A big swerve; Long may they reign & more - Predicting the next holder of each WWE title following SummerSlam 2024
The RAW and SmackDown rosters have been locked for a few months following the 2024 WWE Draft, but SummerSlam changed the course of several divisions. Champions from both brands were not eligible for this year's Draft, as a result all titleholders remained on the same brand.
That didn't include the Women's Tag Team Titles because they are defended across all of the brands in WWE. Since then, nearly every championship has changed hands.
SummerSlam witnessed a few big title changes, shifting the dynamics on both RAW and SmackDown. While Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan retained their titles, Bayley, Sami Zayn, Logan Paul, and Damian Priest failed to retain their respective titles at The Biggest Party of The Summer.
The following are predictions for the next stars to hold each title in the company following SummerSlam.
#8. Who will beat The Unholy Union?
The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions don't usually have extremely long reigns. The recent runs were just over 100 days for Damage CTRL (114 days) and the duo of Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (126 days). The Kabuki Warriors were champions for only 99 days.
Now that Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn have the titles, anything can happen. The belts need a team to have a decent run. Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton would have been an easy choice before Jax won the WWE Women's Title at SummerSlam.
She'll need to focus instead on a line of new challengers. Bianca Belair isn't exactly a new challenger but will probably get a shot despite being in the title scene for much of the last three years. Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler could gain some credibility with the titles, but a different team will beat The Unholy Union.
Prediction: next Women's Tag Team Champions - Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair
#7. Factions rule the tag team divisions on RAW and SmackDown
The Bloodline beat #DIY on the go-home edition SmackDown before SummerSlam, but it may have been to shield Solo Sikoa's eventual loss to Cody Rhodes.
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were too important to Triple H in NXT's black-and-gold era to have that short a reign. They could get another shot down the road and reclaim the titles.
Prediction: #DIY will be the next WWE Tag Team Champions.
The Judgment Day beat The Awesome Truth for the titles thanks to help from Liv Morgan. Alpha Academy and LWO would benefit the most. Fans love Otis and if they won the titles without Chad Gable, it would show that they didn't need him.
Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega are the only two members to feature recently. Dragon Lee should be featured more, and winning the titles with Rey would be a good way to showcase his skills.
Prediction: LWO will be the next World Tag Team Champions.
#6. Bron Breakker won the Intercontinental Title at SummerSlam
Sami Zayn's run as Intercontinental Champion may have been shorter than some would like, but he elevated Chad Gable and Breakker. Gable has been featured more in 2024 than during the rest of his career.
Breakker was going to be a champion sooner or later. Since he won the title relatively quickly upon joining the main roster, the person who defeats him should be a fan favorite.
Jey Uso deserves a signature win like LA Knight had at SummerSlam. It may not be in 2024, but Jey will be the one to dethrone the former NXT Champion.
The next Intercontinental Champion - Jey Uso
#5. LA Knight finally achieved a signature win
LA Knight isn't exactly a rookie but he's fought tooth and nail to earn respect in WWE. He has earned that and then some from the fans but lacked a signature win in his career. That win came at SummerSlam after winning the United States Title from Logan Paul.
There are several hungry young heels on SmackDown, including Austin Theory, Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller, and Carmelo Hayes. Theory could be turning face soon and has already won the title.
With Breakker making a splash on RAW, another relatively new name will follow his lead on SmackDown.
The next United States Champion - Carmelo Hayes
#4. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan needs eyes in the back of her head
Most of Liv Morgan's wins have been with outside help. Dominik helped Morgan win the title from Becky Lynch and his interference kept the belt around her waist. He factored into defenses against both Zelina Vega, and more shockingly, against Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam.
Ripley will be on a warpath after the events in Cleveland. She'll get her hands on Morgan at some point in the future. A lot of people were expecting Tiffany Stratton to cash in on Bayley due to her vulnerability against Nia Jax.
Now that Jax holds the title, however, she has a better chance of cashing in on Liv Morgan. The fans would love it and it would be a change of pace.
The next Women's World Champion - Tiffany Stratton
#3. WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax will be hard to take down
WWE will want one of its top names to be the champion heading into WrestleMania 41. While Jax has greatly improved her skills since returning last year, she'll likely lose the title at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair teased a dream match last year but couldn't get in the ring together. The Queen should be back from injury in the next few months. Jade Cargill could beat Jax but she still needs a lot of fine-tuning of her skills.
The Irresistible Force could hold the title until December when she'll return to being only the Queen of the Ring. Stratton could betray her friend but they just started their alliance leading into SummerSlam.
The next WWE Women's Champion - Bianca Belair
#2. Will Gunther have a long run as World Heavyweight Champion?
This change may not happen for another year, and that might actually benefit the RAW roster since several stars have other business to deal with.
Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk aren't done with each other after SummerSlam. They'll be busy with each other for the next few months. Jey Uso could re-enter the fray since he's hovered in both title scenes on RAW.
With Gunther just winning the title, the change may not happen for a year. RAW is heading to Netflix and a newer star will become the face of the company over the next two years.
The next World Heavyweight Champion - Bron Breakker
#1. Cody Rhodes is the face of WWE as Undisputed Champion
Predicting who will take the Undisputed WWE Title from Cody Rhodes is just as difficult as guessing who'll dethrone Gunther. Rhodes is the top face in the company while The Ring General has become one of the top heels in the company.
Cody should hold the title until WrestleMania 41, and he could have a run to next year's SummerSlam. Much will change between now and next summer, opening up several possibilities. The WWE Draft will reshape both rosters and different names will return to the company and be healed.
Roman Reigns should not win another title but could win a potential rubber match. The Rock also shouldn't win despite the built-in feud. That leaves a few other names like Knight, Orton, Punk, Rollins, or Kevin Owens.
One of those stars needs to turn heel either during the Bloodline war or after it. They all have a history with The American Nightmare. Not having Money in the Bank in play until next year also muddles the picture.
The next Undisputed WWE Champion - Seth Rollins.