The biggest show of WWE’s summer goes down this Saturday as SummerSlam heads to Cleveland. This year represents the 37th annual installment of one of WWE cornerstone premium live events.
In keeping with the typically major stakes of SummerSlam, WWE has loaded up the card. There are seven matches set for the card, 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 extra stakes attached to it as Seth Rollins will serve as the special guest referee.
The most significant title matches could produce some interesting theater as well. Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes is set to take on Solo Sikoa. Rhodes was goaded into a second “Bloodline Rules” match after handling the circumstances against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. But this time may be different with Sikoa’s version of the Bloodline seemingly more ruthless. Plus, World heavyweight champion Damian Priest looks to turn away a massive challenge from the long reigning intercontinental champ Gunther. There are plenty of ways that could go, including what form of help Priest gets from his stablemates in Judgement Day.
Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win in each 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 but Solo Sikoa isn’t ready to be WWE champion. Especially when Rhodes has been pegged as the superstar to carry WWE into the future. Sikoa will have a strong showing in defeat — or an inconclusive finish — as the build to a civil war with Reigns and the original Bloodline begins. Either way, Rhodes is leaving Cleveland with the undisputed title. Pick: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Shakiel Mahjouri (also Brent Brookhouse)
World Heavyweight Championship — Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther
There’s a line of thinking that Gunther isn’t winning here for a variety of reasons, including the old school thought that a wrestler trashing an opponent too much diminishes the accomplishment of beating him to win a title. If you say your opponent sucks and you then beat them to win the title, have you really accomplished anything? I just don’t think that holds up in this case. Gunther’s entire shtick has been about restoring prestige to wrestling and to its top championships. Priest has managed to get more over than any time during his title reign thanks to Gunther running him down not only as champion but as a person. Still, Priest does not — and never has managed to — feel like “the guy.” It’s possible WWE tries to stretch this out across another event or two, but this feels like the right time to move the belt off of Priest, who still has no firm place as a face or heel, and onto Gunther to set up a situation where faces are chasing a heel for the top belt on Raw. Pick: Gunther wins the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Special Guest Referee Seth Rollins)
Candidly, I have no idea how this match plays out. The simplest way for WWE to extend the feud is for Punk to ruin McIntyre’s evening again. But McIntyre really needs to get one over on Punk. Rollins’ role as special guest referee further complicates matters. Rollins has issues with both men and his inclusion in the match suggests WWE will pivot to a feud involving the three of them. Not knowing where WWE is taking this story, and considering we may not immediately get a Punk vs. McIntyre rematch, I anticipate McIntyre gets revenge, perhaps due to some friction or miscommunication between Punk and Rollins. It’s only appropriate that Punk gets screwed over. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins — Mahjouri
While wins and losses don’t really matter in WWE and the promotion has spent decades getting away from the idea that moves up and down the card takes consistent on-screen results, Punk has not won a match in WWE since 2014 (excluding two house show wins over Dominik Mysterio). Yes, he’s bulletproof enough that a loss to McIntyre doesn’t really do anything damaging to him and Rollins being involved gives either man an out to not take any damage from a loss. But why would WWE have Punk lose his first singles match since a previously “impossible” reconciliation between the wrestler and the promotion? McIntyre is too good in the role of fuming constantly “screwed over” to end that in the first match with Punk. Pick: CM Punk wins — Brookhouse
Women’s World Championship — Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Ripley coming back from injury and immediately beating Morgan feels like too cheap of a way to go with this storyline. Things have been a bit controversial with Morgan’s constant sexual advances against a resistant Dominik Mysterio, but going from it being a plan to steal things away from Ripley to having Morgan breaking down in tears when Mysterio finally snapped doesn’t make sense without another twist. I think this is all leading to Mysterio betraying Ripley and ending up with Morgan, especially because Ripley is clearly seen as a face (despite her ties to Judgment Day) while Dominik is a pure heel for now. Maybe Mysterio snaps to become his “own man” but before that happens, he’ll align with Morgan. That likely starts with him “accidentally” costing Ripley the match on Saturday, if not going further. Pick: Liv Morgan retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
WWE Women’s Championship — Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Bayley’s reign as champion hasn’t set the world on fire but Jax winning the title isn’t an exciting prospect either. It feels like the title is being kept warm for Money in the Bank winner Tiffany Stratton. Normally, this would be the perfect opportunity for Stratton to cash her Money in the Bank briefcase. But the women’s briefcase has a history of painfully short cash-ins and I expect patience from today’s WWE. Bayley should go over in a David vs. Goliath match to strengthen her reign. Pick: Bayley retains the title — Mahjouri
If you’ve been paying attention in recent months, Jax has quietly become a reliably good performer and one of the more interesting women on the SmackDown roster. Add in Tiffany Stratton’s alignment with Jax and the most interesting recipe for good TV is Jax winning the title here and having the tension between her title and Stratton’s Money in the Bank contract. Pick: Nia Jax wins the title — Brookhouse
WWE Intercontinental Championship — Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Breakker has an aura that can’t be manufactured, no matter how much WWE loves to just speak these things into existence. Having Zayn retain in their first meeting was fine but Breakker needs the win here. He’s simply undeniable — or should be — at this point and another loss would be the wrong move for the kind of character Breakker is. Zayn had a good run but he’ll also be great without the title because he’s such an amazing talent. Pick: Bron Breakker wins the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
WWE United States Championship — Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight
This should have happened a while ago. Crowning Knight as United States champion would have arguably been more effective when SmackDown had a part-time world champion in Reigns. It would have effectively made Knight the brand’s top singles champion on a week-to-week basis. Alas, winning the title off Paul in a cornerstone PPV is nothing to cry about. A title reign is long overdue for Knight and exactly what he needs to validate his late career rise. Pick: LA Knight wins the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
