SummerSlam is one of WWE’s biggest events of the year, always featuring some of the professional wrestling brand’s most popular stars, which begs a key question this year…
Will Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appear? The wrestler-turned-actor competed at WrestleMania 40 in April, marking his first proper match in 11 years, and he is still on the periphery of WWE’s longest-running storyline in recent years.
That involves his cousin Roman Reigns and champion Cody Rhodes, and the latest chapter in this particular story is likely to be written at SummerSlam.
But will it involve The Rock? For more context, and an answer to the question on every WWE fan’s lips, keep on reading…
When is SummerSlam?
The event will take place on Saturday 3 August at Cleveland Browns Stadium – home to the city’s NFL team – in Ohio.
There will be a kick-off show at 12am BST on Sunday 4 August (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET on Saturday); the main card will then begin at 1am BST on Sunday (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday).
How can I watch it?
Viewers worldwide can stream the event on the WWE Network, the company’s subscription service, which is compatible with smart TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, and other streaming devices.
Alternatively, viewers in the US can watch SummerSlam via the WWE Network on Peacock Premium. In the UK, SummerSlam will air live on TNT Sports, which can also be accessed via discovery+.
What are the confirmed matches?
Cody Rhodes (champion) vs Solo Sikoa (Undisputed WWE Title)
Liv Morgan (C) vs Rhea Ripley (Women’s World Title)
Damian Priest (C) vs Gunther (World Heavyweight Title)
Bayley (C) vs Nia Jax (WWE Women’s Title)
What other matches could take place? Will Roman Reigns and/or The Rock appear?
Ohio’s own Logan Paul is expected to defend his United States Title against fan favourite LA Knight, while Sami Zayn could put the Intercontinental Title on the line against Bron Breakker and Ilja Dragunov. Elsewhere, CM Punk – who returned to WWE last year after 10 years away – has been building to a match with Scottish star Drew McIntyre.
There is speculation that Roman Reigns, one of WWE’s top stars, could return during or after the main event between Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa. Reigns was last seen at WrestleMania 40 in April, losing his title to Rhodes, and the pair have been rivals for a couple of years now. Meanwhile, Sikoa is Reigns’s cousin and the pair have long been aligned.
However, in-storyline, Sikoa has taken over Reigns’s ‘Bloodline’ faction during the latter’s absence, and it is expected that Reigns could return in more of a ‘babyface’ (good guy) role, siding with Rhodes against the ‘heel’ (bad guy) Solo.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is not expected to feature, though he is involved in the main-event storyline. At WrestleMania, he teamed with his cousin Reigns to defeat Rhodes – the night before Rhodes beat Reigns one-on-one – and The Rock later vowed to return someday and settle a grudge with the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
