On Aug. 3, 2024, I will be in attendance at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH, for WWE’s SummerSlam Premium Live Event (PLE). SummerSlam is coined by WWE as “The Biggest Party of the Summer.” It’s where all of the feuds that have steamed since WrestleMania in April commence. It is arguably WWE’s second biggest show of the year, with the Royal Rumble in January being the only other show that has the hype around it that WrestleMania, “The Showcase of the Immortals”, and SummerSlam have.
With “The Biggest Party of the Summer” happening in my hometown of Cleveland in give or take a month and a half at the time of publication, I’m going to take a look at the current state of WWE and fantasy book the biggest PLE of the summer season.
Since becoming The Guy to lead WWE in the New Era by dethroning The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, The American Nightmare has had a tough time sinking his teeth into a legitimate feud for his strap. While matches against A.J. Styles and Logan Paul have been fantastic, there hasn’t been THAT obstacle for the champion to overcome.
Orton presents that obstacle, as he and Rhodes go back almost two decades. In 2008, Orton formed the stable The Legacy alongside Rhodes and son of WWE Hall of Famer Ted Diabiase, Ted Diabiase Jr. Together, the trio ran roughshod over RAW for more than a year, and Orton was a mentor to Rhodes and Diabiase Jr. in real life as well. The history between Orton and Rhodes is well documented. The Undisputed Champion even called Orton to help him defeat The JudgMent Day inside of WarGames at Survivor Series in November, and The Viper celebrated Rhodes’ championship win with him in the ring at WrestleMania.
Orton is a 14-time World Champion and one of the most beloved wrestlers on the planet. A story seeing if he could become a 15-time World Champion while Rhodes tries to prove to his “teacher” how much he’s grown in the past 20 years is a match that is worthy of the main event spot at SummerSlam.
Way back in 2022, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley were a tag team and played completely different characters than they do now. Fast forward a year to July 2023, and Ripley is now the de-facto leader of The JudgMent Day group on RAW and in an on-screen relationship with Dominik Mysterio as Dirty Dom’s Mami. She is also the Women’s World Champion.
As champion, Mami takes out Morgan, injuring her shoulder. Morgan returned six months later at the Royal Rumble, making it as the runner-up to Bayley in the 30-women over-the-top-rope battle royal. On the RAW after the Rumble, Morgan tells Ripley she’s going to take EVERYTHING away from her.
It’s the Monday After WrestleMania. Ripley, fresh off defending her title on the biggest stage against Becky Lynch, is attacked in the locker room by Morgan, who declares she is on the “Liv Morgan Revenge Tour” against Ripley.
The next week, Ripley announces she has to vacate the World Title due to an injury she suffered the previous week by Morgan during the attack. On the next RAW, Morgan is once again a runner-up in a battle royal, as she is dumped to the outside by Lynch. This time, the battle royal was for Ripley’s World Title.
At the King and Queen PLE in late May, Morgan is battling Lynch for the strap when Mysterio appears at ringside. He throws a steel chair towards Lynch, who does not want to cheat to beat Morgan. As Mysterio distracts the ref for Lynch, it’s Morgan who takes advantage, planting The Man with a DDT off of a steel chair, before hitting Oblivion on the champion to become a two-time world champion in WWE.
Lynch, irate at what Dirty Dom pulled, invoked her rematch clause for the championship on the RAW after King and Queen of the Ring inside of a steel cage. During the main event, Mysterio would come down to the ring, again attempting to try and help The Man. However, Braun Strowman -- who was chasing around the other JudgMent Day members all night long -- shoulder tackled Mysterio into the steel cage door, which smacked off the skull of Lynch, allowing the chamption to sneak out the door and retain.
What happened next would shock the entire WWE Universe, as Morgan KISSED Mysterio as RAW went off the air! That’s where we’re at now. Mami is still sidelined while Mysterio is trying to play damage control (no pun intended to the Damage CTRL group in WWE) with his stablemates and Ripley.
Meanwhile, Morgan’s revenge tour is still not complete. She wants to take everything away from The Eradicator. She’s already taken away the ring from her, as well as the Women’s World Championship. Now, Morgan has her sights set on taking away Mami’s little boy as well.
At SummerSlam 2005, Rey Mysterio, the father of Dominik, was involved in a personal feud with Eddie Guerrero over the custody of Dom. The two would battle for his rights in a Ladder Match with eight-year-old Dirty Dom sitting at ringside. There’s nothing I want more than for Morgan and Ripley to replicate the stipulation at SummerSlam, with Morgan’s Women’s World Championship also at stake.
After winning the Money in the Bank (MITB) Ladder Match at the 2023 MITB PLE, Priest waited nearly nine months before cashing in his prize and winning the World Title from Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania XL. Meanwhile, GUNTHER won the 2024 King of the Ring at the King and Queen of the Ring PLE, granting him a World Championship match at The Biggest Party of the Summer.
In November at Survivor Series, the controversial Punk returned to WWE for the first time in a decade. Punk’s first match back would be in the Royal Rumble in January, where he would tear his triceps after eating a Future Shock DDT from McIntyre.
During the time Punk has been on the sideline, McIntyre has been OBSESSED with Punk. He can’t stand the fact that WWE fans have worshiped Punk since he returned, even though in McIntyre’s mind, he’s nothing more than a ticking time bomb waiting to get himself fired from WWE again.
McIntyre took his obsession with The Second City Saint to a new level at WrestleMania XL when he celebrated winning the World Title right in front of Punk’s face (who was doing commentary for the match). Punk would sweep The Scottish Terminator’s leg, which would allow Priest to cash in the MITB briefcase on McIntyre.
I do suspect Punk will cost McIntyre in his match against Priest for the title at Clash at the Castle in McIntyre’s hometown of Scotland, setting up Punk’s first WWE match since the injury at SummerSlam against his long-time rival. It is a testament to the talent involved, as well as the WWE creative team, to keep this rivalry fresh eight months in when the two haven’t had a one-on-one match yet!
Very similar to the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW, Bayley finally overcame her former Damage CTRL teammate in IYO SKY to win the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. By winning the Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia in May, Jax earned a World Title match at SummerSlam.
Logan Paul has only defended his United States Championship TWICE since winning the strap at the Crown Jewel PLE in early November 2023. Dating back to last summer, WWE has teased a feud between The Maverick and The Megastar. Last year at SummerSlam, Knight won a Slim Jim Battle Royal, as he was on his way to becoming the fastest rising star in SmackDown history. For more than a year now, Knight’s popularity has never dwindled, and it’s time for the leader of the YEAH! Movement to win singles gold in WWE, and doesn’t SummerSlam against Paul feel like the perfect place to do so?! YEAH!
You can’t have “The Biggest Party of the Summer” without The Head of The Table. I suspect The Tribal Chief will be back in WWE relatively soon. When Reigns returns, I see three options on the table:
Since Reigns disappeared from television following his WrestleMania 40 defeat, Sikoa has kicked his brother Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline and has brought in new members in Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. I think WWE wants to start a new chapter for The Tribal Chief where he returns to confront his cousin for running The Bloodline into the ground without him. I believe WWE wants to move forward with Reigns’ character and move completely past the Undisputed Title. A match with Sikoa would set the stage for a fall feud in WWE, putting Reigns’ old Bloodline (including both Uso brothers) against Sikoa’s new Bloodline.
You can’t have a SummerSlam at Cleveland Browns Stadium without the biggest professional wrestler from Cleveland, OH. The Creed Brothers are set for a nice push as part of a new Alpha Academy with Chad Gable if I am following the seeds WWE has been planting. The Creed Brothers are also from Ohio, so this match only makes sense.
It is unfortunate Johnny Gargano from DIY isn’t going to make it on the big stage, but a victory on SmackDown in Cleveland the night before SummerSlam will probably have to suffice. At eight matches and a stacked card already on deck, SummerSlam 2024 at Cleveland Browns Stadium is looking like it could go down as one of the best in the PLE’s illustrious history. WWE’s roster is so stacked right now the likes of Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and A.J. Styles could not sniff being booked on my card.
At the end of the day, I would be ecstatic if this is the general direction of the SummerSlam 2024 card. I can’t wait to be in attendance for my first professional wrestling stadium show at the “Biggest Party of the Summer” in early August.
