WWE SummerSlam 2026: Predictions and match card analysis

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The biggest party of the summer has rolled around once again, and now SummerSlam is a two-night event, there are a lot of big matches happening this weekend. With a pair of main events that wouldn’t be out of place on a WrestleMania card, as well as landmark matches for some of WWE’s biggest up-and-coming talents – let’s just hope they actually win this time.

We’ve put together a full rundown of the card for both nights, as well as our SummerSlam 2026 predictions for what we think will happen on the show. Perhaps some of these matches will be worthy of being added to our list of the best WWE SummerSlam matches.

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SummerSlam 2026 match card

WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 1 predictions

LA Knight, Solo Sikoa & Royce Keys vs The Bloodline

Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; LA Knight and Jey Uso during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Bloodline is in such a strange position right now, as despite still ostensibly being Roman Reigns’ faction, they could not feel more detached from him. There’s a lot that makes this a surprisingly difficult match to predict. 

The Bloodline don’t often lose, and this is the first time this iteration of it has fought in a 6-man match. However, Solo Sikoa is fresh off of a face turn; this is Royce Keys’ first pay-per-view match following his Royal Rumble debut, and it feels like LA Knight might be the post-SummerSlam challenger for whoever the champion is on Raw, with how he’s been antagonising all four guys in the main events. Either way, it’ll barely matter come next Monday.

Prediction: LA Knight, Solo Sikoa & Royce Keys

The Bella Twins & Paige vs Fatal Influence

WWE’s ability to ret-con its own history is legendary. Remember when The Bella Twins were everything that Paige and her contemporaries were rebelling against? Well, they’re besties now, and they always were, don’t you worry about it.

Fatal Influence have just won the tag titles from Brie & Paige, so you’d think WWE would want to keep them going strong, but we know how this game is played. With the titles not on the line and this being Nikki’s big return match, we’ll get a big crowd-pleasing win to open the show at the expense of the younger talent. Who needs future stars?

Prediction: The Bella Twins & Paige

Gunther vs Nick Aldis

Apr 6, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Intercontinental Championship match between GUNTHER and Sami Zayn during Wrestlemania XL Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

I’ve got mixed feelings about this match. On the one hand, I’m glad to finally see Nick Aldis step into a WWE ring, and I hope this is more than just a one-off for the guy. However, as I find myself so often saying, I really wish they had something more impactful for Gunther to be doing. I’m quietly hopeful that this will be a pretty good match, but I think there’s only one acceptable result.

Prediction: Gunther

Liv Morgan(c) vs Iyo Sky – Women’s World Championship

While Liv Morgan is undeniably a star who deserves the position she’s got, her run since WrestleMania has been awful. Would you like to guess how many times Liv has defended her championship since WrestleMania? ZERO. Not once, in over 100 days. Instead, Stephanie Vaquer got injured, so she was pointlessly inserted into Queen of the Ring to set up this match.

And unfortunately, it makes this match ridiculously predictable. I don’t think it’s impossible Iyo wins the belt, but given that Iyo beat Liv clean in the Queen of the Ring finals last month, it seems pretty set that Liv will retain. Then she probably won’t defend the thing again until WrestleMania.

Prediction: Liv Morgan

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar – Hell in a Cell

In some ways, this is the only match where I truly, deeply care about the result.

Oba Femi HAS to win, much like he did at WrestleMania. I don’t care that it’s Brock’s hometown, probably his retirement match, has never lost inside Hell in a Cell, etc. Oba Femi is the one young talent WWE has actually committed to seriously elevating this year, and if he loses here, then it’s all for nothing.

I feel relatively confident that he will though. WWE has, by and large, done right by Oba so far, and I’m cautiously optimistic that they won’t throw it all away for a cheap hometown pop.

Prediction: Oba Femi

CM Punk(c) vs Cody Rhodes – WWE Championship

Cody Rhodes, left, and CM Punk talk during WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Friday, July 10, 2026.

I’ve wanted this match ever since Punk returned to WWE, and I’m very excited now we’re finally getting it. Even if we did take a strange, winding road to get there. I’m quietly hopeful about the Sami stuff bubbling away in the background, but that’s not important right now.

I think it’s fair to say the majority of fans will be behind Punk on this one. While I still think Cody’s great, I can’t deny there is a big fatigue around him in the world title scene right now. I don’t think he’s crossed into that 2010s John Cena territory yet, but if WWE don’t cool off making him the champion all the time, then he will soon.

Thankfully, I think Punk is retaining here, as I suspect he will be champion until WrestleMania. However, in a big swing, I’m going to predict that he wins by turning heel on Cody. Heel CM Punk has always been the best CM Punk, and WWE is kind of lacking a “top heel” across the company right now. Roman and Seth are both in that shades-of-grey zone, and while Gunther should be in that position, WWE isn’t treating him like it. So putting Punk in that spot going into the Fall feels like the right move.

Prediction: CM Punk

WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 predictions

Danhausen vs Dominik Mysterio – Human Monies on a Pole

Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dominik Mysterio during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images


I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be “above” comedic wrestling. I think Danhausen has (mostly) been great since coming to WWE, and while Dominik Mysterio is a future star I’d like to see ascend up the card soon, I can’t deny he’s a good fit for this spot.

That said, I am eager to see this Judgement Day story end. It seemed like it was going to at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but apparently it’s still going. The problem is, I’m not sure which result makes for a more definitive ending. Typically, the babyface winning ends the feud, but that just feels like it will lead to Judgement Day continuing to chase their money. Them getting their money back would conclude that branch of the story, but it would be an underwhelming finish.

I’m not sure, but either way, I hope this is it, and both parties can move on to something new.

Prediction: Danhausen

Penta(c) vs Chad Gable – Intercontinental Championship

I’m a little disappointed Chad Gable hasn’t gotten a bit more fanfare after returning from AAA. The El Grande match was amazing, and while he got a big return pop, crowds quickly settled back down on him. Maybe it’s because of his crap new theme music.

Either way, I think it’s pretty clear cut Gable wins the title here. While Penta is the star with the bigger potential, all of the signs are pointing to Gable getting his big moment. It’s the title he’s been chasing for years, the show’s taking place in his hometown, and he’s trying to redeem himself following the Mask vs Mask match. It all fits, and I think it’ll be a great moment.

Prediction: Chad Gable

Sami Zayn vs Finn Balor – Number 1 contender for the WWE Championship

Sami Zayn fires up during his match during the WWE Road to WrestleMania show, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena at Lubbock.

This is an odd one, but I’m not going to complain about getting Sami and Finn on the SummerSlam card in what should be a pretty great match.

I don’t think it’s as easy to predict as it seems, though. While Sami has a ready-made feud for whoever wins the WWE Championship match, I’m not sure that’s the direction WWE wants to go with Sami just yet. I see him potentially winning the Royal Rumble and winning the title at WrestleMania as a face, and I think him taking an upset loss here would help contribute more to that story than him losing to Punk or Cody next month.

This might be a risky pick, and perhaps I’m fooling myself into thinking there’s anything in the pipeline for Finn Balor again, but I think Sami takes the L and the redemption arc begins.

Prediction: Finn Balor

Trick Williams(c) vs Baron Corbin – United States Championship

Baron Corbin…sure.

I’ve never been less enthusiastic about a wrestler than I am about Baron Corbin. I don’t think the guy’s terrible; he’s just exceptionally bland, and WWE has never given me a reason to care about him. That hasn’t changed since his return other than the simple fact that he’s a slightly fresher face than most after his time away.

That doesn’t change the fact that Trick is one of WWE’s hottest rising stars right now and they’d be absolute fools to take that title off him now. Plus, I’d still like to see Carmelo Hayes and/or Ilja Dragunov get a fair shake at a pay-per-view match for this title at some point.

Prediction: Trick Williams

Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill vs Charlotte Flair vs Chelsea Green vs TBD – 5-Woman Ladder Match – Interim WWE Women’s Championship

Whether that final slot goes to Giulia or Lash Legend, I think there are only two real contenders in this match: Jade or Charlotte.

With Rhea likely to come back pretty soon after SummerSlam, I don’t think we’ll need this interim title for long, and I’d imagine Charlotte vs Jade will be the post-SummerSlam feud over it, regardless of which one of them wins. Putting the title back on Jade is a fair enough decision, as she still needs to have her rematch with Rhea.

However, I’m going to go with the slightly more exciting option, which is giving the win to Charlotte. You can tease a bit of tension with Alexa if you want, but I think fans will be happy with Charlotte getting another title reign under this context. Plus, I’d most certainly enjoy seeing another match between Charlotte and Rhea when she returns.

Prediction: Charlotte Flair

Roman Reigns(c) vs Seth Rollins – World Heavyweight Championship

Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Roman Reigns during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

As you can read about in my complete history of Roman vs Seth, there has been one main theme about this feud – Seth always gets one over on Roman. For whatever reason, Roman can just never seem to put Seth away when it counts, and that juicy Shield lore continues to hang over the entire thing.

I imagine we’ll play the hits here. Seth will come out to the Shield’s theme, and Roman will have the opportunity to do the chairshot to the back, like he did at Mania 40. Still, the result is the big question here. I do think there’s a chance Seth finds a way to win once more and this continues for a while longer; however, I don’t think it’s likely.

Roman finally conquering Seth feels like the right outcome for what might be their last-ever one-on-one match. I don’t know what Roman’s going to do over the Fall, but I don’t think it hurts to keep the title on him until WrestleMania…unless Oba Femi feels like taking it from him sooner.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

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