WWF SummerSlam 2000 Predictions

Tonight, the WWF brings to your viewing pleasure their annual summer "Wrestlemania" in SummerSlam. With all of the storylines getting to a heated boil and the wrestlers performing at their best for the past few weeks, I predict that this show will be simply amazing...more about that later.

The Rock -v- HHH -v- Kurt Angle
I once said that there was no way Angle would win the King of the Ring because it was too early in his WWF career. Well, ###### on that idea, huh?!? I will not say whether or not I think that Angle will win, but I will say that I have an overwhelming feeling that The Rock will retain the title for a few reasons. First, if you can remember back to Wrestlemania, there were a LOT of folks saying that the Fatal Fourway main event was terrible. In actuality, it was a pretty solid match with a good pace, BUT when HHH retained the title the fans chalked it up as terrible. Usually the top face in the company walks away from Wrestlemania as the champion...the WWF is notorious for that, but when they decided to go the other route this year, they got no where fast. I think with SummerSlam being the Wrestlemania of the summer that the WWF wants the fans to look back on the summer of 2000 and not just remember the Stephanie/HHH/Angle love triangle, but to remember that at the main event of the summer, The Rock walked away as the champion. Second reason why I think Rock will win is simply the fact that there IS a love triangle between HHH, Angle, and Stephanie. These three performers don't need the enticement of the world title to keep the fans interest in them and they don't need The Rock beating their asses to have a feud with each other. Allowing The Rock to keep the belt opens up post-SummerSlam feud opportunities with guys like Jericho, Benoit, The Undertaker, and Kane. Pre-match rating - 5.0

Jericho -v- Benoit
As if there is any doubt that these two men will put on a top notch match! With the added stipulation of best 2 out of 3 falls, I think that we will see some creative finishes in this match. As for who is going to come away the victor, you have Chris Benoit who has already tasted the main event scene in the WWF and has been touted as one of the best wrestlers in the world and you have Chris Jericho who almost had the gold a few months ago and has been touted as one of the best entertainers in the world. I think that the key in this match is going to be Shane McMahon. And to be honest, I really can't call a winner simply because both of these men are at the same point in their WWF careers basically (even though Jericho has been in the WWF longer). Pre-match rating - 5.0

Hardys -v- Dudleyz -v- Edge & Christian
The WWF has really stacked their plate for this PPV in that not only do you have the glorious ladder match on the PPV, but you have the added pleasure of tables as well. Then there are chairs, of course, but they seem to be in every match lately. By looking back at the Royal Rumble and seeing the ladder/tables match there and by looking back at Wrestlemania and seeing the ladder/tables match there you have to think that this is going to be an instant hardcore classic (in WWF terms). I don't think that words or predictions can do this match justice. I see Edge and Christian losing the belts. Pre-match rating - 5.0

Undertaker -v- Kane
While I am not the biggest fan of the hardass biker gimmick, I think that the Undertaker pulls it off well simply because of his past. Now as for putting these two big men in a feud so quickly after Kane's return, I do not agree with that line of booking, but I do see where the WWF is coming from since it was supposed to be The Undertaker -v- Big Show at SummerSlam. However, I think that the WWF would have benefited in the long run to just stay away from these two men fighting each other again and to have them join up and become an indestructable force in the WWF. Most of the internet is chalking this match up as a throw away garbage match, but I tend to disagree. I like it when two big men get in the ring and have a slug fest...to me, that is what every PPV needs to contend with the past of the WWF. Remember, I was the one that loved the Big Show -v- Bossman main event for the WWF title at Armageddon last December! I have to take The Undertaker in this match simply because he has never lost to his brother (at least I don't think he has). Pre-match rating - 4.0

Tazz -v- Jerry Lawler
In the history of professional wrestling, there has been a tradition. The older wrestlers bow out of the sport at their chosen time, but before they hang up the boots, they try to put over the younger stars to help build their careers. Here we have a similar situation. Jerry Lawler has been the biggest face in Memphis for most of his career. However, when he debuted on WWF television all those years ago as a commentator, the crowd saw his persona and an instant heel was born. Then, with the changing times in the WWF, the fans saw his commentary more or less as amusing and they put him in another light. With his recent protection of JR at ringside and his downright beatings that he has been giving to Tazz, the fans have all but rallied around him and going into his SummerSlam match, The King can definitely look forward to chants of "Jerry, Jerry!" Now, there is one constant in the formula that I stated above and that is that the older wrestlers put over the younger ones so I have to give this match to Tazz, but I do think that it will be a "slobberknocker" to say the least. There is a little part of me that wants to say that Lawler in going to win and be the man once again, but I don't think that it would be to the benefit of Tazz's current storyline. Pre-match rating - 4.0

Val Venis/Trish Stratus -v- Eddie Guerrero/Chyna
There are many people out there who think that Trish is going to win the belt, but I have to think that the title is going to either Chyna or Eddie Guerrero. Personally, I think that the WWF would benefit more from giving the strap to Eddie since he has won over the fans with his Latino Heat gimmick and he seems to be climbing the ladder as of late seeing as how he won the European Title and is now in an Intercontinental Title feud. For me, the highlight of the match is going to be seeing Chyna get her hands on Trish. Not that I have anything against Trish (Lord knows that she is the best thing on all of television right now!), but there will be a definite gratitude in seeing Chyna spike slam Trish into the mat! My prediction is in Latino Heat! Pre-match rating - 4.0

Blackman -v- Shane McMahon
Steve Blackman couldn't find his niche in the WWF until they gave him the Hardcore title and told him to go crazy on his opponents. Now, he actually gets pops when he enters the arena and he gets pops when he does that thing that he does with his sticks. I like to call it the thousand stick smashing, but whatever it is called, it sure is fun to watch him annihilate his opponents with it! There is no doubt that Steve Blackman will win this match in my mind...I don't see how he would lose unless Shane calls out the troops again. Pre-match rating - 3.5

Right to Censor -v- Too Cool/Rikishi
I don't know why, but there is a part of me that can see something drastic happening here...something maybe like a turn or something. Maybe that is just me, but it would be like the WWF to book something like that at the main event of the summer. Anyway, onto the match! I see the Right to Censor coming on strong in this match, but for the dancing trio to eventually take it in the end. Or should I say for the Right to Censor to get put in Rikishi's end! You know that it wouldn't be a PPV event unless Rikishi got to back that ass up into one of those annoying censoring ######s! The WWF is doing very well right now with the Right to Censor and they are quickly becoming one of the top heel groups in recent history. Look for them to possibly add a female to the group tonight or tomorrow on RAW. Pre-match rating - 3.5

X-Pac -v- Road Dogg
I am going to watch the PPV tonight with my cousin and my uncle and some friends. I can hear my cousin right now when this match comes on, "I hate X-pac, he ######ing sucks and Road Dogg is terrible." I agree to a certain extent, but I do think that there is more to the problem than the wrestlers. Both men are great wrestlers and some are even saying that X-pac should be in a feud that is higher up on the card. I think that the problem doesn't lie in the wrestlers, but in their gimmick. Degeneration X was awesome in 1997 and 1998...however that was two and a half years ago. The times have changed and I think that it would be to the benefit of both men's careers to move on from the DX gimmick. If this match had been built around a feud that was not related to DX, there might be more interest in it overall. In the end I expect a good match from two good workers, but a match that will come off as just not top notch. Pre-match rating - 3.5

Terri -v- The Kat
This is a special Stink Face match. The only thing that I can predict about this match is that Perry Saturn will be at ringside since it is on a PPV! Pre-match rating - 3.0

So that is my take on SummerSlam 2000. To be honest, I RARELY ever give out 5.0's for matches and never twice in the same prediction sheet. This PPV has 3 of those top ratings followed by a bunch of 4.5's! I have never rated a PPV so high before and I think that it is all because of the WWF's ability to build awesome storylines in just about every match on the card. Pre-event rating - 5.0