WWE SummerSlam is set to take place for the 39th time in 2026, with the show once again expanding to two nights.
Taking over U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota on August 1 and 2, SummerSlam will see a long-standing rivalry renewed as Seth Rollins will challenge a man he is very familiar with, Roman Reigns, for the World Heavyweight Championship.
A new champion will also be crowned on the show. With Rhea Ripley out of action with injury until further notice, an interim Women’s Champion will be crowned in a ladder match. Additonally, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes will battle it out over the WWE Championship, and Oba Femi will meet Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell.
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Predictions:
Night 1:
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar – Hell In A Cell
Will this really be Brock Lesnar’s final match? With this being a stipulation Lesnar has never lost and in his home state of Minnesota, it could be possible. With both men at one win each, this is a must-win match for Femi. WWE have something with Femi as a main event player and someone who is very popular with the fans. While this should have been the show where Femi picked up his first WWE Championship win, defeating Lesnar is a close second.
Winner: Oba Femi
Liv Morgan vs. IYO SKY For The Women’s World Championship
Sadly, it has not been a strong year for either Women’s Championship in 2026. As well as Rhea Ripley suffering an injury, Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan have been criminally underutilised throughout this year. This feels like SKY’s time, especially as she has been left without anything major for months too. Additionally, there is the option to have SKY eventually drop the title to another Judgment Day member, further causing issues in the faction.
Winner: IYO SKY
Gunther vs. Nick Aldis
Although the result is inevitable, the story to set this up has been more intriguing. How will Aldis fare in his WWE in-ring debut, and how competitive will this match actually be? This will definitely be different to the previous GM vs. wrestler comedy squashes [looking at you Steve Austin vs. Eric Bischoff], but this will easily be another win for The Ring General. There could be interference from Adam Pearce, but this will be more competitive than the Pat McAfee match last year.
Winner: Gunther
LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys vs. The Usos and Jacob Fatu
If WWE are insistent on continuing this Bloodline story, there needs to be some dissension among the ranks. Fat will not take orders from The Usos, only from Reigns. The likely outcome here is more squabbling between the Bloodline and the face team takes the advanatge. Additionally, a Knight win is always one that will pop the fans.
Winners: LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys
The Bella Twins & Paige vs. Fatal Influence
There is logic for this one going either way. With the titles not on the line, one of the Bellas could pin Lainer Reid or Fallon Henley to set up a tag title match down the road. However, there is also the possibility that Paige or Nikki turns, allowing Fatal Influence to get the win. With no tension among the babyface trio yet, this could be the veterans’ night. The turn could be saved for down the road when the championships are at stake.
Winners: Paige and The Bella Twins
CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes For The WWE Championship
The most likely option is that Punk retains the title here given how soon into his reign he is. However, the bigger question is how do we get there? Punk winning clean feels unlikely given that Rhodes is the company’s top babyface. Does Punk turn heel? Will we see Drew McIntye get involved? Will Sami Zayn interfere? While the specifics are not entirely known, expect someone to make their way to the ring and cost Rhodes his opportunity.
Winner: CM Punk
Night 2:
Penta vs. Chad Gable For The Intercontinental Championship
This should be the culmination of Gable’s redemption arc following his stint as El Grande Americano. Having been in the feud of the year with the other Americano, and learning the art of lucha in the process, this has to be Gable’s time. Penta has had a lengthy run with the title and loses nothing by taking the loss here. From an in-ring standpoint, this is likely going to be match of the weekend.
Winner: Chad Gable
Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Championship Number One Contenders Match
Sadly, this feels like the end of Zayn’s chances to challenge for a WWE Championship, for now at least. Balor has been picking up wins since his move to SmackDown, and has a viable claim to be another top challenger. Additionally, this is 10 years since he won the Universal Championship before vacating it the next day. Zayn could win the title back again at WrestleMania 43, but this is likely Balor’s night. Unfortunately, the likelihood of Balor winning the title remains slim.
Winner: Finn Balor
Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green vs. Charlotte Flair vs. TBD – Ladder Match To Crown An Interim Women’s Champion
One of the more convoluted matches on the show. With Rhea Ripley out until further notice, this will be whoever loses to Ripley whenever the time comes. Every name has a strong case to be champion here: Cargill has history with Ripley, as does Flair, Stratton could be a double champion, and Green could be very entertaining as the champion. With Cargill also having backup, this could be a safe bet.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio
Once again, this match will divide the fans, but will be a delight for the fanhausens. Expect interference, a ton of shenanigans and some comedy that will cause certain Twitter accounts to have a meltdown. With a possible celebrity cameo, cursing and Michael Cole finding everything hilarious, this will be another Danhausen win.
Winner: Danhausen
Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin For The United States Championship
WWE have kind of booked themselves into a corner with this one. Williams is very over with the fans and could still continue to reign as US Champion for a few more months at least. However, with Corbin just coming back, the former US Champion can’t really afford a loss. A title change looks to be most likely here, but here’s hoping we get some banger matches with Corbin, Williams and Carmelo Hayes moving forward.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins For The World Heavyweight Championship
Although the WWE Championship has changed hands multiple times in 2026, don’t expect the same for Raw’s top title. The story going into this match is that Reigns has never beaten Rollins [apart from that one match on Raw we don’t acknowledge]. With this in mind, this will be Reigns’ night. The OTC will finally get his win over Rollins in what will likely close out the weekend. The only question is, who will be the big return to confront Reigns at the end of the show?
Winner: Roman Reigns
Featured image: WWE
