SummerSlam 2017 Prediction: Ranking The WWE Universal Championship Contenders

There’s no question regarding what will be the biggest match on the WWE SummerSlam 2017 card. The WWE Universal Championship will be on the line in a fatal 4-way, and the title match is almost certain to be the main event of the Aug. 20 pay-per-view at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Brock Lesnar won the title from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33, and he’ll defend it against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe. All four WWE superstars have a legitimate chance to win the match, and making a prediction certainly isn’t easy.

READ: Who Will Leave SummerSlam 2017 As WWE Champion? Ranking The Contenders

Let’s rank the contenders in terms of their chances to win the No.1 title on “Monday Night Raw” at Summerslam.

1) Samoa Joe

Why he’ll win

Joe has exceeded all expectations since he arrived on the main roster the night after the Royal Rumble. The former NXT Champion has proven that he has what it takes to be the top heel on “Monday Night Raw” through his work on the mic and in the ring, and he has an air of legitimacy that makes him one of the few realistic threats to actually beat Lesnar. Lesnar pinned Joe in the main event of Great Balls of Fire, but the challenger got in enough offense that he left that match looking strong. Add in the fact that Sports Illustrated reported Paul Heyman is advocating for Joe to win the strap, and there’s a real chance he could end SummerSlam as the WWE Universal Champion.

Why he won’t win

If WWE truly wanted to make Joe the Universal Champion, they could’ve done it a few weeks ago at Great Balls of Fire. Given the way Reigns, Lesnar and Strowman have all been built, Joe might be the most likely wrestler to take the pinfall at SummerSlam. Reigns is the new face of the company, Lesnar has been pinned clean once in four years and Strowman has been pinned just once since he joined the main roster two years ago.

2) Brock Lesnar

Why he’ll win

Lesnar remains the biggest name in WWE. He’s getting even more mainstream attention with the rumors that he’s looking to go back to the UFC for a super-fight against Jon Jones. There is a notion that Lesnar will drop the belt because he plans to return to the octagon, but WWE could actually decide to keep the title on Lesnar for that very reason. Lesnar has already fought once in the UFC while still under contract with WWE, and the company would get tons of exposure if he was to fight Jones while still being the Universal Champion.

Why he won’t win

A few indicators suggest that Lesnar won’t be the champion when SummerSlam is over, most importantly among them is the fact that he’ll be facing three other wrestlers. That was probably done so Lesnar can lose the belt without being pinned or submitted. He’s reportedly under contract through WrestleMania 34, and WWE wants to keep him looking as strong as possible over the next few months. Romans Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship was reportedly the original plan for the WrestleMania 34 main event, and the fact that they are in the same match at SummerSlam could mean that Reigns will face someone else for the title at the biggest PPV of 2018.

3) Braun Strowman

Why he’ll win

There might be no better choice to make the next WWE Universal Champion than Strowman. WWE has built him perfectly over the last year, and he’s been the best part of “Monday Night Raw” in 2017. The “Monster Among Men” seemingly gets more over with the crowd each week, and he’s been WWE’s most dominant performer with just one loss by pinfall on his resume. The goal is to keep all four wrestlers looking strong following the match, and neither Reigns nor Joe would lose any steam by suffering a pinfall at the hands of Strowman.

Why he won’t win

Before Strowman suffered an injury shortly after WrestleMania 33 that forced him to undergo surgery, he was probably set to lose a WWE Universal Championship Match to Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. WWE might not be ready to put the strap on him just yet, considering he's only been wrestling for a few years. He’s the least polished performer of the four WWE superstars in the match, and there is at least some risk in giving him the belt.

4) Roman Reigns

Why he will win

Reigns is WWE’s top babyface and the No.1 full-time performer in the entire company. He’s main evented WrestleMania in each of the last three years and had three world title reigns. Whenever he’s in a title match, there’s a good chance he’s going to win. Since retiring The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, Reigns hasn’t had much luck on PPV’s, losing twice to Strowman and failing to win a fatal 5-way. Don’t expect his losing streak to continue for much longer.

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Why he won’t win

If the last few years mean anything, Reigns will close out WrestleMania 34, likely in a title match. There’s a good chance he’ll end that show by starting his fourth world championship reign, and losing at SummerSlam will be part of his redemption story that concludes in April. Reigns can escape the fatal 4-way without winning the championship or getting pinned, and doing so would make him the clear favorite to win the Royal Rumble.