SummerSlam 2024 has the chance to be one of the biggest shows of the year for WWE. With huge title matches and plenty of drama, this is the company’s most dramatic event since WrestleMania 40.
Cody Rhodes will face the most dangerous challenger to his WWE Undisputed Championship reign in the form of The Bloodline’s new leader, Solo Sikoa.
Damian Priest hopes to prove he is World Heavyweight Champion against the dominant Gunther, while Rhea Ripley will look to regain her Women’s World Championship by defeating Liv Morgan.
CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will finally face off in a contest refereed by Seth Rollins, and LA Knight hopes to end Logan Paul’s reign of terror as United States Champion.
Bayley will try to survive the dangerous threat of Nia Jax for her WWE Women’s Championship while Tiffany Stratton lurks with her Money in the Bank briefcase.
Sami Zayn faces a dangerous Bron Breakker with his Intercontinental Championship on the line.
This show could be truly special, but it could also send WWE on the wrong path in the coming months. The company must avoid some likely pitfalls in order to put on a great show.
Here are the mistakes WWE needs to avoid at SummerSlam to put on the best show and set the stage for the months ahead.
Cody Rhodes’ story with The Bloodline has evolved over the past year, after he finally defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania only to face a new threat in Solo Sikoa.
The self-proclaimed new Tribal Chief has become a nightmare for Rhodes, sending Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa after him and his friends, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.
The American Nightmare is likely to arrive in Cleveland without a backup on Saturday night, setting him up for a loss to Sikoa. However, it’s not the right time for him to drop the world title.
Rhodes has been champion for over 100 days, but it doesn’t look like his reign has begun.
His victory at ‘Mania was a special moment in WWE history. If he fails at the first serious hurdle, that moment will matter less in retrospect.
Sikoa would only win to push for the return of Roman Reigns, which would put the world title scene back at the top of the table. That’s going backwards rather than forwards.
It’s time for LA Knight to get some championship gold.
While Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso may be the top men in WWE, The Megastar is close to that mark.
It consistently delivers results above expectations and has remained popular without sustained momentum for over a year.
The feud with Logan Paul, which was announced over a year ago before Money in the Bank 2023, is finally bearing fruit. It’s about time for Knight to defeat Maverick.
Paul has held the United States Championship for over 260 days, defending it just twice. Although the title has moved up a class by association, it is time to move on to someone who can lift the gold.
Knight is the perfect man to do just that for the United States Title, and WWE should not miss the opportunity to give him the recognition he deserves at Cleveland Browns Stadium this weekend.
In the history of the Money in the Bank briefcase, only one woman has held it beyond SummerSlam: Carmella.
Iyo Sky won last year at the biggest party of the summer, while the other five did so on the same night or a day after the event.
Many of the top Money in the Bank holders have taken advantage of a longer stint carrying the briefcase from Edge to Seth Rollins.
Tiffany Stratton will benefit from carrying her own briefcase for a while, treating it like a champion until it’s time to make a lasting impression.
Bayley vs. Nia Jax could be an opportunity for The Center of the Universe to capitalize, but it would be a complete waste of a longer storyline that will fully set up Stratton to take home the top women’s title.
Bron Breakker was supposed to win the Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank on July 6. Preparations since then to set up a rematch have confirmed this.
Sami Zayn comes into this rematch with the same story as a month ago. The only difference is the number of days he has been holding the title on his shoulders.
As good as Zayn has been as a champion, time is running out for him as one of WWE’s best champions. Breakker is ready to take the gold and needs to be champion for the rest of the year on Raw.
The 26-year-old is one of the most exciting men to watch in WWE and will make the most of the opportunity to compete with the Intercontinental belt.
WWE must not waste any more time. It’s time to crown Breakker.
Liv Morgan has held the women’s world title for just over 60 days. She won the gold as a direct message to Rhea Ripley, who had to vacate the title in April due to an injury.
Morgan’s previous reign lasted less than 100 days, and she needs more time to be champion this time around. The match at SummerSlam is an important moment for her to become more than just an interim champion.
If the 30-year-old loses, she is invalidated as a top-tier competitor; if she wins, she can finally begin to tell her story as a top star beyond Mami.
While Ripley will be a great champion again, she doesn’t need the gold to be seen as the top woman on Raw. She’ll make the most of every storyline she’s involved in.
Morgan is, however, at a crucial moment in her career. Saturday’s result will be decisive for her or her team.
The Judgment Day will go down as one of the great factions in WWE history, but that shouldn’t distract from the up-and-down effect it’s had on Raw.
Apparently not a week goes by without various segments checking out what the team is doing. And often multiple championships are held, sometimes across multiple brands.
Damian Priest is finally getting his moment in the sun as World Heavyweight Champion, but his individual accomplishments have been largely overshadowed by the presence of The Judgment Day.
Priest can’t win a match without some form of interference, even when he asks to work alone. Finn Bálor is both Priest’s greatest ally and his most dangerous potential rival.
All of this is to say that The Punishment vs. The Prince is a money match that’s probably on the horizon, but it shouldn’t involve the World Heavyweight Championship. That title should be in Gunther’s hands after a memorable victory at SummerSlam.
Judgment Day will be able to tell its next story without championship gold.
CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November. Due to an unfortunate injury in his first match back, eight months later he is yet to win a match.
SummerSlam might be his moment, but WWE has a bigger story to tell with Drew McIntyre defeating him on Saturday.
A win for the World’s Best would be a win for the sake of winning. A win for the Scottish Warrior would further fuel this hate story, and sell the idea that McIntyre is more than just a braggart.
Punk will eventually defeat the Scot and put this rivalry behind him. His first match back, after months of outclassing McIntyre at every turn, is not the right time.
Punk must be willing to fail early on in order for his rise to matter even more in the coming months, building toward the WrestleMania main event he’s always wanted.
