What will the match order be at SummerSlam?
With 13 matches and about six hours, SummerSlam is a card that will test the patience of even the most devoted fan. Putting the matches in the wrong order can cause exhaustion or even anger, as we saw at Backlash earlier this year. The backlash to Backlash demonstrated that match ordering is key, and while we shouldn't assume that the main event of tomorrow's show will learn from that show in May, we can hope that the company will be more careful with ordering on the SummerSlam card.
To ensure a successful show, matches need to be placed strategically to heat up and cool down the audience as needed. In other words, the bathroom break matches should be appropriately placed. What order can we expect the card to go in? Given the talent involved in each match, we can make a few predictions as to how the show will unfold.
#1 Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega vs. Rusev and Lana (pre-show)
Andrade "Cien" Almas and Rusev are talented ring workers, though their seconds will drag the match downward somewhat. This is the match that ticks the most boxes for the time when most of the audience will still be settling in. Rusev and Almas will heat the match up while their charges cool it down as needed. It helps that Rusev, though diminished, is still over enough to amp a crowd up to get them excited for the show to come.
Aiden English is bound to appear, though unfortunately, the minstrel won't introduce Rusev this time. That interference and its resulting aftermath will get the crowd buzzing enough to set up the next match on the card with sufficient electricity to do what it needs to do.