WWE SummerSlam is bigger than ever. For the first time, WWE’s cornerstone summer blockbuster expands to two nights. The company has recruited some of its biggest stars for the occasion, including an epic rematch between WWE champion John Cena and Cody Rhodes. The two megastars will look to settle their differences under Street Fight rules in Sunday’s main event.
The first night of action some a couple of dramatic plot twists. The first came with CM Punk overcoming Gunther to finally regain world championship gold for the first time since returning to the promotion in 2023 in a brutal match. But Punk’s celebration was cut off quickly as Seth Rollins’ music hit and the superstar came out on crutches to tell Punk he’s coming for the title. The crutches turned out to be a ruse as Rollins dramatically threw them down and marched to the ring to execute an assault on Punk with the Money in the Bank briefcase before hitting a stomp and claiming the title.
In the weekend’s big celebrity match, Jelly Roll came up short in his in-ring debut. Jelly Roll teamed with Randy Orton against Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. Paul ultimately secured the win for his team by pinning Jelly Roll after a frog splash. The match also included an amazing moment where Paul put Jelly Roll through the commentary desk with a giant splash.
You can check out our full SummerSlam Night 1 recap and grades here.
Cody Rhodes confirms Travis Scott busted his eardrum at WWE Elimination Chamber
Shakiel Mahjouri
After a wild opening night, things are expected to heat up even more on Sunday with Cena and Rhodes in the main event. Beyond that match, however, is a five-pack of more action that is sure to have the MetLife Stadium crowd rocking all night. The women’s world championship is on the line when new titleholder Naomi defends against both Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat. Naomi claimed the belt after cashing in her Money in the Bank contract during a match between Sky and Ripley at WWE Evolution last month.
Plus, Solo Sikoa is set to defend his United States championship against Jacob Fatu inside a steel cage, which is designed to keep outside influences away, but you can bet on some sort of extracurricular impacting that match as Sikoa’s new faction seems to have gathered strength. And one of the wilder matches on tap sees a six-team TLC match for the WWE tag team titles with the Wyatt Sicks putting their titles on the line against #DIY, Street Profits, Fraxiom, Motor City Machine Guns and Andrade & Rey Fenix.
With so much action, let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports wrestling experts are picking for all the matches on Saturday and Sunday.
2025 WWE SummerSlam Night 2 predictions
Undisputed WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Street Fight): My pick may come down a bit to just wanting to be done with this whole Cena title reign. It has been flat — not to mention hamstrung by The Rock and Travis Scott going MIA after the heel turn — and there’s no reason for it to continue. Rhodes winning can steady the ship a bit and allow things to move forward while Cena can “see the light” and finish up his pre-retirement dates as the babyface he has always been. Pick: Cody Rhodes wins the title – Brookhouse
I share Brent’s sentiment completely, but don’t think WWE will deviate from whatever year-long plan they have for Cena. The record-setting world champion will lose his title before retiring. He’ll also have a crisis of faith about his behavior. But neither will happen without foreshadowing. Cena will find a nefarious way to beat Rhodes again, but SummerSlam could set the foundation for Cena’s eventual downfall and redemption. Pick: Cena retains the title — Mahjouri
Women’s World Championship — Naomi (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky: This triple threat match is more about tying loose ends. Naomi somewhat stole the women’s world title by cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase. The match allows Naomi to sneak another win to put Sky and Ripley in the rearview mirror. Naomi’s character evolution has been impressive and she deserves a proper title run, especially if arch-nemesis Cargill wins the WWE women’s title. Pick: Naomi retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria (No DQ match): Valkyria has done a fantastic job of establishing herself with the fans and proving she has tremendous in-ring skills. While I’d like to see her regain the women’s intercontinental championship, this feels like a Lynch win and an opportunity to separate the two women for the foreseeable future. Also, there’s not a ton of value in continued flip-flopping of the belt with the same “you can never challenge again” stipulations in place. Pick: Becky Lynch retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
United States Championship — Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (Steel Cage match): Booking the rematch so soon might have been a mistake. Fatu’s red-hot title run never got started. Sikoa’s cold spell ended once he became champion. Neither can afford a loss, but the match stipulation necessitates a winner. Fatu has future main eventer written all over him and can rebound from the loss better than Sikoa. That’s enough evidence to side with the champ. Pick: Sikoa retains the title – Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Intercontinental Championship — Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles: Score one for Dom Mysterio in this one. Styles is a bulletproof veteran who doesn’t need an intercontinental championship run but can give Mysterio a nice bump by taking a loss here. Mysterio also has the entire Judgment Day available to help him score a cheap win, retain the title and move forward to something more interesting. Pick: Dominik Mysterio retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
WWE Tag Team Championships – The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumus & Joe Gacy) (c) vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) (TLC match): SmackDown’s tag team title scene has become a never-ending game of hot potato. Seven teams have held the title in 15 months. The Wyatt Sicks faction has the numbers advantage in an environment like this, so they should be considered the favorites. If WWE wants to continue the carousel of champions, Fraxiom or the Andrade-Fenix duo would be fresh choices. WWE hasn’t hinted about their long-term plans for the divisions, but the Wyatt Sicks are high on the list of potential winners here. Pick: The Wyatt Sicks retain the titles – Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)