As one of WWE's grandest shows of the year, SummerSlam 2024 should ideally be a stacked show on paper. As of now, it's shaping up to be a must-see spectacle with plenty of gold up for grabs and the potential for a few of them to change hands.

Gunther and Nia Jax winning the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments respectively at the end of May automatically earned them championship shots at the event. As a result, Damian Priest vs. Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship and Bayley vs. Nia Jax for the WWE Women's Championship were the first matches to be made official.

The rest of the card wasn't quite as clear but has come together exceptionally well on SmackDown and Raw in recent weeks. With two weeks to go until what WWE typically touts as the biggest party of the summer, more matches are expected to be announced imminently.

SummerSlam should not only feature marquee matches but also serve as the culmination of several storylines. This includes kicking off exciting, new angles that carry over into the fall and leave viewers looking forward to what will follow.

Ahead of the event on Aug. 3, here is the projected lineup and early predictions for each outing.

Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa

Cody Rhodes has been riding high as Undisputed WWE champion since dethroning the dominant Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, ending The Head of the Table's historic reign at just under four years.

He's knocked off the likes of AJ Styles and Logan Paul since then but has found himself once again entrenched in a ruthless rivalry with The Bloodline. In his six-man tag team match alongside Randy Orton and Kevin Owens against the group at Money in the Bank, it was Solo Sikoa who pinned Rhodes to secure the victory.

Sikoa has been laying claim to the title of Tribal Chief as of late and now has a chance to prove himself in the role by taking the title from Rhodes at SummerSlam.

Of course, the possibility of Roman Reigns resurfacing immediately afterward is more exciting than the match itself. Rhodes vs. Sikoa should be solid, but if it closes the event, the odds of a Reigns return will have skyrocketed.

Rhodes retaining is unquestionably the correct call. Randy Orton is waiting in the wings to challenge him next, while the Reigns vs. Sikoa story doesn't need a title at stake.

Prediction: Cody Rhodes retains.

World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest vs. Gunther

Following Gunther's loss of the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 40, all signs pointed to him quickly transitioning into the World Heavyweight Championship picture where he belongs.

Sure enough, he used the King of the Ring tournament to catapult him to the next level as capturing the crown earned him the right to challenge the World Heavyweight champion at SummerSlam.

To his credit, Damian Priest has come into his own in the role since successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at 'Mania and becoming champ. He's racked up wins over Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, but SummerSlam should be where his reign ends at the hands of The Ring General.

Priest is ready for his next chapter in The Judgment Day, though it isn't necessary for Finn Bálor to factor into the finish. Gunther should beat him in clean fashion as he has everyone else he's conquered on the main roster.

There's no reason to delay the inevitable. Gunther should be holding the gold walking into Bash in Berlin later in August and Priest's run has arguably gone as far as it currently can.

Prediction: Gunther wins.

Women's World Championship: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley

Although she doesn't have many title defenses under her belt, Liv Morgan has excelled as the Women's World champion thanks to her exemplary heel work in her ongoing angle with Dominik Mysterio.

The two have become a recurring highlight on Monday nights and the return of Rhea Ripley on the post-Money in the Bank edition of Raw injected even more excitement into the storyline.

Now, Dirty Dom is forced to choose between the two, and it'd make the most sense for his decision to come during Ripley and Morgan's Women's World Championship clash at SummerSlam.

To keep matters interesting, Mysterio should align with Morgan, or at the very least do something—either intentionally or inadvertently—to cause Ripley to lose. With this marking Ripley's first shot at the strap since coming back from injury, she should remain in chase mode for another month or two before reclaiming the title she was never beaten for.

Similar to Priest losing to Gunther, Ripley failing to exact her revenge on Morgan due to Dominik will create more internal turmoil for The Judgment Day and lead to the group's imminent demise.

Prediction: Liv Morgan retains.

Bo Dallas vs. Chad Gable

Every WWE premium live event since WrestleMania 40 has featured only five or six matches, but SummerSlam should have closer to seven or eight with it being one of the Big Four.

Among the additions to the card in the coming weeks should be Bo Dallas vs. Chad Gable.

In the wake of The Wyatt Sicks' destruction during their unforgettable arrival on Raw last month, a bloodied Gable could be seen laid out backstage. They've continued to stalk him and have implied that they won't rest until he gets his comeuppance for how he treated his former family in Alpha Academy.

On the July 15 edition on Raw, fans got their best look at The Wyatt Sicks yet when they fended off Gable and The Creed Brothers. The seeds seemed to be planted for a future six-man tag team match in that segment, but going to Gable vs. Dallas first would be the way to go.

This would allow Dallas to score a significant singles win and establish him as a worthy leader for the fearsome faction. It'd mark yet another loss for Gable, who has lost whenever it has mattered most this year, but it's more important at the moment that WWE get it right with The Wyatt Sicks to avoid them losing their luster before they can really get going.

Prediction: Bo Dallas wins.

WWE Women's Championship: Bayley vs. Nia Jax

Bayley and Nia Jax are no strangers to each other, having had several battles during their time in NXT as well as on Raw in the years that followed.

They've rekindled their rivalry over the WWE Women's Championship on SmackDown heading into SummerSlam, but both Superstars have come a long way from where they once were.

Bayley has become one of the most-rounded wrestlers on the entire roster, while Jax has shown noticeable improvement in the ring and as a character since returning to WWE in late 2023.

All of those factors combined should make their outing at SummerSlam their best yet, though the outcome is a little less predictable.

There hasn't been anything out of the ordinary about Bayley's title reign in recent months, but being back in chase mode may help shake things up. Jax would make for a fine heel champ for a while and would be able to hold her own, not to mention the looming threat of Ms. Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton.

Prediction: Nia Jax wins.

Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov

Bron Breakker has been on an absolute warpath since joining WWE's main roster, and although his momentum was temporarily halted by Sami Zayn at Money in the Bank, he can't be held down for much longer.

The second-generation star had a strong showing against Zayn and was made to look credible in defeat. He bounced back on the subsequent edition of Raw by attacking Zayn and Ilja Dragunov to send the message that his mission to take the title wasn't over yet.

He went on to interfere in the Intercontinental Championship main event between Zayn and Dragunov on the July 15 edition of Raw, so if it wasn't already apparently, he's made an enemy out of both men.

Zayn vs. Breakker in a one-on-one rematch at SummerSlam would be totally acceptable given how well they worked together the first time around, but adding Dragunov to the mix wouldn't hurt, either.

Regardless, the endgame should be Breakker walking out the new Intercontinental champion to continue his ascent toward the top of the card.

Prediction: Bron Breakker wins.

United States Championship: Logan Paul vs. LA Knight

LA Knight's quest to clinch championship gold in WWE is nearly complete.

After months of spinning his wheels in the aftermath of his feud with AJ Styles, Knight has finally regained direction with his sets now set on the United States Championship. Logan Paul hasn't defended the star-spangled prize since beating Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in a Triple Threat at WrestleMania 40.

It's been a highly-anticipated program from the moment they interacted on Raw for the first time heading into Money in the Bank 2023. Knight has gotten himself mega-over with the audience in that time but hasn't had anything to show for it.

His rivalry with Paul will of course culminate with him becoming U.S. champ, but the question is whether WWE will decide to give him the belt at SummerSlam or hold off a little longer.

At this point, Paul is doing so little for the title that Knight taking it off of him on the sooner side would be ideal, but Knight is bound to fall short only to win the eventual rematch.

Prediction: Logan Paul retains.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Seth Rollins as Special Guest Referee)

Of everything advertised for SummerSlam as well as rumored, CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is far and away the biggest attraction of them all.

Despite being at odds for nearly seven months, their match has yet to be announced in an official capacity for the event. Punk's status could still be uncertain if he hasn't been cleared to compete, but it's equally possible that WWE is simply waiting to until the July 22 edition of Raw to confirm it for the card.

Expect Punk vs. McIntyre to be set in stone soon and for Seth Rollins' role at the event to simultaneously become clear when he's named the special guest referee, per a recent report from WrestleVotes.

With Punk costing McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions this year, McIntyre must get a measure of revenge in the form of a decisive win at their initial one-on-one encounter. Rollins could potentially provide assistance in some form or fashion in retaliation for Punk getting involved in his championship opportunity at Money in the Bank.

Their rivalry will resume through the remainder of the year, but only if McIntyre evens the score at SummerSlam.

Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.