It’s almost time for WWE SummerSlam!
WWE’s Biggest Party of the Summer comes to Cleveland, OH, at the Browns Stadium. Former multi-time champion The Miz will host the event in his hometown. SummerSlam kickoff show begins at 4 PM ET with the main card starting at 7 PM ET.
Seven matches have been confirmed to take place at SummerSlam 2024 at the time of this writing. Six of these bouts will decide the fate of championships on both RAW and SmackDown. That said, let’s dive right into our preview and predictions for WWE SummerSlam.
Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight – WWE United States Championship
Backdrop: LA Knight focused his attention on Logan Paul after failing to make it to the finals of the King of the Ring 2024. The Megastar invaded the Maverick’s home before calling him out on SmackDown to answer his challenge for the United States Championship. Paul denied Knight the opportunity on multiple occasions before agreeing to the match for WWE SummerSlam.
Prediction: Logan Paul may have the home turf advantage, but it’s time for LA Knight to run with the gold. Knight, without a doubt, is the odds-on favorite to dethrone Paul for the title. While Paul’s run has been decent with some really good defenses against the likes of Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, a win for LA Knight would elevate the championship.
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker – WWE Intercontinental Championship
Backdrop: Sami Zayn narrowly escaped Bron Breakker at Money in the Bank 2024. However, Breakker told Zayn on WWE RAW he wanted another shot at the title. Breakker would spend the following weeks attacking Zayn before the champion finally reversed the momentum on the final RAW before WWE SummerSlam.
Prediction: Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship run has been lackluster apart from the few matches he had with Chad Gable. It’s time to put the strap on Breakker and let him run with it. Gable has been booked as an unstoppable monster and a win over Zayn at SummerSlam 2024 would be a new high for his young career.
Women’s title match at WWE SummerSlam 2024
Backdrop: Nia Jax won the 2024 Women’s Queen of the Ring Tournament in Saudi Arabia. The victory earned her a shot at the Women’s Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2024. Jax eventually formed an alliance with Women’s Money in the Bank winner Tiffany Stratton against Bayley. The pair jumped the champion on multiple occasions before Bayley destroyed Stratton’s briefcase and cost her the match against Michin previously on SmackDown.
Prediction: Nia Jax has been spectacular ever since she returned to WWE full-time back in September 2023. She’s been a dominant force both on the mic and between the ropes. I’m rooting for her to win this Saturday. Having said that, Tiffany Stratton’s potential involvement in the match cannot be ruled out. Stratton has already teased cashing in for the women’s title. She could very well show up and steal the win for herself in Cleveland.
Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther – World Heavyweight Championship
Backdrop: Gunther punched his ticket to WWE SummerSlam by winning the 2024 King of the Ring Tournament. The Ring General addressed his title shot on RAW kicking off his feud with Damian Priest in the process. Tensions heated up when Gunther called Priest “street trash” leading to a huge brawl between the two. The final RAW before SummerSlam saw Gunther take out Finn Balor prompting Priest to come for his brother, leading to another brawl.
Prediction: Damian Priest has grown on me as RAW’s World Heavyweight Champion. He’s had some very good title defenses. A win over Gunther would really solidify Priest as the world champion. While I would love for Gunther to become the champion, Bash in Berlin seems like the occasion for the Ring General to get his name on the title plates. Losing to Priest won’t hurt his credibility, in my opinion.
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley – Women’s World Championship at WWE SummerSlam
Backdrop: Liv Morgan ended Rhea Ripley’s title run prematurely on the RAW after WrestleMania. A disgruntled Ripley was forced to vacate her title the following week. Becky Lynch won the vacant championship but ended up dropping it to Liv at King and Queen of the Ring. The champion toyed with Dominik Mysterio till Ripley made her unexpected return on 7/8 RAW to reignite her feud with Morgan.
Prediction: This storyline has been a wild ride. From Liv and Dom’s raunchy romance to Carlito’s hilarious one-liners, the whole angle has been nothing short of epic. As far as the outcome goes, I think Triple H has a huge swerve planned for this match. Liv Morgan walks out still the Women’s World champion but only after some sort of shenanigans from either Dominik Mysterio or Finn Balor.
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee at WWE SummerSlam
Backdrop: Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins both witnessed CM Punk’s epic comeback at Survivor Series in Chicago. Punk wrestled his first WWE PLE in a decade at the Royal Rumble. However, the Straight Edge Superstar got injured thanks to McIntyre. Punk would be forced to watch McIntyre defeat Rollins for the title at WrestleMania XL only to cost McIntyre the title. Punk would then serve as the architect of the Glasgow Screwjob before screwing McIntyre again at Money in the Bank. Punk’s actions, once again, put him at odds with Rollins, who was made the special guest referee for SummerSlam because no regular referee would agree to contain McIntyre and Punk.
Prediction: The anticipation for this match is at an all-time high. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have been involved in arguably the hottest WWE feud post-WrestleMania. Punk has bled for the match. He’s watched McIntyre pose for a selfie with Jack Perry. McIntyre has lost in front of his family and friends. It’s extremely personal and there’s no better man to call it down the middle than Seth “Freakin” Rollins. The stipulation is being compared to the iconic SummerSlam ’97 match between Bret Hart and The Undertaker with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. I can’t possibly predict a winner here because that’s how brilliant the feud is.
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa – Undisputed WWE Championship
Backdrop: Solo Sikoa took over The Bloodline after WrestleMania XL. The former Enforcer brought Tama Tonga to take out Jimmy Uso. Tanga Loa was the next to join the faction at Backlash France. The next big and most impressive addition turned out to be Jacob Fatu. The Samoan Werewolf helped Solo pin Cody Rhodes at Money in the Bank, setting up a title match between Rhodes and Solo at WWE SummerSlam 2024.
Prediction: The odds are hugely stacked against Cody Rhodes, who was forced to watch The Bloodline destroy both Kevin Owens and Randy Orton. Even Paul Heyman was put on the shelf by the rogue faction. The match itself could turn out to be incredibly physical for the American Nightmare, but he isn’t dropping the title this Saturday. I’m expecting the real Head of the Table to show up in Cleveland with his Wiseman to take care of The Bloodline.
WWE SummerSlam 2024 streams live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network elsewhere. WrestleZone will have full coverage of the show as it airs later this weekend.
READ MORE: Cody Rhodes Is Actively Trying To Bring The Winged Eagle Title Back To WWE
