WWE’s biggest premium live event of the summer is here as SummerSlam takes place Saturday and Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (ESPN Unlimited, 6 p.m. ET both days; “Countdown” shows at 3 p.m. on ESPN).
Night 1 will feature two title matches, as Cody Rhodes challenges Undisputed WWE champion CM Punk and Iyo Sky steps in the ring with women’s world champion Liv Morgan. Saturday also features a Hell in a Cell bout between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, and a pair of six-competitor tag team matches.
Multiple championships could also change hands on Night 2. In the main event, Roman Reigns looks to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins. Also on the card, Chad Gable challenges Penta for the Intercontinental Championship and Trick Williams puts the United States Championship up for grabs against Baron Corbin. And, five women will compete in a ladder match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
Ahead of SummerSlam, ESPN asked professional wrestling contributors Sean Coyle, Joe Fortenbaugh, Juliana Daddio and Nate Saunders for their most anticipated matches, bold take and more.
The Night 1 match you are looking forward to the most is …
Coyle: It would be hard to pass up Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi here, so I won’t. The matchup on its own is exciting, and the build to this rubber match has been strong, but putting them inside Hell in a Cell is a must-see match. Beyond the intensity, drama and physicality we’ll see, I’m intrigued by the live fan reaction Lesnar may receive in his billed hometown. Femi is over with the WWE fanbase, but will the Minneapolis crowd boo him in favor of Lesnar? Regardless, I imagine this match will draw among the loudest responses. I also want to acknowledge that I’m highly invested in the Gunther vs. Nick Aldis match as well.
Daddio: CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes. There’s something special about seeing longtime friends turn enemies and square off, especially with the tension that has been building between them recently. This match blends legacy, personal history and championship stakes. Rhodes’ redemption arc for WWE’s biggest prize gives the Night 1 main event real emotional weight, and watching him collide with Punk, one of the company’s biggest stars, feels like a full‑circle moment for fans who have followed them since the early days of their careers.
Fortenbaugh: I’m really torn on this one because the correct answer is Femi vs. Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell trilogy match. But I’m also highly suspicious of two babyfaces in the main event because I doubt both will leave as babyfaces.
Final answer: Femi vs. Lesnar because Hell in a Cell is, well, Hell in a Cell. It’s a stipulation that has produced some of the most iconic moments in professional wrestling history, from Mankind being tossed off the structure to Cody Rhodes’ torn pectoral muscle. It has given us Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, Cactus Jack vs. Triple H and Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk. And given the fact that the first two matches between Oba and Brock lasted just under 12 minutes combined, watching these two stretch their legs will be an incredible treat.
Saunders: Naturally it should be Punk vs. Rhodes, but that bout feels like the first of a series we’ll get to see. So, Hell in a Cell slightly edges it. I was skeptical when they booked Lesnar/Femi a trilogy, but they’ve built this match well. The cell is perhaps the most iconic gimmick match in the WWE and seems the perfect way to push Oba to the top level. Beyond that, I’m excited for Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky because any time Sky is in a match, it has the potential to be the match of the night.
The Night 2 match you are looking forward to the most is …
Coyle: Reigns vs. Rollins is the premier matchup heading into SummerSlam. That’s the match I’m most looking forward to on either night. It’s been close to 14 years since The Shield debuted at the 2012 Survivor Series and 12 years since Rollins shattered the faction. So much has happened since then, and this appears to be the culmination. There’s no doubt we’ll get a gem from an in-ring performance perspective, but if you enjoy storytelling above all else, this match is for you.
Rollins has been the thorn in Reigns’ side for over a decade. He dismantled The Shield, snatched away Reigns’ first WrestleMania main event in 2015, defeated him for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2016 and played a decisive role in ending Reigns’ historic 1,316-day title run at WrestleMania 40. This is a revenge story, and it’s a great one.
Daddio: I agree with Sean, I’m excited to see Reigns vs. Rollins. This rivalry has lasted over a decade and could go down as one of the greatest feuds in WWE history. I’m eager to see whether Seth can finally conquer Roman in a high‑stakes singles match, or whether Roman proves once again why he’s still the OTC. With pride and more than 10 years of unfinished business hanging over them, this showdown feels like a true centerpiece worthy of headlining Night 2.
Fortenbaugh: Penta vs. Chad Gable for the Intercontinental Championship. Let’s just hope the WWE paces this match well. Gable is on a serious heater entering SummerSlam with a chance to claim his first WWE singles title in his hometown. This has been a tremendous story arc for the 2012 Olympic wrestler, who went over the top with a sensational 33-minute match between Gable’s former persona, the Original El Grande Americano, and El Grande Americano at Noche de Los Grandes in Lucha Libre AAA on May 30. Not only is that performance a front-runner for “match of the year,” but it endeared Gable to the fans and launched a big push culminating in a title shot in front of his hometown crowd. If WWE lets this match cook, it will steal the show.
Saunders: Perhaps controversially, I’m pretty lukewarm on Reigns vs. Rollins. It’s a huge match that will deliver a great spectacle. But it feels five or 10 years too late. Gable vs. Penta, though, feels like magic waiting to happen. These are two great talents with huge potential in a match that should help elevate the Intercontinental title, something the WWE has struggled to do consistently. Gable’s recent work as Original El Grande Americano has been amazing. Both these guys are rising fast, but Gable especially feels like lightning in a bottle right now. This could be a big moment.
Is CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes the biggest match WWE could book right now?
Coyle: No, but it is the biggest match the WWE could book among the talent on the “SmackDown” roster. Punk and Rhodes are now the faces of the brand, and it’s fresh. These two have not battled in a singles bout in 17 years, so this match on this show is the right time with both at their peaks. This feels like a rivalry that could carry the “SmackDown” brand through the end of the year.
Daddio: This is the biggest match WWE could book. Punk and Rhodes have climbed the ladder to become two of the company’s biggest names. Now feels like the perfect time for both to receive the recognition they deserve while showcasing their talents on the grandest stage of the summer. I’m excited to see how this rivalry continues to unfold on “SmackDown,” because it has the potential to define the future of WWE and shape the path for its next generation of stars.
Fortenbaugh: Yes, for two key reasons. First, unlike Sunday’s main event, we haven’t seen it before. Outside of a 2008 match on “Raw,” when these two were at very different stages of their respective careers. For that reason, it’s fresh and feels more like the start of a feud rather than a conclusion. Second, it has incredible potential to alter the WWE landscape because both enter as babyfaces, which could change Saturday. And if WWE is looking to top last year’s “Ruse of the Century,” when Rollins returned from a fake injury to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and win the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, what better way to do that than by finally turning Cody into a heel?
Saunders: In this moment, you’re not going to get bigger or better than Punk vs. Rhodes. These are two of wrestling’s most important figures right now, and both have deeply nuanced and complicated histories in the pro wrestling scene. They’ve both headlined multiple WrestleMania events recently and have helped carry the company for a while, which should not be overlooked either.
Who is more likely to wrestle for the final time this weekend: Brock Lesnar or Nick Aldis?
Coyle: This feels like Lesnar’s final chapter in his billed hometown, against a force reminiscent of him when he first started. That said, if there’s one thing pro wrestling has taught us, it’s never say never when it comes to a performer’s “final” match. Plus, Lesnar is still in prime form.
If I had to choose between the two, I’m leaning toward Lesnar. He’s 10 years older than Aldis, and SummerSlam could serve as the springboard for more in-ring opportunities for Aldis as new storylines unfold.
Daddio: I believe this will be Lesnar’s final match. Wrestling this Hell in a Cell bout feels like the closing chapter of his WWE career. The setting adds an undeniable sense of retirement symbolism. On the other hand, Aldis is just beginning a new chapter, making his in‑ring return and starting fresh in WWE after serving as the “SmackDown” GM.
Fortenbaugh: Neither. Aldis is 39 years old and will come off a match with a marquee opponent wanting more ring time, not less. Ask yourself this: How often do you see a bad Gunther match? Exactly. When — not if — this match delivers, it will certainly set up another opportunity for Aldis down the line.
As for Lesnar, he tricked us all with a fake retirement at WrestleMania in April, so I’m not falling for this storyline of “What better way for Brock to go out than in front of his hometown crowd?” He’s still red hot with the fanbase. He’ll disappear for a bit after Hell in a Cell, but this won’t be the last we see of him.
Saunders: I think (and hope) it’s Lesnar’s last match. This would be a proper passing of the torch to Femi in Lesnar’s hometown, while we still have a version of Lesnar who delivers big matches whenever he’s in the ring. Going out by doing one last job for Oba feels like a fitting way to do it. Where would Lesnar go after this? With Aldis, there’s some potential for fun, occasional one-off matchups, but with Lesnar there’s little left in the well creatively. At SummerSlam, Lesnar can go out on his own terms, before he starts feeling like a diminishing attraction.
Your bold SummerSlam prediction is …
Coyle: Chelsea Green earns her first PLE victory on the main roster, winning the five-woman Interim WWE Women’s Championship ladder match with help from Blake Monroe and Alexa Bliss. Monroe could cost hometown hero Tiffany Stratton a win and Bliss could turn on Charlotte Flair, setting up Green to unexpectedly win the title similar to when her husband, Zack Ryder, won the men’s Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match at WrestleMania 32.
Daddio: Cody Rhodes makes a heel turn.
Fortenbaugh: Solo Sikoa will be the name everybody is talking about Monday morning. He is wrestling in a six-man tag match on Saturday against family members in The Usos and Jacob Fatu. He will also be involved in Sunday’s main event in some capacity after offering to assist Seth Rollins against Roman Reigns. Whether or not he can be trusted is another story, but this will be a massive weekend for Solo.
Saunders: I agree with Juliana. It’s time for Cody to turn heel. This is surely a matter of when, not if. Rhodes has started to feel stale after a long run as the face of the company, but he needs something new. Punk vs. Rhodes has the potential to develop into multiple big matches and could easily extend to WrestleMania and beyond. But the best version of the feud is with one of them turning into a heel. Rhodes is the perfect candidate, and this is the perfect moment to do it.
