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    7 WWE Superstars who featured at SummerSlam 2025 but are absent from this year’s card

    AdminBy No Comments5 Mins Read0 Views


    It was last year when WWE SummerSlam turned into a two-night event. The global juggernaut hosted The Biggest Party of the Summer in New Jersey. This year, the company is set to take the event to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 1 and 2.

    The card for this year’s event is taking shape, with six matches announced so far. That said, interestingly, there are several stars who participated in last year’s spectacle but are absent from this year’s card. Let’s look at six such WWE stars who competed at last year’s SummerSlam but are on the sidelines this year.

    #7. John Cena

    John Cena main evented Night Two of SummerSlam 2025 in a Street Fight against Cody Rhodes. He defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against The American Nightmare in a rematch from WrestleMania 41. Cena had freshly turned face and went on to put on a barn-burner against Rhodes.

    The Franchise Player lost the bout and the title in what is considered one of the highlights of his retirement tour. That said, the 17-time world champion retired from in-ring competition in December and will not be competing at this year’s event as a result.

    #6. AJ Styles

    AJ Styles competed at SummerSlam 2025 in a singles match against Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. Despite a strong performance, he came up short and failed to win the title.

    It turned out to be his final SummerSlam match. The Phenomenal One is not expected to compete at this year’s event after retiring earlier this year. The former WWE Champion put his career on the line against Gunther at Royal Rumble 2026 and was forced to retire after losing the match.

    #5. Drew McIntyre

    Drew McIntyre competed in a high-profile tag team match at SummerSlam 2025. He teamed up with Logan Paul to defeat Randy Orton and Jelly Roll on Night One of the event.

    However, he has been absent from WWE television for months. McIntyre has not appeared on WWE programming since WrestleMania 42 in April 2026. He was written off television after losing an Unsanctioned Match to Jacob Fatu.

    The former world champion has reportedly been away from WWE to work on Hollywood projects. While there is always a chance he could make a surprise return, he is currently not on the card for SummerSlam.

    #4. Logan Paul

    Logan Paul also won’t be competing at this year’s event. Paul has been out of action since suffering a torn left triceps during a World Tag Team Championship match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in May. The injury occurred while he attempted to catch a dive over the top rope.

    Although he has made a few appearances wearing an arm brace, he has not been medically cleared to compete. As a result, Logan Paul is expected to miss SummerSlam 2026 after competing in one of the show’s biggest attractions last year.

    #3. WWE legend Randy Orton

    Randy Orton was last seen at WrestleMania 42, where he failed to win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes in the main event of Night One. Despite a heated post-match angle with Rhodes, Orton has been absent since The Show of Shows.

    Due to his absence, The Viper is not scheduled to compete at SummerSlam 2026. While a surprise return cannot be ruled out, he is not on the card for The Biggest Party of the Summer.

    #2. Naomi

    Naomi entered SummerSlam 2025 as the Women’s World Champion. She successfully retained the title by defeating Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY in a Triple Threat Match that opened Night Two.

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    However, that was her last match before stepping away from WWE. A few weeks after SummerSlam, Naomi announced her pregnancy on RAW and vacated the Women’s World Championship. She has been away on maternity leave ever since.

    As a result, Naomi will miss SummerSlam 2026 after beginning last year’s event as the reigning Women’s World Champion.

    #1. Bronson Reed

    Bronson Reed opened SummerSlam 2025 in a tag team match alongside Bron Breakker. The duo faced Roman Reigns and Jey Uso but came up short on Night One.

    He has been out of action for several months. Reed suffered a torn distal biceps during an Elimination Chamber qualifying match on RAW in February. The injury forced WWE to change the finish of the match, with Jey Uso picking up the victory.

    The former NXT North American Champion underwent surgery a few days later and has remained sidelined ever since. A torn distal biceps typically requires several months of recovery, which has kept him out of action throughout the summer.

    As a result, Reed is expected to miss SummerSlam 2026 after competing in the opening match of last year’s event.