WWE Rumors on SummerSlam Changes; Undertaker Praises Punk; Jade Cargill Injury Update

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

WWE Reportedly Considering Changes to SummerSlam Card

WWE has announced a seven-match card for Saturday’s SummerSlam premium live event, but there reportedly could be some changes on the horizon.

According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), a WWE source said to “not be surprised” if there are some additions or alterations to the current SummerSlam card.

As of now, all seven SummerSlam matches are singles bouts without any stipulations, aside from Seth Rollins serving as special guest referee for Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk.

Since Triple H took full control of the creative process in WWE, he has generally opted for smaller match cards. Most premium live events have featured about five matches under his leadership, although there have been some exceptions.

WrestleMania 40 was a two-night affair with 14 matches in total, and since an argument can be made for SummerSlam being WWE’s second-biggest event, a slightly larger card than usual was expected.

With SummerSlam now just days away, it is difficult to envision what additional matches could be put on the card, especially since two major matches have already been booked for Friday’s SmackDown.

DIY is set to defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu of The Bloodline, while Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn will put the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Because of that, it is perhaps more likely that some of the existing SummerSlam matches will have stipulations added to them in order to make them a bit more intriguing to fans.

Undertaker Praises CM Punk’s UFC Stint

CM Punk’s brief foray into the world of MMA with UFC may have been ill-fated in retrospect, but WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker admires the fact that he even tried it.

During an appearance on MightyCast with Demetrious Johnson (h/t Jenkins), Taker gave Punk his proverbial flowers for having the guts to step outside his comfort zone:

“One thing with Punk that I do respect is the fact that he tried it. He had a huge name in wrestling before he tried mixed martial arts. He had a lot to lose because [wrestling] was his money maker and then you go over [to MMA] and get your ass handed to you. I had a lot of respect for him and the fact that he gave it a shot. It was something he wanted to do. He did it. It didn’t work out and he’s back where he should be and everything is right in the world.”

After Punk left WWE in January 2014, he was seemingly disenchanted with professional wrestling, so he decided to try his hand at another one of his passions.

UFC signed Punk in December 2014, and after nearly two years of training, he made his debut inside the Octagon, facing Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September 2016.

Punk lost that bout via first-round submission, and then went the distance in a unanimous-decision loss to Mike Jackson at UFC 225 about nine months later.

The result was later overturned to a no contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana, but it marked the end of Punk’s MMA career nonetheless.

Punk made his long-awaited return to pro wrestling in 2021 when he debuted in AEW to plenty of fanfare, but just two years later, he was released from the company in the wake of some backstage issues and disagreements.

It was unclear if Punk would ever return to WWE, but he shocked the pro wrestling world by showing up at Survivor Series in his hometown of Chicago in November.

Now, Punk is set to compete in one of the biggest matches on the SummerSlam card this weekend, as he will clash with Drew McIntyre.

Cargill Provides Update on Head Injury

Jade Cargill gave a positive update on her health Tuesday after suffering a cut on her forehead during WWE’s recent tour in Japan.

Per Nikunj Walia of Ringside News, Cargill posted a photo on her Instagram Stories last week showing a cut on her forehead, along with some dried blood on her face.

A fan expressed hope that Cargill had healed up in a post on X on Tuesday night, and Cargill suggested that she had:

Jade Cargill @Jade_CargillIt’s better! Lost some blood but it comes with the fight 🥰😎 https://t.co/kEAIVJhcr7

Cargill and WWE are fortunate that her injury does not appear to be serious since she has a major match on tap for SmackDown on Friday.

Cargill and Bianca Belair are set to challenge Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, which they previously held for 42 days.

At Clash at the Castle in Scotland back in June, Cargill and Belair dropped the titles to Fyre and Dawn in a Triple Threat tag team match that also included Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.

Cargill and Belair lost the titles despite not being involved in the decision, and they have made it their stated goal to get the championships back ever since.

On SmackDown, Cargill and Belair will finally get their opportunity to potentially become two-time tag team champs.

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