Titles Most Likely to Change Hands at WWE SummerSlam 2021

If WWE wants to make SummerSlam 2021 not just The Biggest Party of the Summer but a standout pay-per-view, one of the best ways to do that is by having titles change hands.

A new champion being crowned is one of the best ways to make a show memorable because it creates a moment that can be recalled in future years.

Many championships will be on the line when WWE steps inside Allegiant Stadium on August 21, and more than a few of them could find new homes around the waists of other Superstars.

Let's take a look at which titles are most likely to change hands at SummerSlam.

Conspicuous by his absence, Randy Orton's presence is still apparently felt by Riddle, who continues to tout each week that The Viper is in his corner—wherever he is.

RK-Bro has had a tenuous relationship from the onset, but their chemistry is undeniable.

Riddle has struggled to take on AJ Styles and Omos on his own, particularly since the latter is an unstoppable juggernaut.

However, once Orton's music hits and he returns to fight alongside The Original Bro, the tide will turn.

That is the next step in this team's evolution. It will be far more interesting to see how they work together as champions than to cut straight to the chase of their split, which can happen further down the line. Ideally, that's the sort of feud that can lead into a WrestleMania program in 2022.

Assuming The Apex Predator hasn't been away because of some kind of injury or another circumstance that would prevent him from returning in time, the moment this clash is announced for SummerSlam, it seems inevitable RK-Bro will win the Raw Tag Team Championship.

After Sheamus destroyed Humberto Carrillo on numerous occasions, Damian Priest stepped into the United States Championship picture and has firmly put himself in contention for the title.

The Archer of Infamy has taken down The Celtic Warrior several times, scoring a win in a contenders match on July 26 as well as a tag team victory alongside Ricochet over Sheamus and John Morrison on the most recent edition of Raw.

The challenge is out there. He wants a shot at the United States title, and he's proved he deserves it. Now it's up to Sheamus to accept or WWE management to book the match regardless.

There's always a chance this takes place on Raw rather than SummerSlam, but if WWE wants to stack the pay-per-view with as many big-time matches as it can, Priest beating Sheamus for the championship would be a noteworthy moment.

In almost any circumstance, the safe bet is to assume Charlotte Flair will be victorious. It doesn't matter if she's just won or lost a championship, as WWE has no problem playing hot potato with its belts.

Whether it's a conscious effort to speed things up and get her past her father's 16 reigns, it's been happening for years. She may have won the belt at Money in the Bank just to drop it and win it again so two more are checked off.

Nikki A.S.H. hasn't been booked as a strong champion. She's fighting from underneath against The Queen. Even against Rhea Ripley, A.S.H. will be the underdog in terms of size and strength.

It's unlikely A.S.H. is the person WWE wants to be champion by the time Becky Lynch returns. That distinction will almost certainly go to Flair, the top heel on the brand.

Sooner or later, Flair's winning back the belt. If it doesn't happen at SummerSlam, it will happen on Raw or Extreme Rules.

There's less of a chance the SmackDown Women's Championship changes hands than Raw's equivalent, but it wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the world for Sasha Banks to stand tall over Bianca Belair like she's done the past two episodes of SmackDown.

Extreme Rules is the next pay-per-view after SummerSlam. In all likelihood, Belair vs. Banks in some sort of gimmick match at that event is almost guaranteed.

One method to get to a third match between the two is for them to be 1-1 so that the rubber match can settle the score. For that to happen, The Boss would have to be victorious.

Belair feuded with Bayley for months just because the latter laughed at her. Imagine how fired up The EST would be if she dropped the championship.

WWE's made it a point to tout how long she's been champion too. That could be a sign the WWE Universe is being set up to think that her reign has been long enough so that if she loses, there isn't as much outrage that she's lost the belt.

This is by no means a guarantee, but it's something worth thinking about. If not, WWE could simply have Belair retain and run a rematch at Extreme Rules without a catalyst.

After Natalya suffered an ankle injury on Raw, the state of the Women's Tag Team Championship has been in question.

WWE has yet to address whether The Queen of Harts and Tamina will be forced to relinquish the titles, only referencing the injury and booking the latter to walk out with both belts on her shoulders and to score a victory over Doudrop.

There's a chance everything stalls until Natalya is back in action and the titles stay where they are. However, any injury opens up discussion that the championship could be vacated, allowing new champions to be crowned.

Watching Nox and Shotzi or another team win the Women's Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam is a safer bet than Roman Reigns losing the Universal Championship to part-timer John Cena.

Until something concrete is said about Natalya's recovery time, this is all up in the air. However, since Nox defeated Tamina in a contenders match, that may have been the first step toward her and Shotzi winning the belts at SummerSlam.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.