WWE is preparing for what might be its most exciting summer season yet. They’ve planned a major event to start off SummerSlam week—a tournament with superstars from all three brands.
Andrade’s Speed Championship Defense
Andrade has successfully defended the WWE Speed Championship once again. He beat the inaugural champion, Ricochet, last month and then retained his title against Xavier Woods on July 5. The latest tournament started on July 10, with Baron Corbin defeating Angelo Dawkins. On July 17, Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov fought to a three-minute time-limit draw, automatically giving Corbin a win. However, Corbin lost to El Idolo today, just 48 seconds before the end of the five-minute match.
Upcoming Eight-Man Tournament
TODAY on #WWESpeed!@AndradeElIdolo vs. @BaronCorbinWWE for the #WWESpeed Championship! Will @AndradeElIdolo retain or will we have a new WWE Speed Champion? 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zokmzwEMWY
— WWE (@WWE) July 24, 2024
The next #1 contender for Andrade’s Speed Championship will be determined through an eight-man tournament featuring RAW, SmackDown, and NXT superstars. The first round begins on July 31 with Joaquin Wilde facing NXT Tag Team Champion Axiom.
Other first-round matches include Pete Dunne vs. Julius Creed, Austin Theory vs. Montez Ford, and Je’Von Evans vs. Ashante “Thee” Adonis. The winners of Wilde vs. Axiom and Dunne vs. Creed will meet in the quarterfinals, while Theory vs. Ford and Evans vs. Adonis will face off as well.
Semifinals and Title Match
The semifinals will feature the winners from Wilde vs. Axiom against Dunne vs. Creed, and Theory vs. Ford against Evans vs. Adonis. The victor will become the new #1 contender for Andrade’s title, with his third defence likely airing in mid-September.
WWE Speed: New Producers and Viewership Updates
Pete Dunne began producing WWE Speed matches earlier this year, before the series premiered on X. Shawn Daivari produced some matches in April and May, and Nick Aldis joined the team in May, according to Fightful Select.
Dunne resumed his behind-the-scenes work on Speed in late May. As of June 1, The BruiserWeight, SmackDown General Manager, and The Mid-Eastern Nightmare are all producing Speed matches. Kenn Doane recently produced his first match for Speed, featuring Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes.
Impressive Viewership Numbers
#WWESpeed is averaging an astounding 1.5 million views per episode on @X. 20 episodes in, and we’re just getting started. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/EdepuTC5lC
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 12, 2024
Triple H recently shared on X that WWE Speed is averaging 1.5 million views per episode. “WWE Speed is averaging an impressive 1.5 million views per episode on @X. We’re 20 episodes in and just getting started. Stay tuned…” Triple H posted.
WWE and X signed an exclusive two-year deal earlier this year for Speed to air on their platform. The matches will not be shown on other networks or platforms, and new episodes will air weekly throughout the year.
Also Read: Top 5 WWE Superstars of 2024: The Best in Wrestling
