It’s the eve of the biggest party of the summer, and my little pro wrestling heart is aflutter with excitement! SummerSlam is one of WWE’s “Big 4” shows throughout the year, along with Royal Rumble and WrestleMania earlier in the year, and Survivor Series taking place in November. And this year’s card looks to be an all-timer, with a slew of matches that are sure to bring the heat to Ford Field in Detroit. I’ve analyzed the data, studied every feud under a microscope, and consulted with experts (i.e. my friends who are also big wrestling nerds). And after much deliberation, I have finally compiled my WWE SummerSlam predictions in a way that I feel mostly confident about.

WWE has a habit of pulling out all the stops for their Big 4 events, and this year’s SummerSlam line-up is no exception. Although one of the biggest shocks for me is the matches that AREN’T happening at the premium live event. In a perplexing decision, WWE has omitted one of the hottest feuds this year in Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus from the card. That match seemed like a shoo-in to be featured, with Becky being a major mainstream star and Trish being a WWE Hall of Fame inductee. I was personally looking forward to seeing that match on the stage it deserved, so I’m a bit disappointed to be honest.

But that’s not the only women’s match to be mysteriously cut from SummerSlam. As it stands right now, Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley isn’t set for a match on Saturday either. This is extra baffling since WWE usually likes to put as many title matches as possible on their Big 4 shows. I’m a huge fan of Rhea and was really hoping she’d get a chance to showcase her talent, so naturally I’m bummed she’s not in an official match. Although there is a bit of silver lining for her that I’ll touch on later.

So here we go, my predictions for WWE SummerSlam:

• SummerSlam Battle Royal

  My pick: LA Knight

  Who doesn’t love a good battle royal? All those wrestlers packed in the ring at once, playing one big game of The Floor Is Lava until only one remains? Don’t be surprised if this match opens the show to get the crowd riled up and ready for the rest of the night’s action. And be surprised even less when “The Megastar” LA Knight is the last man standing in the ring as the winner! Knight consistently gets some of the loudest crowd reactions at every show he appears in, and many fans have been clamoring for the guy to be rewarded for his electric promos and outstanding character work. It only makes sense that WWE’s fastest rising star gets his moment to shine at their biggest show of the summer. Do I think LA Knight will go the distance in the Motor City? YEAH!

• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

  My pick: Shayna Baszler

  This one feels like a no-brainer to me. There’s been rumors over the past couple months that “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will be leaving WWE in the near future. With that in mind it stands to reason that she would want to put one of her real life best friends over before she departs. The added stipulation of the match taking place under MMA rules makes the match more interesting than it would’ve been received otherwise, but I fully expect The Queen of Spades to pick up an impressive win against the former UFC champion.

• Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

  My pick: Logan Paul

  Yeah, that one hurt to type. Admittedly, I’ve been impressed with Logan’s performances over the last year and a half. He’s put on incredible matches against the likes of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, two of WWE’s top stars and current premier champions. And the YouTube star is certainly no slouch on the mic either. But still, he’s just so. Damn. ANNOYING. I realize that’s the whole point of his character and that I’m supposed to dislike him. Doesn’t make me feel any better about it. Plus it feels almost dirty to pick him beating a guy like Ricochet who had a more traditional route to WWE, having cut his teeth and paid his dues in various independent promotions. But after a string of losses, I feel Logan needs a victory over an established star to keep his stock up. I could totally see Logan using some cheap underhanded tactics to secure the win.

• Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre - Intercontinental Championship

  My pick: Drew McIntyre

  This one’s more of a case of my heart overriding my brain. All logic points to Gunther retaining the intercontinental championship to extend his already astounding 435 day reign (technically 436 by the time the match starts). Gunther, otherwise known as “The Ring General”, is undefeated on the main roster and has been shown as a dominant force of nature against his opponents. But if there’s anyone that can end Gunther’s reign of terror, it’s the Scottish Warrior Drew McIntyre. This match will quite possibly be the most brutal, hard-hitting match of the night. Honestly I’m happy with whoever wins, but I give the slight edge to Drew.

• Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor - World Heavyweight Championship

  My pick: Finn Balor

  As good as Seth “Freakin” Rollins is – and he’s really, REALLY good – I think the odds working against him will be too great to overcome this weekend. Not only is Finn Balor an athletic freak who has the stamina to push Seth to his limits, but he’ll most likely have his fellow Judgment Day goons in his corner offering a little more than just moral support. This is where Rhea Ripley comes into play. Even if she doesn’t have a match at SummerSlam, I fully expect her, along with Dirty Dom and Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest, to help Finn cheat his way to an upset win for the World Heavyweight Championship.

• Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair - WWE Women's Championship

  My pick: Charlotte Flair

  I firmly believe that this will be the match of the night, which also makes it the toughest for me to reconcile with. Usually in triple threat matches there’s one wrestler included whose sole purpose is obviously to eat the pin. But that’s not really the case in this match, as I feel all 3 athletes have a legitimate shot at winning. However, history has taught me to never, EVER bet against Charlotte Flair at a Big 4 show, especially when a championship is on the line. Plus, Charlotte hails from the Queen City, and as a Carolina boy I have to show some slight bias. WOOOOOOO!

• Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

  My pick: Brock Lesnar

  I wanted to wait and see if any stipulations would be added to this match before making my pick. If they contested it in a steel cage, or made it no DQ, I would’ve happily picked the American Nightmare to conquer the Beast Brock Lesnar. But as of right now, it’s still set to be a standard singles match, which inclines me to give the W to Brock. Granted, Cody does have a win over Brock under normal match rules from earlier this year. But I doubt he’ll be able to pull off the same kind of upset win at SummerSlam. Though as a major Cody mark I’d be happy to be proven wrong.

• Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso - Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

  My pick: Roman Reigns

  It’s tribal combat baby! The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and his cousin Jey Uso will keep it in the family as they do battle in the main event of the night. Jey shocked the entire world last month at Money in the Bank when he and his twin brother Jimmy defeated Roman and his other brother Solo Sikoa in a tag team match. This match made Jey the first person to pin Reigns in almost FOUR years! But despite that incredible momentum going into SummerSlam, this is Roman Reigns we’re talking about here. He’s been the most dominant force of the modern era in WWE, and has knocked off every opponent who’s challenged him for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship since the summer of 2020. Hell, SummerSlam of that year is when he won the championship to kick off his historic reign in the first place. This event has been very good to Roman over the years, and this weekend will prove no different. Roman Reigns will pin his cousin, keep his place as Head of the Table, and force all of Ford Field to…ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. *points finger upwards to sky*

• How To Watch

  You can watch WWE SummerSlam Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m. ET, only on Peacock!

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