The road to SummerSlam has begun. Money in the Bank is in the rearview mirror, which means it’s full steam ahead for the Summer’s Biggest Party.
SummerSlam is the second biggest show of the year. WWE puts just as much hype behind it as they do WrestleMania and, heading into Cleveland, we can expect just that.
WWE will pull out all the stops for SummerSlam, which means putting the best card forward. Speaking of the card, what can we expect from our SummerSlam card?
Some matches are set but so many others are up in the air. What will the card look like come August 6th? Let’s do some predicting below.
Damian Priest vs Gunther (World Heavyweight Championship Match)
We can start with one of the easier predictions on this list, with the match already being announced for August 3rd. Gunther looks primed to take home his first world championship on the main roster.
He has been well protected since making his debut as only a small handful have pinned his shoulders to the mat. He is the wrestler of the future and one to carry the World Championship for a lengthy time.
Also, Damian Priest hasn’t been booked great since winning the strap. His wins have been via outside interference, and he has been a secondary player in most of his programs.
A feud with Finn Balor seems to be in the future so getting the title off him would be a smart move.
Cody Rhodes vs Solo Sikoa (WWE Championship Match)
It seems destined that Cody Rhodes and The Bloodline will be intertwined. It started with the Roman Reigns-led version and will continue with Solo Sikoa’s vicious Bloodline at SummerSlam.
For weeks now, Rhodes has been at odds with the group and Sikoa has been at the forefront. They were kept away from each other during Money in the Bank but, as the night ended, it was Sikoa standing over the WWE Champion.
Since Sikoa was the one to go over Rhodes, it would make sense to continue this until SummerSlam. Rhodes and Sikoa would be a big-time match that WWE could book with a few surprises along the way.
Sami Zayn vs Bron Breakker (Intercontinental Championship Match)
Bron Breakker is going to be a star. His athleticism is phenomenal but it is his improving character work that will make him the man going forward.
In the meantime, a great run with the IC title will be a great way to get him ready for the main event. Breakker and Sami Zayn’s Money in the Bank match was a great one.
Zayn is perfect as the underdog champion and Breakker is just the right amount of bully to make their matches work. It was Breakker’s inexperience that cost him the first time and watching him seething after the match shows that he isn’t finished with Zayn yet.
It would be great to have them go at it again at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
Logan Paul vs LA Knight (United States Championship Match)
This is another match that has been getting set up for a month now. Logan Paul and LA Knight are the perfect combination for a match.
They are both arrogant loud-mouths and their promo battles have been entertaining. Add to that a good segment, filmed at Paul’s house, and we have the makings of a big match at SummerSlam.
There is also the fact that SummerSlam is emanating from Paul’s hometown of Cleveland. WWE will be chomping at the bit to make any match featuring Paul a focal point of the show.
A match that needs to end with Knight hoisting the United States Championship
Bayley vs Nia Jax (Women’s World Championship Match)
Since winning Queen of the Ring, Nia Jax has been waiting in the wings for Bayley. WWE has done a good job of keeping them apart, but that will be broken in the next couple of weeks.
Jax is a monster and will pose a massive threat to Bayley’s reign. Both women have a history with each other, having some matches in NXT.
There is a story to tell there and one that will help them build to their SummerSlam blow-off. As to who should win?
Jax and Bayley both have great cases but it might be time to finally give Jax a chance to run with the big belt.
Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley (WWE Women’s Championship Match)
If all goes according to plan, this will be one of the biggest matches on the SummerSlam card. Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley have been at odds for well over a year, and things have only intensified as of late.
Morgan was the reason for Ripley’s injury, and she has been on a tear ever since. She has captured the championship that Ripley never lost and looks to take away Dominik Mysterio from the Eradicator.
Morgan has done everything in her power to get under Ripley’s skin, and she hasn’t been there to defend herself. This all depends on her injury situation but if Ripley is ready to go this is a story that will right itself.
WWE is already planning on having these two do battle, at some point, and SummerSlam would be the perfect arena to do so.
CM Punk vs Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre
This will be the grudge match to end all grudge matches. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have been engaged in a war for the better part of the year, and SummerSlam was the logical choice for them to settle their differences.
But a new angle was added at Money in the Bank. Seth Rollins and Punk was going to be the original feud for WrestleMania but an injury to Punk derailed that notion, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still resentment.
Punk and Rollins have hated each other for years and it was only a matter of time before they linked back up again. WWE reignited that on Saturday.
Rollins was seen seething in Punk’s direction after he cost Rollins any future chance at the World Championship, a similarity that he shared with McIntyre. Now that the foundation is laid, WWE needs to put them all in the ring come SummerSlam.
Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton
Randy Orton and Kevin Owens look like the odd men out going into SummerSlam. Not big feuds are going to be thrown their way and, frankly, continuing their tag partnership into a multi-man match would be a waste of their talents.
Owens and Orton don’t have a ton of history in the ring. They have been paired for a while but haven’t been opposite one another much.
When they have been, like WrestleMania 40, we have witnessed some great wrestling. Orton has a history of turning on his partners, so why not pull at that thread again?
The RKO vs The Stunner would be a match that would write itself. The build would be great, and it would give both men a marquee match for The Biggest Party of the Summer.
WWE & World Tag Team Championships In A Multi-Man Match
Let’s be honest. Neither of the tag team titles has been treated very well since the split at WrestleMania.
Sure, the redesign of both straps is great and brings a sense of nostalgia, but that is where most of the luster stops. WWE loves to have multi-man matches at their big shows.
This is where the tag titles will fit in nicely. There are a good amount of tag teams on both shows so fitting them into say a ladder match would be a great idea.
It would get the fans out of their seats and provide for some killer spots.
