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WWE SummerSlam will be held at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on August 3, 2024
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa – Undisputed WWE Championship match
Story in a nutshell: After taking over the Bloodline in Roman Reigns’s absence, Solo Sikoa reconstituted the group and ignored standing orders to be “hands off” with Cody Rhodes in order to get a shot at Cody’s Undisputed WWE Championship title.
With Roman Reigns M.I.A., Solo Sikoa excommunicated Jimmy Uso from the Bloodline and brought in Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Jacob Fatu. The remixed group went after Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, despite standing orders not to. After Paul Heyman confronted Solo over this, he was brutally taken out when Heyman refused to acknowledge Solo. The Bloodline then proceeded to take out Cody’s allies, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, leaving Cody to deal with Solo and the Bloodline alone.
Prediction and Analysis: I’m expecting Cody to retain the title with Randy Orton and/or Kevin Owens’s help to drive away the rest of the Bloodline. I can see Heyman getting involved too.
Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther – World Heavyweight Championship match
Story in a nutshell: Gunther won the King of the Ring tournament to earn a shot at Damien Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship.
Gunther defeated Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Jey Uso, and Randy Orton to win the King of the Ring tournament and earn a shot0 for the World Heavyweight Championship. The current champion, Damian Priest, has successfully defended the title but all the finishes have been controversial due to outside interference. To prove himself, Priest wants to face Gunther alone without help from his Judgment Day allies. Gunther, for his part, as been attacking Priest’s self confidence by highlighting the difference in their upbringing, Gunther coming from the elite, while calling Priest gutter trash.
Prediction and Analysis: As much as I wish Priest would win to prove himself, I expect that the dissolution of this version of the Judgment Day is imminent, so he’ll be occupied with that for a while. In the meantime, Gunther has a whole host of babyfaces he could tear through.
Drew McIntyre vs. C.M. Punk (w/guest referee Seth Rollins)
Story in a nutshell: CM Punk has been interfering in Drew McIntyre’s matches since Drew said some mean things about him, and things have gotten so out of hand that no regular referee could handle this match so Seth Rollin will put on the striped shirt.
Drew McIntyre made it clear that he doesn’t respect CM Punk ever since Punk returned to the WWE. Punk got injured at the Royal Rumble and Drew gloated over it. Petty Punk then cost Drew the World Heavyweight championship. They’ve gone back and forth since then with Punk continuously thwarting Drew’s chances at winning the title. With Punk finally cleared to wrestle, no referee was willing to take on refereeing the match between the two. Seth Rollins, who had been collateral damage in the feud between those two (and who also hates Punk), volunteered to be the referee for the match.
Prediction and Analysis: I am expecting the match to go awry with Seth accidentally cost someone the match leading some permutations of Punk vs. McIntyre vs. Rollins until we get a Hell in a Cell match.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST EPISODE OF “ACKNOWLEDGING WWE” ON THE PWTORCH DAILYCAST: CLICK HERE (or search “pwtorch” in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any iOS or Android app)
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley – Women’s World Championship match
Story in a nutshell: After injuring Rhea Ripley and failing to take her man, Liv Morgan defends the Women’s World Championship from a vengeful Rhea Ripley.
Then champion Rhea Ripley was forced to relinquish the Women’s World Championship after she was injured by Liv Morgan. Morgan eventually goes on to win the championship when Dominik Mysterio’s attempt at revenge for Rhea’s sake went awry. Morgan decided she’d also steal Dominik from Rhea and started to make advances on him. After months of Morgan sowing discord in the Judgment Day, Rhea Ripley returned and started to set things right again. Dominik, for his part, finally told Morgan off which caused her to break down in tears.
Prediction and Analysis: Throughout all of this, Finn Balor of the Judgment has been acting a bit squirrely when it came to things Morgan related. I think Balor ends up costing Rhea the match and joins up with Morgan.
Logan Paul (c) vs. L.A. Knight – WWE United States Championship match
Story in a nutshell: When he qualified for the Money in the Bank match, L.A. Knight pinned the WWE United States champion, Logan Paul, which earned Knight a shot at Paul’s title.
L.A. Knight wanted a shot at Logan Paul’s WWE United States championship but was rebuffed. Logan Paul called into question L.A. Knight’s lack of accolades over his long career as the reason he rejected the challenge. Knight pinned Logan Paul when both men tried to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. Knight used this a leverage to get a shot at Paul’s title.
Prediction and Analysis: As a Knight fan let me say that it is time for Knight to put up or shut up. Give him the title and let’s see what he can do with it.
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breaker – WWE Intercontinental Championship match
Story in a nutshell: Bron Breaker defeated Ilja Dragunov to get another shot at Sami Zayn’s WWE Intercontinental Championship title.
After Bron Breaker slipped on a banana peel to lose to Sami Zayn in Money in the Bank, Breaker attacked Zayn in a bid to get a rematch. Ilja Dragunov, who is a Zayn fan, got involved leading to a match between the two to determine Zayn’s opponent at SummerSlam. Breaker knocked Dragunov out to win the match. Breaker said that he lost the first time because he didn’t take Zayn seriously.
Prediction and Analysis: The babyface side of Raw’s roster is stronger than the heel side, (taking somewhat “tweeners” into consideration) so give it to Breaker (which should have happened at MitB).
Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax – WWE Women’s Championship match
Story in a nutshell: Nia Jax won the Queen of the Ring tournament to earn a shot at Bayley.
Nia Jax defeated Naomi, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Lyra Valkyria on her way to win the Queen of the Ring tournament and earn a shot at Bayley’s WWE Women’s championship. Along the way, Nia Jax allied herself with Tiffany Stratton who won the women’s Money in the Bank contract. Nia has warned Tiffany not to get in her way.
Prediction and Analysis: I think Bayley wins and, at least a cash in attempt of the Money in the Bank contract.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: WWE RAW HITS & MISSES (7/29): Drew-Punk-Seth opening segment, Creeds vs. Otis & Tozawa, Video Packages on Priest and Gunther, Liv-Rhea, Gunther vs. Balor, more
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s WWE Raw Hit List: Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre, Gunther vs. Finn Balor, Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Dominik Mysterio in a non-title match
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