Predicting Who Will Hold WWE Championships at SummerSlam 2026

After a widely panned WrestleMania, Triple H and WWE Creative have already turned the page and started booking the rest of 2026 in an effort to win fans back.

There is a long road from WrestleMania 42 to the two-day SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on August 1-2, with WWE having to book around two Saturday Night's Main Events, Backlash, Clash in Italy and Night of Champions before the summer spectacle.

Here are the Superstars who will be holding the company's top championships at SummerSlam.

The Status Quo

While WrestleMania 42 felt like a bust for much of the WWE Universe, it did make clear how the creative team currently views some of the top names in the business.

One thing became clear after seeing the 'Mania results: WWE views several performers as cornerstone pieces moving into the summer.

As a result, fans should expect several Superstars to carry their championships throughout the spring and summer, starting with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. While Triple H has already started lining up challengers, none have the cache needed to dethrone WWE's top two performers.

In addition to the Undisputed WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship staying with Rhodes and Reigns, respectively, at least one will lose in grandiose fashion at SummerSlam.

Another Superstar not losing the belt anytime soon is Liv Morgan.

After winning the women's Royal Rumble and claiming the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania, all eyes are on Morgan to help carry the division.

WWE will be gauging to see how she handles carrying the women's division over the next several months, ensuring she makes it to SummerSlam as champion.

Championship Shakeups

While three of the company's most important titles won't be changing hands before SummerSlam, there are too many other shows between now and August for WWE not to book a few seismic championship changes.

Shockingly, the title most likely to change hands is the WWE Women's Championship. Rhea Ripley is the most popular female performer in WWE and one of the biggest stars in all of wrestling, but the company needs to have her lose the belt to a fresh face like Jordynne Grace to build another top Superstar on the SmackDown brand.

Another title that should change hands at one of the secondary premium live events before August is the Intercontinental Championship. Penta's reign hasn't been long, but he has shone bright in his moment.

Unfortunately, when the top titles aren't expected to change hands, that means the IC title is at risk, and we can expect a top name like Finn Balor to steal it away in the coming months.

With Tiffany Stratton winning the Women's United States Championship on April 24, the WWE Universe should also expect men's United States champion Trick Williams to lose the belt as well.

Playing hot potato with the secondary titles gets more performers opportunities to showcase their skills, and it should be Carmelo Hayes who wins back the U.S. title in an epic feud with his former NXT friend and foe.

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