The largest present of WWE’s summer season goes down this Saturday as SummerSlam heads to Cleveland. This yr represents the thirty seventh annual installment of one among WWE cornerstone premium reside occasions.
Consistent with the usually 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.
Cody Rhodes is about to defend his undisputed WWE championship in opposition to Solo Sikoa and Damian Priest will put his world heavyweight championship on the road in opposition to Gunther within the two world championship matches on the lads’s facet. For the ladies, it will likely be Bayley defending the WWE ladies’s championship in opposition to Nia Jax and Rhea Ripley difficult for the ladies’s world championship in opposition to Liv Morgan.
Let’s check out who the CBS Sports activities specialists are selecting 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 famous person to hold WWE into the long run. Sikoa can have a powerful displaying in defeat — or an inconclusive end — because the construct to a civil struggle with Reigns and the unique Bloodline begins. Both means, Rhodes is leaving Cleveland with the undisputed title. Decide: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Shakiel Mahjouri (additionally Brent Brookhouse)
World Heavyweight Championship — Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther
There is a line of pondering that Gunther is not successful right here for a wide range 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. Should you say your opponent sucks and also you then beat them to win the title, have you ever actually completed something? I simply do not assume that holds up on this case. Gunther’s complete shtick has been about restoring status to wrestling and to its high championships. Priest has managed to get extra over than any time throughout his title reign due to Gunther operating 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 seems like the correct 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 state of affairs the place faces are chasing a heel for the highest belt on Uncooked. Decide: 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 wreck 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 realizing the place WWE is taking this story, and contemplating we could not instantly get a Punk vs. McIntyre rematch, I anticipate McIntyre will get revenge, maybe as a result of some friction or miscommunication between Punk and Rollins. It is solely applicable that Punk will get screwed over. Decide: 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 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 offers both man an out to not take any injury from a loss. However why would WWE have Punk lose his first singles match since a beforehand “unimaginable” reconciliation between the wrestler and the promotion? McIntyre is just too good within the position of fuming continually “screwed over” to finish that within the first match with Punk. Decide: CM Punk wins — Brookhouse
Ladies’s World Championship — Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Ripley getting back from damage and instantly beating Morgan seems like too low cost of a method to go together with this storyline. Issues have been a bit controversial with Morgan’s fixed sexual advances in opposition to 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 doubtless begins with him “by accident” costing Ripley the match on Saturday, if not going additional. Decide: Liv Morgan retains the title — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
WWE Ladies’s Championship — Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Bayley’s reign as champion hasn’t set the world on fireplace however Jax successful the title is not an thrilling prospect both. It feels just like the title is being stored heat for Cash within the Financial institution winner Tiffany Stratton. Usually, this is able to be the proper alternative for Stratton to money her Cash within the Financial institution briefcase. However the ladies’s briefcase has a historical past of painfully brief cash-ins and I anticipate endurance from at present’s WWE. Bayley ought to go over in a David vs. Goliath match to strengthen her reign. Decide: Bayley retains the title — Mahjouri
Should you’ve been paying consideration in current months, Jax has quietly turn into a reliably good performer and one of many extra fascinating ladies on the SmackDown roster. Add in Tiffany Stratton’s alignment with Jax and essentially the most fascinating 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. Decide: 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 communicate these items into existence. Having Zayn retain of their first assembly was wonderful however Breakker wants the win right here. He is merely plain — or needs to be — at this level and one other loss can be the mistaken transfer for the form of character Breakker is. Zayn had an excellent run however he’ll even be nice with out the title as a result of he is such a tremendous expertise. Decide: 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 more practical when SmackDown had a part-time world champion in Reigns. It could have successfully made Knight the model’s high 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. Decide: LA Knight wins the title — Mahjouri (additionally Brookhouse)
