411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE Summerslam 2008

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 08.16.2008

The 411 Staff get together to break down the Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer, WWE Summerslam!


Introduction:

This Sunday, WWE presents its 21st annual Summerslam spectacular. Summerslam is widely considered the second biggest show of the year and the card for this one certainly lives up to that label as it has a quadruple main event, including the return of The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell and the first-time ever meeting between John Cena and Batista, plus two big world title matches. The card Is definitely stacked, but will it live up to the hype of being the Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer, or will it be ultimately forgettable, much like recent Summerslams have been? Let's get to the 411 staffs' thoughts and predictions on the big show.

Staff:

Andy Clark, The Shimmy

Mike Chin, The Importance Of…

Jarrod Westerfeld, Scripted Through Sin

Aaron Hubbard, The Wrestling Bard

Ari Berenstein, Column of Honor

Jeremy Thomas, Film and DVD Reviewer, the R's of Raw

Michael Weyer, Shining A Spotlight

Julian Bong, Please Don't Hate

Robert Leighty Jr, From The Bowery

Michael O, The Dope on SmackDown

Mathew Sforcina, Evolution Schematic

Michael Bauer, ECW Recapper

Matt Short, The Navigation Log

Shawn S. Lealos, Alternate Takes

Dan Wilcox, Thoughts From The Top Rope

~WWE SUMMERSLAM~


Shawn Michaels' Announcement
Andy Clark: This is actually pretty lame. Does anybody really expect him to retire? I wouldn't be surprised if he SAYS he is going to retire, prompting Jericho to come out to mock him followed by the Superkick. "Trust me when I tell you Chris, I'm not retired."

Mike Chin: One of the elements of the Michaels-Jericho program that has made it a success has been patience, and a willingness to let the story play out naturally. I predict HBK will announce his retirement. He will be back, of course--my guess is he'll make his return in a month or two to cost Y2J a victory against CM Punk for the title.

Jarrod Westerfeld: Seriously? We're doing this as part of the roundtable discussion? Do we have that kind of space to kill here? Were there no other matches added to this card? Isn't this a bigger event of the year for either of the "big two" companies, and yet they couldn't fill out the card so we could avoid talking about this?

Fine, whatever. Shawn will not retire, and unlike his hair, will not leave. There.

Aaron Hubbard: I'm gonna go on a limb and say that Shawn Michaels will announce his retirement. Then Jericho and Cade will come out, promo greatness will ensue, blah blah blah. Then...PAUL LONDON comes out and tries to convince Shawn not to retire. But it'll all be a ruse. Once London has Y2J's and Cade's attention, BAM! Sweet Chin Music! This sets up a tag team match at Unforgiven. So...kind of both? End result = HBK returns.

Ari Berenstein:

Heartbroken speech but
Interrupted. Jericho
Revels, gets kicked.

Jeremy Thomas: Okay, so this is pretty predictable, and no one really believes that Shawn is going to retire. Either way, it's going to be fairly interesting to see how it plays out.

Michael Weyer: I feel a return. Come on, the guy is still able to do some great matches with no signs of slowing, he's not hanging it up yet. He may tease retirement but I think Jericho will get on his case to bring him over.

Julian Bond: I honestly was initially disappointed when I found out that the expected Michaels vs. Jericho blowoff match wasn't going to be happening here, but then I realized that they're milking the feud for all of its worth and doing a hellua good job. So with that, Michaels comes out to tease retiring, Jericho comes out to face him and convinces him otherwise.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Shawn is coming back no matter what he announcement he makes. They'll try to recreate the "Lost Smile" speech, and Jericho/Cade will interrupt. In the end either someone will get kicked in the balls, or punched in the eye.

Michael O: I know you're all expecting HBK to give his farewell address here, but I think he will shock the world and announce that he is not retiring, and that he'll be comin' for Jericho's ass in the very near future. Yep. You heard it here first.

Mathew Sforcina: I'm not going to bother talking about this. No, instead, I'm gonna talk about 2 big contests you can enter! The first one is really interesting. Have you ever sat down and read a 411 RT and gone 'What a bunch of idiots! I know what's gonna happen, and none of it is like that!'. Well this is your chance to prove it! Because, my good friends at Stablewars.com are running the 9th Anniversary Play-Per-View contest on Summerslam, and the entire 411 RT will be entered (even if I have to enter them myself). And you get a prize for winning or a random draw for playing, as well as the smug satisfaction of knowing you're better than all of us. You can join whichever 411 Staffer ends up getting the best score in laughing it up. But the second one is even better, as you don't have to do anything major and you could win an even bigger prize! Just Clicky Click for details on the 411 Summerslam Extravaganza!

That's right, I've sold out. You got a problem with that?

Winner: Fans (Shawn teases the retirement, Jericho comes out and tells Shawn to 'Just take your eyeball home already' and they brawl, HBK ain't going nowhere.)

Michael Bauer: Shawn Michaels retiring just seems to feel wierd. I mean, ever sicne I have been a wrestling fan, Shawn Michaels has been the man, even if just a Rocker. I don't think he is gone yet, but it wouldn't shock me either way.

Matt Short: I think he might "retire" if by "retire" we're talking about Shawn Michaels coming out, saying that he wants to be there for his family and then announce it, sure we might very well see that. In that scenario we'd easily see Jericho coming out to do his thing and probably a super kick and then Michaels won't be "retired" anymore. I do think that if Michaels was actually going to retire, this wouldn't be a bad way to set it up. He comes out and says he's going to hang up the boots. Jericho comes out to gloat to which Michaels says he's retiring after one last match against Jericho. Then it's on. Will that happen? Probably not, but I dig this whole storyline.

Shawn S. Lealos: Shawn will say he is retiring, ala the I Lost My Smile speech. Y2J and Lance Cade will come out and degrade him, Chris possible mentioning the I Lost my Smile speech. Shawn will superkick Cade and tell Jericho he is coming for him.

Dan Wilcox: While I think it's a safe bet that Shawn won't be announcing his retirement, I don't think this segment will be as simple as Shawn announcing his return, and then a physical altercation with Chris Jericho. And call me crazy, but I've come up with what I think is a pretty good idea. Michaels comes out and says he won't retire. Jericho comes out and says he should rethink his decision because if he comes back, Jericho will make sure the decision is not Shawn's to make. In Ric Flair fashion, Michaels says he will NEVER retire. But then Mike Adamle comes out and says he has come up with an Adamle Original – the next time Shawn loses a match, he must retire! The Shawn Michaels saga comes full circle! I doubt it'll go down like that, but I'm throwing it out there nonetheless.


MVP vs. Jeff Hardy
Andy Clark: These two had a rather lackluster match back at Judgment Day but I have high hopes for this one. The build to this match has been very good and I look forward to seeing what they can do. My gut feeling tells me Hardy wins but I think MVP could use a win and a loss won't hurt Jeff.

Winner: MVP

Mike Chin: Oftentimes, I form my thoughts on who will win a PPV match based on who needs the win more. Even though he's still establishing himself on the brand, Jeff Hardy is beyond over, and will stay as such regardless of the outcome of this match. While MVP is still over, he hasn't had a high profile win in a while, and needs to establish some momentum. It may not be clean, but I predict he'll take it.

Winner: MVP

Jarrod Westerfeld: I'm assuming that this would be changed to that of a US Title match, but I could be reading into things. Whatever the case, these two didn't work out so great at Judgment Day, but it was Jeff's return week, so that could have been at play here. Whatever the case is, Jeff is the massively over face, who borders on being a main event talent. So with that, Jeff stays strong, gets his win here, further propelling him into the spotlight he would've been indulging in currently in the main event.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Aaron Hubbard: Once again, I'll go on a limb. I think there's going to be a lot of babyface victories on this show. Heck Batista vs. Cena will be a babyface victory. I think we need a strong heel victory, and as much as I wish Edge would win, I won't predict he will. Jeff Hardy can take a loss while MVP REALLY needs a win. So, I'll go with what I want to happen. And...where's Shelton Benjamin?

Winner: MVP

Ari Berenstein:

Blame game hard to stop.
Hardy flies from the top rope-
Swanton for the three.

Winner: Jeff Hardy via pinfall with the Swanton.

Jeremy Thomas: They've built this up a bit, which is good, and barring miscommunication issues it should be quite the fun little match. Hopefully, Jeff and MVP's feud won't be stretched out the way Matt & MVP's was, because I think that one went too long--by necessity, of course. I think after a lot of back-and-forth action, Shelton will come out to cost Jeff the match, giving MVP a much-needed Pay-Per-View win. They can then continue the program between the three of them as they bounce the US Title around.

Winner: MVP (Pinfall via Benja-ference)

Michael Weyer: An interesting setup as we've seen Matt and MVP do great together, now Jeff's turn. True, a different athlete and thus dynamic but I do still think he'll be able to hang with MVP well. An up and down match but I see MVP getting the win.

Winner: MVP

Julian Bond: This feud is turning out 200% better than I had expected. If anyone missed it, these two had a throwaway match at the recent Judgment Day ppv that was okay, but with a nice backstory going into Summerslam, I'm now looking very forward to it. Plus, when the HELL was the last time that MVP won a high-profile match? Been awhile...

Winner: MVP

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Given time this should be fun, and the crowd should be way into this match. I think it would do MVP a lot of good to get the win over Hardy, but I can't see it happening. Hardy gets the win, and continues his push up the SmackDown ladder.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Michael O: This little feud sure got hot in a flash. In what is a testament to the power of a good promo, these two had me instantly salivating for a Summerslam showdown after Jeff's appearance on the V.I.P. lounge a few weeks back and Montel's continous fucking over of Hardy at ever turn since has kept the fire going nicely. I'm almost inclined to go with MVP, for want of a prolonged engagement between them, but I feel that both will move on after the show and while either could benefit from a high-profile win at this point, I think Jeff needs it more to maintain his standing in the Smackdown pecking order. The rainbow-headed stranger has spent more time on his back this month than Ashley Massaro at a rich frat boy's bachelor party.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Mathew Sforcina: I'm working on the assumption that a couple of other Smackdown matches are going a certain way, which would, logically, indicate that this goes the other way.

Winner: MVP (Missed Swanton into roll up with tights)

Michael Bauer: Honestly, why isn't Shelton in this match, making it a triple threat for the US Title? This way, you don't give away the one on one so fast and possibly, you know, give the secondary title some meaning. Anyway, Jeff Hardy can not seem to get an edge on MVP when it's on free Tv. Therefore...

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Matt Short: This pairing has some damn good potential. The build has so far been pretty fun with MVP making it so personal that he actually got Jeff mad. I like it and I'm positive that this is just going to be the start of a bigger feud between the two. I don't know how far they can take it, but like I said before the potential is definitely there. If this is to continue, whoever wins doesn't really matter, but I'll go with Jeff here. He gets a measure of revenge against MVP, but the battle will continue the Friday after SummerSlam.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Shawn S. Lealos: MVP needs this win more than Jeff, but Jeff is the Golden Boy and looks to be getting revenge for the Trailer and Dog comments. MVP should win, Jeff will win.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Dan Wilcox: This rivalry has been great thus far, but the fact that it is personal and involves one guy costing the other a championship, I figure it must continue. With that in mind, coupled with the fact that Jeff Hardy got the upper hand on MVP on SmackDown last night, I see MVP coming out of this one with his hand raised. Hopefully they'll have a much better match than the sloppy bout they had at Judgment Day though.

Winner: MVP


First Time Ever: John Cena vs. Batista
Andy Clark: Now THIS is my main event. I am so stoked for this match, even if we don't see a clean finish. The question will be whether we see Randy Orton return during this match or during the title match. I say in this match, attacking Cena in an attempt to gain Batista's trust.

Winner: Batista due to unwanted Orton-ference

Mike Chin: Over the last few months, I've noticed that WWE's fan polls have an eerie way of predicting the outcome of a match. The most prominent example was at Wrestlemania, where polls showed Cena and Triple H as odds on favorites in their triple threat match for the title, while only a small percentage of fans picked Randy Orton to retain. It's tough to say whether WWE determined its booking to subvert the expectations expressed in that survey, or if the survey was built to prove that what they had planned was surprising (it's a chicken-and-egg question, really). This Monday, WWE asked if Cena or Batista was the bigger star and, predictably, Cena got the decisive win. That seems to mean that Batista's the one who needs to go over, in order to claw his way toward equal standing.

The funny thing is, I think Cena could actually use this win more than Batista, after coming up short in back to back world title shots this spring, then falling to JBL. Nonetheless, methinks the wheels are in motion for a Batista win.

Winner: Batista

Jarrod Westerfeld: This thing should be bigger. This bout should feel grander. This entire feud should actually rival some of the bigger classics most of us have grown up with. Instead, this feels like a big, steaming pile of let down in comparison to some of those other monumental collisions.

Some of you out there get your dream match here, and that's all you'd need. But for me, the build here has been so boring, dull, and lifeless that I couldn't care if Batista showed up or not – which, odds are, he won't. We'll get a limp little match, and if they were smart, no finish this encounter so they could build it up to a bigger show off. But they probably won't do that, and thus one of these stars will have to go over the other, and who better to pick than the WWE golden boy?

Winner: John Cena

Aaron Hubbard : Yipes. The real loser is Wrestlemania. Seriously...what the HELL? Anyways, it depends if this goes on last. I don't buy the Randy Orton injury as a work. If it goes on last, I'll say that it goes to a draw of some sort. If it's on last, we'll get a clean victory. Who wins? I don't know what's gonna happen. Since I believe in Harvey Dent, I'll use his method.

Winner: Not Scarred Heads (John Cena)

Ari Berenstein:

Hogan-Warrior?
Three weeks isn't enough--
Ultimate Challenge!

Winner: Batista via pinfall with the Batista Bomb.

Jeremy Thomas: This is a match made in heaven, and while I wasn't a fan of the tag title element of the feud, I think these two built the match up nicely with their promo work on Raw this week. With these two guys, both of whom invoke divisive reactions from the crowd, someone's gotta turn heel. I think they're telegraphing it. I also think it's going to be Batista, when Orton comes out (WORKED INJURY!!) to cost Cena the match, upon which we realize that Orton and Batista really ARE getting Evolution back together. That can move Big Dave onto a World Title match while Cena and Orton duke it out, or continue this while Orton steps up.

Winner: Batista (Pinfall via Orton-ference)

Michael Weyer: I think this should be the main event. I'm serious. The first real one-on-one match between them and it's been set up pretty well. I see a great match, Cena pulling all his skills against Batista's power. It'll be up and down, lots of great spots and brutal moments but I just don't see WWE managing to choose one over the other, at least not yet. So, while it won't be as good as we want, really only one logical outcome.

Winner: Double DQ.

Julian Bond: I agree with everyone and their mama that they should AT LEAST have waited a little longer and at the very least teased a match-up a little while ago, as opposed to a few weeks ago. But...what you going to do? They wanted a nice big drawing match and they easily got it. It'll probably be a great bout, but more than likely ending in a draw of some sort to not take anything away from the two. Another weird theory would be Batista losing and straight up turning heel immediately after. Going for the first guess.

Winner: Draw

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Since I bought a WrestleMania XXV travel package, I was hoping I would be seeing this happen for the first time next April in Houston. I'm still pretty amped for this match, but it still feels like it should be happening at Wrestlemania. Seemingly this is one of the few money matches they have left. The match should have great heat (as most Cena matches do), and it should be a decent power match. We will go with Cena since he has been losing a lot recently.

Winner: John Cena

Michael O: The contest where we find out for once and all which is the better super power: the ability to morph into an animal or invisibility? Or at least we would have, if that fake injury havin' Orton hadn't peed in the pool.

Winner: No contest/double DQ/clusterfuck of some sort

Mathew Sforcina: This match will not have a finish. Hell, it may not even get started if one of them secretly cashes in their rematch and then leaves the other one to the wolves and turns heel. And/or Randy Orton runs in and goes RKO Crazy on everything moving.

Winner: None (No Contest/Double DQ/Double CO/Evolution 2.0 formation/Some Non-Finish)

Michael Bauer: Well, it's the biggest match on the card and it's not for a title or to finally end a feud. The main thing is this. No matter what, this match is going to piss off somebody. It will either piss off the 15 and under girls who love Cena or the muscle heads that love Batista. Honestly, I have to believe that the winner here gets a shot at the champion, whoever it is, and I just feel like Batista is better off going after Punk. This way, they can finally have a clean match. Note of fact: How can anyone debate cena is a bigger star than Batista? Cena has been in movies.

Winner: Batista

Matt Short: I think that they dropped the ball on having enough time to build this match properly, but the last Raw ended strongly. While they might be throwing away a major first-time match that should be headlining WrestleMania, I don't think it's completely blown yet. Let this match be a taste of things to come. The real money match is WrestleMania when the title is on the line. No, it won't be the first-time match but it'll be bigger than this one will be. It's hard to say who will win here. Cena's been on a slide and could use a huge win, but Batista has been dominating on Raw since being drafted. The thing is, neither man is hurt by a loss. Batista is the guy getting the big push here and I say he wins it.

Winner: Dave Batista

Shawn S. Lealos: I can't believe they went ahead and kept this as a singles match. I know Summerslam is supposed to be the BIG #2 PPV in the WWE, but this is a Wrestlemania match. I think it still will be a Wrestlemania match, so the winner here will lose at Wrestlemania. Therefore, Batista wins here so Cena can win on the biggest stage of them all.

Winner: Batista

Dan Wilcox: While this is far from the way I would have liked to see this match go down, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hyped for it. There's dozens of potential outcomes for this one; a clean Cena win followed by a hand shake, a clean Batista win followed by a hand shake, a Cena win followed by a Batista heel turn, a Batista win followed by a heel turn, a no contest/Double DQ followed by Orton interference, a Batista win following Orton interference and so on. I'll stick with my original theory that Orton motorcycle accident was bogus, and Orton shows up here to give Batista the win and the emergence of Evolution 2.0.

Winner: Batista


Hell in a Cell: Undertaker vs. Edge
Andy Clark: This match should be really good but 1) The new Hell in a Cell structure sucks and 2) Does anyone buy Edge winning? I'm still really looking forward to the match and Edge has been spectacular in the build to this match, but this is Taker's match to lose.

Winner: Undertaker

Mike Chin: This should be the match of the night quite easily, and will likely prove to be a MOTYC. Edge has been awesome in the build to this match. Undertaker will be rested, and presumably ready to go. There are plenty of opportunities for swerves here, but given it's Taker's first match back, I'll go with the obvious choice.

Winner: Undertaker

Jarrod Westerfeld: This is actually the main event of the show. You can't look at it any other way. This has had build for over a year; they've taken some bad detours, have kind of come off as flat and boring after some of their encounters, despite still producing quality matches with one another, and have shown us all that Edge can be a strong heel character for the company. Hell, he's even proving he doesn't need a crutch to maintain his heat. But in the end, two factors come up in this: firstly, this is Undertaker's return match, and never can I recall the Undertaker making a return match and not winning it; secondly, Undertaker owes Edge a little payback for what happened at One Night Stand. But the contrary to this is Edge has a new lease on his run, and an edgier persona that could lead you to believe him stealing up a big victory here. The end result? A 31 minute brawl that just lends to the idea that this match could destroy previous conventions of the returning figure picking up the win, as this is more in line with "business as usual" for this feud, and what better way to end it than on the note of Edge picking up the win here to launch himself back into title contention? The problem with that being, that since Batista beat Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell bout, last, I'm certain they won't allow Taker to drop two of these bouts, back to back.

Winner: The Undertaker (in 31 minutes)

Aaron Hubbard : YES! I'm so happy this is happening. It's the real reason I'm buying the show. Hopefully, it'll go on last and get a solid twenty-thirty minutes. Edge is awesome, Taker is awesome, Hell in a Cell is awesome. So this is...SUPER AWESOME! Some people are comparing Edge to the Joker, and the Undertaker is the closest thing to a real life Batman. Call me hyped.

Winner: Undertaker in roughly 28 minutes. (and the fans)

Ari Berenstein:

Crazy, take a spin.
Edge takes everyone down.
Taker takes his soul.

Winner: The Undertaker via tombstone on the top of the cage in what should be an awesome main event worthy Hell in a`Cell.

Jeremy Thomas: Okay, bear with me here. I know the smart money is on 'taker, but I really think that would be a mistake. Let's face it, Edge just completely changed his character in the past month, and I for one am uber-digging the psycho Edge. I think he needs the win to really solidify that character and make him dangerous. A loss for Taker won't do him any damage, and I think everyone's going in believing that, despite how much Edge has turned things around in the last couple weeks, he has no chance. With the 'E's recent love of swerving, I think they give Edge a legit win over Taker.

Winner: Edge

Michael Weyer: UT is coming back ready for blood and it's his style of match. What more do you need to know?

Winner: The Dead Man

Julian Bond: For the Undertaker not even showing on Smackdown for the last month, they done a bang-up job of promoting this match-up solely based on Edge's "changed" persona. Based on the fact that none of these guys' previous bouts against one another have not really disappointed, then the "Cell" match should be above and beyond expectations with Taker finally getting the last word.

Winner: The Undertaker

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Edge is my hero, but he is going to get killed in this match. This is the contest I am looking forward to the most, and I have high expectations. The new Edge has been awesome, and I hope this Edge will be the one in the cell. It would suck if he turned soft once inside the cell and tried to run. I want to crazy bastards beating the hell out of each other in this match, and I'm sure they will deliver. I would love to see an Edge win, but this seems to be the blow-off, and I can't see any ending except Taker going over.

Winner: Undertaker

Michael O: This is the match that I'm looking forward to the most, despite the fact that, in all honesty, I felt Edge should've come out on top in this feud and would've been fine with Undertaker returning on RAW some time having never avenged his TLC loss. It was so hard to type that sentence, as The Undertaker is my favorite wrestler of all time and thus I'm always theoretically pleased whenever he wins. Which he'll of course be doing here. At least the mark in me will be happy as a pig in shit. Oh yeah, unleash the fucking mark and say it out loud with me: "'Taker and Edge, HELL IN A CELL, SUMMERSLAM! FUCK YES!!" Feels good, doesn't it?

Winner: The Undertaker

Mathew Sforcina: The Undertaker, lose a comeback match? Heh.

Winner: The Undertaker (4th Tombstone)

Michael Bauer: The feud can finally have a conclusion and what better way than Hell in a Cell. The Undertaker and Edge have had an interesting feud, in which Edge never lost to the Dead Man, and then three straight wins by Taker before the TLC Match. With Triple H as champion and little doubt that will change, Edge makes the most sense as #1 contender once again. An extended Triple H/Edge program would be nice, as they have always teased it, but never delivered.

Winner: Edge

Matt Short: I've kind of felt that Hell in a Cell matches have been quite lacking. While there have been some good ones, they don't quite live up to the legacy of brutality that the Cell built up when it was first introduced. I can honestly say that I haven't been this excited for Hell in the Cell in quite some time. It's very fitting isn't it? Edge did after all cost the Undertaker the World Title against Batista in this very match and it now all comes full circle. I like that Edge has had to change his whole mindset for this match and we actually get a real one-on-one confrontation between these two. Like Cena vs. Batista is could go either way, but the return of Serious Edge makes me think he could head into a bigger title program with Triple H. Undertaker can take the loss, but like I said, I wouldn't be surprised to see either guy win.

Winner: Edge

Shawn S. Lealos: I have missed every single prediction between these two since I started doing these things. There are two modes of thought here. The first is The Undertaker is the king of the Hell in a Cell match. The second is that Edge is, by far, the most entertaining wrestler on the roster right now. Undertaker won at Wrestlemania, but Edge already got that win back in the match that banished Taker. Hmmm.

Winner: Edge

Dan Wilcox: It's a shame that Edge has little chance of going over because his work carrying this feud for the past month has been absolutely fantastic. Regardless, this should be a long, bloody, epic encounter and a suitable conclusion to their long, bloody, epic feud.

Winner: Undertaker


Winner Take All, Intercontinental and Women's Championship: Mickie James and Kofi Kingston vs. Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella
Andy Clark: This is an interesting matchup. Who thought we'd see Santino back on PPV again anytime soon? While I have no doubt that Santino will one day be IC Champion again, this is just a fun opening match so the faces go over.

Winners and STILL Intercontinental and Women's Champions: Kofi Kingston & Mickie James

Mike Chin: I'm actually not a big fan of Santino's work. With that being said, he and Phoenix seem to be getting an odd-couple push, and they have been fairly entertaining. I imagine Kofi will benefit from chasing the title a bit too, so I'm gonna go ahead and give this one to the heels.

Winners: Santino and Beth

Jarrod Westerfeld: I know some have questioned why Paul Burchil and Katie Lea aren't involved in this match over Santino and Beth, but those people probably haven't noticed that Mickie and Kofi have basically dominated those two with singles, clean victories. So instead, we get Beth and Santino getting a shot at some gold, the only problem is I can see them having the reverse titles they wanted. Oh, the hilarity that will ensue after this is all said and done.

Winner: Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix

Kofi Kingston (c) and Mickie James (c) vs Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix - Winner Take All - Intercontinental and Women's Championships

Aaron Hubbard: As far as filler goes, at least they got people that we care about. Beth and Santino is one of the hottest angles on RAW. Kofi Kingston is the IC Champion and reasonable popular. Mickie James is Mickie James. We'll care about this. I never thought I'd say it, but I hope they let the women wrestle the majority of the match so it's half-way decent. I say it ends when Santino and Beth start making out on the floor.

Winners: Mickie James and Kofi Kingston (by count-out)

Ari Berenstein:

Hard to resist it--
Santino: Woman champion!
What will Beth think then?

Winner: Santino & Beth Phoenix—Santino will want to walk out with the Women's title, but Beth will rein him in.

Jeremy Thomas: Ugh. UGH, I SAY! This match is stupid on all sorts of levels. I hate the way they built it, and I see some sort of silly shenanigans taking place to dump things up on all sorts of levels. Individually, these two pairs could have a good match, but I'm seeing this be the comedy spot on the card, and I think they'll go with a title switch in such a way that it doesn't weaken Kofi. That's right, Santino gets to pin Mickie again, and he'll probably look like ass doing it.

Winner: Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix (Santino pins Mickie; NEW Intercontinental and Women's Champions)

Michael Weyer: When I wanted the IC and Women's belts given more PPV time, this wasn't what I meant. It should be an...interesting matchup and maybe Mickie and Beth can make it fun, especially if Mickie tangles with Santino (come on, that's comedy gold). But with that stip, it's the heels to win.

Winners: And NEW IC Champion and Women's Champion: Santino and the Glamazon

Julian Bond: Hopefully I'm not in the minority by saying but I LOVE the pair-up of Marella and Phoenix. They're polar opposites and are funny as hell together in the ring. With this recent push of their relationship and the fact of the "Winner Take All" simpulation, it's rightful to assume that good standing champs Kingston and James will lose the straps, but hopefully will chase again later on.

Winner: NEW CHAMPS Marella and Phoenix

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Santino is awesome. Beth and Mickie are both awesome. Kofi is exciting, and the crowd digs the guy. This is a great way to squeeze two titles match on one show. I know having singles titles defended in tag matches is nothing new, but I like this idea in this case. Beth gets the pin, and holds that fact over Santino's head.

Winners and New Intercontinental and Women's Champions: Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix

Michael O: Hmmm, would've figured Kofi might've had a more interesting run before giving up his first intercontinental championship, but it might behoove them to strike while the iron is heating up with Santino and Beth. I think their burdgeoning romance has been entertaining thus far, with the angle being reminicest of other great love stories, timeless classics such as Dean & Lita or Eddie & Chyna. I have a feeling this may result in Beth Phoenix becoming the second woman in history to win the intercontinental championship, while Santino goes on to leave his own footprint in the area of inter gender history. Kofi can get it back if he needs to and begin anew.

Winner: Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix

Mathew Sforcina: Well, someone has to get screwed over by Mike Adamle Cluelessness (TM)- When you just gotta be Clueless. And thus, that needs Raw's new Odd Couple to win via screwy Louie schnanagins. So, either Santino or Beth cheats out a pinfall and thus wins BOTH belts themselves (Winner Takes All remember) or Roast Beef and Coffee end up getting counted out or DQed, and Mike comes out and says that the winner got both belts, he didn't say how, and they win that way. Either way, Santino's getting lucky! Relatively speaking.

Winners, and NEW WWE IC and Women's Champions: Beth Phoenix and/or Santino Marella (An Adamle Original Screwjob)

Michael Bauer: I'm not a fan of the all or norhing concept in this match, because I really don't want to see Kofi against beth or Mickie against Santino again. The match would also be alot less preditcable if only one title can change hands. I can't see any point of putting the IC Title on Santino, but Beth as Women's Champ again without pinning Mickie would be an idea. I'll go with the titles staying as is for now.

Winners: Mickie James and Kofi Kingston

Matt Short: Man this is just weird. Santino is terrible in the ring and the only thing I can see them doing with him as Intercontinental Champion is doing a Honky Tonk Man style run. Which would no doubt be fun, but I see no reason to derail Kofi Kingston for that. Beth Phoenix though does deserve to be Women's Champion again, but I'd rather see it happen in a traditional match as opposed to this gimmicky tag match. I don't think they'll actually go with the Santino as Women's Champion bit like a lot of people are saying. Champions retain here and the matches get less confusing from here on out.

Winners: Kofi Kingston & Mickie James

Shawn S. Lealos: Santino would be a very entertaining Intercontinental Champion, much better than the last time he help the belt. However, Kofi is MAD OVER right now. They have transformed Kofi from an ECW midcarder to a RAW star. Santino doesn't need a belt to be over, I think Kofi does.

Winner: Kofi and Mickie James

Dan Wilcox: As much as I have enjoyed Santino and Beth's interaction, it's going to suck seeing two titles being used as a prop in their angle.

Winners: Santino and Phoenix


ECW Championship: Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy
Andy Clark: Much like Santino, while I have no doubt in my mind that Matt Hardy will be ECW Champion one day, he will not win the title here.

Winner and STILL ECW Champion: Mark Henry

Mike Chin: I'd like to see Hardy get the win here and give his ECW tenure a real kick-start. Regardless, Henry's still settling into his role as champion, and specifically with Tony Atlas at his side, it seems to be a role in which he can succeed. Strap's not changing hands just yet.

Winner: Mark Henry

Jarrod Westerfeld: Matt Hardy will not die…but he also will not take in the ECW championship off of his first encounter with the mammoth champion. So in the end, Matt will certainly suffer a mild, coma like state for the duration of a 3 count. But he won't die.

Winner: Mark Henry (RETAINS ECW Championship)

Aaron Hubbard : Wow...I do not care about this match. They say there's money in the chase, although I don't think it applies here. But Vince probably doesn't agree with me. Still...do we honestly want Mark to get a clean win over the biggest star on ECW?

Winner: Matt Hardy (via shenanigans, Mark Henry retains)

Ari Berenstein:

Bend frying pan,
Become champ. Matt does not know
It's a gimmick.

Winner: Mark Henry with help from Tony Atlas at ringside and Hardy will rematch with Henry at the next PPV.

Jeremy Thomas: I really want Matt to win, and I think he will be ECW champion soon, but I think they're going to hold off on this. Henry's only been champ a short while, and Matt's their only real contender right now. Look for it to be a fairly dull match, as I don't see Matt and Mark's offense coinciding well, and Mark will win with his finisher after Atlas gets involved.

Winner: Mark Henry (World's Strongest Slam; STILL ECW Champion)

Michael Weyer: Do I really have to waste time on this? Fine, fine...Matt needs a big win and ECW needs a bit more life so give him the title and let him run with it well like Punk did to prove himself and help the brand a bit more.

WINNER and NEW ECW Champion: Matt Hardy

Julian Bond: As much as I want Hardy to finally win a major title, it won't happen here just cause of the fact that Henry is actually filling out his championship reign pretty well, especially with Tony Atlas by his side. So Hardy loses here, but will definitely set-up a rematch down the line.

Winner: Mark Henry

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Mark Henry has actually done a good job as the ECW Champion. Hardy dropped the US strap at the last show, and it set off alarms that he would be coming for the ECW crown. The title will be his at some point, and I do think that time is now.

Winner and New ECW Champion: Matt Hardy

Michael O: Not yet, Matt. Not yet.

Winner: Mark Henry

Mathew Sforcina: Unless this ends up as some sort of bizarre punishment of Jeff Hardy by pushing Matt, Mr. Will Not Die is going to have to rethink his catchphrase.

Winner, and STILL WWECW Champion: Mark Henry (World's Strongest Sitting Down On A Guy)

Michael Bauer: Now, of the three title matches, this is the only one where I truly believe the title could and should change hands. Now, the only problem is that Mark Henry has been built up so well, that him losing just doesn't feel right. And I can't believe I just said that. Well, I guess WWE needs one heel champion.

Winner: Mark Henry

Matt Short: The title could change hands here very easily, but I think they'll let this one stew a bit more before Hardy gets the belt. There's not many other faces on ECW for Mark Henry to have a believable feud with right now besides Matt Hardy. Keep the chase going for a bit longer and build up guys like Mike Knox and Evan Bourne to face Hardy.

Winner: Mark Henry

Shawn S. Lealos: They brought Matt Hardy to ECW to be the face of the promotion. Along the way, damn it all if Mark Henry hasn't taken the ball and run well with it. This is the greatest Mark Henry has been - ever. This was supposed to be Matt Hardy's big moment, but I think Mark Henry and Tony Atlas have done enough to hold onto it. I say let Hardy get the win, but not by pinfall, so Henry retains the belt.

Winner: Matt Hardy but Mark Henry retains

Dan Wilcox: Henry's reign has been about a million times more enjoyable than it really had any right to be, and I hope it doesn't end yet. The money is in the chase in this one, so I think Henry retains via Atlas interference.

Winner: Mark Henry


World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk vs. JBL
Andy Clark: Orton could conceivably interfere here but I think Punk will retain first. JBL has actually done a good job of making me slightly interested in this match but there is no way in hell he should be winning here. WWE gave Punk an opponent they feel comfortable going over.

Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: CM Punk

Mike Chin: CM Punk needs this win and he needs it clean. While I don't have complete faith in WWE booking, I do have faith enough that they will understand that, and that that's why they put him up against JBL for this show.

Winner: CM Punk

Jarrod Westerfeld: If this match doesn't get 12 minutes, I riot.

It's clear that JBL isn't the guy to trust with the title. He's gotten too old, his look is sliding down his front side, creating the illusion that he's the first transgendered wrestler under WWE contract, his way of words is getting a bit slippery, and did I mention he's old? JBL just isn't the same JBL he once was, back on SmackDown, feuding with Eddie. He's not that guy anymore, and the idea of him being the main heel champion of Raw in a time of rebuild just doesn't seem to float. This should be an impressive victory for Punk, even if it is with the B title.

Winner: CM Punk (RETAINS World Heavyweight Championship)

Aaron Hubbard : Who thinks this JBL has a pencil's chance in Joker-land of winning the title? No one? Seriously? Yeah...me too. LONG LIVE THE GLORIOUS REIGN OF PUNK!

Winner and STILL World Champion: CM Punk

Ari Berenstein:

Last match on the show?
I can dream. But when I wake,
He will Go 2 Sleep.

Winner: CM Punk via pinfall.

Jeremy Thomas: I'm actually excited for this one somehow. A lot of it has to do with their work on Raw; that segment was pretty nice. There's no way, with JBL still iffy, that they're putting the belt on him, so I think this is where Punk goes over strongly to really cement the validity of his title. Hopefully, it'll be without any kind of run-in, and if they do any, they'll save it for after the match.

Winner: CM Punk (Go2Sleep; STILL World Heavyweight Champion)

Michael Weyer: I know folks are saying the Punk thing is only an experiment but even Vince has to see how ratings and fan approval have improved since he won. So I see it continuing although JBL will give it a good match and a big win can help Punk silence doubters.

WINNER and STILL World Champion: CM PUNK BABY!!

Julian Bond: I am so glad that the WWE is still pushiing Punk as a legit champ, more so than the "miracle run" of Rey Mysterio and that he is more and more looking like a main event player. So this shall continue with a very strong clean win over former champ JBL.

Winner: CM Punk

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Punk should win this match. My interest concerns Randy Orton. If the motorcycle accident is true he won't show, but if it is all a work, he should make his presence known in this match. Punk goes over no matter what as I really can't see the WWE putting the title back on JBL at this point.

Winner and Still World Heavyweight Champion: CM Punk

Michael O: Lamest. Summerslam. World title match. EVER. At least Punk is young enough to eventually recover from his wretchedly booked first title run.

Winner: CM Punk

Mathew Sforcina: Anyone else hoping for JBL to win thanks to a Colt Cabana run in? No? Ah well, the ending will still be incredibly weak since that's meant to make us care about Punk...

Winner, and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: CM Punk (JBL gets a DQ for excessive chair and/or liquor bottle violence)

Michael Bauer: CM Punk has not been the worst booked champion ever, despite every belief. I mean, Yokozuna lost the title in two minutes, how much worse can you be booked? This whole feud has been over JBL calling Punk a paper champ who didn't earn the belt. Which is funny, looking at JBL's ENTIRE reign as Smackdown Champion. CM Punk should finally get a clean win here and maybe erase the stigma that he isn't a worthy champion... or turn himself heel, which I certainly do not mind.

Winner: CM Punk

Matt Short: Punk has to win this, shenanigan-free. Silencing JBL for the title would a symbolic gesture of him being more than just the paper champion Bradshaw has accused him of being. The win is what's important here though. I don't expect this to look as good as Punk's match with Batista last month (before the ugly DQ), but it should go a long way to making Punk look like a legitimate champion.

Winner: CM Punk

Shawn S. Lealos: Punk finally stepped up and let his mouth do the talking (?) for a change. He was solid in the promo with JBL, but common wrestling knowledge tells us since JBL ended up on his butt on RAW, he will walk out of Summerslam as the winner. I disagree, but I do think they might give Punk another cheap win, which would hurt his reign even more. I have been a solid supporter of JBL as a heel since he came back - he is one of the best there is at generating heat. But Punk needs a clean win here to solidify himself in the main event.

Winner: CM Punk

Dan Wilcox: Let's kick start this title reign with a clean win, yes?

Winner: CM Punk


WWE Championship: Triple H vs. The Great Khali
Andy Clark: Boy have I flipped my opinion on this match. I hated it when it was booked but now I'm really looking forward to it. Khali has really looked like a beast in recent weeks and I think they can tell a good story in there. I wouldn't even be too surprised to see Khali win so they can run a title change on the first episode of SmackDown on MyNetwork TV. So long as they don't have too many restholds or periods of "methodical" working over this match could surprise.

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: The Great Khali

Mike Chin: WWE has done a respectable job of building Khali back up as a monster, but the fact remains that he's just helping Triple H pass the time before he makes more significant defenses against guys like The Big Show, Edge (perhaps with a real program behind them this time) and maybe even Taker.

Winner: Triple H

Jarrod Westerfeld: If this goes more than 10 minutes, I riot!

This match is more of a filler spot, and while some defend this as being a good way to give other matches more time, I look at it and think this does that job on a poor card that doesn't really warrant most of that new time. About the only decent bout with a big man I can think of out of Triple H's library is with Big Show, and then Mark Henry (Undertaker removed from this list as anyone having a bad match with Taker usually gets fired, no excuses). I can't see him working well with Khali, which should prove, once and for all, that Cena is the better wrestler as he managed to pull out a watchable bout with the massive yeti who suffers from the rare disease that prevents him from bending at the joints.

Winner: Triple H (RETAINS WWE Championship)

Aaron Hubbard: Was Big Show unavailable? How about Umaga? Seriously, if we have to have Hunter the BarBERRYan defeat the unstoppable monster, why Khali? Not that I dislike Khali, but the guy had ZERO momentum. I mean...the last time he was on PPV, he lost to the Big Show. Nobody takes him seriously anymore. Hopefully this ends quickly, although the Game might want to have it be twenty minutes so he can prove that he can make it watchable. Hunter...you can't. Not with him.

Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Triple H

Ari Berenstein: Triple H

Lucky, fortunate,
Ready, willing, able… No,
We are not these things.

Winner: Triple H via pinfall with two pedigrees.

Jeremy Thomas: Okay, so Khali's huge in India, great for them. I still don't think he's going over. This won't be a particularly pretty match, but it should be better then some expect, and will see the Game taking the giant down to retain his title.

Winner: Triple H (Pedigree; STILL WWE Heavyweight Champion)

Michael Weyer: Is this some sort of karmaic payback for HHH's long hogging of the spotlight on RAW? I mean, even going against Kevin Nash promised better than this. Well, we all know there's no way they'll make the mistake of Khali as the champ again so HHH holds onto it. Let's just hope it's quick.

WINNER and STILL WWE Champion: HHH

Julian Bond: I'm definitely know that I am in the minority of people who is actually looking forward to this match-up (i.e. my upcoming "Please...Don't Hate column on Khali). Besides Edge, Khali is the only ex-Heavyweight Champ on Smackdown that HHH really hasn't had an one-on-one title match against, so it was elementary to pair the two up together. While the bout won't be the most technically sound match of the night, I look forward to seeing how Triple H beats "the unstoppable" Khali.

Winner: Triple H

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Lets see if HHH can work the same kind of miracles that Cena was able to perform last Summer with the Great Khali. A short match with HHH bumping all over the place could be fun. I also can envision a scenario where HHH gets frustrated and says "hell with it" before pounding Khali with the sledgehammer. Actually, I think I will go with that scenario. With Hell in the Cell, and Cena/Batista on the card, a screwy finish here won't bother the fans all that much.

Winner by DQ: The Great Khali

Michael O: My heart says the Great one upsets the IWC with an upset victory over The Game, but my head says otherwise. Sledge hammer shot, followed by the second worse pedigree you've ever seen. Big Show will never be unseated!

Winner: Triple H

Mathew Sforcina: The Great Khali will one day be WWE Champion. That day will be the Smackdown before their next tour of India, and he will lose the belt the Smackdown after their tour of India. Since that's not upcoming (I checked), HHH does the physically impossible.

Winner, and STILL WWE Champion: HHH (Pedigree off the second rope)

Michael Bauer: The Great Khali is near a title again, OH GOOD FUCKING GOD! This match should be hopefully as good as Cena vs. Khali, which was at least watchable. I don't know if this makes it that far.

Winner: Triple H

Triple H (c) vs The Great Khali - WWE Championship

Matt Short: I've said before that I've come around to appreciating Khali more for his role in these matches. I think this could be a very good match, should Triple H be willing to treat the match seriously, though I have no illusions of him losing the belt here. In order for this to work though, Triple H is going to have to pull some extra weight in this one.

Winner: Triple H

Shawn S. Lealos: Now, there is no way they should give Khali a world title ever again. He is just a boring champion, although I concede he has become a good monster as of late. Triple H needs to keep winning to solidify himself as the new face of Smackdown before the new network takes over. I think tweener Edge should be the face of the brand, but we know who would win that argument.

Winner: Triple H

Dan Wilcox: I can see Khali winning if Triple H wants time off to be with his kid, or if they want to run a title change on the first SmackDown show on MyNetwrokTV, but in all likelihood, Khali will bow down.

Winner: Triple H