SummerSlam is on a lot of people’s minds right now even though WWE still has Great Balls Of Fire and Battleground before then. The dynamic for the Universal Title picture is growing even more confusing by the day.
Dave Meltzer recently noted on an episode of Wrestling Observer Live that the plan was to have Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at SummerSlam. But he also said that was a few weeks ago and things may have changed. Meltzer also said he thinks some people in WWE might have noticed the change in audience reaction toward Samoa Joe and could possibly make a switch or addition of some kind. He said it’s unlikely but possible.
The real question isn’t how WWE will book SummerSlam, but how strong they’re going to let Samoa Joe look if he loses to Brock Lesnar at Great Balls Of Fire. Samoa Joe was first thought of as someone Brock Lesnar could step on while he bided his time for Roman Reigns. This match was just supposed to be a strong opponent for Brock Lesnar to take out along the way.
But things might have changed because as seen on last night’s Raw, Joe showed a real change in the dichotomy in this feud. Samoa Joe didn’t present a heel or face tactic and if anything being kept from Lesnar the way it went down showed face-like tactics. The point is this feud went from Brock being a babyface protecting his advocate to giving the feeling of a real-life MMA style fight. There is no heel/babyface dynamic because they’re just two strong dudes that are going to obliterate each other.
If Samoa Joe loses this time around a return match isn’t out of the question, but it would all depend on how WWE books the ending of the main event at Great Balls Of Fire. This situation is worth paying attention to because Samoa Joe could make a very big impression in the main event on Raw. He was previously advertised for the Raw house shows on the 15th and 16th for Huntington WV and Louisville KY, but his name was dropped from the advertised list of superstars scheduled to attend on WWE’s website when John Cena was added. But Joe could always show up as Universal Champion if things work out well for him in Dallas.
