WWE SummerSlam Predictions (Sunday): Will Cody Rhodes Redeem His Loss To John Cena?

Redemption thy name may be Cody Rhodes.
The American Nightmare has one final shot to save professional wrestling this Sunday night when he challenges John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
Will Rhodes learn from his fatal mistake from WrestleMania 41 and not hesitate to put down the Never Seen 17-time World Champion when he has the opportunity? Will Naomi be able to outlast both Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY without the use of the Money in the Bank contract?
Will Becky Lynch, AJ Styles, Solo Sikoa and The Wyatt Sicks all still be holding onto their respective championships after the 'Biggest Party of the Summer' comes to an end?
Rick Ucchino, Zack Heydorn and Blake Lovell round out our panel for this weekend's massive two-night SummerSlam, and they are attempting to answer all those questions and more.
Get more in depth analysis on each match coming up on SummerSlam Sunday in our predictions video above and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
You can also check out our selections for the Saturday SummerSlam card here.
Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship

Dominik Mysterio's first reign as Intercontinental Champion was temporarily derailed due to injury. This match was supposed to take place at Night of Champions, but with Dom unable to compete, it was pushed off until this weekend. While that delay resulted in some great character work from AJ Styles, this will mark just the fourth time that Mysterio has defended the title since he won it at WrestleMania 41. It still feels too soon for Dirty Dom to drop the belt, but don't rule out the possibility.
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: Dominik Mysterio
Zack Heydorn: Dominik Mysterio
Blake Lovell: AND NEW!... AJ Styles
Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu for the Men's United States Championship in a Steel Cage Match

After having him go on a rather significant losing streak, the WWE creative team is suddenly back in the Solo Sikoa business. The former Tribal Chief is in the midst of his most significant push since he defeated John Cena. He's also been thriving from a character standpoint as he continues to showcase more of his personality with each passing week. Jacob Fatu is still massively over. He's still a monster, but a steel cage won't stop the MTF's from screwing him over again. Or will it?
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: Solo Sikoa
Zack Heydorn: AND NEW!... Jacob Fatu
Blake Lovell: Solo Sikoa
Six-Way TLC Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships

The SmackDown Tag Team Division was not to be denied again. The Street Profits, #DIY and MCMG sent a message to the creative team with the spectacular TLC Match last April after they were left off the WrestleMania 41 card. It was so good that WWE chose to run it back at SummerSlam, only with three more teams added to the mix. It would not be shocking to any of these six duos win the gold, but we all like the company to run with the hot hand of Andrade & Rey Fenix.
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: AND NEW!... Andrade & Rey Fenix
Zack Heydorn: AND NEW!... Andrade & Rey Fenix
Blake Lovell: AND NEW!... Andrade & Rey Fenix
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria for the Women's Intercontinental Championship

Is history set to repeat itself at SummerSlam? Becky Lynch returned from hiatus in Las Vegas, turned heel, stole a title and is now in the midst of helping build up and put over a young new star. Sound familiar? It's the exact same playbook that was run with Bianca Belair years ago, just on a expedited timetable. Zack and Blake believe that WWE will follow through with putting Lyra Valkyria over at SummerSlam, but Rick just isn't convinced that this reboot will have the same ending.
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: Becky Lynch
Zack Heydorn: AND NEW!... Lyra Valkyria
Blake Lovell: AND NEW!... Lyra Valkyria
Naomi (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. IYO SKY for the Women's World Championship

Have your popcorn ready, because these three women are about to put on a show. Any time you have Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY in the ring together, a sure fire banger is about to commence. The dynamic is only that much better with the reigning Women's World Champion added into the mix. This triple threat contest does fall victim to circumstance, as it's really hard to see Naomi losing the title in her first defense three weeks after she won it at Evolution. It may be a different story at Clash in Paris.
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: Naomi
Zack Heydorn: Naomi
Blake Lovell: Naomi
John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship in a Street Fight

Are the days of John Cena's historic 17th World Title reign numbered? They should be. The future WWE Hall of Famer has done everything within his power to deliver a memorable title run, but now it's time to start his real retirement tour. Cody Rhodes should prevail in this Street Fight to allow Cena's redemption arc to begin and culminate properly within the dates left on his calendar.
The American Nightmare will capture his second WWE Championship at SummerSlam. The question is whether or not he leaves MetLife Stadium with the belt. If plans for a worked injury and surprise Money in the Bank cash-in were spoiled, why not have a 'hurt' Seth Rollins cost CM Punk the World Heavyweight Championship on night one and then really swerve everyone by stealing the WWE Title from Cody on night two?
Predictions:
Rick Ucchino: AND NEW!... Seth Rollins steals the title from Cody with a surprise MITB cash-in
Zack Heydorn: AND NEW!... Cody Rhodes
Blake Lovell: AND NEW!... Cody Rhodes
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Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com