WWE SummerSlam 2023: Matches and Predictions

What better way to wrap up this summer than by celebrating the last of these humid days with the latest iteration of SummerSlam? This year's installment of WWE's annual August spectacular will take place smack dab in the middle of Detroit, Michigan and emanate from Ford Field (that stadium looked awesome when it featured WrestleMania 23!). We got some major feuds set to conclude here (Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar and Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn Bálor, for example), a major triple-threat women's match, and the epic continuation of The Bloodline storyline. Let's cover all those marquee bouts and more as I dive deep into my WWE SummerSlam 2023 predictions.

RELATED: The Wrestling Classic's 50 Best WWE SummerSlam Matches of All Time

Match Participants: Apollo Crews, JD McDonagh, Rick Boogs, Otis, Ivar, Erik, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tommaso Ciampa, Cameron Grimes, Austin Theory, Santos Escobar, Giovanni Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser, Ridge Holland, Butch, Matt Riddle, Omos, The Miz, Grayson Waller, Karrion Kross, Chad Gable, Bronson Reed, AJ Styles, and LA Knight.

Preview & Predictions: If this is the only way we can get L...A...Knight (YEAH!) on this year's SummerSlam card, then so be it! I would have much rather preferred to have seen Knight get a United States Championship opportunity against Austin Theory and win the thing to get the biggest pop of the night, but I can't have everything I want (life can be so cruel...). Anyways, I'm sure me and most Knight "Stans" will be more than content with him getting his arm raised as the winner of this SummerSlam Battle Royal. And that image is the exact one I'm predicting will become a reality! Knight's winning here, no doubt in my mind.

Preview & Predictions: The walking condominium known as Gunther has been enjoying the best WWE Intercontinental Championship run in recent memory. Thanks to his amazing in-ring exploits and frightening stature, he has claimed important victories over the likes of Ricochet, Sheamus, Rey Mysterio, and Matt Riddle. Now we're due for a one-on-one encounter that will surely result in scarred red chests due to the repeated chops Gunther and his opponent Drew McIntyre will deliver to each other.

I'm so conflicted here - I would love to see Drew emerge from this match as the new IC Champion after making such a grand return at this year's MITB, but Gunther's record-breaking reign shouldn't really end here. I think the folks backstage that make all the major decisions are going to embrace my second viewpoint and keep the belt on Gunther and inch ever so closer to breaking the Honky Tonk Man's record for the longest time as IC Champion. I have no doubt in my mind that Gunther will continue reigning as WWE's ultimate final title-holding boss way past November 9, 2023. Sorry, Drew...

Preview & Predictions: Good Friends, Better Enemies! For all the WWF veteran fans out there that remember the In Your House PPV series, that one's for you! So now the Mixed Martial Arts maestros who were once a formidable duo are now at each other's necks because of Shayna Bazler's shocking betrayal. I was hoping she and Ronda Rousey would settle their differences in that Fight Pit that Matt Riddle's been featured in as of late. But instead, we're getting an MMA Rules affair that will most likely end in either a KO, TKO, or submission. I think Rousey is ready to wrap up her WWE career here, folks - I'm convinced that she wants to bow out gracefully by having a match with her best friend. With all that being said, I foresee Baszler getting the big W and sending off Rousey to much greener pastures outside of the WWE.

Preview & Predictions: While the women's division over on the Raw side is a bit uninspired these days, the ladies over on SmackDown are going extremely hard over the title that currently sits around the waist of Asuka. Ever since she captured the WWE Women's Championship from Bianca Belair at this year's Night of Champions, the former titleholder and the returning Charlotte Flair have both targeted the top women's prize on Friday Nights with a renewed sense of passion and fervor. Now we've gotten to the point where both those women now find themselves both getting a simultaneous title shot in the form of your usual Triple Threat Match setup.

Now the prediction for this match I'm about to call out here will probably piss off Charlotte haters, but here goes - I get the feeling that Asuka's reign as champion will come to a disappointing end here. And the way it will come to a close won't even involve Asuka getting pinned or submitted - Charlotte will be the one who ends up tapping out Belair and be left standing as the champion at the end of this multi-woman contest.

But check this out, though! I don't think Charlotte is actually going to leave this show with the title still intact - Iyo Sky will hit the ring out of nowhere, finally cash in her Money in the Bank title shot, and triumphantly finish Charlotte off with a graceful Moonsault to leave this show as the new queen of the Blue Brand!

Preview & Predictions: IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! I've been chomping at the bit to see these high-flyers get 15+ minutes to cook on the major stage of a PLE. Logan Paul and Ricochet first made headlines when they collided with each other in midair during this year's Royal Rumble, then they got involved in a pretty nasty table crash spot at this year's MITB. After producing two of the most jaw-dropping in-ring moments of 2023 thus far, both men will now get the chance to pull off even more insane high-flying stunts in a one-on-one encounter. While I'd love to witness Ricochet emerge from this match with a major W on his record over the social media celeb turned-wrestler, I'm too much a realist to choose Brother 'Chet as the victor here. My WWE SummerSlam 2023 predictions select none other than Paul to prevail here in a match that could end up on many fans' end-of-year best-bouts lists.

Preview & Predictions: Am I tripping or have we STILL not gotten an explanation as to why Brock Lesnar has been beating Cody Rhodes' ass since April? I would have enjoyed this feud a million times more if it involved Cody fighting for his life as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion (which he should have won at WrestleMania 39, mind you!) against his toughest challenge to date. Sadly, I've been forced to watch both men fight each other for no other reason than "LET'S FIGHT JUST BECAUSE!"

And if we're going to keep it all the way real, none of the PLE matches that have gone down between Cody and Brock have been any good. At this point, we all know Cody is going to bring this tiresome rivalry to a close and break the 1-1 record between him and his monstrous foe. It would have made more sense if this match had some sort of special stipulation attached to it, but whatever. Cody wins here and goes on to engage in other feuds before he crawls his way back to the "Tribal Chief" for another shot at the title he should have won months ago.

Preview & Predictions: Now that Monday Night Raw viewers finally have a top heavyweight champion to look to during every episode, a new batch of excitement has been injected back into the show. Seth "Freakin" Rollins, his incredibly catchy theme song, and weekly showcases of his fashionably over-the-top drip have garnered him a bigger fanbase. And the fact that he gets to enjoy all of this newfound adoration while holding the newly installed World Heavyweight Championship is great. Back at this year's Money in the Bank, Rollins and Finn Bálor had a decent yet unspectacular match for the title. And I correctly predicted that Rollins would retain his newly won prize.

But as I look at the current makeup of The Judgment Day, I'm inclined to think that a different end result will play out this time around. Damian Priest is walking around with the MITB briefcase,
Rhea Ripley rules the Raw women's division as its reigning champion, and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio holds the NXT North American Championship. Seeing as how The Bloodline isn't the top stable in WWE anymore because The Judgment Day now holds that top honor, I get the feeling that the powers that be want them to really solidify their top spot on Monday nights with another piece of gold.

I say all that to say this - to complete the title holding supremacy of The Judgment Day, Bálor will shock the world and emerge from this show as the new World Heavyweight Champion. The Judgement Day in 2023 will totally look like the championship-filled version of Evolution from 2004!

Preview & Predictions: And now we've reached the end of my WWE SummerSlam 2023 predictions by "acknowledging" the ongoing saga of The Bloodline. Ever since Jey Uso separated himself from Roman Reigns' stable, he's made it his mission to knock the top dog of Smackdown off his perch and claim his two title belts in the process. Both men delivered in spades when they went head-to-head at Clash of Champions and Hell in a Cell 2020. Now in 2023, Roman and Jey are going to come to blows once more in a new match type that will pretty much apply the rules of your average Street Fight to the championship proceedings. WWE SummerSlam 2023 will mark the debut of...TRIBAL COMBAT! Here's hoping this one's better than whatever the hell that Nigerian Drum Fight at 'Mania 37 was supposed to be.

I'm fully expecting hella shenanigans to transpire during this matchup - Jimmy Uso is gonna pop up to defend his brother once Solo Sikoa makes his presence felt and Paul Heyman will definitely target Jey for superkicking him a few weeks back. Even though I would love to see Jey finally overcome his cousin and leave the SummerSlam 2023 main event with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, we all know that result won't realistically come to pass. To the surprise of no one, I'm predicting a triumphant victory for Roman here.

Now the question remains - who could possibly step up to the Tribal Chief next? I could see either Bobby Lashley, Sheamus, or AJ Styles getting pushed into that top challenger spot for this year's Payback!