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With WrestleMania season out of the way and the WWE roster well and truly shook up after the Superstar Shake-Up, it won't be long now before the WWE starts shifting their attention towards their main storylines for the Summer.
The Summer period in the WWE is their second biggest time of the year, with the company rounding off all of the big storylines at their SummerSlam event in August.
Seeds are already being planted for several major feuds this summer, and once Backlash is out of the way this Sunday, and Money in the Bank is then firmly in the headlights, the company's plan will quickly start to become much clearer.
So what storylines will dominate the WWE this Summer? Let's take a look at five of the biggest stories the WWE could tell.
1: Kurt Angle Vs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owen's angle with Shane McMahon went from being one of the hottest angles of 2017 to one of the worst in record time.
Despite starting out strong, the story quickly became far too ambiguous and was ultimately only saved by the unexpected medical clearance of Daniel Bryan.
That doesn't mean the WWE won't try their luck again this Summer though, as it looks as though Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn could be heading towards a major clash with Kurt Angle.
The pair were recently hired by Stephanie McMahon to work for the Raw brand, much to the dismay of the general manager, Kurt Angle, and Kurt has set about making their lives difficult, much in the same way Shane McMahon did. The duo are currently feuding with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley, similar to the way they feuded with Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton in December, with the faces acting as a proxy for their general manager.
This will no doubt continue to happen over the summer, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Angle team up with his son, Jason Jordan, to take on the team of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at SummerSlam.
2: The Shield implodes
Last year's Shield reunion was, for want of a better word, a failure. The trio's first match on their return was delayed because of Roman Reigns getting sick, and then the whole thing was just forgotten about because Dean Ambrose got injured during an episode of Raw.
While this is definitely a piece of fantasy booking, I have to think that the WWE had plans for a Shield triple threat match in mind when they decided to partner the three men back together. Rumours were going around that the original plan was for Ambrose to turn heel and feud with Rollins through WrestleMania, and it seems likely that that would have continued and ended up with Reigns getting involved during the Summer.
Ambrose is nearly ready to return from injury and will likely be competing at this year's SummerSlam event. The WWE has two options, they could either go for Ambrose Vs Rollins to put the wheels in motion for a later triple threat match, perhaps at Survivor Series or even WrestleMania, or they could simply rush plans and have the three men collide at SummerSlam. Either way, you can expect some Shield on Shield action this Summer.
3: Old enemies collide
Samoa Joe is one of the best things on WWE television right now, and it seems like it is only a matter of time before he is given a run with the top belt.
Joe hinted on a recent episode of Smackdown that when he is finished with Roman Reigns, that AJ Styles and the WWE Championship are going to be his next targets.
Joe and Styles have a long and well-documented history together outside of the WWE, and an extended program between the pair in the company could prove to be one of the highlights of 2018.
Joe needs to be booked like an absolute monster in the coming weeks and months, leading to him defeating Styles for the belt at SummerSlam. With Lesnar leaving, Joe could easily fill the monster sized hole he leaves on the roster, and this Summer is the time to finally put those wheels into motion.
4: Ronda Rousey's rise to the top
Ronda Rousey made quite the impression on the WWE universe when she made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 and fans are dying to see what else she has to offer us in the ring.
She has not been used in a match since Mania but she is embroiled in a program involving her friend, Natalya, and veteran of the Women's division, Mickie James. This is likely just to help Rousey get some more experience in the ring before the WWE pull the trigger on her as the top woman in the WWE.
Rumours suggest that Rousey will be facing Charlotte Flair at next year's WrestleMania, and if that is the case, the WWE will want to use this summer as a chance to make Rousey look like the dominant female she is.
Rousey is likely to dispose of Mickie, and probably Natalya, fairly quickly in the coming months, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see her facing Nia Jax at SummerSlam. Rousey will want to be going into WrestleMania as a dominant champion, so starting her reign early, and booking her to look unstoppable, is the best way to do that.
5: Daniel Bryan Vs The Miz
While there are many who think that Daniel Bryan Vs The Miz should be held off until next year's WrestleMania, it seems highly unlikely that the WWE is going to do that, especially considering they are being advertised for matches with each other on house shows in the UK.
Bryan and The Miz are likely to be going face to face at this year's SummerSlam, and if that is the case, then the WWE are likely to start their program on TV very soon.
The Miz and Bryan took part in some of the best TV segments of 2016, and 2017, and their rivalry is well established.
The Miz is likely to try and hide behind the likes of Big Cass before Bryan finally gets his hands on him, but if the WWE can prevent any physical altercation between the two until the first time they have a match, then this program could be the highlight of the Summer.
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One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
