SummerSlam has come and gone, and the weekend events were incredibly memorable. The show has been nearly universally acclaimed online. There are six WWE superstars to watch after SummerSlam. Fans can undoubtedly lodge some criticisms about the card and who was or was not included. Regardless, WWE put together a solid show.
The ramifications are just starting to play out on Raw and Smackdown this week. These top stars had a memorable night and will be the focal points heading out of the summer season.
Solo Sikoa
The pretender Solo Sikoa has a problem—well, actually, he has two. First, there is a real issue. His enforcer, Jacob Fatu, appeared to be injured after the match. The extent of that injury hasn’t been confirmed, but losing his most loyal and powerful ally is quite alarming because of problem number two.
The leader of the Original Bloodline is back, and Roman Reigns is mad. Solo said emphatically that Roman Reign’s was never coming back. He made a bet that does not seem to be paying off right now.
His Solo maintains his claim that The Bloodline is a story to watch on Smackdown. While the big news is that Roman Reigns has made his official return, Solo’s big night is part of the excitement. Solo will need to decide how to handle that situation, but the attack on his faction certainly makes it seem like the relationship is broken.
How he navigates, Roman’s claim to the head of the table had revitalized interest in the Sikoa character. Sure, it’s evident to fans that Roman is the true leader of The Bloodline.
However, in the mind of Sikoa, it might not be so clear. Losses, after all, have consequences. Why shouldn’t that include Roman Reigns? The claim to tribal chiefdom is going to bring this family saga to a close, and Solo is going to try and close it.
Finn Balor
Finn Balor is jealous. It has been obvious, of course, but now the ambiguity is gone. If there are six WWE superstars to watch after SummerSlam, Balor provides the most interesting next steps.
Finn turned on the ex-leader of Judgment Day and former world champion Damian Priest. It was an insistence on being the leader of Judgment Day that cost him and Rhea Ripley their spots in the group.
Likewise, there was clearly a strong personal motivation for his betrayal: that Finn Balor is jealous.
Finn’s next steps are going to run right through his former tag team partner. Now, not a single member of Edge’s original Judgment Day is with the group, but Balor is its longest-tenured member.
After presumably putting over Damian Priest, Balor may make the same mistake that every other leader of Judgment Day has made. Or, the group may try to rebuild entirely under Balor’s tutelage.
He is officially elevated to the top heel in Judgment Day and one of the top three on Raw in general. Fans can look toward the future success of Judgment Day as entirely connected to how well Balor capitalizes on this momentum after SummerSlam.
Bron Breakker
Forget superstars to watch after SummerSlam; Bron Breakker is a superstar to watch in 2026. Some fans were scared last month, but the path ahead was still clear. On his current course, Breakker may very well be the World Heavyweight champion by this time next year, and his win against Sami Zayn at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental title is the first step.
He has been a dominant force since he debuted, and he will almost certainly continue that streak as the champion. After having a plucky champion in Zayn, returning to a dangerous superstar at the top of the division is a welcome change.
Breakker and Zayn already have a 2 of 3 falls match set for Raw next week to cap off this feud. What he does next is more or less a mystery. He has an entire roster of challengers that he can feud with and no clear direction after his match with Zayn next week.
That could be a bad thing, to be sure, but it isn’t likely. Breakker has been a big part of Raw each week, and fans can look forward to that continuing. Sheamus is probably the most likely next victim for WWE’s newest next big thing.
Nia Jax
Bayley won to massive fanfare at Wrestlemania 40. Six or so months later, her reign was more about who could end it, and now we know who it is. Queen of the Ring Nia Jax has dethroned the champion after a teased cash-in from Tiffany Stratton.
After losing her spot on the roster not long ago, Nia has won her second women’s championship.
The champion and challenger both looked impressive in this match. Bayley had a remarkable power moment. The new champion in Jax set up an interesting dynamic where his closest ally is her most significant threat.
Bayley couldn’t capitalize on her story of redemption. The feuds were not engaging, creating a lackluster run without much of an actual rival. Nia Jax is inheriting the same roster and has a redemption story of her own.
While not a conquering face, she has been doubted by fans for years. Her switch from unsafe green worker to internet favorite has been totally organic.
Having no opponents to build that momentum could be a problem for her as well. While Bayley and Tiffany are likely to stick around Nia for a while, if she wants a longer reign, she may need to open up to new challengers. If she keeps the title, look out for who might emerge as a post-Bayley contender.
Dominik Mysterio
Perhaps the bigger story from Judgment Day at SummerSlam is Dominik Mysterio’s betrayal. The Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley match was a campy soap opera going into the event.
Their matchup played into that, but by the end, it elevated well beyond its somewhat cheesy origins. Liv Morgan played the cowardly heel well and added in a bit of seduction to Dominik to hint at the coming turn under the guise of messing with Ripley’s head.
Ripley, too, spent a lot of time with Dominik. That was ultimately her downfall. A distraction led to her losing her rematch for the title. It was a post-match kiss that stole the show.
Always my hero… my Daddy Dom @DomMysterio35 😍❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/x2ppcrPOtF
— LIV Morgan (@YaOnlyLivvOnce) August 6, 2024
Dominik is staying with Judgment Day. The breakup of the faction was less of an explosion and more of a repositioning. Finn Balor had to knife Priest, and Dominik did it to Rhea Ripley. Of the superstars to watch after SummerSlam,
Dominik is the most interesting despite not being in a match.
Mysterio is such a master heel that he was able to turn Ripley’s face officially by acting villainous despite already being one of Raw’s most prominent bad guys.
What he and Liv Morgan do about the angry Damian Priest and even angrier Rhea Ripley will power most of Raw in the coming months. Whether or not this Bonnie and Clyde paring of Morgan and Mysterio lasts past that is another question fans are already starting to invest in.
Roman Reigns
The big dog has returned to his yard. Roman Reigns is back from his hiatus and has made an impact. Roman sided with his enemy, Cody Rhodes, and made this decision to the detriment of his own family.
The Bloodline is well and truly done now that Reigns has started making moves against his relatives. That shatters the family bonds, which had previously been above all else for the Samoan wrestling dynasty. With his return to Ohio, there are several storylines to watch for.
First, if Solo retains his new and loyal followers, Roman is going to need some backup. Cody Rhodes has retained the world title, but has he cleared himself of The Bloodline? That seems unlikely.
Still, his new alliance with Roman Reigns is tenuous at best. Who he brings into his fight against Solo will be a long-term angle to follow, likely until WrestleMania in Las Vegas.
Second, what is Reigns’ schedule? If he is not actually back just yet, then look for Solo to take Roman out on TV in the coming weeks in a big moment that will make Paul Heyman’s ouster look like a house show angle.
Then, of course, the shadow of The Rock hangs over Roman’s every move. Now that he might be back, The Final Boss may just be biding his time for another return. Look for the family members to start picking sides when Roman Reigns officially declares tribal combat.
A Ton of Other Superstars to Watch after SummerSlam.
Raw was heavy on angles, setting up future pay-offs just like SummerSlam did. Smackdown will more than likely do the same. Collectively, there are acts like LA Knight, GUNTHER, DIY, and Wyatt Sicks that have all recently been set up with breakout stories or in-ring pay-offs. Six WWE superstars is the tip of the iceberg after SummerSlam.
Tons of talent have been maximizing their time, and fans will see how their stories continue to unfold, heading into a quiet period in programming. However, WWE can also spread the wealth of superb storytelling a little better in the coming weeks.
Raw has seen some movement there, which fans will hopefully see continue.
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