Ah yes, the final stop on the road to SummerSlam; oh what fun we'll have. Actually, I am very excited about this show, and the fact that the IC Title match has been removed from the card excites me even more. With all the rumors that have recently been floating about, regarding returning Superstars, I have a feeling that things are about to get hot and heavy very soon. 

So let's not waste anymore time then.

Here are my thoughts and predictions from start to finish...

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus

This should be a pretty good match to get the crowd into it. I think it's safe to say that St. Louis will be solidly behind its hometown boy, Orton, and I would not be surprised if he gets the loudest pop of the night, which is why I think it would be a wise move to put this on first. These two guys have almost been forgotten about over the last few weeks, and I think both of them will work their hardest to put on a tremendous match, as the chemistry between them is usually pretty good. The end comes when Sheamus goes for a Brogue kick, but Orton ducks under it and slides to the other side of Sheamus, before popping right back up with an RKO for the win.

[Renee Young is backstage with Paige, Becky Lynch and Charlotte]

Renee: Well ladies, you really had quite an impressive outing on Raw this past week. And for Becky and Charlotte especially, what a debut!

Charlotte: Renee, can I get a woooo!?!

Renee: Wooo (awkwardly)

Charlotte: No, no, no, you gotta put some umph behind it! Wooooooo! For the last few years, it seemed like if your last name isn't Bella, you really couldn't get a chance in the spotlight. But I wouldn't trade in my last name for anything in the world. After all, we are deep in the heart of Flair country. Bellas, tonight we go to school, and I got a serving of chops with your names on it. What do you think, Beck?

Becky: It's all about changing the guard here in the WWE. It looked like the Bellas were a little shaken up with all the fresh faces on Raw last week, didn't it?

Charlotte: Oh yeah

Becky: Well that's exactly the reaction we expected. And sooner or later, the entire Divas locker room is going to be shaken up. All I've got left to say is that Nicky Bella should start carrying an hourglass with her everywhere she goes, because her reign as Divas Champion is about to expire. Tick tock...

[Becky and Charlotte walk off screen, leaving Paige alone with Renee]

Paige (to Renee): Not a bad couple of girls to have around...

Alicia Fox and The Bella Twins vs. Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch
 

This has not been advertised, but with the subtraction of the IC Title match from this card, I suppose we're going to need some filler matches. I was really impressed with the Divas segment on Raw last week, which is probably the first time I've ever said that; well technically, it's in writing, so I guess I didn't 'say' it. And actually, that's not entirely true. But it is the first time I've been excited about a Divas segment since that great shoot promo by AJ a couple years ago. This should be a decent match. I don't expect it to get a lot of time, but I do expect the face team to carry the bulk of it. The heels gain the advantage in the end, but then Nicky gets cocky and tries to go for her own version of the figure-four, only for Charlotte to trip her up and then apply the figure-eight for the submission victory. 

After the match, the face team celebrates, but then get blindsided by Team BAD (Naomi, Tamina Snuka and Sasha Banks)

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

It's good to finally see a Bray Wyatt program that has any kind of story attached to it, but it's a story that I'm not really invested in, as they haven't really emphasized that Roman Reigns is a family man before this point, and I don't think this does him any favours. However, I think this could be a good match, if given enough time. The brawl they had on Raw this week was pretty good. I see Reigns controlling the early portion of the match, but Wyatt will get extra creepy, once he gains the advantage. Wyatt will be beating on Reigns in the timekeeper's area, and then will reach down his pants and pull out a picture of Reigns' daughter, which he shows to the crowd, before stuffing it down his own mouth. As soon as Wyatt turns around, Reigns nails him with a vicious chair shot for the DQ finish. Reigns then gets barbaric and starts unloading on Wyatt with the chair, as the bell rings a few more times. Referees and officials come down to the ring to attempt to calm Reigns down, but Reigns beats the hell out of all of them, much like Brock Lesnar did, before he was suspended. As the refs are trying to get Wyatt away from ringside, Reigns flies over the top rope with a tope, knocking everyone down, but Wyatt manages to escape through the crowd. 

[A promo for SummerSlam airs next]

[Roman Reigns is shown walking through the hallway, searching every room for Bray Wyatt]

Reigns: Wyatt! Wyatt! Where you at, boy!?!

[Seth Rollins approaches from behind]

Rollins: What's the matter, Roman? You look upset. Trouble at home? Haha...

[Without blinking an eye, Reigns grabs Rollins around the throat and forces him against the wall, until security rushes in and grabs Reigns, as Triple H follows behind]

Triple H: Get him the hell out of here! Out of the building!

[As security takes Reigns away, Triple H turns to Rollins]

Triple H: Are you insane?

Rollins: What?

Triple H: Do you seriously have a death wish? There is a violent lunatic with short fuse walking around here, and you go poke the bear? What's wrong with you? What are you doing out of your locker room anyway?

Rollins: Why shouldn't I be out of my locker room?

Triple H: Well I'm no expert or anything, but if I had pissed Brock Lesnar off like you've been pissing him off, I'd probably want to be behind locked doors. 

Rollins: Look Hunter, for the last time, I am not afraid of Brock Lesnar, and I sure as hell am not afraid of Roman Reigns. I might not have any backup anymore, but I don't need it. I wasn't the architect of the Shield for no reason. I was the smartest one in the group. And I am extra confident that I've got Brock Lesnar's number tonight, with or without the Authority. 

Triple H: Sounds good to me. What do you think, Brock?

[Rollins quickly looks behind him to see if Lesnar is really there, which he's not]

Triple H: Kind of jumpy, aren't you, Seth? Well I hope to see some of that "extra confidence" in your match tonight. Good luck!

The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championships

The New Day really hit a slump after losing the titles last month, and to be honest, I am not into the PTP's at all, and based on the reaction they get, I don't think I'm alone. Darren is pretty good in the ring and Titus is okay on the mic, but they just don't have the "It" factor, and I'm hoping that they lose the belts sooner, rather than later. I don't think this will be a good match, but I'm thinking The New Day will use the third man advantage and regain the belts, after Xavier Woods gets involved and ends up pinning one of the PTP's, as the referee will fail to notice that it's not the right man in the ring. 

[Tom Philips is backstage with Kevin Owens]

Philips: Kevin, in just a few short minutes, you've got...

Owens: Wait, what the hell did you just call me?

Philips: Kevin O...

Owens: Let's get one thing straight right now, we're not friends, and you don't know me personally, so don't you ever call me Kevin again! You address me as Mr. Owens!

Philips: I'm sorry. Mr. Owens, in a few minutes, you've got the rubber match with John Cena, but could the fact that you've also got a rematch with Finn Balor in a few weeks be on your mind as well?

Owens: Oh such a bright, young man you are. Of course it's on my mind. But this is neither the time nor the place to be thinking of such things. Yes, with every advantage in his corner, Finn Balor stole my title a couple weeks ago. But I'll deal with him and reclaim my NXT Championship when the time comes. Tonight, I am entirely focused on John Cena. The man has rented a room in my head, and I can't wait to go out there and break the face that supposedly runs the place. Those ever-so-catty Divas said something earlier about a changing of the guard, but what Cena doesn't realize is that that change has already happened. Gone are the days when a man can proudly wave Old Glory and walk with his head held high as a true American hero. Because when I rip the heart right out of America's chest tonight, Cena will have no choice but to lower his head in shame, when he comes to the realization that change has passed him by. (Owens turns to Philips) This interview is over.

John Cena vs. Kevin Owens for the United States Championship
 

These two guys have been having fantastic matches for the last two months now, and I truly expect this one to steal the show as well. But really, what else can they do? They've pulled out all stops in both of their previous matches, and if they're able to not only duplicate, but top those performances, I will be really impressed. Both guys deliver every move in their repertoire in this match, including hitting each other with the other's finisher (I don't think Cena has delivered the pop-up powerbomb before). Cena chases Owens out to the floor and Owens surprises him with a pop-up powerbomb on the outside. Owens then rolls Cena back in for a near fall. Cena then locks in the STF and has it applied for a while, but Owens eventually reaches the ropes. Owens then hits a second pop-up powerbomb for two. He then hits Cena with his own version of the AA for another two-count. Owens then gets frustrated and hits a third and fourth pop-up powerbomb, one after the other, to finally put Cena away and win the title. 

After the match, Cena walks over to Owens and extends his hand, which Owens surprisingly accepts, as they shake on it. 

[The pay per view panel then gives their thoughts on the show thus far, as well as predictions for the main event]

Rusev vs. Cesaro

This is another match that hasn't been added, to the best of my knowledge. I thought these two and Kevin Owens had a fantastic match on Raw this week, which got even better when Owens walked away. And they apparently also had a great match on Smackdown this week, which I haven't seen yet. Needless to say, I expect much of the same here, only this time, they may be granted a lot more time. The end comes where Rusev goes for the Accolade, but Lana comes down to ringside and starts fighting with Summer Rae, causing a distraction and allowing Cesaro to secure an inside cradle/small package for the win. 

Rusev attacks Cesaro after the match and tosses him to the floor. He then reaches through the ropes and grabs Lana by the hair, dragging her into the ring. Rusev then signals  that he's going to apply the Accolade on Lana, but Dolph Ziggler's music hits, and Ziggler races to the ring to beat the hell out of Rusev. Ziggler and Lana then clear the ring of Rusev and Summer Rae.

Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

The build for this match has been tremendous, and I think it'll be a great story to tell in the ring as well, which is kind of interesting that the larger man in the match is the babyface; it kind of reminds me of Flair and Hogan in that regard. There is going to be a ref bump at some point, so just as Lesnar has Rollins beaten with the F-5, there is no one to count. As Heyman tries to revive the ref, Rollins hits Lesnar with a low blow and tries to escape, but Dean Ambrose comes out and throws Rollins back in the ring. Rollins then tries to escape through the crowd, but Roman Reigns returns to the building and he also tosses Rollins back into the ring, just as Lesnar is starting to get up. Reigns enters the ring and has Rollins targeted for a spear, but he suddenly changes directions and spears Lesnar. Ambrose then enters the ring, initially acting surprised, but then he too turns his attention to Lesnar and drops him with Dirty Deeds. Rollins then hits Lesnar with the pedigree, as the other two leave the ring, and just as the ref comes to, to make the pin. So Rollins keeps the title. 

After the match, The Shield reunite again and deliver the triple powerbomb to Lesnar. They then corner Heyman, who cowers at first, but suddenly starts smiling, and hugs the three of them. Heyman then joins Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose, as they do their old Shield pose to end the show.

Here are my match predictions for SummerSlam:

Seth Rollins vs. The Undertaker for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with Sting as the special enforcer - They really need something that will be bigger than the Lesnar match, and I think this just might do it. I was originally thinking Daniel Bryan for this match, but that all depends on his health I guess. Other names that crossed my mind to put against Rollins were Triple H, Samoa Joe or Sting, but I think this is probably the best selection, and I think it'll eventually lead to a three-on-two match at the Hell in a Cell pay per view with The Shield against Taker and Kane. It should also plant the seeds for the Taker vs. Sting match at WrestleMania 32, where Sting inadvertently costs Taker the title here. Sting's role in this match will be to essentially keep The Shield out of it.

Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns w/Paul Heyman - Heyman's reason for turning on Lesnar was that he proved that he isn't the beast anymore, when he got busted open by Reigns at WrestleMania, eventually leading him to lose the title to Seth Rollins. Heyman will say that he now needs to focus on the future, and the future is Roman Reigns.

Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena - The Shield starts targeting any potential threat to Rollins' world title, starting with John Cena, whom they cost the U.S. title in Cena's rematch with Kevin Owens on Raw, a few weeks before this. 

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn in 2 out of 3 falls for the U.S. Championship - This match entirely depends on Zayn's health, but he could easily be replaced by Cesaro or Neville.

Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler in a Til Death Do Us Apart match - It's revealed on Raw that Rusev is legally married to Lana, so if he wins this match, Lana and Ziggler's relationship must end, but if Ziggler wins, Rusev and Lana have to divorce. 

Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Sheamus vs. Neville vs. The Big Show vs. Cesaro in a six-man contenders match - The man who gets the first pinfall or submission in this match gets a title shot against the champion of his choosing at Night of Champions.

Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella vs. Alicia Fox vs. Sasha Banks vs. Naomi vs. Tamina Snuka vs. Paige vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch in a battle royal for the Divas Championship

The New Day vs. The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championships - Kick-off show
 

The road to UFC 189 has certainly had its share of twists and turns, particularly in the main event, due to Jose Aldo having to pull out of his title fight. But as the old saying goes "The show must go on," and us fans still have a pretty decent card to look forward to. 

Let's take a look...

Brad "One Punch" Pickett (24-10-0) vs. Thomas "Thominhas" Almeida (18-0-0)

Since his UFC debut in 2011, Pickett has been more or less like a yo-yo, meaning that he's been up and down more times than an elevator, but never seems to stay in one place. He is coming off two disappointing losses in a row now, and really needs an impressive win here, but he's facing a man who's undefeated in his MMA career, including two wins in the UFC, with most of those victories being knockouts. Overall, Pickett may be more well-rounded and certainly has the experience edge, but if you also take into consideration that Almeida is 13 years younger than his opponent and will probably have more confidence than Pickett, since he has yet to taste defeat, it makes for a very interesting fight. I'm going to have to call the upset here and pick Almeida to get the Unanimous Decision.

Gunnar "Gunni" Nelson (13-1-1) vs. Brandon "Rukus" Thatch (11-2-0)

This is going to be a great fight, as these two have almost identical records. In fact, they both lost their previous fights, but I'm sure most would agree that there wasn't anything to be ashamed about in either case. Nelson lost a decision to Rick Story, which really could have gone either way, while Thatch was submitted by Ben Henderson, who held the Lightweight Title for a year and a half. These guys both like to throw hands, so I can picture a lot of flying fists in this one. They're also so evenly matched, that it's almost impossible to pick a winner. I think this will end up going the distance, and if that's the case, I'd have to say that Nelson has the slight advantage, since Thatch has never won a decision. I'll go with Nelson by Split Decision.

Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (14-4-0) vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (23-11-0)

Stephens hasn't had a whole lot of luck lately, and he really needs a convincing win here to inch his way closer to the title picture. But against a guy like Bermudez, it's easier said than done. Bermudez has come a long way since losing in the Ultimate Fighter finals in 2011. Actually, his only loss since then was in his latest fight, where he was submitted by former Featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas. But before then, Bermudez chalked up quite a few impressive wins, including a submission victory over Clay Guida. The Lamas fight might have been a setback, but Stephens has had his own share of devastating losses in the UFC, so I don't think it'll affect Bermudez's performance in this one. I'll take Bermudez to win by TKO.

"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) vs. Rory "Red King" MacDonald (18-2-0) for the UFC Welterweight Championship

Things are really starting to heat up in this division, and I am very excited about this fight in particular. The last time MacDonald lost a fight, it was against none other than Robbie Lawler. But much like Lawler was able to bounce back from a devastating loss and eventually claim the gold, MacDonald has been on an impressive winning streak himself, leading up to this point. Even though Lawler has the championship advantage, I think MacDonald will be bringing everything he's got here, particularly because he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Both guys will definitely be going for the knockout, but I don't think either of them will get it. This fight will likely go the distance and as hard as it is to call, I think MacDonald will win the Split Decision this time, and take the title.

Conor "Notorious" McGregor (17-2-0) vs. Chad "Money" Mendes (17-2-0) for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship

Needless to say, these two have identical records, but the main difference is that Mendes has already had his share of title opportunities, while this is McGregor's maiden voyage to the promised land, so to speak. McGregor hasn't tasted defeat since 2010, and his last three wins were all knockouts. The guy can sell tickets; that's for sure. No disrespect to any of McGregor's opponents, but I just don't think McGregor has faced the caliber of fighter that Mendes has, considering that there were a couple of instances in Mendes' last fight with Jose Aldo, where I thought he was about to win the title. Honestly though, I don't think either one of these guys should have been given this opportunity ahead of Frankie Edgar, but that's just my opinion. As much as I want to see McGregor win, because I want to see him eventually fight Aldo, I don't think it's happening here. I'm going with Mendes to win the title by Unanimous Decision. 

So there you have it.

Who are you picking?      

 

It's the show that the world has been talking about for the last four years. And when you consider what else is, or has been on T.V. within that time frame, especially with the emergence of Netflix a few years ago, that's pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. 

So a lot of people have been buzzing, like a handful of bees, about the GOT season finale, which left most of us at the edge of our seats. Some have even come up with their own theories for future seasons, which are scattered all over the Internet. 

So I thought I would weigh in with my own two cents (just two, though). I wanted to first talk about some of the major happenings in the finale, so if you haven't seen it yet and wish to avoid spoilers, I strongly suggest that you stop reading from this point on. I also want to talk about character development, and some possible directions that they could go in from here, combined with a few of my own predictions.

To borrow a famous William Shakespeare quote, "To be, or Not to Be!" That seems to be the main question on most people's minds, when thinking about some of their favourite Game of Thrones characters. We didn't really get to see a lot of main characters meet their demise this season, as has been the case in previous seasons. Actually, I don't think any main characters were written off this time around; or were they? 

The confrontation between Brienne and Stannis had been building for a long time, and even though these two are secondary characters, I think there are at least some people who would have been looking forward to that. But did Brienne kill Stannis? I guess we'll have to wait until next season to find out. Stannis sacrificing his own daughter was one of the shocking moments of this season, but since he had already killed his brother, I guess we should have expected it, and because of that, I'm sure a lot of GOT fans were counting down the days to his death. I don't see Brienne uniting with Stannis, as that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. Here's how I think this is going to play out: as Brienne is about to cut Stannis in half, The Hound (remember him?) makes a surprise return and kills her. So The Hound is now aligned with Stannis, and Brienne is dead. Podrick sees this from afar, and goes out on his own, and he eventually meets Arya, who trains him in the same fashion that she was trained, so he can avenge Brienne.

And then there's Theon...oh sorry, I meant Reek, and Sansa. Some would say that if it weren't for bad luck, these two would have no luck at all...until the end of this season, of course; well considering how it ended, I guess that's not entirely true. I think these two have been through enough though, so I don't see either of them dying anytime soon. Ramsay is undoubtedly going to be searching for both of them, which will keep all three characters occupied for the time being, until they eventually reunite with Bran, who also forgives Theon. So the Stark family will be somewhat whole again, by the end of next season.

But what about Cersei's walk of shame? That's something that definitely needs to be talked about. I'm sure a lot of people think that she had it coming, but there's an old saying that goes 'Hell Hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned,' which can only mean that revenge, much like winter, is coming. And now that The Mountain is back, who knows what Cersei will have planned for those who have wronged her. And she doesn't even know about her daughter's death yet, which I think it's safe to say that it was the one death in that finale that we can be sure about. The feud between The Oberyns and the Lannisters has just about reached its boiling point, but I don't see them going to war just yet. First, they'll need to keep reminding everyone what a monster The Mountain is, and the only way to do that is to have him keep killing people. But more importantly, they need someone on the Oberyn side that can match him. Needless to say, there are going to be a lot of deaths next season, and I doubt that The Mountain is going to be one of them.

And then there's Jon Snow. There is no question about it that the closing sequence of the Game of Thrones finale was the hottest topic at the water coolers the following morning, and it's all thanks to Mr. Snow. He was betrayed by his Night's watch brothers, stabbed multiple times and left for dead. But being left for dead doesn't necessarily mean that you're dead. In fact, there are a number of theories floating about that Jon Snow might actually be undead. Some think that he has powers similar to Bran's, only much stronger. The fact remains that if Jon Snow dies, then the Night's watch storyline is pretty much over, since there isn't a strong enough character in that entire group that can replace him. I don't know about these special powers of his, but I guess stranger things have happened, and I don't think for a minute that he's dead. I think Snow will end up slaying everyone who was involved in his betrayal, thus proving himself yet again to the remaining Night's watch members, and he will continue leading them into battle against the White Walkers. There's another rumour going around that Snow's mother was a Targaryen, making him and Daenerys related. Those two will eventually cross paths at some point, either next season or the one after, and with their combined armies, Tyrion directing traffic and the power of the dragons, they will wipe the White Walkers off the face of the Earth, before attempting to reclaim the throne from the Lannisters, Baretheons, or whoever else will be in power by then.

I guess we'll have to wait and see...