Final Picks for Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso and WWE SummerSlam 2023 Match Card
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Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso has all the makings of an instant classic at SummerSlam.Credit: WWE.com
WWE SummerSlam 2023 will boast a blockbuster lineup and mark the culmination of several storylines featuring top talent across Raw and SmackDown.
In fact, Saturday’s show is so stacked that multiple matches are being relegated to Raw and SmackDown instead. Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus and Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez were both bumped from the card, but what’s on tap is still sure to deliver.
A Tribal Combat main event will decide the true Tribal Chief between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso with the former’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship also up for grabs. Although Jey poses a legitimate threat to the title, it remains to be seen if it’s enough to dethrone an unstoppable champ of almost three years.
Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor will meet once again with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line and Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest looming in the background. Additionally, Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar look to settle their score in the rubber match of their long-running rivalry.
Ahead of SummerSlam 2023, these are the last-minute picks that matter most.
Slim Jim Battle Royal
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The latest addition to SummerSlam, a Slim Jim-sponsored Battle Royal, will have no stakes aside from the winner seemingly becoming the new face of the partnership a la Randy Savage many years back.
Thus, there’s no reason for the average viewer to care beyond one particular fan favorite getting their long-awaited moment in front of a capacity crowd at Ford Field: LA Knight.
From failing to winning Money in the Bank to not getting past the first round of the United States Championship Invitational, Knight has come up short whenever it has mattered most time and time again. He remains incredibly over with the audience but needs a significant victory in order to begin building real momentum.
It’s unknown what WWE will have in store for him otherwise, but all roads should logically lead to him capturing the United States title before the year is through.
Several other notable names will be taking part in this Battle Royal, but the self-proclaimed Megastar is the only option that remotely makes sense.
Prediction: LA Knight wins.
Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
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Despite his vast amount of trash talking as of late, Logan Paul has surprisingly not won a single match in WWE since last year’s SummerSlam, where he made his one-on-one in-ring debut in a victorious effort against The Miz.
His match with Ricochet at this year’s installment must break his streak of losses if WWE wants him to be taken seriously and for it to actually matter whenever he gets his comeuppance.
For all the great work Ricochet has done throughout this program, he gains very little from a win over Paul at the event. He’s been firmly slotted at a certain level for so long that it’s difficult for fans to view him as anything more than a midcard act.
He’s already unsuccessfully challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship and he’d feel out of place in the main-event scene. He’s the perfect person to serve as a stepping stone for Paul while also looking excellent in defeat.
This would be the best bout to open the evening and be booked as a spectacle before Paul ultimately reigns supreme.
Prediction: Logan Paul wins.
MMA Rules Match: Ronda Rosey vs. Shayna Baszler
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Shayna Baszler’s betrayal of Ronda Rousey at Money in the Bank was extremely abrupt with the timing being especially suspect, but to their credit, both women have done a terrific job building interest in their first-ever one-on-one clash at SummerSlam.
It’s impossible to tell who fans are supposed to cheer for in this feud, but it’s looking likely that Rousey taking another hiatus from WWE is imminent based on how quickly this contest came together.
If so, Baszler going over is virtually a lock. A win for Rousey as she winds down her current run accomplishes nothing.
Ideally, The Queen of Spades should be built up for an eventual shot at Rhea Ripley’s World Women’s Championship, and beating Rousey would certainly earn her that opportunity. It’s unknown what the MMA rules will entail exactly, but she should win decisively, regardless.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler wins.
Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
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Gunther hasn’t suffered a single blemish on his Intercontinental Championship record throughout his year-long reign, but that might be about to change with Drew McIntyre going for the gold.
If there was ever a fitting stage for Gunther to be dethroned, it would be at SummerSlam 2023, almost exactly 35 years removed from when The Honky Tonk Man’s historic run came to an end at the hands of The Ultimate Warrior.
That said, McIntyre is the wrong person to take the title from him and now would be the wrong time with Gunther one month out from breaking the all-time record.
McIntyre is a perennial main event player and could be contending for the World Heavyweight Championship at this very moment. Gunther’s next loss should be to someone who can benefit from it, not someone already established.
With McIntyre’s contract status still uncertain, it’d be easy to pick Gunther to retain, but this could be where WWE pulls off a big shocker by having The Scottish Warrior walk away the new champ.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins the Intercontinental Championship.
WWE Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
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Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Asuka have all been at odds over the WWE Women’s Championship for many months and their bad blood will culminate with this Triple Threat on Saturday night.
The tension teased between Belair and Flair has been the focal point of the program, rendering Asuka the ultimate afterthought and the title a little less valuable. That can change with an excellent match at SummerSlam and a well-executed finish.
Belair and Flair can continue their feud without anything being on the line, whereas Asuka must remain in the title picture coming out of the event. That doesn’t necessarily mean she must remain champion, however, as Iyo Sky cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase successfully is a strong possibility.
In the last month, Sky has attempted to cash in twice and was thwarted on both occasions. The third time should be the charm for her at SummerSlam after Asuka is able to outlast Flair and Asuka, spawning two fresh feuds in the process.
Prediction: Asuka retains, only for Iyo Sky to cash in and become WWE Women’s champion.
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
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It’s shocking that WWE never settled on a stipulation for the third encounter between Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, especially considering how stagnant their storyline has become.
It had a solid start but gradually fizzled out due to there being no explanation for why Lesnar targeted Rhodes in the first place. Instead, it was apparent that the only reason they’ve been paired together for so long was to keep Rhodes busy ahead of an inevitable rematch with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
The only acceptable outcome is Rhodes winning to ensure he stays on the correct course.
It’s been implied that whoever wins will be next in line for a world title opportunity, and if the Rhodes vs. Reigns rematch is being held off until WrestleMania 40, Rhodes could soon be challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship instead.
Regardless, a Rhodes win is the right route to take for this feud to end properly.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes wins.
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor
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Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor running it back for the World Heavyweight Championship might mean that a title change is coming, but it could also signify another twist in the ongoing Judgment Day storyline.
The entire group has looked to have complete control of the Raw brand with each member having an accolade of their own. Bálor becoming champ at SummerSlam would allow them to fulfill that goal, but Rollins’ reign would have to be cut short.
As refreshing as it would be to see Rollins back in chase mode (if only briefly), his rivalry with Bálor has overstayed its welcome and both guys should be moving on to other opponents. Rollins has a lot left to do as World Heavyweight champion with multiple potential challengers waiting in the wings.
The finish can be executed in a way where Damian Priest again teases cashing in and almost goes through with it before Rollins capitalizes on the confusion to secure the victory. Priest splitting from Judgment Day and going babyface is on the horizon.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains the World Heavyweight Championship.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Tribal Combat Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso
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A thrilling three-year Bloodline storyline is circling back to how it all started with Roman Reigns and Jey Uso.
Uso will again challenge Reigns for his precious prize, this time in what is being billed as a Tribal Combat match. This comes one month after Uso handed Reigns his first pinfall loss of any kind since December 2019.
That impressive achievement makes it even more obvious that he is not dethroning his cousin this weekend.
Reigns has been dominant since the fall of 2020 but has lost his last two pay-per-view matches. If he was going to drop the title to Uso, Reigns getting pinned would’ve been saved for the same moment.
Uso will undoubtedly give Reigns quite the fight and come close a time or two, but The Head of the Table emerging victorious is virtually guaranteed. How they keep the story going post-SummerSlam in the absence of Reigns, and how Jimmy Uso will factor in, is the real question.
Prediction: Roman Reigns retains the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham “GSM” Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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