RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesUndisputed WWE Champion CM Punk will defend his title against Cody Rhodes at WWE "SummerSlam" 2026 on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Netflix
July 30 (UPI) -- WWE once again presents its biggest show of the season, SummerSlam 2026, taking place live at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis across two nights on Saturday and Sunday.
New champions will be crowned and epic rivalries will be settled as WWE's best compete. The two-night extravaganza will air on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally starting at 6 p.m. EDT.
Here are the marquee matches scheduled to take place and UPI's predicted winners.
'SummerSlam' Saturday
CM Punk (champion) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship
Women's World Champion Liv Morgan will defend her title against Iyo Sky at WWE "SummerSlam" on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
CM Punk has his first true test as Undisputed WWE Champion as he takes on Cody Rhodes in what is sure to be the main event of SummerSlam Saturday. Punk vs. Rhodes has been a long time coming, ever since Punk returned to WWE after a lengthy absence in 2023.
Rhodes has had a similar career path as Punk, choosing to leave WWE for rival AEW before later coming back to WWE more popular than ever. While Punk and Rhodes are no strangers, they have not faced each other in nearly 18 years, making this championship bout feel fresh.
The match itself, due to Punk and Rhodes' star power, seems better suited for WrestleMania than SummerSlam , making this potentially only the first part of an epic rivalry . With Punk having just won the Undisputed WWE Championship, it seems likely that he will retain here.
Predicted winner: CM Punk
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi in a Hell in the Cell match
Meat-slapping meat fans rejoice once again! Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi are guaranteeing maximum carnage as the two giants meet inside the dreaded and dangerous Hell in a Cell structure. Anything goes in a Hell in a Cell match and with these two involved, things are going to get violent quickly.
This match will finally settle the feud between The Beast and The Ruler, who have both earned victories against each other. The first time Femi and Lesnar met at WrestleMania 42 , Femi won in mere minutes. The loss caused Lesnar to symbolically retire in the middle of the ring by taking off his gloves and shoes, only for The Beast to return later and defeat Femi in a rematch.
Will this potentially be Lesnar's actual last match? It would be the perfect way to truly establish Femi as the next big thing in WWE.
Predicted winner: Oba Femi
Liv Morgan (champion) vs. Iyo Sky for the Women's World Championship
Iyo Sky gets her rematch against Liv Morgan and this time it's for the Women's World Championship. Sky recently defeated Morgan in the finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament, granting her a title match against a champion of her choosing.
Sky chose Morgan, leading to this rematch with extra stakes. Morgan's current run as Women's World Champion has been quiet, with the devilish grappler not being involved in championship matches since she earned the title at WrestleMania 42 .
Perhaps Morgan has just been keeping the title warm until Sky could come take it from her at a marquee event. Sky will surely be a fighting champion and will put the Women's World Championship back on the map if she wins.
Predicted winner: Iyo Sky
Gunther vs. Nick Aldis
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis is ditching the suit for wrestling trunks as he returns to the squared circle to take on the dominant Gunther. Aldis, who is a former champion on the independent scene before he joined WWE, is no slouch in the ring and should be able to put up a fight against Gunther.
The issue is that Gunther is enraged after Aldis stopped The Ring General from getting to the Undisputed WWE Championship. Gunther can appear unstoppable at times, especially after he retired WWE legends such as Goldberg, AJ Styles and John Cena in the last year. Gunther is poised to continue this hot streak, even if Aldis puts up a good fight.
Predicted winner: Gunther
'SummerSlam' Sunday
Roman Reigns (champion) vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have been through it all together and now they meet for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of SummerSlam Sunday. This title match, which seemed like it was going to happen at WrestleMania 42 before Rollins got injured, carries a lot of history and a lot of baggage.
Reigns and Rollins entered WWE together as members of the iconic group The Shield. They have also been bitter rivals and have fought each other for over a decade. Reigns and Rollins perhaps best represent modern-day WWE, but this needs to be the last time they are staring across each other inside a wrestling ring.
Let this match end the saga of Reigns and Rollins, who were always better as partners anyway. Reigns remains a huge star and with The Bloodline backing him up, he is poised to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
Predicted winner: Roman Reigns
Danhausen vs. Dirty Dominik Mysterio in a Human Monies on a Pole match
The very nice and very evil Danhausen continues to take WWE by storm as he faces dastardly villain Dirty Dominik Mysterio in a unique match that will leave the winner with $100,000.
This contest came about after Mysterio attempted to pay Danhausen in exchange for placing a curse on Femi, Mysterio's King of the Ring opponent at the time. Danhausen, whose curses and un-curses helped the New York Knicks become NBA champions, was unwilling to curse Femi and escaped with the money.
Mysterio also wants to get his hands on Danhausen after he cursed his girlfriend Morgan. The match ends when one opponent can reach the $100,000, which will be placed at the top of a tall pole. This match is set to be the most entertaining of SummerSlam and due to Danhausen&#...
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