HUGE Change Being Discussed For WWE SummerSlam 2023

WWE could be making a huge change to SummerSlam this year.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE SummerSlam 2023 Carmelo Hayes Tiffany Stratton
WWE

WWE is reportedly discussing making a significant change to this year's SummerSlam.

As per Twitter insider Boozer (via WrestlingHeadlines.com), there have been talks in WWE of featuring NXT talents at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

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Specifically, WWE has discussed having two NXT matches on the SummerSlam card, with both to involve NXT titles.

While not confirmed, the obvious favourites in terms of title holders to be a part of SummerSlam 2023 would be NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and NXT Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton - should they still be in possession of their respective gold by that point.

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Should an NXT bout indeed happen at SummerSlam, this would mark the first time in the Premium Live Event's history that such a match has taken place. In fact, this would be the first time that any NXT talent has been featured at SummerSlam.

The closest we've previously had to an NXT talent being a part of SummerSlam was back at SummerSlam 2015. There, Sasha Banks took part in the Team PCB vs. Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bella contest, with the Boss still the NXT Women's Champion when that match was initially announced.

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Of course, Banks would actually drop the NXT Women's Title to Bayley the night before SummerSlam at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Likewise, Sasha had officially been part of the WWE main roster for over a month prior to Banks and Bayley putting on an all-timer at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

Emanating from Detroit's Ford Field, this year's SummerSlam takes place on Saturday 5 August. While no matches have been announced for SummerSlam as of yet, it's believed that the PLE will house the hotly anticipated third meeting between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.