SummerSlam is undoubtedly the WWE's second most significant pay-per-view event of the year, and in many ways, it's truly the 'WrestleMania of the summer'. As such, fans are always eager to know all the latest rumours and speculation heading into the event, but as we know full well, plans in WWE are subject to change at any moment. While SummerSlam is just around the corner, the card could change drastically compared to what many insiders are speculating right now. The WWE and Universal Championship pictures heading into SS aren't all too clear yet, but the names that could potentially be involved in the WWE Title feud are Samoa Joe, Big Cass, Daniel Bryan or Shinsuke Nakamura, and for the Universal Title, names such as Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins firstly come to mind as potential opponents for Brock.

For a number of reasons, the last few WWE pay-per-views have been mediocre at best, so it should be in Vince's best interests to make SummerSlam a big priory booking-wise. Without great storytelling and booking, few matches stand out, and the end result is a PPV ranked by fans as being the most recent 'worst pay per view of all time'. Regardless as we mentioned, a lot of SummerSlam 2018 is still up in the air, and we as fans can only hope things come together and WWE manages to pull off a half decent show. That said, more often than not, things don't end up turning out exactly as fans had hoped for... Today we're going to be looking at 12 signs SummerSlam will be a huge failure, and 12 it could be a huge success.

24 Huge Flop: The Bludgeon Brothers Losing The SD Tag Titles

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan must be thanking their lucky stars the whole 'Bludgeon Brothers' gimmick has succeeded to the degree it has, because had it not, their futures within WWE would've continued to get bleaker. These kinds of gimmicks don't usually last too long in WWE, especially because Vince tends to give up on them before anything gets off the ground. Thankfully, Vince has given the super talented Luke Harper and incredibly powerful Erick Rowan a chance to succeed. The Bludgeon Brothers have been on a path of destruction since their formation, and now as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, they're literally unstoppable - and it should remain that way.

Now it goes without saying that the WWE's Tag Team Division's (on both Raw and SmackDown) are fairly weak, and The Bludgeon Brothers should be protected at all costs. Although Luke and Erick will have had a fairly lengthy reign as SD Tag Team Champs by the time SummerSlam rolls around, their momentum shouldn't be stopped then. Harper and Rowan shouldn't be treated like any ordinary team, and it's far too soon for The Bludgeon Brothers to be losing any steam. If Vince decides to take the titles off Luke and Erick prematurely at SummerSlam, it'll definitely be a huge failure seeing they're just starting to pick up momentum as WWE's most formidable duo.

23 Huge Success: Possible Batista In-Ring Return

Dave Bautista has been extremely successful since departing the WWE in 2014, and he's truly come into his own as a Hollywood blockbuster actor. Perhaps Dave's still a 'supporting actor' versus a lead actor like Dwayne Johnson, but quite surprisingly, many fans believe Dave's the better actor between the two. Regardless, all three of the WWE's top executives (Vince, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) have come across as rather jealous of Batista's successes given the fact they've failed to reach out to Dave despite Batista contacting them for a return, but as Hunter and Steph always say, they try to do whatever is 'best for business'.

Batista shouldn't be brought back to fight for the WWE or Universal Championships right off the hop.

However, having The Animal's presence at SummerSlam this year would be a huge success, and it would garner WWE mainstream media attention which is always a welcome bonus. Perhaps if WWE contact Batista for a potential SummerSlam 2018 return, they could offer him to work a tag team match to get things kick-started for a rivalry with Triple heading into WrestleMania 35 (perhaps Batista and Kurt Angle vs Triple H and another legend). Regardless, having the Guardians Of The Galaxy and Avengers star on the show would definitely make SummerSlam feel like a 'big deal'.

22 Huge Flop: Sasha Banks Vs Bayley

While the WWE feel it'll be the right time for Sasha Banks and Bayley to finally collide inside the squared circle, unfortunately, that said moment will have long since passed. For whatever reason, Vince has been booking the ongoing rivalry or 'frenemies' relationship between Bayley and Sasha for far too long now seeing no ones gaining anything from it, and at this point, fans simply don't care. It's fairly clear we'll be heading towards a SummerSlam 2o18 bout between 'The Boss' and 'Everyone's Favorite Huger', but the old saying 'too little too late' certainly comes to mind.

Now don't get me wrong, both Sasha and Bayley are two phenomenal wrestlers and they've put on some fantastic matches in the past, but the fan interest or intrigue just isn't there this time around given the poor (and rather boring) build. No one seems to know whose going to be the heel in this ongoing rivalry, and their back and fourth antics have become tiresome to most fans. However, if they do end up facing each other in the rumored SummerSlam match, we can expect it to be a fairly decent bout, but the storyline will not be there to keep us invested thus making it a downright failure in the grand scheme of things.

21 Huge Success: Andrade Cien Almas Vying For US Championship

If you were to have told me just a year ago that Andrade Cien Almas was destined to become a main roster top tier talent, I would've unquestionably thought you had a few screws loose. However, fast forward all these months, and Andrade is one of the brightest call-ups from NXT on SmackDown Live. Almas definitely came into his own as a heel performer in NXT (along with the great assistance of Zelina Vega). It's clear Vince sees big money potential in Andrade over the long haul, and you can surely expect Vinnie Mac to pull the trigger on Cien Almas sooner rather than later.

Although Andrade's only wrestled a match or two so far on SD Live, by the time SummerSlam rolls around, it's highly likely he'll at the very least be vying for the United States Championship. The WWE have their next big Hispanic star in Andrade Cien Almas, and it'll be a huge success if Vince gives Almas a big SummerSlam moment. There's no doubt in my mind Andrade can perform with the best of them, and I'm certain he'll be able to take the US Title to the next level if he's given the opportunity. The United States Championship is a great launching point for Almas, and following a lengthy run as the midcard title holder, the sky's truly the limit.

20 Huge Flop: Predictable And Boring Matches As Usual

One of the main things the WWE's been having problems with when it comes to the companies most recent pay-per-view events would undoubtedly be lacklustre matches, poor booking and predictable finishes. These three things have seemingly continued to worsen following WrestleMania 34, and it should definitely be a big priority for Vince to make things clear to the Creative Team that they need to step up their game heading into the biggest wrestling event of the summer. If WWE wants SummerSlam to be a huge overall success, everything from the storylines to the booking of matches must be carefully thought and planned out.

I don't think most fans have a problem with seeing the same matches every now and then, but if the finish is the exact same every single time, most fans eventually get bored and uninterested. Hopefully at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar will actually drop the Universal Championship to a worthy challenger, but for the other title and non-title matches, WWE should attempt to swerve fans. Whether it be Roman Reigns taking a clean pin despite looking like he's fully in control, or an unlikely challenger capturing a mid-card championship, these booking decisions undoubtedly affect the shows in a positive way. Let's just hope Creative are on their 'A-Game' at SummerSlam this year, otherwise the PPV may be another huge failure...

19 Huge Success: Triple H, Kurt Angle Or The Undertaker Wrestling

While some fans complain about the 'legends' stealing the spotlight from the WWE's up and coming talent, the simple fact remains the presence of wrestling Superstars such as The Undertaker, Triple H and Kurt Angle would definitely help solidify the show as being a big deal, and it would keep the general audiences or 'casuals' invested and interested. Now I doubt any true WWE fan desires the likes of Hunter, 'Taker or Angle to be totally stealing the spotlight of the companies current stars by headlining SummerSlam, but a match or two in the midcard would certainly keep fans from falling asleep and getting to the point of disinterest where a beach ball would garner the biggest pop of the night.

As I had mentioned earlier, one possible option is for WWE to book the likes of Triple H and another legend (perhaps someone like The Bigshow, John Cena or Kane) against the likes of Kurt Angle and a returning Dave Bautista to plant the seed for a future rivalry between Hunter and Dave. If Vince or Hunter are against the return of Batista at this point, the next best option would be for the legends to feud with some of the WWE's brightest young prospects. It's clear the likes of Jason Jordan are going to be returning from injury by the time SummerSlam rolls around, so perhaps an angle (no pun intended) with Kurt getting betrayed by Jason could plant the seed for a future match between Jordan and Kurt.

18 Huge Flop: Uninterested Crowd

Now it would certainly be very unfair of us to blame the sometimes uninterested live crowds for WWE pay-per-views turning out to be huge snooze fests, but regardless, they definitely don't help whatsoever. Compounded by a number of the factors we provided on this list of 'reasons why SummerSlam will be a huge failure', the fan interest just isn't what it used to be, unfortunately. For the past number of pay-per-view events, there have been stretches of time when the crowd is completely disinterested with what's going on inside the squared circle, and while the match they may be tuning out of is great, we really cannot blame the fans for doing so seeing the shows as a whole haven't been that good recently.

With that being said, it doesn't help those watching from home when a match is seemingly decent, yet the crowd's completely ragging on it by throwing around a beach ball or doing the infamous 'wave'. As we've mentioned before, this is entirely the WWE's fault, because it really wouldn't be that much of a task to produce a half decent show that keeps fans invested and interested. However, the uninterested crowds definitely showcases the WWE's growing problem, and it accentuates the fact that SummerSlam this year may end up being another huge failure. Let's just say that a terrible crowd wouldn't help things...

17 Huge Success: Braun Strowman Dethroning Brock Lesnar

Whether Vince McMahon's willing to admit to or not, Braun Strowman is slowly becoming the true face of WWE. While Roman Reigns has been doing so-so in the top spot (yes, even despite the flurry of boos every pay-per-view), Braun definitely comes across as the natural babyface between the two, and Reigns would unquestionably be better suited as WWE's top ranking heel. Given the fact Braun has been gaining significant momentum following WrestleMania 34 (with his wins and overness among fans), it would definitely be the right call for Vince to place Strowman in that SummerSlam main event spot against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship - and this time, having Braun defeat Lesnar for the title.

It cannot be argued that Braun's clean loss against Brock at No Mercy after just one F-5 hurt 'The Monster Among Men' for a period of time.

But thankfully, Strowman's since recaptured that lost momentum. It would be very satisfying for most fans if Braun took back his win against Brock, and SummerSlam seems like the perfect time to crown the WWE's next top monster. I would bet money that SummerSlam would go down as a huge success if Vince pulls the trigger on Braun, and in return, we'd have a fantastic new champion. However, there's also a strong possibility that another star we all love to hate may be getting that rematch number 10001...

16 Huge Flop: Raw Tag Team Titles Defended On The Pre-Show

The Raw Tag Team Championships have been held by some great duos in the past year with the likes of Sheamus and Cesaro and the current champs Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy, but given the rumoured future feud between Wyatt and Hardy heading into SS, there's a strong possibility the once highly coveted Raw Tag Titles will be defended on the SummerSlam 2018 pre-show. Unlike SmackDown's tag division which has the dominant Bludgeon Brothers at the helm (most likely walking into SummerSlam champs), Raw's division is far more uncertain.

Looking at Raw's current Tag Team Division, we definitely do have some solid duos including the likes of Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, The Authors Of Pain, The Revival and The B Team, but considering it's highly likely Wyatt and Hardy will lose the titles leading up to SummerSlam, there certainly won't be a whole lot of time for WWE to build up a proper in-depth feud for the titles hence why it'll likely be a pre-show match. However, if Vince was smart, he'd make the call to put the Raw Tag Team Championship match on the main card, because quite often, the tag matches end up stealing the show and keep fans interested in between the big singles bouts. Not to mention the duos I had named are well deserving of a main card match.

15 Huge Success: Roman Reigns Possibly Booted From Main Event

Vince McMahon has definitely been trying his absolute hardest to push Roman Reigns down fans throats as a babyface, but unfortunately, McMahon's efforts have been fruitless thus far. While it doesn't seem as though Vince is willing to acknowledge his failures nor does he seem like he's going to be turning Reigns heel anytime soon, there's a slight possibility that Roman will not be headlining SummerSlam against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. We made sure to italicize the word 'slight', because we all know Vinnie Mac's tendencies, and he may prove to be even more hard nosed than we originally thought.

Although I personally would love to see Reigns get the boot out of the main event at SummerSlam, that certainly doesn't mean I would like to see Roman fail in WWE. The fact remains Roman is a natural born heel, and it's so incredibly frustrating that Vince cannot seem to accept it. Regardless, if the plan for Roman Reigns to challenge Brock for the Universal Title at SS is nixed, you can surely still expect 'The Big Dog' to be in a high profile match at SummerSlam. As we discussed earlier, Braun Strowman is a potential candidate to replace Reigns against Brock, but we also have another star whose more than capable of the challenge - a man we listed as a sign SummerSlam could be a huge success.

14 Huge Flops: Terrible Build-Ups To Most Big Matches

A major problem the WWE has been facing the past several years has definitely been the overall booking of storylines, or as some fans say, the 'build up' to matches at pay-per-views. No longer are feuds planned out to a T like they used to be nor is there that sense of realism, the average storyline or build up to most matches is rather boring, lackluster, and quite simply redundant. For example, the build up to a match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns could be decent with the right approach from Creative, but instead, we get the same old back and fourth talk and generic promos.

SummerSlam 2018 has all the potential in the world to be a huge success given the right circumstances, but the issue with terrible builds is not a new problem, and one many fans question if the WWE will ever be able to solve. The way Vince McMahon sees it, if the WWE's making a substantial profit each year (regardless of how 'trash' the product may be), then he's a happy man - obviously the wrong attitude to have from a diehard fans standpoint or perspective. It truly does seem like things are only going to get worse before they get better, and it can almost be guaranteed that the creative side of things will be lacking on the main roster until Triple H takes control in the future.

13 Huge Success: Possible Heel Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins Match

Dean Ambrose has been out of action due to an injury for what seems like an eternity now, and many fans are anxiously waiting for 'The Lunatic Fringe' to return to WWE. Although Vince may go the typical route with Ambrose as a babyface once again moving forward, there's still a strong possibility that we may be on the verge of witnessing the highly anticipated heel Dean Ambrose. Now there would definitely be a thousand different directions WWE could go with a returning heel Ambrose, but one rivalry many fans would love to witness would be for Dean Ambrose to feud with Seth upon his return - only this time Dean's the devilish heel.

If Seth Rollins doesn't end up challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam (one of the signs we included that SS could be a big success), Dean Ambrose would be the next best option for 'The Architect'. The story literally writes itself, and it wouldn't take much effort on WWE's part to get fans interested in this blockbuster feud. Though it's doubtful Seth will still hold the Intercontinental Championship come SummerSlam, a title simply doesn't need to be on the line to make a heel Ambrose versus Rollins match must-see television. If this feud does end up occurring, it'll definitely give SummerSlam that edge of going down as a huge success.

12 Huge Flop: No Brock Lesnar Vs Bobby Lashley Dream Bout

One of the biggest signs that point to SummerSlam 2018 being a huge failure would undoubtedly be the lack of a match between Brock Lesnar and WWE's latest signee, Bobby Lashley. Prior to Lashley's return, the general consensus was that Bobby was one of the rumoured challengers for Brock's Universal Championship come SummerSlam, but following his return, that idea has since been completely nixed by Vince. While the likes of Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins are great competition in their own right (and would help make SummerSlam a big success), the fact that Bobby Lashley won't be facing Lesnar in that dream match is a humongous failure.

I sincerely fail to understand what McMahon was thinking when he decided to re-sign 'The Dominator' if there was no thought out plan following his return.

A run leading up to a big match with Lesnar for the title would have been electric. Quite honestly, Lashley's been floundering in WWE the past few weeks. No longer does it seem as though Bobby's destined for a World Championship run, instead, Lashley's since been stuck in an absolutely atrocious feud with Sami Zayn - one that's not helping either competitor in the slightest. Vince definitely could've made the WWE a heck of a lot of money if he went ahead with the Lashley/Lesnar match, so it's a real shame he didn't.

11 Huge Success: Ronda Rousey Captures The Raw Women's Championship

While there's a possibility that Ronda Rousey will capture the Raw Women's Championship prior to SummerSlam (likely occurring at Money In The Bank), some reports still suggest SummerSlam will be Rousey's crowning moment. Though a portion of the WWE Universe feel like Ronda's not quite ready to lead WWE's flagship Women's Division, Rousey's still a huge draw in her own right, and having her at the helm would definitely add some intrigue to the division. Nia Jax is undoubtedly the best possible opponent for Ronda Rousey seeing she's Raw's next biggest threat, and the two colliding will be a spectacle for sure (whether their matches are horrendous or great remains to be seen).

However, it's still too early to crown the 'rookie' Ronda Rousey champion at Money In The Bank, and if Vince does end up putting the title on Rousey at MITB, it unquestionably goes against Ronda's original statement of 'earning her place in WWE'. If Vince is able to work around Ronda capturing the title at MITB, SummerSlam would be the ideal time to put the championship on Rousey, and if so, it'll certainly help contribute to SummerSlam feeling like a big deal and going down as an overall success - again, timing is everything. If WWE goes the typical route and puts the strap on Rousey prematurely at Money In The Bank, it'll be an absolute failure and take away from SS being the major show.

10 Huge Flop: Bray Wyatt Vs Matt Hardy

Now don't me wrong, Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy are two talented individuals in their own right, but if the WWE thinks the two colliding in a supposed 'big time' match at SummerSlam is going to go over well with fans, then they'd better think again... We've been through this feud before, and as we discussed back then, it definitely didn't help either competitor in the slightest - if anything, it derailed both stars momentum (especially Bray's). However, this time around, it's likely 'The Eater Of Worlds' Bray Wyatt will walk out of the match the victor, but when it's all said and done, neither Superstar will be any further ahead thus the signs are pointing to it being an absolute failure.

The matches between Hardy and Wyatt in the past have been mediocre at best, and fans showed little interest whatsoever (fans were playing with a beach ball during their match for goodness sake). The storyline between the two simply isn't intriguing enough, and while WWE feels like Bray turning on Matt in the near future will 'spice up' their past rivalry, Vince should expect the same reaction from fans as before. This match will do absolutely nothing for SummerSlam as a whole, and if anything, it'll contribute to the biggest event of the summer going down as huge failure. However, at least fans will have a suitable washroom break match right?

9 Huge Success: Daniel Bryan Finally Gets Revenge Against The Miz

The ongoing rivalry between Daniel Bryan and The Miz has been an exceptionally entertaining one to say the least, and fans may finally get to witness Daniel get his well deserved revenge against 'The A-Lister' come SummerSlam. It's clear WWE wants to make SummerSlam as big of an event as they possibly can, and you really couldn't put together a match that would have more fan interest than Daniel Bryan versus The Miz. Although there are a couple of other names in this year's Men's Money In The Bank ladder match that could potentially win the coveted briefcase, The Miz is unquestionably the favourite, and it would suit him well moving forward with his prolonged feud with Daniel Bryan.

Perhaps leading up to SummerSlam, The Miz attempts to cash-in his recently won contract, but Bryan interferes costing Miz the championship at a prime opportunity. This would only add further heat between the two heading into their already terrifically built up match, and by all means, a Daniel Bryan versus Miz match would help solidify SummerSlam as a huge success. While SS will be the perfect timing for their match, don't expect Daniel and The Miz's feud to end there, as the time WrestleMania 35 rolls around, the WWE Championship may be resting on The Miz's shoulder waiting to be taken by Daniel in an all-out brawl on the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

8 Huge Flop: Big Cass Potentially Getting WWE Championship Match Instead Of Samoa Joe

I think we can all agree on the fact that Big Cass has been extremely underwhelming since his return from injury over on SmackDown Live. While Cass had tons of critics prior to his injury once he split from Enzo Amore, it's only gotten worse since Cass' introduction on SmackDown as a supposed 'threat', and he's easily one of the worst big men wrestlers in recent memory. Don't get me wrong, Big Cass does have some decent qualities (height and size being the main ones), but in most aspects, Cass is well below average. Big Cass doesn't really possess an intimidating physique nor is he super powerful, and his in-ring work leave a lot to be desired in all honesty.

Though Big Cass is reportedly in hot water after going off-script during his promo with the mini Daniel Bryan a while ago, don't be fooled into believing Vince McMahon's finished with the lumbering seven footer. It's clear Cass is being punished right now for his controversial actions, but sooner rather than later, you can expect Vinnie Mac to once again attempt to push Big Cass as a legitimate top tier star. Some fans have made the realization that Big Cass may be this year's version of Jinder Mahal, and if so, don't be too surprised if he takes Samoa Joe's potential spot against AJ Styles (or Nakamura) for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. As I'm sure you'd agree, this would be an absolute failure and utter disaster...

7 Huge Success: Roman Reigns Has Match With Another Star

If fans prayers are answered come SummerSlam and 'The Big Dog' Roman Reigns is indeed kicked out of the main event spot against Brock Lesnar, that certainly doesn't mean Reigns should be left off the card or placed in an irrelevant match. Instead, a sign SummerSlam could be a huge success would be for Roman to take on someone like Finn Balor for example (preferably if Balor was in his 'Demon' character). If Roman's not still feuding with Jinder Mahal come SummerSlam, a rivalry with someone like Balor would do wonders for both performers, and it'd give Finn a perfect opportunity to showcase why he's deserving of a top spot.

Apparently, WWE are interested in pushing Finn Balor harder moving forward, and Roman Reigns would be the perfect guy to help get things into motion.

It appears as though Vince is going to try the 'underdog' gimmick with Reigns once again moving forward so a loss to Balor wouldn't be the end of him by any stretch. If the WWE are planning to push Finn Balor harder in the not-so-distant future, there's no better opponent than 'The Big Dog'. It would still be a high profile match despite not being for a title, and I'm certain fans would be far more invested into this Reigns match versus Roman once again taking on Lesnar in a bout that would solidify SummerSlam as a complete and utter failure.

6 Huge Flop: Jinder Mahal As Intercontinental Champion

Despite the fact a drop for Jinder Mahal was seemingly in the cards after losing the WWE Championship to AJ Styles back in November, all signs point to Vince McMahon continuing to push 'The Modern Day Maharaja' moving forward. While Mahal has improved tremendously since his fluke WWE Title win over Randy Orton at Backlash last year, he's far from being one of the WWE's top performers, and one that's definitely not quite deserving of a high profile role on the companies flagship program, Monday Night Raw.

However, regardless of what the fans think, there's certainly a possibility Jinder Mahal will succeed in his quest of becoming a grand slam champion before the years end, and while Seth Rollins seems to be on the verge of a feud with Elias over Intercontinental Championship, Jinder is likely going to be Seth's next challenger once he's done feuding with Roman Reigns. Considering there's a strong possibility Seth will be feuding with a returning heel Dean Ambrose heading into SummerSlam, unfortunately, there's a very strong chance Jinder Mahal will be walking into the biggest party of the summer Intercontinental Champion... Who The Maharaja feuds with remains to be seen, but regardless, I'm sure the title match would serve as a washroom break for many fans - definitely not helping SummerSlam in any way shape or form.

5 Huge Success: Asuka Vs Charlotte Flair Part II

Although some fans will disagree, Charlotte Flair and Asuka arguably had the best match on the entire card at WrestleMania 34. Charlotte and Asuka are both two tremendous in-ring workers, and their styles mesh very well together. While it doesn't seem like either Women's Division star will be walking into SummerSlam the SmackDown Women's Champion, current rumours suggest a rematch between the two top female talents is in the cards (Asuka likely coming out the victor this time). A championship definitely doesn't need to be on the line for a Charlotte Flair versus Asuka match to be a big deal, so it'd definitely be a great decision for WWE to make. Whether it's one of the first few matches or nearing the end of SummerSlam, there's a great chance Asuka and Charlotte would steal the show regardless.

However, following SummerSlam, it's unknown up to this point what the WWE's plans are for the incredibly talented Asuka, as it doesn't seem like Vince has any intention of putting the Women's Title on 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' anytime soon. That said, it's clear the WWE are still going to be presenting Asuka as a force to be reckoned with, so I'm sure she'll get a crack at the title once or twice before 'Mania. Charlotte Flair on the other hand, it's highly likely WWE will begin to build the rumoured rivalry between 'The Queen' and Ronda Rousey heading into WrestleMania 35.