The largest present of WWE’s summer season goes down this Saturday as SummerSlam heads to Cleveland. This 12 months represents the thirty seventh annual installment of certainly one of WWE cornerstone premium stay occasions.
In line with the sometimes main stakes of SummerSlam, WWE has loaded up the cardboard. There are seven matches set for the cardboard, with six of them being championship bouts. The lone non-title bout will see CM Punk in his first broadcasted singles match in WWE since 2014 when he takes on Drew McIntyre. That match has further stakes connected to it as Seth Rollins will function the particular visitor referee.
Essentially the most vital title matches may produce some attention-grabbing theater as effectively. Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes is about to tackle Solo Sikoa. Rhodes was goaded right into a second “Bloodline Guidelines” match after dealing with the circumstances towards Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. However this time could also be completely different with Sikoa’s model of the Bloodline seemingly extra ruthless. Plus, World heavyweight champion Damian Priest appears to show away an enormous problem from the lengthy reigning intercontinental champ Gunther. There are many ways in which may go, together with what type of assist Priest will get from his stablemates in Judgement Day.
Let’s check out who the CBS Sports activities specialists are choosing to win in every match on Saturday’s card.
WWE SummerSlam 2024 predictions
Undisputed WWE Championship — Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
The Bloodline 2.0 was rejuvenated by the addition of Jacob Fatu however Solo Sikoa is not able to be WWE champion. Particularly when Rhodes has been pegged because the celebrity to hold WWE into the long run. Sikoa may have a robust exhibiting in defeat — or an inconclusive end — because the construct to a civil warfare with Reigns and the unique Bloodline begins. Both means, Rhodes is leaving Cleveland with the undisputed title. Choose: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Shakiel Mahjouri (additionally Brent Brookhouse)
World Heavyweight Championship — Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther
There is a line of considering that Gunther is not successful right here for quite a lot of causes, together with the old-fashioned thought {that a} wrestler trashing an opponent an excessive amount of diminishes the accomplishment of beating him to win a title. In the event you say your opponent sucks and also you then beat them to win the title, have you ever actually achieved something? I simply do not assume that holds up on this case. Gunther’s whole shtick has been about restoring status to wrestling and to its prime championships. Priest has managed to get extra over than any time throughout his title reign due to Gunther working him down not solely as champion however as an individual. Nonetheless, Priest doesn’t — and by no means has managed to — really feel like “the man.” It is attainable WWE tries to stretch this out throughout one other occasion or two, however this looks like the suitable time to maneuver the belt off of Priest, who nonetheless has no agency place as a face or heel, and onto Gunther to arrange a scenario the place faces are chasing a heel for the highest belt on Uncooked. Choose: Gunther wins the title — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Particular Visitor Referee Seth Rollins)
Candidly, I don’t know how this match performs out. The best means for WWE to increase the feud is for Punk to smash McIntyre’s night once more. However McIntyre actually must get one over on Punk. Rollins’ position as particular visitor referee additional complicates issues. Rollins has points with each males and his inclusion within the match suggests WWE will pivot to a feud involving the three of them. Not understanding the place WWE is taking this story, and contemplating we might not instantly get a Punk vs. McIntyre rematch, I anticipate McIntyre will get revenge, maybe attributable to some friction or miscommunication between Punk and Rollins. It is solely acceptable that Punk will get screwed over. Choose: Drew McIntyre wins — Mahjouri
Whereas wins and losses do not actually matter in WWE and the promotion has spent a long time getting away from the concept that strikes up and down the cardboard takes constant on-screen outcomes, Punk has not gained a match in WWE since 2014 (excluding two home present wins over Dominik Mysterio). Sure, he is bulletproof sufficient {that a} loss to McIntyre would not actually do something damaging to him and Rollins being concerned provides both man an out to not take any harm from a loss. However why would WWE have Punk lose his first singles match since a beforehand “not possible” reconciliation between the wrestler and the promotion? McIntyre is simply too good within the position of fuming continually “screwed over” to finish that within the first match with Punk. Choose: CM Punk wins — Brookhouse
Girls’s World Championship — Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Ripley getting back from damage and instantly beating Morgan looks like too low cost of a method to go along with this storyline. Issues have been a bit controversial with Morgan’s fixed sexual advances towards a resistant Dominik Mysterio, however going from it being a plan to steal issues away from Ripley to having Morgan breaking down in tears when Mysterio lastly snapped would not make sense with out one other twist. I believe that is all resulting in Mysterio betraying Ripley and ending up with Morgan, particularly as a result of Ripley is clearly seen as a face (regardless of her ties to Judgment Day) whereas Dominik is a pure heel for now. Perhaps Mysterio snaps to turn into his “personal man” however earlier than that occurs, he’ll align with Morgan. That possible begins with him “unintentionally” costing Ripley the match on Saturday, if not going additional. Choose: Liv Morgan retains the title — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
WWE Girls’s Championship — Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Bayley’s reign as champion hasn’t set the world on hearth however Jax successful the title is not an thrilling prospect both. It feels just like the title is being saved heat for Cash within the Financial institution winner Tiffany Stratton. Usually, this is able to be the right alternative for Stratton to money her Cash within the Financial institution briefcase. However the girls’s briefcase has a historical past of painfully brief cash-ins and I anticipate persistence from as we speak’s WWE. Bayley ought to go over in a David vs. Goliath match to strengthen her reign. Choose: Bayley retains the title — Mahjouri
In the event you’ve been paying consideration in latest months, Jax has quietly turn into a reliably good performer and one of many extra attention-grabbing girls on the SmackDown roster. Add in Tiffany Stratton’s alignment with Jax and probably the most attention-grabbing recipe for good TV is Jax successful the title right here and having the stress between her title and Stratton’s Cash within the Financial institution contract. Choose: Nia Jax wins the title — Brookhouse
WWE Intercontinental Championship — Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Breakker has an aura that may’t be manufactured, irrespective of how a lot WWE loves to only converse this stuff into existence. Having Zayn retain of their first assembly was advantageous however Breakker wants the win right here. He is merely simple — or needs to be — at this level and one other loss could be the incorrect transfer for the sort of character Breakker is. Zayn had a very good run however he’ll even be nice with out the title as a result of he is such a tremendous expertise. Choose: Bron Breakker wins the title — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
WWE United States Championship — Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight
This could have occurred some time in the past. Crowning Knight as United States champion would have arguably been simpler when SmackDown had a part-time world champion in Reigns. It will have successfully made Knight the model’s prime singles champion on a week-to-week foundation. Alas, successful the title off Paul in a cornerstone PPV is nothing to cry about. A title reign is lengthy overdue for Knight and precisely what he must validate his late profession rise. Choose: LA Knight wins the title — Mahjouri (additionally Brookhouse)