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WWE SummerSlam is rapidly approaching. Chatter amongst the WWE Universe has already begun about what to expect at the biggest event of the summer.
SummerSlam has historically been seen as one of WWE's biggest shows of the year, and 2021 is no exception. Rumors have already begun to swirl about SummerSlam possibly emanating from a stadium in the United States with live fans in attendance.
Due to the large scale of the event, plus the potential return of live fans to WWE programming, many within the WWE Universe are expecting to see several big name superstars make their big returns at SummerSlam this year.
From former champions and free agents to WWE Hall of Famers, let's take a closer look at five Superstars that could return at SummerSlam this year.
#5 Former WWE Universal Champion Goldberg
WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg's reputation and popularity amongst fans is polarizing to say the least.
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion has often been criticized for his short, dominating matches since returning as a semi-active performer in 2016.
Since returning, Goldberg has defeated the likes of Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt on the way to winning the Universal Championship on two separate occasions.
Last year, Goldberg revealed that his contract expires in 2023 with the Hall of Famer scheduled to appear in two matches per year. The former Universal Champion last competed at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January, where he was defeated by then-Champion Drew McIntyre in a title match.
Therefore, we can expect Goldberg to compete in one more match before the year comes to a close. Given the significance of a large SummerSlam event, one could expect Goldberg to get the phone call from Vince McMahon to compete at the event.
#4 Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan has been the talk of the professional wrestling industry for the past few weeks.
Daniel Bryan was unsuccessful in capturing the Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 37 as he and Edge were defeated by Roman Reigns in a spectacular triple threat match.
Several weeks later, Daniel Bryan was once again unsuccessful in challenging for the Universal Championship as he was defeated by Roman Reigns on Friday Night SmackDown.
However, due to the loss, Daniel Bryan was "banned" from Friday Night SmackDown as per the agreed pre-match stipulations. In reality, Daniel Bryan's WWE contract has expired and the former World Heavyweight Champion is now a free agent.
There has been a plethora of speculation as to what lies ahead in Daniel Bryan's future in wrestling. However, reports suggest that many within WWE fully expect Bryan to re-sign with the company and return to television.
Re-signing with the company could coincide with a return to television for Bryan at SummerSlam this year. The former World Heavyweight Champion could quickly pick up his rivalry with Roman Reigns over the Universal Championship on Friday Nights should Daniel Bryan return at the biggest event of the summer.
#3 Former WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar
The WWE Universe continues to speculate about when Brock Lesnar will return to WWE television.
The Beast Incarnate hasn't been seen on WWE programming since he was defeated by Drew McIntyre in the main event of WrestleMania 36 for the WWE Championship.
It was reported that Lesnar's contract had expired with no new agreement being reached, meaning The Beast was officially a free agent.
While it has yet to be reported that Brock Lesnar has re-signed with WWE, many within the company expect Lesnar to return to the promotion eventually.
Many expect Brock Lesnar to return once the live audience comes back to fill in arenas on a regular basis. This is because Lesnar's expensive contract can be further justified when WWE is running larger shows with paying fans in attendance.
It has been reported that WWE will resume touring and running shows with a live audience in July of this year. This means that, in addition to likely emanating from a large stadium, this year's SummerSlam event will have live fans in attendance.
Therefore, SummerSlam could also mean the return of Brock Lesnar to programming. After an almost 18-month hiatus, could The Beast be set to return to a WWE ring once again?
#2 Former WWE Champion John Cena
The WWE Universe hasn't seen John Cena compete inside a WWE ring for over two years.
The former 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion competed in his last traditional wrestling match on a January edition of Monday Night RAW in 2019. Since then, the future WWE Hall of Famer has been largely absent from television as he pursues his interests in television and film in Hollywood.
While John Cena was set to compete at WrestleMania 36 in 2020, due to the global pandemic, his match against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt was altered into a cinematic presentation as he was defeated by Wyatt in a FireFly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36.
Many within the WWE Universe expected John Cena to compete at WrestleMania 37 this year as the event marked the return of live fans to WWE programming for the first time in over a year. However, Cena was unable to appear at the event due to filming commitments in Canada related to his upcoming Peacemaker television series on HBO Max.
John Cena is still filming for the television series, however production is expected to wrap up at some point in June. This would allow John Cena the necessary time to return to the United States, quarantine and be ready for a possible SummerSlam appearance.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that the former 16-time World Heavyweight Champion could compete at a SummerSlam event for the first time since 2017.
#1 Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch
WWE fans are clamoring to see the return of The Man to and it looks like they won't have to wait too much longer. Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch hasn't been seen on WWE television since announcing her pregnancy in May 2020.
After her announcement, The Man relinquished the RAW Women's Championship and subsequently went on maternity leave.
Since then, Becky Lynch has remained largely quiet on social media as she welcomed her and Seth Rollins' first child together in December 2020. In recent weeks there has been rampant speculation as to when Becky Lynch will finally return to WWE programming.
Rumors, which were also fuelled by Lynch on social media, suggested that The Man could even return at WrestleMania 37 in April. However, the former RAW Women's Champion did not make an appearance on the grandest stage of them all.
As SummerSlam is the biggest event of the summer and a tentpole event for WWE, many in the WWE Universe are looking towards the biggest party of the summer as a possible moment for Becky Lynch's return. With live fans in attendance, it would certainly be the perfect place for The Man to finally make her return to WWE.
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