By Pat McNeill, PWTorch columnist

Wake the pets and call the neighbors, it's time for our exclusive WWE Network not-on-pay-per-view projections!

DISCLAIMER: Projections are based on what the columnist would do if he were booking this event, instead of Paul "NXT" Levesque, Runjin Singh, Ed Koskey and WWE President Bats--- Crazy Vincent Kennedy Gagne. Projections are not predictions, because this is the column where everything's made up and the points don't matter. This preview has been sealed in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnall's porch since noon today. Some of our departing contestants will receive a Norelco Dial-A-Brew coffee maker, with a built-in 24 hour analog clock and timer. Furnished by Norelco. Pat McNeill's wardrobe provided by Rick Pallack of Sherman Oaks. Remember, this is only an exhibition. This is not a competition. Please, please, no wagering. This lineup is based on the best available information as of this writing. These predictions are based on what the columnist would do if he had creative control over WWE, right after he replaces the first hour of Raw on USA Network with new episodes of NXT.

Welcome to SummerSlam weekend, or as wrestling fans are calling it, "NXT Brooklyn Weekend". If you're a subscriber to WWE Network, this is good news. You're essentially scoring two pay-per-views this weekend for the price of one. There have to be some wrestlers on the main roster, though, who aren't thrilled by having Finn Balor and Kevin Owens overshadowing WWE's second largest event of the year. But you can't blame Triple H for his enthusiastic. When NXT sells out the Barclays Center, it proves that WWE can create a successful second brand. All you need is an unlimited budget, two years of financial losses, and main event wrestlers poached from TNA, New Japan, Dragon Gate, Pro Wrestling NOAH and Ring of Honor.

Before we preview Sunday night's show, let's get to this month's edition of the Wrestling History Lesson, because that's why many of you clicked here in the first place. Twenty years ago, on August 27, 1995, the World Wrestling Federation presented SummerSlam '95 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvani. There were nine matches on the event, but only one of them was the Torch's Match Of The Year. It was "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels defending the WWF Intercontinental Title against Razor Ramon in a ladder match. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler had the call.



What was happening in World Wrestling Entertainment fifteen years ago? I'm glad you asked! On August 21, 2000, the World Wrestling Federation presented a live episode of Raw from Lafayette, Louisiana. On that night, we had a big main event. Stephanie McMahon defended the WWF Women's Title against Lita, with The Rock acting as special guest referee. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler had the call.



Did you catch this week's episode of WWE Smackdown? Watch it now (sort of). Your main event is Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Antonio Cesaro & Randy Orton against Sheamus, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper. Tom Phillips, Jimmy Uso & Jerry Lawler have the call. (If you want to see it, hurry, because WWE will have it down in about fifteen minutes. Or less.)



Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and John B. Layfield will be announcing the show, while Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton handle important backstage duties. On with the program!

But first, here are my picks for NXT Takeover in Brooklyn: Apollo Crews beats Tye Dillinger, Baron Corbin beats Samoa Joe, Tyler Breeze drops Jushin Liger, Blake & Murphy defeat The Vaudevillians, Bayley upsets Sasha Banks and Finn Balor keeps the NXT Title with the win over Kevin Owens.

Even though this is a four hour pay-per-view, we're still getting a one-hour WWE Kickoff pre-show for some reason. Projection? Your Kickoff show features Fandango vs. Adam Rose vs. Bo Dallas vs. Jack Swagger in a spirited game of Mille Bornes. My money is on Bo Dallas.

Dolph Ziggler (w/ Lana Perryovich) vs. Rusev (w/ Fake Lana): Dolph ZIggler made his triumphant return to WWE on Sunday, protecting Lana from the evil Rusev. It does seem a shame, though, to kill off the momentum the Bulgarian Babe Magnet had been building up over the last several weeks. Projection? Rusev attacks Ziggler in the aisle and the two men brawl all over ringside while their respective ladies give us a short catfight inside the ring. We end with either a double countout or no match. This is one of the feuds that will carry the fall season after our main eventers check out, so we can't end it here.

Team PCB vs. Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bellas (Finals - WWE Divas Team Challenge Series): Somehow the so-called Divas Revolution has become a feud over the non-existent WWE Six Woman Tag Team Titles. Maybe it's time to get things back on track. Projection? Nikki Bella takes out Tamina with the Rack Attack, followed by Charlotte forcing Alicia to submit to the Figure Eight. The good girls get the win, so we can move toward the real feud, with Charlotte and Sasha Banks gunning for each other, and gunning for Divas champ Nikki Bella.

Antonio Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens: Owens will be recovering from NXT Takeover. Cesaro was actually in the main event of Friday's WWE Supershow in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Despite doing good work and being over, it may be a while before either wrestler climbs back into the main event picture. Projection? OWens wins with the pop-up powerbomb. I know WWE thinks the big guy is bulletproof, but you can't have him lose clean on back-to-back nights.

Adrian Neville & Stephen Amell vs. Stardust & King Wade Barrett: WWE has brought in the star of "Arrow" to be a part of SummerSlam. I know who's not going to be losing the fall. Projection? Amell does a few basic spots with Stardust. Neville hits the Red Arrow on Barrett for the victory. The Arrows defeat The Cosmic Kings.

Primetime Players vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Lucha Dragons (WWE World Tag Team Titles): Again. Some more. Projection? I enjoy the Primetime Players. You enjoy the Primetime Players. But the New Day has a better act. Big E. powerslams Sin Cara and gets the win, and the Inspirational Trio regain WWE tag team gold.

Ryback vs. Big Show vs. The Miz (WWE Intercontinental Title): Big Show actually admitted in a recent interview that he's phasing down his full time wrestling career. The former Giant is best save for specific tasks. Like making the Intercontinental champion look strong, for example. Projection? Ryback hits Shellshock on Big Show and scores the victory.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus: This will be the thirteenth time Randy Orton and Sheamus has opposed each other on pay-per-view (when you include four-way matches, six-way matches, Elimination Chambers, Survivor Series team elimination matches and Money In The Bank ladder matches). It should be obvious by now that I repeated the blurb from last month's column and updated the number. Projection? Sheamus rolls up Orton with a handful of tights and scores the victory. Don't worry, we're going somewhere with this.

Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper: We've all been hearing about the prospects of Reigns or Ambrose turning on each other during this match. I'm not saying Reigns and Ambrose wouldn't have a good feud. They would. However, it would make no sense for Reigns to turn on Ambrose, given everything that has gone down between Reigns and Bray Wyatt. WWE could have Ambrose turn heel on Roman Reigns, except that it wouldn't work, and the fans would cheer Ambrose against Reigns. Projection? Spear, superman punch and Reigns pins Harper.

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (Title vs. Title): Yeah, I'm not crazy about the idea of unifying the WWE Heavyweight Title with the United States Title. Rollins has done as well as a heel champion is going to do under current WWE booking. When Chris Jericho was on the Rich Eisen show last month, Rich Eisen started talking about how much he liked Rollins as champion. But think of the possibilities here.

Projection? Rollins and Cena brawl and wrestle and brawl and wrestle until both men are exhausted. Cue Sheamus and the Money In The Bank briefcase, doing the exact same thing Rollins did at WrestleMania. Sheamus cashes in the briefcase, only to be interrupted by Orton and an RKO Out Of Nowhere. Cena covers the prone Sheamus for the victory and the WWE title. Sheamus cost Orton the WWE title on Raw last week, so Randy returns the favor. Rollins lost the title, but he didn't get pinned. Cena won the title, but he didn't beat Rollins. That's how you set up the rematch for Night of Champions.

The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar: So, which way do we lean for the biggest match of the summer. Well, Paul Heyman gave it away on Raw when he mentioned that Undertaker had never defeated Brock Lesnar. Undertaker may have won house show matches, but on pay-per-view it has been three wins for Lesnar and none for Undertaker, with one double disqualification. Plus, out of the entire WWE roster, it's obvious that Lesnar, in real life, respects Undertaker the most. Projection? We get a main event style match with both wrestlers throwing bombs. Heyman slips Lesnar a pair of brass nucs and Lesnar uses it to get a three count. Both wrestlers require medical assistance getting to the back.

My guess is, we're not going to see either wrestler for a few months. In January, Lesnar returns for the Rumble. A few weeks later, Undertaker returns and puts his career on the line to get a final shot at Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania XXXII. And it's on.

Aftermath: We have Cena-Rollins II at Night of Champions, plus Randy Orton faces off with Sheamus in a Loser Disappears From WWE Television And Comes Back In a Masked Zombie Gimmick match. Looking forward to it.

***
Pat McNeill has been a PWTorch Columnist since 2001. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina. He'd take the San Francisco Giants over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday Night Baseball. You know, if gambling were legal.

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