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With SummerSlam 2018 less than a month away, WWE needs to amp up its weekly programming with some major feuds. The dual-branded PPVs since WrestleMania 34 have been rather sub-par, and it's about time that WWE gives its fans a decent PPV. SummerSlam 2018 will emanate live from the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on the WWE Network.
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SummerSlam 2017 received mixed to positive reviews, with the main-event garnering special appreciation. WWE would want to improve upon its performance from last year, and the only way to do so is to book some big matches for the PPV, which would not only make for some compelling TV but also create a huge buzz for the PPV.
Until now, only the Ronda Rousey-Alexa Bliss match seems to have been confirmed, provided Rousey serves the full terms of her suspension. WWE needs to pull out all the stops in order to give fans a stacked card. In this list, we run down the five marquee matches that WWE must book for SummerSlam 2018.
Honorary Mention: Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley for the Universal Championship
#5 Sasha Banks vs Bayley
WWE needs to make this match official as soon as possible. WWE is currently playing the slow burn with this Bayley-Sasha Banks feud. The feud has turned sour after a number of lackluster TV segments. The feud took another confusing turn this past Monday on RAW, which just added to the fans' dismay over the kind of booking this feud has received.
WWE needs to realize that the Bayley-Sasha Banks feud is pure money, and if WWE continues treating it poorly, it will only lessen fan interest. They need to have Banks turn heel on Bayley as early as next week. With Banks in her full Boss mode, and Bayley as the heroic babyface, the feud will definitely spark up.
These two best friends-turned-bitter rivals need to have a match on the SummerSlam card for sure. Their in-ring chemistry is pretty evident from their monumental showdown at NXT Takeover Brooklyn, three years ago, which is undoubtedly the best Women's match ever in WWE history.
Fans have been long demanding for this match to take place, and there can be no place better than Brooklyn for these two to write the next chapter of their story. If given sufficient time, these two women will definitely tear the house down at Brooklyn.
#4 Sanity vs The Bludgeon Brothers
The Bludgeon Brothers were able to fend off the threat of Team Hell No at Extreme Rules, and they might be looking for some competition. If there is any team which can match the power game and the craziness of the SmackDown Tag-Team Champions, it is Sanity.
Sanity is coming off a big win over the New Day after crushing them at Extreme Rules. With Team Hell No out of the picture, due to Kane's injury, Sanity can probably step up to become the new No.1 contenders for the SmackDown tag -titles.
Sanity is a strong and menacing unit and their involvement in the tag-title scene will only add more credibility to the titles. A showdown between these two teams will be a clash of epic proportions, and will definitely leave fans asking for more.
#3 Daniel Bryan vs Andrade Cien Almas
Coming fresh off his first PPV win at Extreme Rules, Almas cut a backstage promo calling out the top stars on SmackDown Live. An athlete as incredible as Cien needs to involved in bigger feuds and major match-ups. He is one of the best in-ring talents WWE has to offer right now, which is evident from his run in NXT.
Until now, WWE has sort of over-looked Almas. SummerSlam would be a great opportunity to put Cien in a premier match-up. In order to establish Almas as a top-level heel, he needs to have a match with WWE's most popular babyface i.e. Daniel Bryan. Now that Kane is reportedly injured, Bryan can have a singles run again.
WWE can set-up this feud in a variety of ways by having Almas attack Bryan. A match between the Leader of the Yes Movement and the former La Sombra would be nothing short of pure magic, and may even earn a 5-star rating from Meltzer.
While a section of fans may want Bryan to face The Miz at SummerSlam, I feel that the Bryan-Miz feud needs a long-term booking, and can have a blow-off match at Wrestlemania 35.
#2 Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre
Everything about Drew McIntyre screams 'main-event' right now. He looks like a legitimate star, and it's only time before he moves into the main-event scene. There is no doubt that the Scotsman needs to be involved in a marquee match on a stage as big as SummerSlam.
Reigns is supposed to clash with Lashley next week on RAW, with the winner going on to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Fans are pretty much done with Lesnar and Reigns at this point, and the earlier WWE understands this, the better. WWE needs to play smart here, and this way they can give us two fresh match-ups, rather than running the risk of fans jeopardizing another PPV.
WWE can sow the seeds for this rivalry as early as next week, by having McIntyre interfere in the Reigns-Lashley match-up and costing Reigns his opportunity. Reigns and McIntyre are two of the biggest stars on the RAW roster right now, and a clash between the two would be highly entertaining.
#1 Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe have been involved in hellacious wars with each other in their wrestling careers. But they haven't collided once in a WWE ring. The time is here for The Phenomenal One and The Destroyer to lock horns against each other in a WWE ring, and that too with the biggest prize in the company on the line.
If their previous encounters are any indication, the match would be an exciting affair, as these two Superstars have unbelievable chemistry. The promo segments would be pretty awesome too. Samoa Joe is gold on the mic, and AJ Styles can hang there with the best, as was evident in his feud with John Cena.
This is a dream match that fans have been long clamoring for. AJ Styles going one-on-one with Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship is just money waiting to be printed.
