Add as a preferred source on Google WWE SummerSlam 2026 will feature 12 matches across two nights, but the size of the show makes the absence of several major names even more noticeable. Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre and Becky Lynch are not on the lineup, while even World Tag Team Champion Bron Breakker was left off the card.
With so many options left on the table, here are five major matches that could have taken place in Minneapolis.
5 – Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes
Dragunov and Hayes had a standout trilogy in NXT and also faced each other for the United States Championship this year, yet both are still off the SummerSlam card. A rematch at a major PLE could put both men back in the spotlight, especially Hayes, who has not wrestled on a PLE since the 2025 Royal Rumble.
4 – Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair
This would be one of the biggest matches WWE could book in the women’s division. Ripley is injured, while Belair announced her pregnancy at WrestleMania 42, which ruled out the match. Their absence helps explain why the women’s side of the card is not as strong.
3 – Drew McIntyre vs. Bron Breakker
Drew McIntyre has not appeared since losing to Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42. Breakker, meanwhile, is a World Tag Team Champion but was still left off the card, and putting the two together would create a first-time, physical matchup that could help move Breakker closer to the main event.
2 – Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee
AJ Lee defeated Lynch at Elimination Chamber, but Lynch won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship back from her at WrestleMania 42 after the referee became involved in the finish, setting up a third singles match for SummerSlam. WWE instead left one of the past year’s top women’s rivalries off the show.
1 – Gunther vs. Randy Orton
Nick Aldis will return to the ring to face Gunther, but Randy Orton would have been the ideal opponent for the Career Killer. Orton’s old Legend Killer persona would have given the match a built-in story, with Orton trying to prevent Gunther from adding another veteran to his list. It would have been a much bigger match for the first night.