Ranking the Most Important WWE Matches Triple H Must Book For Rest of 2026
WWE is coming off a strong stretch of shows in Mexico City that have injected new life into the weekly television product and have paved a promising road for the remainder of the year.
Now the key is ensuring the company capitalizes on their current momentum, which hasn't always been an easy feat for them.
All eyes are now on Money in the Bank and putting together the most compelling card possible for Oct. 10. Along with the usual men's and women's Money in the Bank Ladder matches, Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight for the World Heavyweight Championship has been set in stone for that show.
The rematch between Reigns and Knight has been many months and arguably even years in the making, yet it's not even the biggest bout that can be booked by WWE right now.
These are the most important WWE matches Triple H must book for the rest of 2026.
7. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
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Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton is far from a fresh matchup, as the two have already waged war at WrestleMania 42 and again at Sunday Night's Main Event this year alone.
However, their last encounter ended with Rhodes hesitating to put Orton away with a punt kick of his own, leading in Orton taking advantage and stealing the win for himself. It was an inconclusive finale to their feud and thus a rubber match must be in order.
With Orton failing to qualify for the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match this past Friday on SmackDown, it's possible that it will happen as soon as Money in the Bank next month. WWE could also hold off on having them settle their score until Survivor Series at the end of November or Crown Jewel a few weeks prior.
This bout isn't the biggest priority because nothing tangible is at stake and the rivalry has had its fair share of ups and downs, but their bad blood needs to be definitively wrapped up so both can move on to other stories and potentially return to championship contention.
6. Chelsea Green vs. Tiffany Stratton
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The writing has been on the wall for months, but it's more apparent now than at any other point that Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton are headed for a big blowup sooner rather than later.
Green attempting to befriend Stratton in the spring clearly irked Stratton in storyline, but it wasn't long before she eventually accepted her as an ally. The fast friends have been as thick as thieves in recent months, but as Stratton gradually grows more and more jealous of Green's success as WWE Women's champion, she will stab her in the back.
Since the summer, Stratton has lost her Women's United States Championship due to walking into her defense against Jacy Jane injured after saving Green earlier in the evening, failed to win the WWE Women's title at SummerSlam because Green pushed her off the ladder, and has been pinned in multiple matches with The Irresistible Forces.
All of these setbacks have to be building toward Stratton reaching her breaking point and snapping on Green, reverting to her roots as a vicious and conniving heel in the process. That should be the primary WWE Women's Championship program in the final few months of the year.
5. Roman Reigns vs. Royce Keys
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The rise of Royce Keys this year in WWE has been encouraging to see for those who recognized his potential during his stint in AEW.
He was largely absent from television after debuting in the men's Royal Rumble and was directionless following his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory over WrestleMania weekend but has been a key figure in Raw's main event scene for a few months now.
His 946 faction featuring OTM from NXT has earned him a recurring role on Monday nights and a feud with Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief and the rest of The Bloodline has been busy with Penta and LA Knight as of late, but once those rivalries run their course, Keys is bound to be their top target.
WWE could just as easily hold off on booking this bout until closer to the Royal Rumble event next February, especially if Bronson Reed gets a crack at the World Heavyweight Championship in his native Australia at Wrestlepalooza in December, but it would be the ultimate attraction for a show such as Survivor Series.
Of course, Keys' chances of actually taking the title from Reigns are slim to none as WWE will presumably want to keep the belt on Reigns until he inevitably loses it to Oba Femi (likely at WrestleMania 43), but for him to headline a premium live event with one of the company's premier Superstars would be a rather rousing endorsement of the former Powerhouse Hobbs from WWE brass.
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4. Liv Morgan vs. Roxanne Perez
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The first seeds of dissension between Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez were planted in the wake of WrestleMania 42 when Morgan, the newly-crowned Women's World champion, undermined Perez and cast her off as an afterthought in The Judgment Day.
There has hardly been any follow-up since then, but it's more a matter of when than if that tension will escalate with Perez finally breaking away from her mentor and proving her worth as a singles star.
Perez will have the opportunity to qualify for the women's Money in the Bank Ladder match on the Sept. 21 edition of Raw. Not only should she advance, Perez is the perfect person to take home the briefcase.
Morgan is no longer the Women's World champ after losing the title to Stephanie Vaquer at a recent live event, so Perez having a guaranteed shot at the strap in her back pocket would surely create friction within Judgment Day's ranks.
The two-time NXT Women's champion has been overdue for a babyface turn and a heavily-hyped clash with Morgan at some point in the coming months would put her on the proper path.
3. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Becky Lynch
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After months of being tormented by The Judgment Day, Stephanie Vaquer completed her chase in regaining the Women's World Championship by beating Liv Morgan in her home country of Chile earlier this month.
Morgan's obsession with getting the belt back won't end until she gets her rightful rematch and loses, and the next logical match to do would be Vaquer vs. Morgan vs. Becky Lynch in a three-way with Lynch also in hot pursuit of the prestigious prize.
Once Morgan is eliminated from championship contention, Vaquer can set her sights solely on Lynch.
The two have yet to square off one-on-one despite both being on the Raw roster for the last year and a half. Aside from Morgan, they're the two most prominent female faces on the flagship show at the moment and thus a match pitting them against each other would have a big fight feel.
Lynch and Vaquer have been on the verge of battle since making their respective returns to Raw one night removed from SummerSlam, so WrestleMania 43 is too far off for them to have their first-ever encounter.
2. Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed
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Bronson Reed made an immediate impact upon returning from injury at Sunday Night's Main Event by obliterating Oba Femi during his bout with Bron Breakker, also leaving him laying on the next night's Raw.
With Breakker's focus shifting toward winning the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match, Reed can step up as Femi's next foe. Putting those two on a collision course could result in complete chaos similar to when Reed feuded with Braun Strowman two years ago.
Reed has looked like a legitimate threat since resurfacing on Raw and thus it would be a mistake for him to be disposed of so easily and quickly by Femi. That marquee match should be saved for a significant stage sometime soon, ideally Crown Jewel at the beginning of November.
It deserves to be more than a one-off, even if their initial encounter has a non-finish to protect both men. Femi will come out on the winning end, but there's no reason to rush through this rivalry.
With the right build, this match should have a big fight feel when the time comes.
1. Zayn vs. Owens vs. Punk vs. Gargano vs. Bálor vs. Gunther
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The Undisputed WWE Championship picture on SmackDown has been so chaotic since the summer that it's almost impossible to predict what twists and turns it will take next.
Sami Zayn is now a two-time WWE champ after unseating CM Punk for the gold in Mexico City. He's also fresh off a successful title defense against Kevin Owens on Friday's SmackDown, albeit thanks to an inadvertent assist from Punk.
Zayn vs. Owens was originally believed to be the endgame, but then WWE gave it away without announcing it in advance. A rematch down the road isn't out of the question, but with the way everyone toward the top of the card on SmackDown has been embroiled with each other in recent months, a multi-man match for the title is what would make the most sense.
Along with the aforementioned Superstars, Finn Bálor and Gunther have also been on the cusp of returning to championship contention and should be involved in whatever matchup or stipulation WWE decides to settle on. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton should be kept out until after their own rivalry is over.
It's not often that a world title is up for grabs in some sort of Six-Pack Challenge, but the excitement surrounding SmackDown's main event scene right now makes this match a must before the year is through.
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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