1. Count on 17-plus world title reigns for John CenaCena isn't just chasing down Seth Rollins at SummerSlam; he's on the hunt forRic Flair's record.There's some debate about the actual number, but the generally accepted narrative is that Flair won 16 world championships in his Hall of Fame career. Cena is sitting at 15 with a chance to tie The Nature Boy come Sunday.For those rooting against the babyface powerhouse at SummerSlam so that he doesn't catch the all-time great in terms of world title reignsdon't bother.If Cena doesn't hit that magic number against Rollins, he will do so eventually. And then the 17th world title reign will follow, and the 18th.WWE has finally started to work this pursuit of history into a storyline. Cena mentioned Flair's historic number during his showdown with Rollins on Monday's Raw. It's now part of Cena's motivation to beat The Authority's loudmouth champ.Some see that as a hint of what's to come at SummerSlam. For others, it's just a reminder that Cena is closing in a record that so many don't want him to own.For the most part, Flair is revered by wrestling fans. He had a rare blend of great in-ring ability and star power. Casual fans may have preferred Hulk Hogan in the '80s, but the purists pulled for Flair instead, the better athlete and better mat performer.And now Cena, the most divisive babyface in WWE history, is close to replacing Flair in the record books.Despite what Cena has accomplished, his talent is often dismissed by a vocal sector of the audience. Some consider him the goofball whom the kids like, not a wrestler worth respecting. A symbol of WWE's current PG product passing Flair has a good number of fans upset.Some, like Robby the Brain, foresee tears if Cena wins:If that's the case, it's best to get some tissues ready. Cena is going to break that record. WWE simply loves to have Cena on top too much for him to not get at least two more world title reigns.Scan the WWE World Heavyweight Championship history onWWE.com,and one will see that not much time passes without Cena on top.Since 2009, he has won the WWE title every year except 2012 (during CM Punk's historic 434-day reign).He won it twice in '09, twice in 2010 and three times the next year. And now, even while holding the United States Championship, Cena finds himself in the world title picture again.At SummerSlam, he faces a man whom WWE has booked as one of the weaker champions in recent memory.To bet against Cena isn't wise in this spot. Even if he leaves the Barclays Center without Rollins' championship, chances are he will be back for another crack at the belt. He remains a man WWE pits against the biggest stars from Brock Lesnar to Rollins to The Rock.Consider too that he is 38 years old. He has at least four or five years left as a top-level performer. For him not to win a few world titles in that span would be a surprise.He simply doesn't go on droughts like that.With his drive and ability to recover, who knows, Cena might be the next Kane in terms of longevity.Hogan won the WWE title when he was 49. If Cena is following in the Hulkster's footsteps in that regard, Cena may be nearing the 20-reign mark at that point.The Nature Boy's record is as good as broken.Fans just have to accept it. Flair already has. Hesaid on his Wooooo! Nation podcast,"I'd be thrilled if John Cena tied my record and surpassed it."2. Divas Championship Not On HoldThe idea that Nikki Bella is not defending her title enough and that the Divas Revolution storyline is pushing the championship away from the forefront is overstated.WWE could certainly do a better job of incorporating Nikki's title into the current warring-factions angle. It should be pushed more as the holy grail of the division. Still, a look at the numbers shows that WWE isn't exactly abandoning the belt, either.Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks arrived on Raw on July 13. Since then, there have been no Divas title matches.That's the heart of the "WWE is wasting the Divas title" argument. That's was just about a month ago, though. That kind of stretch isn't uncommon with any of the championships.Besides, Nikki was plenty busy before those women showed up. She defended the title three times since the beginning of June. By comparison, Rollins has put up the world title four times during that period.The Divas Championship was one of only two titles on the line at Beast in the East.And while WWE chose not to feature the belt at Battleground, Nikki was fighting off challengers in three of the four pay-per-views before that.The recent focus has been on the new arrivals to the division and the tension between the three teams in it. WWE has to eventually put the Divas title in the spotlight and make it the centerpiece of that narrative, but that's likely on its way.There's a great chance that the way the three-team Elimination match at SummerSlam unfolds will affect the Divas Championship picture in a major way.3. Stardust vs. Stephen Amell InspiresThe comic-book feel of the Stardust-Amell feud has struck a chord with fans.WWE posted a video of fan artdedicated to that rivalry.YouTube userLeeTV1979 made quite an impressive movie-styletrailer for the upcoming SummerSlam clash:That's not something one sees with the average midcard battle. There's a unique vibe to this story, one that is clearly resonating. 4. Bayley vs. BanksBe prepared to rework your Match of the Year rankings afterNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Sasha Banks' defense of the NXT Women's Championship against Bayley is going to be stellar.WWE has begun to now bill it as part of a double-main event. That suggests the women will get a plenty of time and a prominent spot on the card.And the timing is just right for a classic.Banks has been on fire in the ring lately, from her work on Raw to her outstanding showing against Becky Lynch at NXT TakeOver: Rival. Bayley, meanwhile, is surging. She's looked more and more comfortable at the center of a high-profile storyline.That narrative will also be key to this match being an electric one. There is sure to be anemotional moment at the bout's end. A Bayley loss will mean that all her recent climbing was for naught. A win will be the crowning achievement for one of NXT's most popular talents.Working in front of an always-thunderous Brooklyn crowd certainly won't hurt.With all eyes on Bayley and Banks, look for them to deliver something outstanding.5. Throwback Video of the Week: Ric FlairAt Starrcade 1993, Flair earned one of his 16 world title wins and in memorable fashion, felling a giant. Before he dethronedVader, though, he cut one of his best promos.This passionate speech isn't as talked-about as some of his more famous interviews, but it's a clinic in how to sell a match:Flair recounted his title history and talked about the plane crash that nearly took his life with a captivating intensity."That's the Super Bowls I've been to," he said of past Starrcades and past title bouts.6. Patrick's Nasty FinisherEliminated from Tough Enough, Patrick Clark is now working the independent circuit. While he's still working on becoming a complete package as a wrestler, he seems to have found a finisher.A fan named Connor posted a clip of Patrick driving an opponent into the mat in creative fashion:Josh's Abominable A-Bomb is solid, but this is a move that leaves fans with open mouths. Patrick's finisher isn't something he can do on bigger guys, but he can sure get noticed when he is able to perform it.7. Cesaro Ahead of Kevin Owens So FarOwens and Cesaro have been locking horns for years. Starting with their collisions on the indies, a pattern has formed: The King of Swing wins more often than not.In their pre-WWE meetings,Cesaro is 7-3 against Owens.Cesaro also has a slight edge in their WWE battles (link contains SmackDown spoilers) as well. Not counting their upcoming eight-man tag on Thursday's SmackDown, Cesaro is 3-2 against Owens.The Swiss Strongman boasts 10 wins against Owens. He'll look for one more at SummerSlam, hoping that WWE's decision-makers have the same thought process as those from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and elsewhere.8. Masterwork Elimination MatchesThe Divas three-team Elimination match at SummerSlam has quite the history to live up to. WWE has long delivered tremendous variations on this type of bout.Fans wishing to see what elimination-centered drama looks like at its finest need only watch these matchups:Roddy Piper, Junkyard Dog and Ricky Steamboat vs. Harley Race, Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis: Madison Square Garden, Feb. 23, 198720-Man Tag Team Survivor Series match: Survivor Series 1988Team WWF vs. Team Alliance: Survivor Series 2001Kurt Angle vs. Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit: SmackDown, Dec. 5 2002The Shield vs. Evolution: Payback 2014 (No Holds Barred)PCB vs. Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. won't have the stakes that the Survivor Series 2001 main event had. It won't have the scale that the 1988 bout did, nor the amount of Hall of Famers that the MSG showdown in '87 had.Still, it's a match with great potential. WWE has been building toward this three-way scuffle for a month now. It's a chance to assure that this Divas Revolution angle doesn't sputter out but instead catches fire and burns long past SummerSlam.9. Keep Barrett and Stardust TogetherWWE appears to have stumbled onto a winning pair. In Stardust and King Barrett's promo on Monday's Raw, fans saw instant chemistry between these two strange bedfellows.The King of the Ring and The Prince of Dark Matter surprisingly make for an ideal fit. If their in-ring relationship is anything like what we saw in that interview, WWE has to keep these two as a team long-term.What else does Barrett have going for him anyway' Post-Amell feud, where does Stardust go'Bolstering the tag team division by adding this odd duo is smart. These two are the over-the-top, sinister villains the tag scene needs right now.10. J.R. on Paul HeymanHall of Fame announcer Jim Ross offered sage advice on the subject of a master at work. After another masterful performance from Heyman on Monday's Raw,Ross tweeted:How right he is, especially with how rare a great wrestling manager is today. Soak up Heyman's sermons while they last.Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.
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