WWE SummerSlam Night 1 bold predictions: Is Brock Lesnar retiring in his hometown?

In less than a few hours after Friday Night SmackDown, WWE is all set to host Night 1 of SummerSlam 2026. The PLE is to take place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A jump from the usual five-match PLE card, WWE has now embraced a trend of featuring six matches for a PLE. Maintaining the pattern, they have also announced six matches for this year’s card.

On Aug. 1, 2026, WWE SummerSlam will be available for fans to stream on ESPN in the US and on Netflix in several major international markets. SummerSlam 2026 is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) / 3:00 PM Pacific Time (PT). A post-show is also scheduled to stream immediately after the PLE concludes.

Here are ClutchPoints’ predictions for WWE SummerSlam 2026.

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi – Hell in a Cell match

Feuding against each other for several months now, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi are now set to clash in a third match to determine the actual winner between the two. While Femi secured a victory over Lesnar at WWE WrestleMania 42, Lesnar defeated Femi at Clash in Italy. With both men tied 1-1, WWE is set to host a Hell in a Cell match as a tiebreaker at SummerSlam.

SummerSlam 2026 takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which also happens to be the same place where Lesnar is billed from. In his late 40s now, is Lesnar close to retiring? While “The Beast Incarnate” seemingly retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, he came back a few weeks later. While no confirmation has emerged, Triple H recently addressed the situation and shared his thoughts on it.

Lesnar is actually expected to lose the Hell in a Cell match and pass the baton to Femi, which he also did with Cody Rhodes a few years back at WWE SummerSlam.

Our prediction: Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar

2. LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys vs. The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso)

Without any storyline significance, the six-man tag-team match featuring LA Knight, Royce Keys, and Solo Sikoa against The Bloodline [Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso] is expected to act as one of the filler matches of the night.

While the current babyface Sikoa is expected to betray his teammates Knight and Keys and turn heel, nothing else of importance has been booked by WWE in this feud and storyline. WWE has repeatedly failed to pull the trigger on Knight and push him into a title scene; a similar outcome is again expected from this match. Sikoa is predicted to backstab his teammates and possibly join forces with The Bloodline. However, it is to be seen if The Bloodline accepts him or not.

Our prediction: The Bloodline def. LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys

3. The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella and Brie Bella) and Paige vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley)

A few weeks ago, fans saw Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley defeat Brie Bella and Paige to crown themselves as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Now, instead of defending their titles, the Fatal Influence are booked for a six-woman tag-team match.

The trio of Jacy Jayne, Reid, and Henley will now take on The Bella Twins and Paige. The match is set to mark the return of Nikki Bella, who has been out of action for several months now. Bella had injured herself ahead of WWE WrestleMania 42, which prompted Paige’s return. With the three Divas-era women now reunited, fans can expect them to score the victory over the youngsters.

This could mark Bella’s last-ever SummerSlam, and fans can expect her to pick up the victory over Fatal Influence in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Our prediction: The Bella Twins & Paige def. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley)

4. Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

Nick Aldis is set to have his first wrestling match since 2023. An extremely talented wrestler, Aldis has been out of action for almost three years now. Since joining WWE a few years ago, Aldis was moved to a more televised role rather than an in-ring one.

As fans saw his rivalry with Gunther get more personal and physical, WWE decided to book him against “The Ring General” in a singles match at SummerSlam. In contrast to Aldis’ in-ring absence, Gunther has been extremely active in the ring for the past few years. A former WWE Intercontinental Champion as well as a World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther is expected to defeat Aldis.

Aldis also spent a major part of his career in TNA, where he wrestled as Magnus. Despite Aldis being predicted to lose, fans can expect a solid show of European/British style of wrestling between the two, similar to what Gunther, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre had displayed a few years ago.

Our prediction: Gunther def. Nick Aldis

5. Liv Morgan (c) vs. IYO Sky – WWE Women’s World Championship

The champion for over 100 days now, Liv Morgan has held the WWE Women’s World title since WrestleMania 42. Earlier this year, at WrestleMania 42, Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer to crown herself the new champion.

However, despite winning the title in Apr. 2026, Morgan has not defended it even once. The 2026 Queen of the Ring winner IYO Sky is now expected to defeat Morgan after Stephanie Vaquer returns and causes a distraction. With Sky winning the title at SummerSlam, WWE is expected to book a triple threat between all three women at a later date.

Our prediction: IYO Sky def. Liv Morgan

6. CM Punk (c) vs. Cody Rhodes – WWE Undisputed Championship

Returning in Chicago a few weeks ago and ending Sami Zayn’s WWE Undisputed title reign, CM Punk is now scheduled to face Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam. Punk and Rhodes are expected to main-event SummerSlam’s Night One, where Rhodes is expected to give Punk a run for his money.

The title has changed hands quite quickly in the past few weeks, and again something similar is not expected to happen at WWE SummerSlam. Punk is expected to retain his title over Rhodes and later face the winner of Finn Bálor and Sami Zayn from Night 2.

Our prediction: CM Punk def. Cody Rhodes

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