WWE SummerSlam preview & predictions: Mami, Papi & a couple of Tribal Chiefs

Tonight’s WWE SummerSlam (7 PM Eastern on Peacock/WWE Network) looks set to continue the company’s hot streak of PLEs along with some major storyline developments.

We haven’t seen Roman Reigns since he dropped the Universal title to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 but there is reason to believe he could make a dramatic return tonight. Fans have been chanting “We Want Roman” throughout the Bloodline 2.0 angle and as we’ve grown closer to the show, Solo Sikoa has been proclaiming himself to be The Tribal Chief. What happened on SmackDown last night set the table even further. 

Up until yesterday, BetOnline had a prop bet available for Roman returning at SummerSlam. At one point, he was listed as a -400 favorite to do so. That prop bet is no longer available, likely due to the Bloodline rules stipulation added. That stipulation, as it did with night two of WrestleMania 40, opens the door for a bevy of interfering wrestlers one of whom will likely be the former champion.

WWE’s previous regime spent years force-feeding its audience a babyface Reigns and never got to the place they wanted. That he is now about to organically receive the kind of fan response they always wanted for him years later is a little surreal. He probably won’t be wearing a leather/denim jacket like Triple H or MJF, but the feeling will be the same.

However, it might not even be the best part of this show. Below are previews and predictions for each match at WWE SummerSlam 2024. 

WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley

Morgan is listed as a -800 favorite and it’s hard to disagree with that. 

I mean, we all know what’s happening, right? Dominik will turn on Ripley and align with Morgan. The new Judgment Day faction will consist of Morgan, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Carlito & Dominik while Ripley and Damian Priest leave the group and continue to be babyfaces. Morgan’s revenge tour will be complete as she’ll have finally taken everything from Ripley. 

Just because it’s predictable doesn’t mean it won’t be awesome. 

This career-making angle for Morgan has been far beyond what her previous World title run accomplished. While that angle put her in the main event picture, what she has been doing with Ripley and Dominik demands she stay there and never leave. It’s been the talk of the wrestling world in a way few other angles in recent memory have been. Part of that is the creative, part of it is that the company just being super hot right now, but a very large chunk of the angle’s success has been Morgan and Dominik’s performances.

As for Ripley, this kickstarts her run as the division’s most dominant babyface. It’s a spot she could be in for a very long time to come — even when Becky Lynch returns. 

Prediction: Morgan retains

WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Solo Sikoa

Rhodes is a -5000 favorite to beat Sikoa and retain his title. Barring anything completely ridiculous happening, that’s what will take place. 

Rhodes beating Sikoa is not in doubt, but that’s not where the intrigue in this match comes. Now that the Bloodline rules stipulation has been added, we know this isn’t going to be as much of a match as it will be a run-in fest featuring old and new members of The Bloodline. In addition to Reigns, we could see Jey Uso, a returning Jimmy Uso, a debuting Talla Tonga (Hikuleo), and possibly even a confused R-Truth get involved. An appearance by The Rock isn’t even off the table, although it feels pretty unlikely to happen until we get closer to the start of the Netflix era.

When this match is over, Rhodes will be free from The Bloodline. He’ll move on to other stories like Randy Orton eventually turning on him. The Bloodline will move into its civil war era with a babyface side led by Reigns taking on Sikoa’s version of the group. 

Prediction: Rhodes retains

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest defends against Gunther

Gunther is listed as a -500 favorite and likely will walk out of Cleveland as the new champion. 

If it wasn’t for Priest having turned babyface recently, I would have said Gunther would win this clean. It feels more likely that they will protect Priest now, however. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a member of Judgment Day, possibly Balor, who ends up costing Priest the match, leading to a feud between the two. 

As for Gunther, he is one of the most carefully booked WWE wrestlers in decades. His entire path was likely written out for him before he even got on the main roster. First, he beat Honky Tonk Man’s record and re-establishes the Intercontinental title as the workhorse/worker belt before dropping it at WrestleMania, wins King of the Ring (re-establishing that tournament in the process), and then takes the title at SummerSlam before bringing it to Berlin as champion to close out the month. Not bad for a guy who never wanted to be on the main roster.

WWE will need to build up a challenger for Gunther at Bash in Berlin pretty quickly after. It could be a rematch against Priest. Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and/or CM Punk could get added back into the title mix too. We’ll just have to wait and see. 

Prediction: Gunther wins the title

WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defends against Nia Jax

Jax is listed as a -170 favorite, but I think it’s probably more likely that Bayley retains. 

Based on the betting odds, title changes will occur in four of the six title matches at SummerSlam — a little high for a seven-match show. Of the matches favored to see a new champion, this one has the closest odds. 

The SmackDown women’s division is in an interesting spot right now. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are on the outside looking in as they continue to be in the tag division. They will both end up back in singles at some point, however. We’re also due to get a returning Charlotte Flair added back into the mix as well. It should be interesting to see where she ends up, but it’s never far from the title scene. 

I just don’t think it’s time right now for Nia to be champion on SmackDown, but Triple H may think otherwise. 

Prediction: Bayley retains

WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul defends against LA Knight

Knight is listed as a -600 favorite to win and he most likely will. 

It’s tough to know where WWE considers Knight to be on its babyface power rankings at the moment. On SmackDown, he’s definitely behind Cody Rhodes for the top babyface spot, but it seems as though he’s also not as protected as either Kevin Owens or Randy Orton. Although, Orton turning heel is likely going to take place in the next few months. 

When Roman Reigns returns and is slotted in with the SmackDown babyfaces, Knight will drop another spot down that list too. Despite how popular he’s become, it still seems like he’s spinning his wheels right now on the main roster. A title win over Paul could help.

Prediction: Knight wins the title

WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn defends against Bron Breakker

Breakker is listed as a -5000 favorite to win the title and I would be absolutely shocked if anything other than that happens on Saturday. 

I thought they were going to give Breakker the Goldberg treatment up until his loss to Zayn at Money in the Bank, but they decided not to go that route. Taking a few losses might be better for him in the long run, though. You could just make Breakker an unstoppable monster en route to a World title shot but unless you plan on giving him the title within the next year you will eventually hit a roadblock with those plans. 

If you notice, the only time Breakker gets in trouble in his matches is when he runs really fast at his opponent but misses and lands against the steel steps or ring post. His character’s flaw right now is that he’s overly aggressive and ends up hurting himself. That’s how Zayn gained the advantage and eventually beat him at MITB and that’s how Ilja Dragunov and a few others have gained the advantage in brawls against him.

If WWE wants to communicate to its audience that Breakker is learning and growing as a wrestler, he will stop himself from running into something during his match on Saturday and it will somehow lead to the finish. Thus the audience is told, “Yes, Breakker lost to Sami but he learned from it, and now he’s even more unstoppable because of it.”

Prediction: Breakker wins the title

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre with special guest referee Seth Rollins

McIntyre is listed as a -175 favorite to beat Punk, but that is not what I think will happen. 

I imagine the thinking here is that since we know WWE wants to do Punk vs. Rollins at some point, it makes sense that Rollins would do something to cost Punk the match at SummerSlam. Also, it’s a bigger deal for McIntyre to beat Punk than it is for Punk to beat McIntyre. 

Punk is a gigantic star who causes ratings to spike, t-shirts to sell, and the wrestling community to occasionally lose its collective mind. It’s probably best from a business sense to ride that wave for as long as he’s healthy, which might not be very long at all. 

I do believe McIntyre will be portrayed as better than Punk in the match, however. McIntyre will slip on a banana peel or Punk will do something underhanded so that it’s another case of Punk costing McIntyre a match he deserved to win, and thus stays consistent with how the story has gone thus far. 

Prediction: Punk