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Cody Rhodes will be in action as he puts his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Gunther. Rhea Ripley will also make her first title defense against Jade Cargill in a WrestleMania rematch. Becky Lynch will also have to put her title on the line against Sol Ruca following the controversial finish of their non-title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and Brock Lesnar will clash with Oba Femi in a rematch.
Following the Clash in Italy, Triple H and crew will likely begin building the card for the two-night SummerSlam, which will take place at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 1st and 2nd.
That being said, in this article, we will explore four matches that WWE must book before SummerSlam 2026:
#4. Brock Lesnar vs. Gunther
The Beast Incarnate shocked the entire combat sports world when he left his boots and gloves inside the squared circle following his match against Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42, confirming his retirement.
However, last week on RAW, he shockingly returned to the Stamford-based promotion and attacked Oba Femi from behind. Paul Heyman gave General Manager Adam Pearce a contract signed by Lesnar for a rematch against Femi at Clash in Italy. It appears The Ruler has accepted the challenge as the match has been officially announced for the event.
WWE SummerSlam will take place in Lesnar’s hometown of Minnesota, and his final retirement in his hometown would be a perfect moment.
Gunther has been on a hot streak of retiring legends. In just a matter of months, he has retired Goldberg, John Cena, and most recently, AJ Styles. The Career Killer vs. the ex-UFC champion has been one of the dream bouts fans have wanted to see for a long time. The Ring General facing The Beast Incarnate at The Biggest Party of Summer would be a perfect scenario, as it would be great for Brock to end his career after losing to the Ring General.
#3. Roman Reigns’ The Shield arch
Since Roman Reigns captured the World Heavyweight Championship, the competition for the RAW title has grown, and it feels more important now. Currently, the OTC is engaged in a rivalry with Jacob Fatu. It appears that their rematch at Clash in Italy will most likely end their rivalry.
The Stamford-based promotion has already sown the seeds for a major match for Roman Reigns. On an episode of RAW earlier this month, the OTC crossed paths with Seth Rollins, who told Reigns that he was in his way.
Rollins has been feuding with The Vision since his return from injury. The Visionary has already made it clear that once his business with The Vision ends, he will come to reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship that he technically never lost, as he had to relinquish it due to his injury last year.
Additionally, the Roman-Seth saga has been a rivalry that has never reached its conclusion and needs to end. SummerSlam could be the perfect spot for them to finally end their years-long saga with the World Heavyweight Championship in the mix. Triple H and his creative team must not miss a chance to book this box-office attraction for this summer.
#2. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
Mami and The Queen are currently working together to take on common enemies. They teamed up at Saturday Night’s Main Event alongside Alexa Bliss to take on Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin in a six-woman tag team match, but ended up losing. Flair and Ripley’s ego clash was one of the reasons that contributed to their loss.
Rhea and Charlotte have a long history; they had collided twice at The Granddaddy of Them All. First at WWE WrestleMania 36 in a singles match with Flair winning the bout to capture the WWE NXT Women’s Championship.
Then at WrestleMania 39, The Eradicator managed to beat Flair and become the SmackDown Women’s Champion. That said, the two have a one-and-one record against each other in title settings.
With tensions between them on SmackDown, the company had already left the door open for their trilogy. The company must capitalize on this opportunity and book the tiebreaker between the two powerhouses with the WWE Women’s Championship up for grabs at SummerSlam.
#1. Cody Rhodes’ dream WWE match
Cody Rhodes is all set to face Gunther at Clash in Italy, where he will most probably retain his title. Following WrestleMania, WWE teased a supermatch for the American Nightmare as CM Punk directly aimed at Rhodes’ strap on the RAW after ‘Mania before going on hiatus.
The Best in the World could ultimately return to WWE on the Road to SummerSlam and build his rivalry with The Prodigal Son, and the two could end up facing off at The Biggest Party of the Summer. A match between Rhodes and Punk could do wonders in terms of business and would be a treat for hardcore wrestling fans. Hence, the company should book this bout.
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