Ranking the 6 Biggest SummerSlam Storylines Heading Into the Show

From a slow-burn grudge that has no business being this good to a legacy tag match built on nostalgia, here’s how the SummerSlam build stacks up.

SummerSlam season is here, and the build has been a mixed bag of genuine surprises, safe nostalgia plays, and one feud that quietly became the best thing on the card. So let’s do what wrestling fans do best: argue about it. Here are the six biggest storylines heading into the show, ranked by how much they’re actually earning your attention — not just how much airtime they’re getting.

1. Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

Yes, an authority-figure grudge match is topping this list, and I’m as surprised as you are. On paper this had “filler” written all over it. Instead, as we broke down in our look at why the Gunther-Aldis slow burn is the smartest thing on the SummerSlam card, this thing has been built with patience most modern feuds don’t bother with. When Gunther powerbombed Aldis through a table to make it official, it landed because they earned it. This is a masterclass in less-is-more storytelling.

2. CM Punk’s Whatever-This-Becomes

Punk is Punk. The man could main event a parking lot and people would show up. He’s already teasing new gear for SummerSlam, which is exactly the kind of low-stakes detail that becomes a talking point because of who’s saying it. That’s the Punk effect: even his ring attire generates a news cycle. Whatever he’s doing on this card, it’s a needle-mover, and ranking him this high is just acknowledging reality.

3. The Bellas and Paige vs. Fatal Influence

The six-woman tag pitting Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, and Paige against Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid is a fascinating collision of eras. On one side, three of the most recognizable names in women’s wrestling history. On the other, a hungry trio with everything to prove. The star power is undeniable, but this ranks in the middle because the outcome feels obvious — and the real value is in whether the younger crew gets to look like a million bucks in the process. If Fatal Influence gets built up rather than fed to the legends, this jumps a few spots in hindsight.

4. The Kyle Fletcher Momentum

This one isn’t a SummerSlam match, but Fletcher is having a moment worth folding into the conversation. The guy is everywhere — from a chaotic brawl with Bandido at AEW’s Comic-Con panel to openly naming Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley as his favorite opponents. Fletcher is being positioned as a legitimate top-tier talent, and the crossover chaos at Comic-Con is exactly the kind of unscripted energy that gets eyeballs. He’s proof that the SummerSlam weekend spotlight isn’t the only game in town.

5. AEW Redemption’s Undercard Grudges

While WWE hogs the marquee, AEW is quietly cooking on its own front. Mark Davis vowing payback against Andrade El Idolo with the AEW National Championship on the line is the kind of meat-and-potatoes grudge story that keeps a promotion’s midcard alive. It’s not going to dominate headlines, but it’s honest, character-driven wrestling. That said, with Dynamite’s viewership dipping and finishing fifth on cable, AEW needs these feuds to convert into reasons to tune in. The story is good; the audience math is the worry.

6. The Roster Churn Nobody Can Ignore

Ranking this last doesn’t mean it matters least — it means it’s the slow-burn backdrop to everything else. Talent movement has been constant, with Royce Keys (the former Powerhouse Hobbs) citing personal reasons for his AEW exit and jump to WWE. The reshuffling of who’s where shapes every card down the line. It’s not a match, but it’s the storyline underneath all the storylines — and the one that’ll matter most six months from now.

That’s my order. Do you buy Gunther-Aldis as the true best of the bunch, or is a legend-fueled tag or a Punk showcase the real draw? Sound off in the comments and let us know how you’d rank it.