WWE SummerSlam 2018 match card, rumors

The next pay-per-view (PPV) on the WWE schedule is the SummerSlam show set to take place on Sun., Aug. 19, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This will mark the fourth time in as many years the company will hold this event in the area.

We’re just one week from showtime and the card looks like this:

• Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal championship)

Reigns beat Bobby Lashley in a number one contender match to earn this shot. They’ve continued telling the story that Lesnar doesn’t care about pro wrestling/WWE and Reigns is the guy who can take the title back and make it a permanent fixture on Monday Night Raw once more. The latest update to it is Lesnar attacking Paul Heyman and the possibility of a split between the two.

• AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE championship)

They didn’t do much to get here. Joe simply pulled off a sneak attack and signed a contract. There hasn’t been much to the build either.

• Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (Raw women’s championship)

Despite repeatedly breaking the rules of her suspension, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle awarded Rousey a title shot after Bliss cost Ronda her title match against Nia Jax. In the meantime, it’s been about Bliss avoiding getting her comeuppance.

• Carmella (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown women’s championship)

Lynch needed to defeat the champion in a non-title bout to earn the title bout and she did just that. The next week, Charlotte returned and was given a similar opportunity. She, too, won her way into the match. The big tease is for tension in the relationship between Tea-Generation X.

• Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (Intercontinental championship)

Despite losing to Ziggler in an Iron Man match, which was itself a rematch, Rollins is getting yet another chance to win the Intercontinental title back. There continues to be speculation that this match will be changed in some way before it takes place.

• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy (U.S. championship)

Nakamura won the title at Extreme Rules. Hardy failed in his rematch on SmackDown days later when Randy Orton got involved. So far, Orton isn’t included in this match but that seems likely to change.

• The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day (SmackDown tag team championship)

The New Day defeated SAnitY and The Bar to win a tournament to become top contenders. They get their shot here.

• Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak (Cruiserweight championship)

Gulak won a Fatal 4-Way to become top contender on 205 Live. A week later, DRAKE MAVERICK announced his title shot would happen on this show.

• Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

The stipulation here is that if Strowman loses, no matter how that may happen, he will lose the Money in the Bank contract.

• Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

It’s a rubber match.

• Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz

After initially refusing Bryan’s challenge for a match, Miz did an about face after negotiating with SmackDown General Manager Paige and the match is on.

• Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega (Kickoff match)

Lana has been feuding with Vega and losing every match, thanks to Aiden English. Rusev has been having his own battles with Almas. It worked out well to land on the Kickoff show.

It’s now looking nearly certain neither Undertaker nor John Cena will wrestle on this card as previously rumored. A Raw tag team title match is set for Monday Night Raw this week, and will likely dictate whatever the direction is for that match at this show.