In 2024, over 57,500 fans attended the SummerSlam at Cleveland Brown’s Stadium. The event set records for viewership, sponsorship, social media, and merchandise.
This year, the WWE SummerSlam will take place in New Jersey over two nights for the first time on Saturday, August 2nd, and Sunday, August 3rd. It will showcase the biggest match lineup in the event’s history, solidifying the Biggest Party of the Summer as WWE’s second-most important Premium Live Event after WrestleMania.
First SummerSlam for MetLife Stadium
This will be the first time the event takes place in New Jersey and at MetLife Stadium. The WWE last visited the stadium almost six years ago for WrestleMania 35. Several world-class events have taken place at the stadium, including various WrestleMania events and concerts by big stars like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift. The stadium is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. The FIFA World Cup Final will also take place at the stadium in 2026.
Sports bettors will be able to place bets on the SummerSlam matches at a New Jersey online sportsbook. Early betting odds have already been released, and of the five matches, four have the challengers favored to win. Naomi is the only champion favored to win her triple-threat match.
Cardi B may host the event
Rapper Cardi B has often expressed her desire to be part of the WWE show, and there’s a possibility that she will be the host of the event. A trailer released by the WWE featured both Cardi B and Bianca Belair.
Popularity of WWE
The matches will be broadcast to around 165 countries in 25 different languages. On social media, WWE has over 365 million followers. It has more followers on TikTok than any other U.S. sports league.
Six matches confirmed
Six major matches have been announced, and more are likely to be added in the weeks to come. Some top stars like Roman Reigns still don’t have confirmed opponents.
Rematch between two top stars: John Cena (c) versus Cody Rhodes
Undisputed reigning WWE Champion John Cena will defend the title against Cody Rhodes. He won the title controversially and retained it against Randy Orton and CM Punk. The American Nightmare is set on beating Cena to take back the title. It will be Cena’s last appearance as an in-ring performer.
World Heavyweight Championship – Gunther (c) versus CM Punk
CM Punk is one of the top wrestlers, and he was managed by Paul Heyman, a current WWE manager. Punk won a gauntlet match on Raw and is now the main contender to Gunther. Seth Rollins suffered a knee injury, which took him out of action. This gives Punk another chance to win championship gold since his return to WWE.
WWE Women’s Championship – Tiffany Stratton (c) versus Jade Cargill
Jade Cargill won her match over former world champion Asuka. This puts her in a title match against Tiffany Stratton, SmackDown’s world champion.
Women’s World Championship – Naomi (c) versus Iyo Sky versus Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are to challenge Naomi, the new Women’s World Champion. This triple-threat match will be a popular one to watch.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship – Becky Lynch (c) versus Lyra Valkyria
Lynch and Valkyria have been battling it out for the title. Lynch won a triple-threat match at Evolution. Valkyria won against Bayley and will want to get revenge on Lynch.
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll versus Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul
Country musician Jelly Roll will appear in a tag team match where he teams with Orton against Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. On the July 10 episode of SmackDown, Paul interrupted Jelly Roll’s performance to attack Orton. This escalated at Saturday Night’s Main Event when Jelly Roll helped Orton to beat McIntyre. Jelly Roll and Orton are currently the favorites to beat Logan and McIntyre.
