Bianca Belair won the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam — but her title reign was short-lived.
Two WWE Women’s Championship changes took place at Saturday night’s pay-per-view. First, Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match to win the title. But just moments later, IYO SKY cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Belair to become champion.
The story of the triple threat match revolved around Belair overcoming a knee injury. After briefly being taken out of the match, Belair limped back to the ring. When Charlotte had Belair in the Figure Eight, Asuka spit mist into Charlotte’s face. Asuka then went to kick Belair, but Belair cradled her to get the win.
SKY’s music hit and she and Bayley ran out with the Money in the Bank briefcase. They attacked Charlotte, Asuka, and Belair with the case. SKY struck Belair in the knee with the briefcase before cashing in. Once the bell rang, SKY hit a moonsault from the top rope and pinned Belair.
One of WWE’s hottest acts picked up a signature victory on Saturday night.
LA Knight won the 25-man SummerSlam battle royal by last eliminating Sheamus. The final four wrestlers in the battle royal were Knight, Sheamus, AJ Styles, and Bronson Reed.
After Reed eliminated Chad Gable, Knight was able to find enough strength to get Reed over the top rope. Styles was then eliminated following a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. Karrion Kross, who is feuding with Styles and was eliminated by him earlier in the match, interfered to cause Styles’ elimination.
With Sheamus on the top turnbuckle, Knight hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Knight then clotheslined Sheamus over the top rope to win the match.
This is the 40-year-old Knight’s first time winning a WWE main roster pay-per-view match. He’s gained momentum in recent months with the fans getting behind him and chanting his catchphrases wherever WWE goes.
Omos was a surprise entrant in the battle royal, wrestling his first televised match since Backlash. Everyone who was left in the match joined together to eliminate Omos.
Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar’s rivalry ended with a show of good sportsmanship.
The feud between the two came to an end with Rhodes defeating Lesnar at SummerSlam on Saturday night. After his loss, Lesnar went face-to-face with Rhodes. Lesnar then extended his hand for a handshake. The two shook hands, Lesnar hugged Rhodes, and Lesnar raised Rhodes’ arm in the air.
Lesnar beat down Rhodes throughout most of their match, including giving Rhodes an F5 through the announce table. Rhodes fought back and pinned Lesnar after hitting three consecutive Cross Rhodes. Rhodes also sent Lesnar into an exposed turnbuckle and applied a Kimura on Lesnar during his comeback.
Rhodes and Lesnar had a 1-1 record against each other entering SummerSlam. Rhodes defeated Lesnar at Backlash this May, but Lesnar evened things up with a victory at Night of Champions.
During an appearance on the SI Media podcast last week, Rhodes said he wanted SummerSlam to be the moment where he could move on from Lesnar and remind everyone that he’s still focused on his goal of winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship:
‘d love SummerSlam to be the moment that’s like, ‘Hey, moving forward. Hopefully defeating Brock Lesnar. Moving forward.’ And without saying anything. Without doing the old ‘this little number’ around the waist. Let them know, the thing I came back for, we’re still on the path. We’re still on the path. And I want to be confident about it in the best of ways because you rode with me all the way to WrestleMania in Los Angeles and hopefully they can ride with me to wherever it is and wherever we go next.
Date: August 5, 2023 Location: Ford Field in Detroit, MI
**********
Show Recap —
KICK-OFF SHOW —
Kayla Braxton, Jackie Redmond, Booker T, Wade Barrett and Peter Rosenberg hosted the kick-off show. They announced Barrettâs move to the Raw commentary team.
They plugged Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar.
Alpha Academy were shown eating Slim Jims. Well, only Otis was eating them.
Titus OâNeil and Byron Saxton announced donations to local charities.
They plugged the matches and aired commercials and that was the bulk of the pre-show.
SUMMERSLAM MAIN CARD —
They had Kid Rock do the intro.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves are on commentary.
They didnât waste time getting going and the opening bell rang at 8:08 pm ET.
Logan Paul defeated Ricochet (17:59)
Paul slowed down Ricochet early on with a back elbow and a neckbreaker on the apron. Paul mocked Ricochetâs injured tag partner Braun Strowman before hitting a powerslam. He also hit a Hulk Hogan-inspired leg drop (while doing the splits). The crowd booed Paul, who ate it up.
Ricochet fought back and acted as though heâd do a Peopleâs Elbow but did a standing moonsault instead. Paul tried a Spanish Fly off the apron but they (sort of) landed on their feet and Ricochet hit a Spanish Fly on the mats. Paul responded later with a Buckshot Lariat over the top to the outside. Paul hit a high cross and a standing moonsault for two.
They fought to the top rope and Ricochet hit an avalanche neckbreaker. Ricochet followed with a handspring elbow, springboard clothesline, and standing shooting star for two. There was a cool sequence where Ricochet caught a Paul moonsault attempt but Paul reversed into a tornado DDT for two.
Ricochet responded with a Recoil but Paul got his knees up on a shooting star press for a two count. Paul hit a flapjack and springboard frog splash for two. Ricochet came back with a superkick, detonation kick and springboard moonsault for two. Ricochet tried a 630 but Paul dodged it.
Someone handed Paul brass knuckles and he clocked Ricochet with a right hand for the pinfall win. (They didnât reveal who handed him the brass knux.)
This was pretty good.
Cole said, âThat was a great match but the ending suckedâ which is a funny line. I thought the finish worked here.
********
Sheamus was shown arriving in a monster truck.
Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar (17:29)
Rhodes got a super reaction.
Rhodes attacked Lesnar as he warmed up in the ring and the ref rang the bell to start. Lesnar responded with a high-angle German suplex but Rhodes came back with consecutive Disaster Kicks. Rhodes tried another but Lesnar tackled him out of mid-air. Rhodes avoided a corner charge and followed with a suicide dive.
Lesnar took control anyway, chucked Rhodes around and hit a vertical suplex for two. Lesnar hit a few German suplexes as they showed Rhodesâ mother Michelle in distress in the front row.
Rhodes kept getting knocked out of the ring but kept getting back in. Lesnar knocked him back out and yelled, âSave yourself!â Rhodes rolled back in and Lesnar said, âCody, this is only going to get worse.â Lesnar hit another suplex.
Lesnar knocked Rhodes out a couple more times and he kept getting back in. Lesnar got frustrated and gave him an F5 on the floor. Rhodes got back in at a nine count and the fans cheered.
Rhodes fired up and hit a few right hands but Lesnar quickly hit another suplex before giving him an F5 through the announce table. Cole tried to talk some sense into Cody. Rhodes got back in at nine. Lesnar gave him an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Lesnar gave him a German suplex as Rhodes ripped off the top turnbuckle cover.
Rhodes was finally able to knock Lesnar down by hitting him with the steel steps. Rhodes followed with a Disaster Kick and Cody Cutter. Rhodes hit another Cody Cutter â this time from the top â for a nearfall.
Lesnar applied a Kimura Lock but Rhodes eventually got a rope break. Lesnar tried an F5 but Rhodes pushed him chest-first into the exposed buckle. Rhodes applied a Kimura and Lesnar sold it big but powered out of it.
Rhodes countered an F5 into three consecutive Cross Rhodes for the pinfall win. The crowd was pumped for Rhodesâ win.
â After the match, Lesnar got up and got in Rhodesâ face. Lesnar shook Rhodesâ hand, embraced him, and raised his hand for the crowd. The crowd popped big for this.
(Cole was a little too over-dramatic saying something to the effect of, âThe American Nightmare has arrived.â)
********
LA Knight won the Slim Jim Battle Royal
Most of the entrances happened during a break. Miz was on his way out after the break. LA Knight and AJ Styles got full televised entrances. The bell rang to start the match but MVP stopped everyone by announcing Omosâ entrance. Everyone started fighting as Omos entered.
Omos entered and immediately eliminated Apollo Crews, JD McDonagh and Rick Boogs. Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci eliminated Otis, so Gable eliminated Vinci. Tommaso Ciampa eliminated Erik and Ivar of the Viking Raiders before eliminating Shinsuke Nakamura. Bronson Reed eliminated Ciampa and Ridge Holland.
Austin Theory eliminated Cameron Grimes, Santos Escobar eliminated Theory, and Karrion Kross eliminated Escobar. Gable eliminated Kaiser and the crowd yelled, âThank you!â Omos lifted Butch and Matt Riddle and easily eliminated them.
LA Knight started taking the fight to Omos to the delight of the crowd but Omos dropped him with a boot. Everyone teamed up on Omos leading to Styles giving him a Phenomenal Forearm. Everyone eliminated Omos together.
Grayson Waller and Miz teamed up on Gable but he avoided elimination. Knight eliminated Miz and the crowd popped. Sheamus eliminated Waller. Styles eliminated Kross. Gable tried to suplex Reed but Reed eliminated him (and the crowd booed).
Knight eliminated Reed (the way Chris Benoit eliminated Big Show) and the crowd popped. Styles had Knight set up for a forearm but Kross grabbed his leg from outside the ring. Sheamus booted Styles out for the elimination as Kross screamed at Styles.
Knight fought off Sheamus and the crowd loudly sang along as he spelled out his name. They fought back and forth until Knight hit an overhead suplex. Knight then eliminated Sheamus for the win. The crowd was happy.
The referee did the little MMA spiel to start the match for both wrestlers. Rousey offered to fist bump before the match (Cole noted that she had never done this before), but Baszler declined.
They did some stuff until Baszler kicked Rousey in the head, knocking her out of the ring. Baszler had control briefly until Rousey responded with a knee to the gut and a knee to the head. Some fans became restless as medical staff checked on Baszler in the corner. Rousey chucked the medical staff out of the ring.
Baszler fired up and fought back but Rousey blocked a Kirifuda Clutch. Rousey tried an armbar but Baszler countered that with an ankle lock. Rousey countered that into a sleeper.
Baszler fought out and put Rousey in the Kirifuda Clutch. Rousey passed out and the ref called for the bell. Cole called it a technical submission and said Baszler got what she wanted by submitting Rousey.
(Going with âMMA rulesâ was an obvious mistake and this didnât go over well at all from the start. If the company wasnât hot right now the crowd likely wouldâve been much harsher on this.)
********
They announced an attendance of 59,194.
Gunther defeated Drew McIntyre to retain the Intercontinental Championship (13:42)
Cole noted that Gunther was only 32 days away from breaking the record for the longest IC title reign.
McIntyre had the early edge until Gunther dropped him back first onto the steel steps (which the announcers undersold). Gunther hit chops, a double underhook suplex and clotheslines. They traded clotheslines until Gunther dropped him with one and hit a German suplex but McIntyre popped up and dropped Gunther with a clothesline.
McIntyre hit chops, consecutive overhead suplexes and a neckbreaker. Gunther ducked a Claymore attempt and hit a dropkick but McIntyre came back with a powerbomb and DDT for two. Gunther rolled out of the ring so McIntyre hit a flip dive. McIntyre went for a Claymore but Gunther again hit a dropkick, followed by a powerbomb for a nearfall. Gunther followed with a splash for two.
They exchanged many chops until McIntyre ducked one and hit a Claymore Kick for a nearfall. The crowd chanted âThis is awesome.â
They exchanged strikes on the top until Gunther crotched him on the top rope. Gunther followed with a splash, clothesline, and powerbomb for the pinfall win.
Gunther retained. McIntyre stormed to the back as Gunther posed.
(The crowd was quiet to start, perhaps because of the previous match, but really got into it towards the end.)
********
Seth Rollins defeated Finn BĂĄlor to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (18:26)
Rollins wore magenta tights but also wore a black and green vest â the same one he wore for their match seven years ago. BĂĄlor had âSEVENâ painted on his shoulder â the same shoulder he injured in that match.
BĂĄlor decked Rollins from behind as he soaked in the crowd singing his song before the match. Rollins fought back and the ref separated them before officially starting the match.
BĂĄlor targeted Rollinsâ shoulder but Rollins fought back with a falcon arrow and three straight suicide dives. BĂĄlorâs lip/mouth was busted open. BĂĄlor draped Rollinsâ arm over the top rope and drove his shoulder into the ring post.
BĂĄlor powerbombed Rollins into the barricade (as Rollins did to him years ago) and followed with a slingblade and headlock elbow drop for two. BĂĄlor applied an armbar but Rollins hoisted him up and hit consecutive buckle bombs and a frog splash for two.
BĂĄlor hit a double foot stomp and dropkick into the corner. BĂĄlor went up but Rollins brought him down with a superplex. Before Rollins could follow through with something else, BĂĄlor applied a schoolboy for two. They exchanged kicks which led to both men going down.
BĂĄlor hit a dropkick but Rollins avoided a Coup de Grace and hit a Pedigree for a nearfall.
The crowd got to their feet as Damian Priest made his way down with the briefcase. They exchanged cradles until Priest clocked Rollins behind the refâs back. BĂĄlor followed with a Pedigree for a close nearfall.
Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio made their way down to ringside. The ref held them back as BĂĄlor argued with Priest. Rollins used the distraction to hit a curb stomp for another close nearfall.
Rollins wiped out Priest with a dive before stomping Dom.
When he returned to the ring, BĂĄlor gave Rollins a slingblade, dropkick and Coup de Grace for an extremely close nearfall.
Priest left the briefcase in the ring, presumably for BĂĄlor to use as a weapon, and distracted the ref. As BĂĄlor went to grab the briefcase, Rollins stomped him onto it for the pinfall win.
The crowd was really into the last part of this match.
********
There was a sponsored pretaped segment that saw Alpha Academy put Miz into an equipment box.
Triple Threat Match: Bianca Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair to win the WWE Womenâs Championship (20:46)
Asuka entered second despite being the champion. If youâre wondering why â Belair entered last so she could pose on the ramp while drinking from an energy drink sponsor.
Belair and Charlotte showed off some athleticism early on until Asuka dropped them both with suplexes. Belair and Asuka had an exchange until Charlotte dropped them with a high cross.
This led to a messy sequence where Charlotte was supposed to do something to both women in the corner but needed the refâs help with her gear. Belair and Asuka just stood there selling for a while until Asuka decided to try the Asuka Lock to kill time. Charlotte wound up doing the planned spot which didnât look good either, basically clotheslining them in the corner.
Belair got a chance to shine later but when she tried a moonsault on both women, they both got their knees up. Asuka put Charlotte in the Asuka Lock but Belair broke it up with the moonsault.
Charlotte hit (missed) Belair with a moonsault off the top to the outside but Asuka kicked Charlotte. Asuka dropped Charlotte with a DDT off the top which also didnât look great and Belair broke up the cover.
Charlotte booted Asuka from the ring before Belair gave Charlotte a release German suplex. Asuka tried to steal the pin but Charlotte kicked out. Asuka applied an armbar but as Charlotte got to her feet, Belair slammed her. Asuka put Belair in the Asuka Lock and Charlotte tried a cover with Asukaâs shoulderâs down but she kicked out.
Charlotte hit a moonsault on both women but they both kicked out.
Charlotte dumped Belair from the ring and she seemed to land awkwardly on her knee. Officials ran out to check on Belair as the other two women continued. (They showed replays so you could hear the crash of the steel steps but never actually showed a potential injury.)
Asuka gave Charlotte a superplex as officials helped Belair up the ramp. Charlotte hit Asuka with a spear for two.
As Charlotte applied a Figure Eight on Asuka, Belair shoved away the officials and limped down to the ring and up the ropes. Belair hit a 450 on the elevated Charlotte â which looked insane â for a nearfall.
The next sequence led to Charlotte putting Belair in the Figure Eight but Asuka sprayed mist in Charlotteâs face. It seemed like Asuka might win as a result but Belair rolled her up for the pinfall win. Belair is the new champion.
(The Belair 450 was awesome but the overall match was hampered by too many creatives three-way spots that went wrong.)
â IYO SKYâs music hit and the crowd went nuts. Bayley helped SKY take out Charlotte and Asuka with the briefcase. SKY cashed in.
IYO SKY (w/Bayley) defeated Bianca Belair to win the WWE Womenâs Championship (0:08)
SKY attacked Belair with the briefcase before officially cashing in. She climbed the ropes as the bell rang and hit the moonsault for the pinfall win.
The crowd was into all of this. They also cheered as Dakota Kai appeared to celebrate with her friends. New life for Damage CTRL.
SKY got some time to celebrate on her own, too.
********
They began entrances after 11:20 pm and the main event started at 11:35 pm.
Tribal Combat: Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) defeated Jey Uso to retain the WWE Universal Championship (36:03)
The match started slowly as Reigns held control for the first 4-5 minutes until Jey came back with right hands and a suicide dive. Jey also drove him into the steel steps. The crowd chanted âWe want tablesâ so Jey pulled one out.
Jey was distracted as Heyman tried pleading with him and Reigns was able to take advantage. Jey fought back until Reigns hit him repeatedly with a kendo stick and with repeated clotheslines.
Reigns went for a Superman punch but Jey hit him repeatedly with the kendo stick until it broke and followed with a flip dive. Jey came off the top but Reigns caught him mid-air with a Superman punch for two.
Jey countered a spear into a schoolboy for two. Jey followed with a superkick and an Uso splash but Reigns kicked out. Jey hit Reigns on the back twice with a steel chair as Heyman tried pleading with him.
Jey chucked about ten steel chairs in the ring and tried a superplex but Reigns slipped out and powerbombed him onto a few chairs for two. Reigns set up a table in the corner but Jey wound up giving him a Samoan Drop off the apron through a table outside the ring.
Despite the weapon spots, the match was fairly dull up to this point. About 25 minutes into the match, Jey grabbed a strap and whipped Reigns with it.
The fight wound up in the crowd with Jey in charge but Solo Sikoa charged in to save Reigns and put Jey through a table. Sikoa put Jey on his shoulders and carried him to ringside as Reigns directed traffic. Reigns ordered Sikoa to put Jey down so Sikoa gave him a Spinning Solo.
Sikoa and Reigns were about to do their double-team spot but Jey dodged and Reigns speared Sikoa. Reigns was shocked as Jey speared him for a nearfall.
Jey hit both men with a steel chair but Sikoa saved Reigns again by superkicking Jey. A frustrated Sikoa stared down Reigns and the distraction allowed Jey to spear Reigns through the barricade.
Sikoa attacked Jey but Jey superkicked him and splashed him through the announce table.
Jey speared Reigns and the crowd got to their feet as he followed with an Uso splash but the cover was broken up as someone in a hood pulled Jey out of the ring.
It was Jimmy Uso.
The crowd booed and chanted, âF*ck you, Jimmy.â Jimmy superkicked Jey.
As Jey watched Jimmy leave, Reigns speared him through a corner table for the pinfall win. Reigns retains.
The match ended around 12:10 am and the show concluded at 12:15 am.
WWE will be looking to continue its trend of well-reviewed big shows at tonight’s SummerSlam.
This is a notable time for WWE PLEs/PPVs. We seem to have entered an era where every big monthly event on the schedule feels special and unique. SummerSlam from Detroit’s Ford Field will likely be no different.
Over the last year, WWE has either run stadium shows for top-tier events (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble), or a show from an underserved market (Backlash, Money in the Bank, etc.). They are events with either huge crowds of 40,000+ people or the rabid audiences of under 15,000 weâve seen in Puerto Rico, Montreal, and recently, London.
The events from Saudi Arabia have also begun to feel less like spectacle one-off shows and more integrated into WWEâs long-term storytelling.
All of that is to say that if recent trends continue, SummerSlam (8 PM Eastern on Peacock/WWE Network) is going to be an important and entertaining show.
However, one reason tonight might feel a touch bigger and more important than Backlash, Night of Champions or Money in the Bank is that Roman Reigns will be defending the WWE Universal Championship on the show. Not counting recent house shows in Mexico City and Cincinnati, it will be his first title defense since defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania. Going four months between championship defenses on WWE programming is an excellent way to make every title match feel important.
Below are previews and predictions for each match at WWE SummerSlam 2023.
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso in a Tribal Combat match
Reigns is a -5000 favorite to retain.
The betting world is not giving Uso much of a chance to dethrone his cousin at SummerSlam. However, stranger things and bigger upsets have happened before.
While much of The Bloodline angleâs success has come from the drama within the group and Uso’s conflicted facial expressions, the entertainment value of Reigns’ title reign cannot be understated either. I donât think itâs coming to an end just yet.
He has defended his title five times since becoming a double champion by beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam last year. WWE successfully built up the belief that Reigns could have lost three or four of those matches as well. Many thought Drew McIntyre would win the title at Clash at the Castle last year, quite a few fans then believed Sami Zayn could beat him in Montreal, and still more fans were left flabbergasted when Rhodes didnât walk away from WrestleMania as the champion.
The game plan might be to keep building fans up into thinking they will finally see the fall of Reigns, only to yank it away from them after a series of intense near falls.
The most likely endgame for his title run is another clash with Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. However, Iâm not even certain heâll lose the belt there. Maybe Rhodes’ story is that he tries and fails multiple times before finally winning the title when heâs 50.
Jey Uso isnât going to win this match, but the story told should be excellent. Itâs SummerSlam so expect a big âhappening,â including the possibility of a new Bloodline member debuting.
Prediction: Reigns retains
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar III
Rhodes is a -1500 favorite to win.
Rhodesâ story continues at SummerSlam as his program with Lesnar, which started the night after WrestleMania, likely concludes in Detroit.
Lesnar is 46 and in a perpetual state of near retirement. At this stage in his career, itâs about him making others look strong. He spent a year doing that for Reigns and now heâs spent the last four months doing the same for Rhodes. After this, Lesnar will probably take a vacation until the Royal Rumble.
Rhodes, the true babyface, will overcome his injured arm, Lesnarâs size advantage, and likely several other factors as well to come out the winner. Iâm expecting this result to be more definitive than his win at Backlash, too.
I do believe the story is eventually to get back to Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania again. Rhodes’ story might be similar to that of Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito or others who lost in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom before finally winning the biggest match of their life. The idea is the fans see the protagonist fail at first, but then they train harder, find something deep within themselves, and come back even stronger the next year. The message of the morality play is to never give up, even when you are seemingly outmatched. If done well, it could be the best WrestleMania to WrestleMania story WWE has ever done.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
Paul is currently a -700 favorite to win.
As of this writing, there is currently some âfunny businessâ going on with the betting odds here. Multiple sites have different odds listed and BetOnline has Paul at a -700 favorite and has locked bets being placed on Ricochet. What any of that means, if anything, is unclear.
While the strange odds fluctuations are interesting, I donât see why WWE would have Ricochet go over Paul here. Dave Meltzer reported that the idea was for Paul to have an âin-ring showcaseâ match at SummerSlam, so the idea here is to create viral moments and highlights that will spread on social media to an audience not necessarily familiar with WWE.
Paul really needs a win. He hasnât gotten one since defeating The Miz at SummerSlam last year. In the year since, Paul has failed to get his hand raised against Reigns in Saudi Arabia, in the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, or against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. At some point, heâs going to need to start winning matches.
Prediction: Logan Paul
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler in an MMA rules match
With Rousey rumored to be leaving WWE, at least for the time being, it looks like itâs going to be her longtime friend and training partner who she puts over on her way out.
The videos airing on Raw detailing the history between the two friends have been excellent. They actually contain some very interesting philosophies on life and friendship.
Baszler feels like Rousey used her, only letting her live with her for free so she would have a training partner available 24/7. Baszlerâs motivation to attack and challenge her former friend is that Rousey didnât reciprocate the help she gave her. Rousey, on the other hand, explained her feelings by reciting a fable that may or may not actually exist (I searched and couldn’t find it).
In the former UFC star’s tale, a king is saved by a stable boy. The king is grateful so he gives the boy anything he wants to repay him. The king made sure that the boy had all the best accommodations, much like she gave to Baszler, the best food, got him jobs, and more, all similar to Rondaâs relationship with Shayna. The fable continues that one day, the stable boy began to feel entitled to the gifts and decides to overthrow the king and take everything from him. Rousey/the king is crushed because she thought the stable boy/Baszler was loyal to her.
âI wanted to be Shaynaâs friend so badly, I gave her everything to the point that she hated me for it,â Rousey said in the promo.
âThe thing is, Iâve given Ronda everything a friend should give and sheâs never given it back,â Baszler stated.
This match might not be that great because neither is a perfect wrestler, but it will be special to both of them and will tell a deep story, likely with a few Easter eggs and callbacks to previous moments from their careers.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
Currently, both wrestlers are listed at -120 to win.
The betting world doesnât know if Balor or Rollins is going to walk away from SummerSlam with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I do, though: Rollins.
The success of The Judgment Day has revitalized Balor, but heâs not going to beat Rollins for the title. The drama with Balor right now is the growing tension between him and Money in the Bank winner Damian Priest.
Balor was distracted by Priestâs presence at ringside with the briefcase when he wrestled Rollins at Money in the Bank, so Iâd be surprised if they repeat the same finish. Perhaps this time, Balor does something to prevent Priest from cashing in. Dom Dom and Mami will be crushed.
It should be a great match, but I have little doubt Rollins will still be champion when itâs over.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends against Drew McIntyre
Gunther is a -600 favorite to retain.
What happens here depends on what’s going on between McIntyre and WWE as of late. The most recent reports regarding his status with the company have his deal up in early-2024. Unless heâs signed an extension or a new deal that nobody knows about, I wouldnât expect him to beat a guy like Gunther right now.
Gunther is less than two months away from breaking Honky Tonk Manâs record for the longest single reign with the Intercontinental Championship. Heâs not going to lose it until he breaks that record or if HTM makes a shocking return, hits Gunther with a guitar, and performs a full version of ââ”Hunka Hunka Honky Love,” costing the champion his title in the process.
Prediction: Gunther retains
WWE Womenâs Champion Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair in a triple threat
Asuka is a -140 favorite to win. Flair is listed at +175 and Belair is at +350.
This title is eventually going to find its way back to Flair; itâs just not certain when exactly that will happen. It will be soon, though, and I think most likely, it happens tonight. The triple threat rules allow Asuka to retain while keeping the other two strong, but thatâs not necessarily what they will do.
Asuka could retain and then drop it to Flair in the coming months, but SummerSlam is the big show and it makes sense for Flair to win it on a big stage.
Prediction: Charlotte Flair wins the title
25-man battle royal presented by Slim Jim
No odds are currently available, but I think we can all agree LA Knight is a top pick to win.
As of Friday night, Santos Escobar, Butch, Ridge Holland, Grayson Waller, The Miz, AJ Styles, Karrion Kross, Luke Gallows, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tommaso Ciampa, Chad Gable, Otis, Matt Riddle and LA Knight were the announced participants.
How WWE moves forward with Knight should be very interesting. Itâs hard to deny how much live crowds love the guy, but what really matters is how much confidence Vince McMahon has in him. If someone isnât Vinceâs chosen guy, it’s going to be quicker to pull the rug out from under him.
Although, with WWEâs Executive Chairman having undergone spinal surgery recently, itâs not really clear who is in charge of Knightâs professional life at the moment.
Assuming WWE does recognize fans want Knight in a bigger role, he should win this match. If Knight then went on to recreate all the famous Randy Savage Slim Jim commercials from the 90s as well, few would complain.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including previews of Rampage, Smackdown, Collision, SummerSlam and more this weekend, plus news on the Elite signing new deals, AEW ratings, a live Q&A and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including the SummerSlam card and what changes have been made, All In on PPV, Max and Cole do big numbers with FTR, the world famous RAW report and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
After weeks of build, Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus will not take place at WWE SummerSlam, but on an episode of Raw next month.
As announced during Monday’s Raw episode, Lynch vs. Stratus in a Night of Champions rematch is set for the Monday, August 14 Raw in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
In a bout where Lynch would earn a rematch with Stratus if she beat Stark, Lynch defeated Stark on last week’s Raw. The Lynch vs. Stratus rematch did technically take place on this week’s episode, with Lynch defeating Stratus in seconds after Stark immediately interfered to cause a disqualification. In a follow-up backstage segment, on-screen authority figure Adam Pearce made another rematch for August 14, with Stark banned from ringside.
Lynch and Stratus met for the first time at Night of Champions on May 27 in Saudi Arabia. Stratus won the first bout with an assist from Zoey Stark, and the program continued through July’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view and on Raw in the ensuing weeks.
The Stratus vs. Lynch feud was set in motion on the April 10 Raw show, where Stratus teamed with Lynch in defending the Women’s Tag Team titles. After they lost the match, Stratus turned heel on Lynch to set up the Night of Champions bout.
LA Knight will compete in the newly-announced WWE SummerSlam Battle Royal.
WWE announced the Battle Royal on Friday’s SmackDown episode with Slim Jim as the presenting sponsor.
LA Knight was one of two competitors announced for the match, with Sheamus of The Brawling Brutes also set to compete. Those two will square off in a singles match on the August 4 SmackDown, the go-home show for the August 5 pay-per-view.
The SummerSlam Battle Royal will feature wrestlers from Raw and SmackDown.
The updated SummerSlam lineup:
WWE SummerSlam, Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —
Tribal Combat match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and title of Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
WWE Intercontinental title match: Gunther defends against Drew McIntyre
Triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship: Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair & Bianca Belair
Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
SummerSlam Battle Royal: LA Knight, Sheamus announced
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including RAW and the SummerSlam line-up thus far, G-1 update, Kevin Owens and Liv Morgan are injured, Rush re-signed with AEW, Gable Steveson, DDT and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: WWE SummerSlam updates, SmackDown rating
10:12: G1 updates
14:42: Rush re-signs with AEW, Brian Pillman Jr./WWE update
Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Jey Uso at WWE SummerSlam, putting his Tribal Chief title on the line as well.
Reigns vs. Uso was made official in the show-closing segment of this week’s WWE SmackDown with Reigns and Uso eschewing a traditional contract signing in favor of a handshake to seal their agreement to face one another at SummerSlam under Tribal Combat rules.
As explained on commentary by Michael Cole and Wade Barrett, the Tribal Combat stipulation entails Reigns putting his title of Tribal Chief up in the match in addition to the Universal title. Additionally, the match will be anything goes.
Reigns vs. Uso is now the fourth match official for SummerSlam. Earlier on Friday, WWE officially announced a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship with Asuka defending against Bianca Belair & Charlotte Flair.
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar, plus Seth Rollins defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor have previously been announced for the show.
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler, plus Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch also appear set for the show, but have yet to be made official.
The updated lineup:
WWE SummerSlam, Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —
Tribal Combat match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and title of Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
Triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship: Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair & Bianca Belair
The WWE Women’s Championship will officially be on the line in a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
WWE has confirmed that Asuka will defend her title against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair in a triple threat match at the Saturday, August 5 pay-per-view. The PPV is being held at Ford Field in Detroit.
Earlier today, WWE had stated that Asuka’s SummerSlam challenger would be revealed on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
Asuka has been feuding with both Charlotte and Belair leading into SummerSlam. They’ve each challenged Asuka for the WWE Women’s Championship on SmackDown over the past few weeks, but both title matches ended without definitive finishes.
Asuka won the Raw Women’s Championship from Belair at Night of Champions this May. The title was later renamed to the WWE Women’s Championship.
While not part of the SummerSlam triple threat match, IYO SKY could potentially end up getting involved in the championship mix. SKY holds the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase and has had her sights set on the WWE Women’s Championship in recent weeks.
This is the third match that’s been officially announced for SummerSlam. The updated card for the PPV is listed below:
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
WWE Women’s Champion Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair in a triple threat match
Logan Paul may be opening the night at WWE SummerSlam.
On the latest episode of his Impaulsive podcast, Paul revealed that he has requested for his match to go on first at SummerSlam. Paul’s brother, Jake Paul, is facing Nate Diaz in a boxing match that same night. Paul said he’s planning to take a private jet from Detroit to Dallas so that he can walk to the ring with his brother for the fight.
Paul said the timing will be tight and it’s “barely possible” for him to make it to Dallas in time. Paul isn’t sure if he’ll be able to make it for the start of the fight.
“After SummerSlam, my brother who is fighting on the same night in Dallas, as soon as my match ends, I’m going to hop on a PJ [private jet], fly to Dallas in my gear, walk in the ring with my brother for his fight against Nate Diaz. I’m going to try to. I don’t know if I’m going to make it, but I think if I do, it’ll be minutes. Like, I walk into the venue, round one Jake Paul/Nate Diaz starts.”
Seth Rollins, who was the guest on Impaulsive, noted that Paul will have to open the show at SummerSlam.
“I requested first match,” Paul responded. “We did the math, it’s barely doable.”
Paul’s match for SummerSlam hasn’t been officially announced, but WWE’s plans are for him to face Ricochet at the event. That match may become official when Paul appears on Raw next Monday.
SummerSlam is being held at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 5.
The full Impaulsive episode is available to watch below:
