With twenty championships on offer across all WWE brands, a title reign could only be a match away for top stars on their respective shows.
On the main roster, WWE Raw and SmackDown have five championships up for grabs each, with one being contested on either brand.
WWE NXT also has five titles, with Evolve having two and WWE ID also having its own two championships.
Each champion has a target on their back, with the possibility of the title being lost, but which WWE stars could step into the championship spot on SmackDown?
Undisputed WWE Championship
Currently held by Sami Zayn, who defeated CM Punk on the September 11 episode of SmackDown this year, the Undisputed WWE Championship has also been in the hands of Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre during 2026.
Sami Zayn’s first run ended nine days after he defeated Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat match also featuring GUNTHER at Night of Champions on June 27. A three-time Undisputed WWE Champion, CM Punk would be the star who ended Zayn’s first reign.
Zayn may be the Undisputed WWE Champion, but Punk, Kevin Owens, GUNTHER, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, Randy Orton, and Cody Rhodes are all seeking a chance to end the reign.
WWE Women’s Championship
Despite suffering an orbital bone injury, Chelsea Green was able to successfully defend the WWE Women’s Championship in a victory over Nia Jax on the September 11 episode of SmackDown.
Initially the interim WWE Women’s Champion, following Rhea Ripley suffering an injury that continues to sideline her, Green was officially recognized at the lineal champion on last week’s SmackDown, with the reign backdated to her August 2 win at SummerSlam.
Rhea Ripley will no doubt want to take the championship back upon her return, with that date still to be revealed. In the meantime, Money in the Bank could provide the perfect opportunity to determine the next contender, although a SmackDown star is yet to qualify for the titular women’s match.
WWE United States Championship
At Sunday Night’s Main Event, Trick Williams defeated Baron Corbin to start his second reign as WWE United States Champion.
A stepping stone to the top title, that would be a good trajectory for Williams to take after he loses the United States Championship.
When it comes to potential contenders, the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match could play a part, with Bron Breakker and Je’Von Evans so far qualifying. Although not confirmed, it would be a good time for Ricky Saints to contest for his first main roster championship, with Trick Williams as the target.
WWE Women’s United States Champion
Jacy Jayne defeated Tiffany Stratton on the August 14 episode of SmackDown to become WWE Women’s United States Champion.
Only the fifth star to hold the title, Jayne will likely also have her Fatal Influence teammates to hand to keep the title around her waist. A victory over Paige on August 28 marks a high point for the star and could lead to a bigger program with the veteran, leading to the familiar sound of “And new…”, although the post-match attack by Nikki Bella could see the Hall of Famer involved, too.
WWE Tag Team Championship
The MFTs (Tama & Talla Tonga) have held the WWE Tag Team Championship since August 14 and, under the guidance of Haku, may be in for a long, dominant reign.
Bakusai, the team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki, are the most obvious choice for the next WWE Tag Team Champions, although a slow-burn series of intense encounters would be the best way to establish the recent signing before pulling the trigger on the title change.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Contested across either Raw or SmackDown, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship is currently held by Fatal Influence members Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid.
The open nature of the title offers plenty of opportunities across both brands for contenders, but keeping it SmackDown could see Jade Cargill, B-Fab & Michin as the next champions, defending the title under Freebird Rules. Seeing Cargill, B-Fab and Michin deliver their own brand of aggression on Raw as well as SmackDown would add to the notoriety of all three stars.
Opening New Opportunities
It’s not difficult to see why the top title on either brand seems to change hands between the usual suspects, particularly after Triple H addressed the issue of the top spots in the SummerSlam post-show press conference, saying:
“Big believer in if you want the spot, go take it. It’s there for everybody to take. When anyone says I don’t know why I’m not in that spot, I don’t know, are you more over than Cody? Roman? Punk? Liv? IYO? Those are the people in that spot, get there, make those crowd reactions happen.”
For the championships lower down the card, though, those could potentially fit into Triple H’s mindset of:
“Figure out how it gets done. I’ve seen a million talent succeed because of what they do, not because of storyline or creative gave them the spot.”
Arguably, that’s how Chelsea Green has found herself in the spot she’s in, and it’s a format that other stars could potentially use to expose themselves to the right eyes to get moved up.
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