Projecting the WWE Main Event Scene Through WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2025
In the wake of SummerSlam, WWE's main event scene has experienced a significant shake-up that should carry the world heavyweight and undisputed WWE title pictures through the rest of 2025.
SummerSlam saw John Cena's time as WWE's "last real champion" come to an end at the hands of Cody Rhodes, who has reclaimed his role as the face of the company. If his second stint with the title is anywhere as successful as his first, he could be in possession of the prestigious prize for many more months to come.
Meanwhile on Raw, Seth Rollins is again the world heavyweight champion after feigning an injury and cashing in Money in the Bank on CM Punk to pull off the "ruse of the century." He has no shortage of names waiting to challenge him, including at Clash in Paris where he'll be forced to defend against three of the red brand's best.
Although LA Knight will be among those in contention for the title at the event, it's doubtful he'll be positioned toward the top of the card on Monday nights beyond that. Cena is another name who presumably won't be wrestling in many main events going forward now that he's no longer the undisputed WWE champ.
With the road to Survivor Series: WarGames officially underway, this is who WWE's main event scene should consist of in the three months ahead.
Seth Rollins
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As soon as Seth Rollins cemented his heel turn at WrestleMania 41 and formed his own faction on the subsequent edition of Raw with Paul Heyman and Bron Breakker, it immediately became clear he'd be a major focal point on the brand from then on.
Sure enough, Raw has largely been built around him since then, even while Jey Uso and Gunther were enjoying their respective runs as world heavyweight champion. Rollins wormed his way into the title picture by capturing the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashing it in successfully at SummerSlam.
Now, all the enemies he's managed to make since the spring have their sights set on his precious prize. Raw general manager Adam Pearce didn't hesitate to put him in a Fatal 4-Way match at Clash in Paris where the gold will be up for grabs.
Despite that, there's little chance he loses the title so soon. There's much more he can do in the role with other credible challengers he can defend against, including those in the Fatal 4-Way itself in one-on-one scenarios.
Rollins vs. Roman Reigns doesn't appear to be imminent, but if that's the WrestleMania 42 match for next year, there's a strong possibility of The Visionary holding the title until then.
Cody Rhodes
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Cody Rhodes finds himself in a spot similar to Seth Rollins in that he recently regained gold and is bound to be in possession of it for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
Rhodes getting the belt back from John Cena was inevitable. Their WrestleMania 41 encounter was underwhelming and Cena's heel run left a lot to be desired, but they redeemed themselves with an excellent outing at SummerSlam.
In the process, Rhodes seemingly won over the audience again after a few months of getting booed.
He's now embroiled in a heated feud with Drew McIntyre after the Scot put him through the commentary table at ringside on the post-SummerSlam SmackDown. An Undisputed WWE Championship clash between the two has yet to be made official for Clash in Paris, but it's expected to be announced before long.
It's unknown when that rivalry will wrap up, but it won't affect The American Nightmare's status as a main event player in the slightest. It would be a surprise if he isn't involved in the championship conversation through at least WrestleMania 42, where a slew of potential opponents are on tap for him.
Rhodes is the measuring stick on SmackDown and can continue to be a valuable asset to WWE while on top.
CM Punk
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Since shockingly returning to WWE in November 2023, CM Punk has always been on the brink of becoming world champion again, only to fall short in situations where it mattered most.
At SummerSlam, he finally got the job done against Gunther in a grueling affair and clinched his first WWE world title in over a decade. Fittingly, the moment was spoiled by archrival Seth Rollins, effectively putting Punk back at the end of the line.
He's set to take part in the aforementioned Fatal 4-Way for the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash in Paris, but that shouldn't be where he gives Rollins his comeuppance and takes the title back. Regardless of whether he wins in the end or not, their big blow-off should be saved for Survivor Series—the same show Punk resurfaced at and rekindled his rivalry with The Visionary two years ago.
In the meantime, The Second City Saint will be a pivotal piece of Raw's main event scene and will have to combat Rollins and his group by any means necessary. Even if WWE intends to have him and The Visionary settle their score at The Show of Shows next April, don't expect their animosity to cool down anytime soon.
Even at this stage of his celebrated career, Punk is very much an attraction and belongs among the elite on Monday nights.
Drew McIntyre
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Drew McIntyre being back in the main event picture is long overdue.
He was a staple in the WWE Championship scene when he held the title on and off between 2020 and 2021, but he failed to regain the gold on every occasion thereafter. Whether it was against Bobby Lashley, Big E or Roman Reigns, he consistently struggled to win it again.
His World Heavyweight Championship win at WrestleMania 40 was short-lived due to Damian Priest cashing in Money in the Bank, and since then, he has been out of world title contention. His blood feud with CM Punk was his primary concern for the remainder of 2024, and then he shifted his focus toward Priest coming into 2025.
He informed Cody Rhodes over the summer that he'd be gunning for the Undisputed WWE Championship as soon as SummerSlam was over. And he stayed true to his promise, annihilating The American Nightmare on the Aug. 8 edition of SmackDown and sidelining him from competition indefinitely.
The only drawback to McIntyre being Rhodes' first rival post-SummerSlam is that the odds of him dethroning the champ so soon after he got the belt back are slim to none.
That said, he should remain in the main event mix for the next month or two at least and have a series of matches with Rhodes that will undoubtedly deliver.
Jey Uso
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Some fans may be sick of seeing Jey Uso in the main event picture on Raw, but not only is his nickname Main Event, but there's also no denying his immense popularity and connection with crowds.
WWE took a big leap by having him win the men's Royal Rumble match at the onset of 2025, and ultimately, the experiment paid off. His reign as World Heavyweight champion wasn't a long one, but it didn't need to be seeing as how he's always excelled while in chase mode and was over with the audience the entire time he held the belt.
Losing it to Gunther in early June hasn't halted his hot momentum whatsoever.
There's zero reason for him to reclaim the championship in the immediate future (if ever), but he does work as a believable challenger for Seth Rollins this fall. He'll first get a shot in the Fatal 4-Way at Clash in Paris, but that won't be the last time he'll contend for the title this year.
Uso and Rollins faced off on Raw in May, but their encounter ended without a decisive finish. That's worth revisiting one-on-one on an upcoming premium live event, simply so more heat can be put on Rollins once he defeats him to retain the title.
Randy Orton
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Randy Orton hasn't had a consistent presence in the main events of PLEs in many years, but that's about to change in the final stretch of 2025.
For the second straight year, The Viper came close to emerging victorious in the King of the Ring tournament but was thwarted in the finals by Cody Rhodes. That should have been designed to build toward a future feud between them, ideally for the fall of 2025 on SmackDown over the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Although Orton was involved in SummerSlam, it was an inconsequential tag team match with Jelly Roll against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul. That loss should add fuel to the fire and give The Viper even more motivation to turn heel sooner rather than later.
As the biggest babyface in the entire company, Rhodes would be the perfect foil for him, making for a compelling dynamic once they feud over the blue brand's top title. It isn't imperative Orton turn on Rhodes within the next month or so, but it should be The American Nightmare's next storyline after he overcomes McIntyre.
An Orton vs. Rhodes main event would be logical for Survivor Series, and the champion dropping the title for a brief bit isn't all that unrealistic. It's a WrestleMania-worthy program, but it could be what gives SmackDown the shot of adrenaline it has needed this year.
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.
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