WWE Rumors: SummerSlam 2014 Preview with Match Card and Predictions

WWE will air arguably its second-biggest pay-per-view, SummerSlam, on Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. In case you didn't hear, you can watch the whole event on the WWE Network for just $9.99.

Anticipation is rather high for what some call "The WrestleMania of Summer." We've got The Beast vs. The Champ, one of the WWE's principal owners in action and much, much more. So without further ado, let's break down the match card and offer up some predictions for Sunday.

Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter) vs. Rusev (w/Lana) in a Flag Match

It still troubles me that WWE expects its fans to cheer for the guys who at worst are close-minded xenophobes who want to deport everyone who doesn't look like them and at best are blindly zealous patriots who can just shout "AMERICA" at people and wave the flag in their faces. It troubles me even more that we were booing these guys two months ago and now fans are completely buying into them and chanting "We The People."

This seems like the logical blowoff for this feud, and WWE is not going to let someone it has portrayed as an enemy of the U.S.A. walk out with the victory. I just hope Rusev actually can walk out after stepping in the ring with Swagger, The Destroyer of Body Parts.

Winner: Jack Swagger

Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz (c) for the Intercontinental Championship

The Miz is a guy who is extremely easy to hate for whatever reason. WWE finally realized this and instead of trying to make him a face or giving him the WWE Championship (seriously, WrestleMania 27 was an atrocity), they decided to let people hate him. The Miz is doing some amazing work right now as a vain Hollywood actor who doesn't realize he's so far down the D-List that he's looking up at Andrew Dice Clay. He refuses to let people hit him in the face, or as he calls it, "the moneymaker."

Enter Dolph Ziggler, who wants nothing more than to hit Miz in the moneymaker and take his Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately, Ziggler is one of the best sellers in the business and he loses extremely well. Sunday will likely be no different.

Winner: Miz

AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige for the Divas Championship

The first of two Divas matches on the card, this one continues the feud that began last month when Paige turned on the champion and pledged to take back the title. Paige has been doing some great work as a heel, mostly because WWE finally put a microphone in her hand and showcase her personality. The women's match at Battleground was solid if a bit rough in a few spots. They've likely worked out the kinks by now and should deliver a great contest on Sunday. This one is a coin flip because either woman could walk out with the title, but to continue the feud, Paige would likely need to win. And I'm hoping this feud goes on for a long time.

Winner: Paige

Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt

Y2J made his triumphant return to WWE recently only for the Wyatt Family to assault him. Bray claims he wants to tear down Jericho for claiming to be a savior when he can't even save himself. Jericho won the first match cleanly at Battleground, and the rematch was quickly set for SummerSlam.

This time, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are not allowed at ringside. Jericho won the first bout even with the two disciples there for some of the match, which bothered a lot of fans. But Wyatt needs a win to regain some credibility and momentum, and he'll get it Sunday.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton

This will be a fascinating match to watch not so much for the story, but as a measuring stick for Reigns as a singles performer. WWE has done an excellent, if transparent, job so far of keeping Reigns contained in tag team matches and shorter singles matches. Now, he'll get to work a full-length pay-per-view match against one of the best in-ring performers in the company. Reigns will get the chance to show what he's made of on Sunday, and he's got a terrific dance partner to lead him.

This is another tough one to call, but given the rumors that Reigns is on a collision course with Triple H at Night of Champions, he'll likely walk out with the victory Sunday.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins in a Lumberjack Match

A lot of fans are upset at the stipulation for this match because it will prevent Ambrose and Rollins from brawling all over the arena, into the parking lot and possibly into Kobe Bryant's house. A lumberjack match, historically, tends to underwhelm. But this one could be different given the two players in the ring.

The point is to keep the traitorous Rollins from running away, which makes sense from Ambrose's perspective. A cage match almost always has some kind of screwy interference, so why not level the playing field and let a bunch of people kick the tar out of Rollins if he tries to run? Plus, it gives the wrestlers who don't have a spot on the card some TV time.

This feels like a blowoff match, but it's only the first official contest between the two. A Rollins victory would extend the feud, which I hope carries on until next summer.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Stephanie McMahon (w/Triple H) vs. Brie Bella (w/Nikki Bella)

This one has been months in the making. Stephanie McMahon has become one of the best heels in the company using nothing but her words. Everyone wants to see Brie beat the hell out of her, and half of the fans who want that don't even care for Brie all that much. That's how much Stephanie has owned the role of evil boss.

This match can't miss. It's either going to be a great contest that shows how much Brie and Stephanie trained for it (which they have been doing a lot of, it seems) or it's going to be a train wreck that we'll all enjoy anyway. Stephanie has not competed in a WWE ring in a decade, so there's no doubt she's been preparing for this for months, and Brie has improved greatly in the ring.

Brie should win, but I can't shake the nagging feeling that Stephanie is going to pull this one out, possibly with the help of Nikki Bella's betrayal.

Winner: Stephanie McMahon 

John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman) for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This is going to be brutal. It's going to be ugly. It's going to be violent. This will be biblical. I truly believe Paul Heyman when he said Brock Lesnar is going to maim and demolish John Cena.

Their match at Extreme Rules in 2012 was uncomfortable to watch at times. The stakes are raised for this one, so it should be even more brutal. Lesnar has no reason to hold back at all, save for a disqualification. He'll be free to pulverize John Cena, and that's likely what we'll see.

This match has that big fight feel to it, which is key for a SummerSlam main event. The story is there for WWE to tell it: Lesnar, the unstoppable monster, against the golden boy Cena, who dispatches challengers without breaking a sweat. Lesnar is coming off the greatest victory of his career against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, so a loss here would completely devalue that historic accomplishment. A victory over Cena here would work wonders for all parties involved and would turn the man who then beats Lesnar for the title into a star. The Beast has to win this match.

Of course, this is the company that had Cena beat Lesnar two years ago when it made no sense at all, so I'm tempted to say LOLCENAWINS. But I'm more inclined to believe Lesnar will stymie Cena at every turn and leave him bloodied in the middle of the ring.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

What are your predictions for SummerSlam? Let us know in the comments below.