WWE SummerSlam free stream of pre-show featuring Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam U.S. title match

WWE SummerSlam goes live on pay-per-view (PPV) tonight (Sun., Aug. 18, 2013) at 8 p.m. ET from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, but the promotion is also offering a free live stream of its pre-show -- what's now being called "Kickoff to ..." starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The featured match to get the crowd nice and warmed up for the main show will be a United States championship encounter between current titleholder Dean Ambrose and longtime veteran of the game, Rob Van Dam.

There is no real feud to speak of here, as RVD earned the title shot by winning a 20-man battle royal on the go home episode of Monday Night Raw earlier this week. His prize was a U.S. title shot against Ambrose, who notably said he wouldn't be losing his strap unless "the ghost of Andre the Giant" was in the battle royal.

We shall see.

The show starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, so remember to come back and join us here for the live stream below: