)
We’ve seen it against The Undertaker, Rhodes, Roman Reigns and many others. I’m going to take the over and say both guys will find a way to get color in this match.
16. How many references will there be to Stardust? (O/U: 0.5)
The last time Rhodes wrestled at a SummerSlam event, he teamed up with current NXT announcer Wade Barrett to take on Stephen Amell and Neville, now known as PAC in AEW. Rhodes then was Stardust, one of the more embarrassing, forgettable gimmicks in the history of WWE and one that caused him to leave the company.
Since his return, there have been little nods to the former gimmick, and I have to think we’ll get one at SummerSlam, whether it’s verbal or something as simple as a cartwheel, like we saw him do in his return at WrestleMania 38 last year against Seth Rollins.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins (-140) vs. Finn Bálor (even)
17. How many times will their SummerSlam 2016 match be mentioned? (O/U: 2.5)
It was a breakout year in 2016 for Bálor, who became the inaugural WWE Universal champion by defeating Rollins at SummerSlam that year. In that match, though, Bálor suffered a shoulder injury, forcing him to relinquish the title the next night.
It’s been a big part of a storyline that has stretched for more than two months, so I expect Michael Cole and company to mention it throughout the match.
18. Will The Judgment Day interfere?
Rhea Ripley is without a SummerSlam match. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio also doesn’t have a match scheduled, so he should be getting involved too. Then there’s Damian Priest (more on him below). The numbers game is against Rollins in this matchup, and unlike Roman Reigns, the goal of the World Heavyweight Championship isn’t for one person to hold it for years. I think we’ll see a title switch here — and it’ll be in large part due to The Judgment Day.
If you want to make it more fun, here are some odds I’ve made up for who will physically get involved.
- Dom Mysterio (-120)
- Rhea Ripley (-150)
- Damian Priest (-175)
- All three (-200)
19. Will Priest cash in his Money in the Bank contract?
Priest is your annual Mr. Money in the Bank, which allows him to cash in a contract at any time he wants for a match. It can be in the middle of a match, at the end of a match or in advance of a match.
WWE has used it as a storyline device for many years, and it is doing it once again with Priest, giving sprinklings of division within The Judgment Day faction.
I think we’ll see a tease of a cash-in but it’ll lead to Bálor winning the title over Rollins. There’s a chance he could cash it in right away on Bálor, leading to further dissension within the group. However, it seems like it would be too quick to break up the group, as it has been red hot of late, especially with The Bloodline breaking up. The Priest-Bálor story needs time to build, so I think we’ll see Priest come out on “Monday Night Raw” after SummerSlam with the contract still on his person.
The main event
Undisputed Universal Championship (Tribal Combat): Roman Reigns (-5000) vs. Jey Uso (+1000)
20. Will Jimmy Uso or Solo Sikoa be involved?
It’s a match with The Bloodline involved, so of course Solo will be accompanying Reigns. The question is whether Jimmy Uso will be there, as he is nursing a storyline injury. I’d put money on both being involved in the match in some fashion.
21. Will we see more spears or superkicks? What will the combined number be? (O/U: 9.5)
The Usos are the superkick kings of the WWE. They throw them with ease and precision — especially Jey. But we saw Jey last week on “SmackDown” laying into Reigns with a spear, which is Reigns’ go-to move. This is close, but I’ll give a slight nod to spears since I don’t recall Reigns ever throwing a superkick.
22. Number of references to Afa and Sika (O/U: 1.5)
This is the best story in the history of wrestling — full stop. The story is controlled by Reigns’ dominance, yes, but it’s really about Jey Uso with the constant gaslighting and manipulation from his cousin throughout. It’s The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, whom Reigns refers to as “the elders,” who run things in kayfabe behind the scenes. Reigns asked “The Wise Man” Paul Heyman if the elders knew about the Tribal Combat stipulation.
As great as this match will be, and as much as it is about the action, it’s all about the story. I’ll take the over.
23. Will anyone leave/join The Bloodline after the match?
At nearly every premium live event, The Bloodline matches conclude with some type of development to further the story.
This could go several ways, as Jimmy Uso could help his brother or cost his brother. Solo could align himself with his brothers (The Usos) instead of Reigns, or we could see an unforeseen surprise person — if you smell what I’m cooking — come down.
With how the question is phrased, I’ll put the money on no, and we’ll see how the story develops next week on “SmackDown.”
Random props
24. How many tables get destroyed during the night? (O/U: 3.5)
It’s on the agents to make sure the table spots don’t happen too often to take away from the other matches. Ricochet and Logan Paul will almost certainly have one. I can see Reigns putting Jey Uso through the announcer’s table. Rhodes and Lesnar don’t have a stipulation, but it’s going to be a slugfest. I’m going to take the over.
25. How many surprise appearances will there be? (O/U: 2.5)
Triple H has done a fantastic job with debuts and surprises over the past year, and Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky all debuted/returned at last year’s SummerSlam. This year, I can see Triple H really delivering to close the one-year mark on his taking over creative. I’ll take the over.
26. Will The Rock appear?
With the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, The Rock might have time to show up at a WWE event. I’m torn on how it will happen, though. Grayson Waller has mentioned The Rock a few times on the show, and if he hosts his “The Grayson Waller Effect” show, I could see The Rock showing up, hitting the Rock Bottom and giving Waller the rub before leaving.
On the other hand, it’s hard to picture The Rock showing up in a segment that has nothing to do with his family, The Bloodline.
I’m going to say no, but I want to be wrong.
27. Who gets the loudest cheers: LA Knight or someone else?
The fact we have this as LA Knight versus the field tells you just how damn over he is. Rhodes, Jey Uso, perhaps Sami Zayn or The Rock could top Knight, but I’m going to go with Knight … “Yeah!”
28. How many ‘This is awesome’ chants will we get? (O/U: 3.5)
It’s a smaller card than WrestleMania, and it had two women’s matches cut, sadly. The fans are nothing if not predictable, which means we’ll get multiple “This is awesome” chants.
Logan Paul and Ricochet will be a lock with their athleticism. Reigns and Jey Uso will, too, for the story they’ll tell in the ring. Lesnar and Rhodes might get one if it’s as brutal as I think it will be, and I’m going to bank on the women’s triple-threat match to get one. Let’s take the over.
29. How many character turns will we have? (O/U: 2.5)
A character turn here means going from a good person to a bad person (face to heel) or the reverse. This card has so many possibilities, but this is a fair line. I’ll take the under, but I think we’ll see at least one turn.
30. Who’s more likely to return: Bray Wyatt or Randy Orton?
Wyatt had the wrestling scene on fire last year with his White Rabbit debut but then returned to fight just one match (against LA Knight) at the Royal Rumble before disappearing again with health issues. He could return on SummerSlam in a big spot.
Orton could, too, but the latest reports are that he hasn’t been cleared yet for in-ring activity. I’m leaning toward Wyatt coming out at the end of the show.
31. Will Sky cash in her briefcase?
With only one women’s title match on the card, it could be the time for Sky to cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase (same rules as the one mentioned before with Priest). There feels like a lot of juice to a Sky and Asuka feud, and this is the second-longest MITB reign for any woman in history, so I’m going to say she cashes in and leaves the night as the champ after the match is over.
32. How many NXT talents will we see in the crowd? (O/U: 3.5)
It’s a safe bet that WWE will have some of its talent of the future in the crowd during its big four shows. I think we’ll see at least five members this year, with Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez, Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams, Bron Breakker and Ilja Dragunov all being possibilities.
33. How many false finishes will we have? (O/U: 10.5)
A false finish is where the ref is milliseconds away from completing a three-count before the wrestler is able to kick out. It’s when the wrestlers are shocked they couldn’t put the other wrestler away and the crowd gets visibly into the match. There are seven matches on the card, and while this seems like a high number, I think it’ll clear pretty easily. The MMA rules match won’t have any since it’s KO or submission, but the others should have at least two per match.
Bonus: Which match has the most false finishes?
Jey Uso and Reigns should be the clubhouse favorite to give us the most given the story they are telling, but the women’s title match could be a sneaky contender. Each wrestler should get at least one. Lesnar and Rhodes should be filled with drama with at least three, as well, before Rhodes ultimately wins.
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Ricochet is an aerial show, and his match with Logan Paul could electrify SummerSlam
(Photo of Cody Rhodes: Gladys Vega / Getty Images)