WWE SummerSlam — the company’s second-biggest show of the year — is quickly approaching. Slated to take place over the course of two days beginning on August 2 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this year’s SummerSlam is bigger than ever. But, with 8 matches currently on the card, how should WWE book it with long-term ramifications in mind?
Using Universe Mode in WWE 2K25 as a base, how should the results of SummerSlam go? And why?
Booking SummerSlam In WWE 2K25
John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes
A rematch of their woefully booked WrestleMania 41 main event, John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, likely in the main event of Night 2.
So long as there are no Travis Scott shenanigans, the match should be fine. But, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how much longer Cody can survive as a babyface. Even though he’s still incredibly popular and one of the better workers in the company, there seems to be a push to have Cody turn at some point.
Who should win: If you’ve got your Universe Mode pen out, maybe it’s time to pull the trigger on a Cody heel turn — have him win the belt from Cena in an underhanded fashion. Then, you’ve set up a ton of places Cody can go in the aftermath. On top of that, Cena’s redemption (predicated on “live by the sword, die by the sword”) before his imminent retirement can be set in motion.
Tiffany Stratton Vs. Jade Cargill
Definitely one of the trickier bouts to book on the show. Tiffany is still incredibly popular with WWE fans, so any decision to have her lose her WWE Women’s Championship could be controversial. Meanwhile, Jade Cargill has been slowly built up as a threat. Yeah, she’s still not top-tier in the ring, but eventually, WWE is going to have to put some gold on Cargill if she is to be viewed as a legitimate threat. Winning the Queen of the Ring crown was certainly a big step in that regard, but it still doesn’t feel like enough.
Who should win: I think Tiffany’s title run has been an unquestionable success and that it’s run its course. Therefore, if you’re in Universe Mode, maybe it’s time to give Jade Cargill some gold for her shoulder. This would be an incredibly controversial call in real life, and one I’m not sure WWE will pull the trigger on, but Jade needs to take the next step to determine if she’s for real. From there, you can set up a feud with her and Bianca Belair.
Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs. Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul
It wouldn’t be SummerSlam without the obligatory celebrity match. This year, they’ve decided to pair veteran and future Hall of Famer Randy Orton with singer Jelly Roll against the duo of Drew McIntyre. Now listen, this match can very much surprise, especially given how big a fan of the product Jelly Roll is and how much work he’s reportedly put in behind the scenes.
That said, on paper, it’s one aging wrestler with a celebrity partner against two full-time talents in McIntyre and Paul. Therefore, outside of being one of WWE’s signature novelty attractions, there’s not much else going on here. But, credit where it’s due, I never expected Bad Bunny to be as good in the ring as he ultimately turned out to be, so maybe we’ll all be pleasantly surprised.
Who should win: Last I checked, Jelly Rolly isn’t available in WWE 2K25. So, unless you’re willing to download a Community Creation of him for this one match, there’s not much else to do in that regard. With that in mind, I’m giving the win to McIntyre and Paul. McIntyre needs a win to eventually move on to something else. And if you want to take everything in your Universe Mode seriously, then that is probably the move you’ll make too.
Gunther Vs. CM Punk
OK, time for the good stuff! Due to Cody Rhodes winning the King of the Ring tournament and (predictably) choosing to go after Cena and the WWE Championship, Gunther was left without an opponent to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against at SummerSlam. In turn, a gauntlet match was held to determine a new No. 1 contender for Gunther’s crown, which was won by CM Punk.
On paper, this has all of the makings of a great match. Despite his age, Punk is still one of the premier talents in wrestling and is overdue for a title shot. Gunther is great as well, and is as classic a heel as there can be. But there are no easy scenarios here.
On one hand, Punk winning the championship can set up some cool stuff. On the other, Gunther has already lost the WHC once this year, and it’s unclear if having him lose it again at another marquee show is good for his trajectory. So booking this one, even virtually, isn’t easy.
Who should win: Honestly, if you’ve got all the pieces properly set up, then maybe you should book this match as WWE will likely book it.
CM Punk will win the belt from Gunther. But the celebration is short-lived, as the “injured” Seth Rollins makes his way to the ring and cashes in Money in the Bank to steal away Punk’s big moment. I know, a Rollins-Punk feud isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s the obvious move for a reason. Both guys are popular, draw money, and can carry a main event program.
Naomi Vs. Rhea Ripley Vs. Iyo Sky
Another difficult match to book, Naomi, Rhea Ripley, and Iyo Sky’s triple-threat match for the Women’s World Championship can go any number of ways. Naomi is still too early in her title reign to be dethroned without losing credibility, but at the same time, Rhea Ripley is still the biggest draw in women’s wrestling right now, and Iyo Sky isn’t far behind in that regard.
Regardless of the winner, I expect this to be one of the better matches on the card. Iyo has emerged as a multi-person match specialist, Rhea is over in perpetuity, and Naomi has gotten over big time as a heel. And all three can go in the ring.
Who should win: Again, this is a tough one to book, especially if you’re in Universe Mode and trying to plot out long-term booking. The way I see it, you can feasibly go in two directions. The first way to go is to have Naomi capitalize on some turmoil between Rhea and Iyo, who have been incredibly friendly to one another. But that could mean turning either Rhea or Iyo heel eventually, which is a tough predicament.
You can also have Naomi lose the belt, but I don’t think that having her eat a pin is good for her credibility. And then, you still have unfinished business as a result of the match being a triple threat. If you take your Universe Mode saves as seriously as I do, this is a pickle.
Becky Lynch Vs. Lyra Valkyria
Don’t get me wrong, I expect this match between Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship to be great from an in-ring perspective. However, this is one of the easiest matches to book in my eyes.
The stipulation is that if Lyra loses, she can’t challenge for the championship for as long as Becky has it. And with Lyra having already suffered some bitter defeats and being in a sympathetic babyface situation, there really is only one correct answer here.
Who should win: Lyra Valkyria. Yes, I know — the match is No-DQ. But even with some chances of highway robbery, I can’t see Lyra losing this matchup and continuing to be taken seriously by the WWE audience. She needs the win more than Becky does. If you’re a seasoned Universe Mode player, you know this as well.
The Judgement Day Vs. Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have Charlotte Flair getting over as Alex Bliss’s partner on my 2025 WWE bingo card. But WWE has made it work. And now, they’re challenging Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez of the Judgement Day for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
In Liv Morgan’s absence, Roxanne Perez has stepped up big time, and her partnership with Raquel Rodriguez has been mostly pretty good. All four of these women are at least decent in the ring, so I expect this match to be pretty good. But who should reign supreme as women’s tag champs leaving the bout?
Who should win: Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez retaining makes the most sense. Once Liv Morgan returns from her injury, there’s a tension there that must be explored. On the other hand, Charlotte and Alexa’s partnership — as fun as it’s been — isn’t made to last.
Solo Sikoa Vs. Jacob Fatu
Jacob Fatu is as legit a superstar in the making as there possibly can be. And despite not being much on paper, his feud with former Bloodline stablemate Solo Sikoa over the United States title has been worthy. But where do you go from here?
The Bloodline isn’t what it once was, but with the new additions of Talla Tonga and JC Mateo, there is room for another surge down the line. But can Jacob afford to lose another match to Solo and still retain his aura?
Who should win: I’m having Solo go over in this one. Despite the match being in a Steel Cage, you can have Fatu lose by way of interference from the Bloodline. This sets up matches down the line, and can even drag out to WrestleMania should the booking be good enough.
Dominik Mysterio Vs. AJ Styles
Over the past year, Dominik Mysterio has undeniably leveled up and has become a more well-rounded heel. This is why he won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania this year. On the other end of the ring, you have AJ Style who, is in the twilight of his career, but might be due for one last title run.
I wasn’t expecting this to be one of the better built-up feuds going into SummerSlam, but this match should be a banger. And if the booking is right, a lot of long-term stuff can be on the cards.
Who should win: I think AJ Styles winning this match makes the most sense. We already know he’s retiring soon, and Dom is already over enough to not need a title. AJ winning gives him one last opportunity to hold gold in WWE, whereas losing the IC title gives Universe Mode players a way to sow more seeds of dissent between Dom and the rest of Judgement Day.
