Mistakes WWE Must Avoid With SummerSlam 2024 Match Card

SummerSlam 2024 has a chance to be one of the biggest shows of the year for WWE. With big title matches and major drama, this is the most dramatic event in the company since WrestleMania 40.

Cody Rhodes will face the most dangerous challenger of his Undisputed WWE Championship reign in the form of The Bloodline's new leader, Solo Sikoa.

Damian Priest hopes to prove himself as world heavyweight champion against the dominant Gunther, while Rhea Ripley will look to regain her Women's World Championship by taking down Liv Morgan.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will finally face each other in a contest refereed by Seth Rollins, and LA Knight hopes to put an end to Logan Paul's reign of terror as United States champion.

Bayley will aim to survive the dangerous threat of Nia Jax for her WWE Women's Championship while Tiffany Stratton lurks with her Money in the Bank briefcase.

Sami Zayn faces a dangerous Bron Breakker with his Intercontinental Championship on the line.

This show could be truly special, but it could also set WWE on the wrong path in the months to come. The company must avoid some likely pitfalls to deliver a great show.

The following are the mistakes WWE must avoid at SummerSlam to deliver the best show and set the stage for months to come.

Cutting Cody Rhodes' Title Reign Short for Bloodline Drama

Cody Rhodes' history with The Bloodline has evolved over the past year, after he finally overcame Roman Reigns at WrestleMania only to face a new threat in Solo Sikoa.

The self-proclaimed new Tribal Chief has become a nightmare for Rhodes, sending Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa after him and his friends, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.

The American Nightmare will likely walk into Cleveland without backup on Saturday night, setting him up to lose against Sikoa. However, it's not the right time for him to drop the world title.

Rhodes has been champion for well over 100 days, but it hardly feels like his reign has started.

His victory at 'Mania was a special moment in WWE history. If he fails at the first serious hurdle, it will make that moment matter less in hindsight.

Sikoa would only win to fuel a Roman Reigns return, making the world title scene all about The Head of the Table once again. That is moving backward rather than forward.

Not Crowning LA Knight

It is beyond time for LA Knight to hold championship gold.

While Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso may be the most over men in WWE, The Megastar is close to that mark.

He constantly delivers above his spot and has remained popular without a sustained push for over a year.

A feud with Logan Paul teased over a year ago in the build to Money in the Bank 2023 is finally paying off. It is beyond time for Knight to take down The Maverick.

Paul has held the United States Championship for over 260 days, defending it just twice. Even if the title has risen in standing by association, it is time to move on to someone who can elevate the gold.

Knight is the perfect man to do that for the U.S. title, and WWE must not miss the opportunity to give him his due at Cleveland Browns Stadium this weekend.

Forcing a Tiffany Stratton Cash-In Too Soon

In the history of the Money in the Bank briefcase, only one woman has held it beyond SummerSlam: Carmella.

Iyo Sky cashed in last year at The Biggest Party of the Summer, while the five others did so on the same night or within one day of the event.

Many of the best Money in the Bank holders have taken advantage of a longer stretch carrying the briefcase from Edge to Seth Rollins.

Tiffany Stratton will benefit from carrying her own briefcase for a while, treating it like a championship until her moment comes to make a lasting impression.

Bayley vs. Nia Jax could be an opportunity for The Center of the Universe to cash in, but it would be a complete waste of a longer story that will fully prepare Stratton to carry the top women's title.

Giving Bron Breakker Another PLE Loss

Bron Breakker should have won the Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank on July 6. The build since then to set up a rematch has confirmed this.

Sami Zayn is walking into this rematch with the same story as one month prior. The only difference is the number of days he has held the title on his shoulder.

As good as Zayn has been as champion, time is passing by him as a top titleholder in WWE. Breakker is ready to hold the gold and needs to be champion for the rest of the year on Raw.

The 26-year-old is one of the most exciting men to watch in WWE. He will make the most of a chance to run with the intercontinental belt.

WWE must not waste any more time. It's time to crown Breakker.

Moving Back to Rhea Ripley Too Fast

Liv Morgan has held the Women's World Championship for just over 60 days so far. She won the gold as a direct message to Rhea Ripley, who had to vacate the title in April due to injury.

Morgan's previous reign lasted less than 100 days, and she needs more time to be champion this time around. The match at SummerSlam is an important moment for her to become more than just a stop-gap titleholder.

If the 30-year-old loses, it invalidates her as a top competitor; if she wins, she can finally begin to tell her story as a top star beyond Mami.

While Ripley will be a great champion again, she does not need the gold to be seen as Raw's top woman. She will make the most of every story she is involved with.

Morgan is at a crucial point of her career, though. Saturday's result will make or break her.

Staying Too Committed to Judgment Day Drama

The Judgment Day will go down as one of the great factions in WWE history, but that should not distract from the up-and-down effect it has had on Raw.

Seemingly, not a week goes by without multiple segments checking in on what the stable is doing. And it often holds multiple championships, sometimes across multiple brands.

Damian Priest is finally getting his time in the sun as world heavyweight champion, but his individual accomplishments have been largely overshadowed by the presence of The Judgment Day.

The Punishment cannot win a match without some interference, even when he asks to work alone. Finn Bálor is both Priest's best ally and most dangerous potential rival.

This is all to say that The Punishment vs. The Prince is a money match that is likely on the horizon, but it should not involve the World Heavyweight Championship. That title should be held by Gunther after a memorable victory at SummerSlam.

The Judgment Day can tell its next story without championship gold.

Forcing a CM Punk Victory

CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November. Due to an unfortunate injury in his first match back, he has yet to win a match eight months later.

SummerSlam could be his moment, but WWE has a greater story to tell with Drew McIntyre defeating him on Saturday.

A win for The Best in the World would be a victory for the sake of a victory. A win for The Scottish Warrior would further fuel this story of hatred, selling that McIntyre is more than just bravado.

Punk will eventually defeat the Scot and put this rivalry behind him. His first match back, after months of getting the better of McIntyre at every turn, is not the right time.

Punk must be willing to fail at first so that his rise matters all the more in the coming months, building toward the WrestleMania main event he has always wanted.