We're coming off two straight nights of WWE SummerSlam, a show that held plenty of interest for those who enjoy big moments. Among these was the total shaking up of WWE's entire main event picture, as CM Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship from GUNTHER before Seth Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase to take it away from him on Night 1, while Cody Rhodes reclaimed the Undisputed WWE Championship from John Cena before Brock Lesnar returned to deliver an F-5 to the latter on Night 2. In other words, here at WINC, we have plenty of questions about how this all plays out.
We won't just be discussing the men's main event scene we have questions about Becky Lynch too, as well as Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss and Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, and it's anyone guess what happens with Sami Zayn and Karrion Kross by the end of 2025 but we won't be discussing everything, because there's just too much. We're still excited to predict some of WWE's broad direction for the remainder of the year as we look ahead toward WarGames, the RoyalRumble, and WrestleMania 42. The first-ever two-night SummerSlam has concluded; where do we go from here?
A core component of the story between Sami Zayn and Karrion Kross going into SummerSlam was the idea that Zayn is desperate for his World title win, while steadfast in wanting to do it the right way.
Kross, styling himself as someone to expose the true character of his foes, took issue with that objective and set out to peel at the character of Zayn; he claimed that it was false, and demanded that Zayn accept the truth when all was said and done. Obviously, he didn't prove to be successful in his mission. And there are wider questions looming over his legitimate future with the promotion, so there is no guarantee that he continues any story after wrapping up with Zayn.
Zayn, on the other hand, managed to overcome Kross clean and stay true to his character. But simply overcoming Kross is explicitly not the goal he is using as his north star, and it feels like a foregone conclusion that he will apply himself to challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship going forward. Seth Rollins is the new champion after cashing in on CM Punk after Saturday's main event, and he is one to share an extensive history with Zayn, feuding with one another in the aftermath of WrestleMania 40.
Written byMax Everett
The stipulation has been carved into stone: should Lyra Valkyria fall to Becky Lynch at SummerSlam, she will no longer be able to challenge for the Women's Intercontinental Championship for as long as title exists around "The Man's" waist. With Valkyria's loss SummerSlam Sunday, Lynch is now set for a post-Valkyria reign, but the ending of their street fight in New Jersey leaves too many loose ends for Lynch to simply move on. Valkyria's hatred still runs deep for Lynch, Bayley directly played a hand in Valkyria's outcasting from the Women's Intercontinental Championship scene, and the wrestling grapevine has gotten wind of a potential feud between Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. With a three-woman feud potentially expanding into four and beyond, just what is next for the Women's Intercontinental Championship?
Valkyria is no longer able to compete for the Women's Intercontinental Championship, so it's unlikely that WWE will continue to run a feud between her and Lynch, the champion. However, given the controversial ending of her match, Valkyria's vitriol remains unresolved. It's unlikely that Lynch and Valkyria are fully done with each other, but WWE might be wise to take a break from that feud to focus on one that can be easily booked: Valkyria and Bayley. Lynch, as a cowardly heel, could simply step out of their feud to continue her Women's Intercontinental Championship reign as Valkyria and Bayley truly sink their teeth into each other, no respect to be found and nothing off the table. Expect to see a bloodbath between Valkyria and Bayley on Monday nights, complete with brawls, chaos, and gnashing of teeth. We are set to see a feud for the ages that will keep the women's division spotlighted on "WWE Raw."
Winds of a possible retro feud between Lynch and Bella are whistling throughout wrestling, and considering Bella's desire to become a champion at Clash in Paris, WWE is very likely to confirm the rumors and run this program. Bella is the perfect babyface to counter Lynch's heel, and with the two of them existing on the borders of a pre- and post-Diva's Revolution in WWE, there will be a lot of history that WWE can tap into to make this feud enriching and interesting. It's also worth noting, however, that this is a completely different version of Lynch that Bella saw during their last lock-ups in 2016 and 2017. This Lynch is one who is coy, who has the wiliness of a veteran and the ego to match. Bella is going to have to tread deep water in a match with Lynch, and while it may be tempting to put the Women's Intercontinental Title on Bella for old time's sake, it's hard to see a title change happening on a minor show like Clash in Paris. Hey, maybe this is how they make Lynch available to feud with Valkyria and Bayley once again.
Violent spectacle is scheduled for Monday nights, and the Women's Intercontinental Title hangs precariously in the balance.
Written by Angeline Phu
While there didn't seem to be a bad choice for the winner of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match at SummerSlam, the more interesting choice when it comes to storylines did win out, with the fan-favorites,Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, taking the titles from Judgment Day's Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. There was a moment in the match, however, where Bliss accidentally hit Flair, and another where it looked like Flair was going to take out Bliss, but thankfully, they were able to work together in the end.
During the night one post-show, Bliss and Flair appeared in front of fans and hugged it out, with Flair even using "the F word" and telling everyone she and Bliss are indeed friends. Now that they're fully on the same page, there are a ton of fresh women's tag team matches for them across all three brands. They could have a fantastic feud against Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice. There are also future matches out there with maybe B-Fab and Michin or the Kabuki Warriors. And, knowing WWE, they'll have a thrown together tag team or two attempt to knock off Bliss and Flair.
Bliss and Flair also seem like the team who are going to take the titles down to "WWE NXT" to defend. They've mentioned their time in the brand together, so it makes sense. Let them defend against the likes of Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley or Sol Ruca and Zaria or even a combination of Fatal Influence, just to give the rub to some of the girls in developmental.
And, now that they're friends, of course, that leaves things wide open for a future turn, either by Flair, or what many of us here at WINC believe is more likely, Bliss, to align herself with the Wyatt Sicks. Bliss could turn heel on Flair gradually when she somehow gets her spooky, supernatural powers back.
Things are also interesting for Rodriguez and Perez. "Big Mami Cool" wasn't thrilled about letting "The Prodigy" into the faction to begin with, so the dissension there is going to be very real. They'll likely fight to get a rematch against Flair and Bliss, but it's not likely they'll be successful in getting those titles back, with how over the babyface team is with the fans. It's not clear exactly where Liv Morgan is in her recovery, or if she's able to get back on the road, but that will happen sooner rather than later, and now there's even more fuel behind her future feud with Perez.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Two things could be said coming out of SummerSlam: Solo Sikoa is still the United States Champion, but Jacob Fatu was left standing tall when all was said and done.
That normally means that the feud is far from over between two competitors, and with Fatu still defiant in the face of Sikoa and his MFTs alongside Jimmy Uso, it doesn't seem as though the United States Champion will be moving on any time soon.
The two title defenses Sikoa has made since dethroning Fatu at Night of Champions came against the man standing all over his MFTs on Sunday, with Uso and Fatu proving unable to surmount the numbers posed by Talla Tonga, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa (with Tama Tonga waiting on the sidelines). But given the way that Sikoa has beaten Fatu on both occasions, with the decisive interference of Talla, it seems as though the "Samoan Werewolf" will need to slay his giant before getting a fair crack at his nemesis, or at the very least get a title match that expressly forbids him from getting involved.
That's where the question starts to form over whether Sikoa will have an immediate challenger while Fatu's path starts to diverge towards his enforcer, with Uso previously challenging for the title at Saturday Night's Main Event and still proving to be a thorn in his younger brother's side. There are a number of stars on the "WWE SmackDown" roster who could step into the role of number one contender aside from those mentioned, it's just a matter of time telling whether anyone else steps up to the plate.
Written by Max Everett
After successfully duping a majority of the wrestling world into thinking he was out of action with a knee injury, Seth Rollins shocked all by dramatically discarding his crutches, shedding his knee brace, and cashing in his Money in the Bank contract against new champion CM Punk to close out SummerSlam Saturday. Now, with gold around his waist, the path seems to be clear for "The Visionary" and his stable to take over "WWE Raw " or, is it? What will CM Punk have to say about his long-time adversary? Where do Sami Zayn, Penta, and Jey Uso all people who have been victimized by a Tsunami or a Spear fit into all of this? Will LA Knight, Rollins' last opponent, factor into Rollins' reign? The Ruse of the Century was a smashing success, but what is next for the WWE World Heavyweight Champion?
Punk will almost certainly be on Rollins' immediate agenda, if he is not already his first challenger. There is no way Punk, notoriously stubborn and persistent as he is, will take Rollins' Money in the Bank cash-in lying down. Punk and Rollins' historic and lengthy rivalry will continue, but this time with gold delicately hanging in the balance. With the introduction of the world title to this feud, the stakes are undoubtedly raised (as if they could be raised any higher after WrestleMania 41), and we can anticipate so much violence as the two men look to utterly obliterate each other. Even if Rollins doesn't drop the title to Punk right away, which is unlikely to begin with, Punk will undoubtedly be a phantom lurking in the corners of Rollins' title reign. There is no way Punk will simply slink away from Rollins' life until he gets a win over "The Visionary," no matter how many losses it takes.
Punk is not alone in his ire for Rollins and his stable. Zayn, Penta, and Uso have all been issued heavy physical punishment by Rollins, Reed, and Breakker, both before and after Rollins' injury. Punk will likely call upon the red brand's top babyfaces to even the odds as he guns for Rollins, but should Punk fall (and he likely will, given WWE's proclivity for long-term storytelling and delayed gratification), any three of those men could also be viable contenders. It is highly unlikely that any of them will actually take the title off of Rollins, but all of those matches are sure to be marquee match-ups as WWE moves forward in its premium live event schedule.
The dark horse in all of this? LA Knight. While Knight is not a member of the "Raw" roster, he was once-promised to make semi-regular appearances on Monday nights. The social media streets have already begun to whisper about a possible Knight appearance on SummerSlam's follow-up episode of "Raw," but how exactly Knight will play into Rollins' reign remains to be seen.
Rollins and his stable have their hands full, and Monday's follow-up episode of "Raw" is just the beginning.
Written by Angeline Phu
John Cena turned babyface once again on the "WWE SmackDown" ahead of SummerSlam, and despite many fans predicting a double turn with Cody Rhodes going heel, that didn't happen, though Rhodes was victorious in their main event match and took the Undisputed WWE Championship from "The Never Seen 17." It wasn't Rhodes' victory over Cena, or even the fact it was Cena's final SummerSlam that had fans talking, however, was the shocking return of "The Beast Incarnate" BrockLesnar.
Lesnar went down to the ring and hit an F5 on Cena, solidifying Cena's next opponent on his retirement tour. According to a report from Fightful Select, Cena and Lesnar are set to factor heavily into "SmackDown" over the next month, which could mean their match is set for Clash in Paris at the end of August. Paul "Triple H" Levesque alluded to Cena being the one who wanted to face Lesnar during the post-show, so it's not clear if Lesnar is back for good or just to work this program with Cena at his request. Cena has 12 dates left on his farewell tour, so taking a loss toLesnar at the end of the month would make sense to give him a bit of time off ahead of Survivor Series and his final match in December.
As for Rhodes, we would love to see him move to on some interesting, new opponents. Both Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul had a solid win at SummerSlam, and those two could feud for a shot at the title. Despite taking a loss in his United States Championship match against Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu looked good in defeat with an epic moonsault off the cage.A Damian Priest heel turn could be interesting with "The Archer of Infamy" upset he was left off the SummerSlam card. Even a Roman Reigns feud once again could be possible, though it's not clear how well that would go over with fans at this point. There's also the possibility of a draft to shake things up between rosters, though that's been rumored since after WrestleMania and has yet to happen.
And, of course, if Lesnar is sticking around following his program with Cena, he could very well move on to Rhodes for a title match, which seems like something WWE would want to run on a bigger premium live event like Survivor Series. "The American Nightmare" should get the victory over Lesnar in that case, which could write Lesnar back off WWE programming, if needed for any sort of legal reason, or fan backlash due to his return, or simply due to the fact Lesnar may be wrapping up his wrestling career and retreating back out of life in the public eye. If Rhodes winning the title from Cena wasn't enough to create buzz and new stories for the second half of the year, Lesnar's return certainly helped that, for better or worse.
Written byDaisy Ruth
