After last holding a version of the World title in 2013, CM Punk closed the first night of WWE SummerSlam Saturday as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion — a celebratory moment more than a decade in the making.
That was until Seth Rollins came out with Paul Heyman and ruined everything, leaving MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey, as the new champion instead.
Several minutes after Punk had defeated Gunther to win the title, Rollins came out to the entranceway on crutches as if he was playing mind games. He then started to walk to the back before stopping, tossing the crutches, ripping off his jacket, and running down to the ring.
He hit Punk nearly ten times with the Money in the Bank briefcase before telling the referee he was cashing in. He then hit a curb stomp to get the pin and title win, shocking his rival five minutes after his crowning achievement. He, Heyman, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed all celebrated afterward in the ring.
As was previously reported, the knee injury Rollins pretended to suffer at last month’s Saturday Night’s Main Event was just that, designed for this moment.
The win gives Rollins his second run with the World Heavyweight title and first since a near year-long run ended in April 2024. He also notably cashed in a MITB briefcase a decade ago at WrestleMania 31 by shockingly cashing in on Brock Lesnar to leave as the World Champion.
While the end will be remembered for the cash-in, Punk did eventually pin Gunther clean to win the title after he was brutalized for about 15 minutes.
The turn came when Gunther was celebrating on the broadcast table when Punk pulled out his legs to take him down. Gunther came out from under the table bleeding from the head and Punk then rallied, hitting a running knee, a top rope elbow and a GTS attempt that was reversed into a sleeper.
Punk fought out and finally hit a GTS but Gunther didn’t fall. A second GTS did the trick as Punk got the pin and win, crying in the ring as he held the title belt.
The night ended Gunther’s 54-day second run with the title that saw just one successful title defense, that being against Goldberg on the same night Rollins faked his injury.
THE RUSE OF THE CENTURY! 😲
Seth Rollins just cashed in on CM Punk and just became the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam! pic.twitter.com/p7LED0AvPn
New Women’s Tag Team Champions were crowned at WWE SummerSlam with frenemies Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss winning the belts.
SummerSlam 2025 night one saw Charlotte & Bliss defeat Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Despite a tease that Charlotte & Bliss could turn against each other, they stayed on the same page with Bliss pinning Perez to get the victory.
There was a miscommunication near the end of the match where Bliss went to strike Rodriguez but accidentally hit Charlotte instead. Charlotte looked like she might give Bliss a receipt for that, but she instead took out Rodriguez so Bliss could hit Sister Abigail on Perez for the win.
After the match, Charlotte pulled Bliss in for a hug and they celebrated with their newly won belts.
The story leading into SummerSlam was that, despite their bond clearly growing, Charlotte & Bliss claimed not to be friends and said that they were only allies of convenience.
Ahead of SummerSlam, Charlotte told The Wrestling Classic that she’s the happiest she’s ever been in her career — and this team with Bliss is something she needed both personally and professionally. Bliss also expressed to Fox News Digital that she’s enjoying the “fun dynamic” she has with Charlotte.
Both Charlotte and Bliss are former Women’s Tag Team Champions, but this is their first time holding the titles together. Charlotte was champion with Asuka before, while Bliss has had reigns with Asuka and Nikki Cross.
Judgment Day’s Women’s Tag Team title reign began in April with Rodriguez & Liv Morgan as champions. With Morgan being forced out of action due to a shoulder injury, Perez stepped in as Rodriguez’s new partner at the end of June. WWE recognizes it as two separate title reigns.
There is something almost poetic about John Cena’s heel turn unfolding the way it has during the final year of his career.
At WWE Night of Champions against CM Punk, Cena teased turning back babyface as Michael Cole noted on commentary that fans have been cheering for him despite his heelish ways and promos. At SummerSlam on Sunday, he might not fully turn, but he will do something that lets fans know the old Cena is back.
Cena’s heel turn coming to an early end in this manner is a bit of a full circle, or at least a mildly symmetrical oval. A large portion of the fanbase used to reject him as a babyface. Now, fans are rejecting him as a heel. Many of them are the same fans, too, possibly a little older, wiser, and better able to appreciate what Cena has done for the industry.
During his peak when everyone was asking, “What would happen if John Cena turned heel?” nobody would have predicted that it would not work because the fans would insist on cheering him. When you think about it, this is actually better than spending a whole year giving Cena his flowers. Fans refusing to boo him, after so many years refusing to cheer him, is the perfect sendoff. Happy accidents seem to make up a large proportion of wrestling’s great angles these days, and I am all for it.
Below are previews and predictions for each match at WWE SummerSlam on both Saturday and Sunday from East Rutherford, New Jersey (Peacock in the U.S. and Netflix most everywhere internationally).
Night 1 | Saturday
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
They might not be friends, but Bliss and Flair are -500 favorites to win the titles.
There is a mathematical case to be made that turning Flair babyface recently was the most difficult turn in all of wrestling. Let me explain. There was a study that came out last month which looked at the percentage of negative comments an athlete received online over a one-year period. Of the over 350 athletes profiled, nobody had a higher percentage of hateful comments than Flair. She was not just the hardest babyface turn in wrestling; she was the hardest babyface turn in all of sports. But this angle, combined with the Players Tribune article, has done it.
This thing with Bliss is working, people like it, and they see Flair as human now. Putting the belts on them will keep the story going.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair win the titles
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
This is basically a pick ’em for wrestling odds with Punk currently listed as a -175 favorite.
The most likely winner of this match is actually Seth Rollins. I am not sure if Punk will beat Gunther for the title before Rollins cashes in, if Rollins cashes in on Gunther, or if this becomes a three-way, though.
The worked Rollins injury from Saturday Night’s Main Event is an interesting way to get to the expected finish here. The Triple H era of WWE is big into lying which is not necessarily a bad thing. Their new version of kayfabe is to pull back the curtain, but then treat what is behind it like another stage. We are in the meta kayfabe era now.
I think Rollins wins the title on a cash-in, but there is a chance Punk wins it before that happens, so I am going to predict Punk here.
Prediction: CM Punk wins the title
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Orton and Jelly are -700 favorites and I am not going to bet against that.
This will be a feel-good match for a celebrity who has worked hard to earn the opportunity. Mr. Roll has lost a lot of weight and has reportedly been at the Performance Center every day, taking this run seriously in a way that Travis Scott evidently did not. He is going to be rewarded with a win.
Prediction: Randy Orton and Jelly Roll
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Reigns and Uso are listed as -500 favorites which sounds right.
I can see the thinking that you have to get The Bron Brons over, but not at the expense of pinning either Roman or Jey. Reigns will likely get the pin on Reed. There have already been teases of Breakker splitting from the group, which seemed to happen pretty much immediately. Perhaps some dissension between he and Reed will lead to the loss.
Prediction: Roman Reigns and Jey Uso
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Cargill is only a -210 favorite to win, but I would give her far greater odds.
This run of Tiffy Time is about up, but there will be plenty more in the future. It will not hurt Stratton to lose here. Everyone knows she is a star who will always be in the mix for world titles. The job here is to make Cargill feel unstoppable.
While Tiffy can just be Tiffy to get over, Cargill is getting the Goldberg push. That does not mean her promos get cut off or that she breaks ribs with spears; it just means she wins. She’s not going to lose for a while.
Prediction: Jade Cargill wins the title
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Zayn is a -265 favorite, but I am picking the underdog.
Zayn was always going to get the win against Kross at Night of Champions because he is a huge babyface there. This scenario is different and depends on how into Kross WWE is right now.
If Kross loses, there’s a chance that’s it for him in WWE as reports from Fightful say his and Scarlett’s deals are up in August. WWE will put wrestlers in big angles before cutting ties as with R-Truth earlier this year. One thought is that Kross could lose again to Zayn and then disappear before his contract quietly expires. I do not think that is what is happening, but I also didn’t think that was what was happening with R-Truth, so I’m unsure.
If I have to make a pick, and for the purposes of this article I do, I think Kross wins and stays. He can’t be that expensive to keep, and Triple H has been invested in the guy previously.
Prediction: Karrion Kross
Night 2 | Sunday
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
Mysterio is a -350 favorite to retain, and I will not bet against that.
Dominik’s WWE career is quite the story. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what makes him so entertaining, but storylines involving him have been successful for years now.
Throughout his run with Judgment Day, he has not been portrayed as a strong wrestler in terms of actually being able to win wrestling matches. This Intercontinental title run could be where that changes.
I think Dominik will emulate his father more going forward. (His biological father, Eddie Guerrero, that is.) The opportunity exists for Dom to lie, cheat, and steal his way into a babyface spot and this could be the start of that.
Prediction: Dominik Mysterio retains
WWE United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu in a steel cage match
Fatu is only a -140 favorite, but I would give him much higher odds.
To old school fans, Fatu only being a mild favorite in a cage match against a guy who only wins through interference shows how much this stipulation has fallen. The only chance Sikoa has is if yet another new Bloodline member debuts or Tama Tonga returns, but Sikoa just won the title with Tala Tonga’s debut. It feels too soon for another new member.
I think Fatu wins cleanly and takes back the title. WWE knows they have something with him. Sikoa has done well here, though.
Prediction: Jacob Fatu wins the title
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria in a no DQ match where if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge again while Lynch is champion
Valkyria is only a -130 favorite, but I would list her as much higher.
I am worried wrestling is about to lose Lynch to Hollywood. She will be in the new Star Trek show next year and if she gets over in that franchise, that could be a game-changer for her acting career.
Lynch is at the stage of her career where she only wants to do what she wants and right now, she wants to help get Valkyria over. It is probably why she wants to be a heel so badly, too.
This is the rubber match, the blowoff, and the purpose of this feud has been to get Valkyria over, not Lynch who could take time off after this as well.
Prediction: Lyra Valkyria wins the title
WWE Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Naomi is a -3000 favorite to retain, by far the biggest of the weekend, and I am not betting against that.
The only thing that makes me believe anyone else has a chance is that WWE has done a lot of stolen pins in triple threats recently, and Triple H sometimes likes to change things up. Even so, I cannot see Naomi dropping the title here.
Naomi’s “Proceed with Caution” run has been great and it would feel like a lost opportunity to end it now. Neither Ripley nor SKY need the belt, and Naomi is thriving in the role.
Prediction: Naomi retains
Six-Way TLC Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships: Wyatt Sicks vs. Street Profits vs Fraxiom vs. MCMG vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. DIY
The odds are pretty close here, but Andrade & Fenix are currently the favorites at +140.
I hesitate to take the easy way out and pick the favorites, but I really do think Andrade and Fenix make the most sense. It sets them up to have really fun tag matches with the other good working teams in the division.
The Wyatt Sicks have the second highest odds at +145. It just feels like they are about spectacle while the rest of this division is about great matches, though. I’m not sure about them having a long run with the belts.
Fraxiom has +250 odds, and they could win, but I don’t see it. DIY is at +800, The Street Profits at +900, and MCMG at +1100. So, the oddsmakers not giving former champions much chance.
Prediction: Rey Fenix and Andrade win the titles
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes in a street fight
Rhodes is a -275 favorite to beat Cena and I am not betting against that.
It is interesting that Rhodes is the favorite considering that when Cena’s heel turn started, most people expected he would hold the title until his last match in December. That was the story laid out in promos following his WrestleMania win. Now, few believe he will still be champion after this weekend.
Cena is going to lose the title the same way Rhodes did. Remember when Rhodes would not hit Cena with the belt at Mania? This was like when Roddy Piper could not hit Bret Hart with the belt at WrestleMania 8. Cena teased doing something similar at Night of Champions, but at SummerSlam, it will not be a tease. Cena will go to do something dastardly, not be able to do it, lose the title, share a hug with Rhodes, and let the fans shower him with the adoration he has earned until he retires.
Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales are back with the Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Here were some of the things we discussed:
Cody Rhodes’ appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast
*More on the death of Hulk Hogan *The ugliness of the aftermath of the death *An article talking about the aftermath of the death *Those close to him talk about his death *Those not remotely close to him get harassed about his death *Documentaries coming on Hogan *A look at the biggest names in history when it comes to drawing and how Hogan compares with them domestically and internationally *Hogan’s WWF peak *WWF business under Hogan and Austin *Hogan’s live show magic *The Andre match on NBC *Gorgeous George, The Rock, Sammartino, Londos, Rikidozan and Santo *Wrestling in the U.S. pre-Hogan and the myths that have been created *Hogan vs. Londos *Hogan’s family talks *SummerSlam story and interest levels *WWE, AAA and CMLL in Mexico this past week *Lots on WWE’s plans for AAA *TripleMania thoughts *Alberto, Dominik, Vikingo and Grende Americano in Mexico *A classic match at Arena Mexico with Neon vs. Mascara Dorada *Update on the G-1 Climax tournament *The life and times of Gerry Morrow, a Canadian wrestling journeyman who is one of the most underrated inflential wrestler of the st 40 years with comments by those he inflenced *Conor McGregor’s appeal of the sexual assault civil cse *The most detailed look at the ratings for all the TV wrestling shows *MJF to Arena Mexico *Five Star Grand Prix opens up *The Hogan vs. Andre match that never happened *Santo and Fuerza Guerrera retirement show notes *The first major ethnic draw in the U.S. *TNA looking for new TV deal *Will Ospreay update *Forbidden Door update *Details of the WBD split *Tony Khan has already made belts for a new title *Tag team tournament AEW update *TKO Boxing notes *Update on ringboys lawsuit against the McMahons and WWE *Vince McMahon auto accident details *Levesque and Trump *Thoughts on WWE Unreal *An original Mania show *Cody Rhodes on Bill Simmons *Lots of notes on the WWE tryouts this week
Garrett Gonzales and I did our show today talking about SummerSlam, Hulk Hogan, why the most important company to learn about wrestling from today is not a U.S. company and why. Bryan and I will be back Saturday, Sunday and Monday night the next three days with shows with SummerSlam tomorrow.
SummerSlam takes place at 6 p.m. Eastern tomorrow with Day One –Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross –Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss for women’s tag titles –Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill for WWE women’s title –Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul –Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker –Gunther vs. CM Punk for World title
Gunther has a nose issue that may require him to take time off
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be filming Street Fighter shortly
We are doing polls this weekend for SummerSlam, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each night to [email protected]
Averno defends the CMLL light heavyweight title against MJF tonight at Arena Mexico. Neon & Templario & Titan vs. Barboza & Difunto & Zandokan Jr. is the semi. If they sell out this show with Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Ultimo Guerrero, Hechicero and Atlantis Jr. being in Tijuana, that would be unreal. Douki also teams with Okumura & Yutani against Capitan Suicida & Star Jr. & Flip Gordon.
Mistico vs. Mascara Dorada vs. Bandido and Ultimo Guerrero vs. Mortos headlines the Auditorio in Tijuana tonight.
In 2025, Blue Panther, career revitalized by Bryan Danielson, will headline Arena Mexico on 8/8 challenging Ultimo Guerrer For the MLW Openweight title.
CMLL also announced a fan voted card on 9/26 at Arena Mexico. There will be seven title matches on the show and fans will vote for who the challengers in each title match will be.
UFC is at the Apex tomorrow at 6 p.m.Eastern. All six hours will be on ESPN and ESPN+.
–Piera Rodriguez (116) vs. Ketlen Souza (116 –Felipe Bunes (125) vs. Rafael Estevam (130). Estevam forfeits 25 percent of his purse for missing weight –Austin Bashi (145.5) vs. John Yannis (145.5) –Nick Klein (186) vs. Anmdrrey Pulyaev (185.5) –Roldolfo Vieira (185) vs. Tresean Gore (189.5) – Gore forfeits 25 percent of his purse for missing weight –Rinya Nakamura (136) vs. Nathan Fletcher (135.5) –Danny Silva (144.5) s. Kevin Valejos (146) –Neil Magny (170.5) s. Elizeu Zaleski (171) –Karol Ros (136) vs. Nora Cornolle (136) –Elves Brener (155.5) vs. Esteban Ribovics (155.5) –Mateusz Rebecki (155.5) vs. Chris Duncan (156) –Tatsuro Taira (126) vs. Hyun Sung Park (126)
New Japan in Kagawa for A block G-1 bouts –Callum Newman b Sanada with Prince’s curse –Evil b Ryohei Oiwa with the scorpion deathlock –David Finlay b Oleg Boltin with a headlock takeover –Taichi b Yota Tsuji with Black Mephisto –Yuya Uemura b Hiroshi Tanahahsi with the deadbolt suplex A block right now has –Tsuji, Evil and Uemura at 4-3 –Boltin, Oiwa, Taichi and Newman 3-4 –Tanahashi, Finlay and Sanada 2-5
B block is at 3 a.m.Eastern and midnight Pacific from Hiroshima with Shota Umino vs. Yoshi-Hashi, Shingo Takagi vs. El Phantasmo, Drilla Moloney vs. Knosuke Takeshita and Great O’Khan vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Mick Foley and Daria Berenato (Sonya Deville) are in a movie shooting now called The Heart Brake. Hunter Sansone is the lead.
A new MMA promotion called Victory Fighting League has a show scheduled outdoors at Times Square in New York.
Dwayne Johnson’s TKO stock as of today is worth $57,300,894.
For Thursday, this would be the specific market rankings among Netflix TV shows for WWE Unreal: 6. United States 4. United Kingdom 10. Saudi Arabia 4. New Zealand 5. Canada 4. Australia Unranked in India and Mexico
Alberto El Patron, billed as Alberto Del Rio, voiced over the character Jorge El Guapo in the animated movie The Bad Guys 2 which premiers today in the U.S. and debuted yesterday in Mexico. This is for the Spanish language release. I’m not sure if he’s involved in the English version of the movie. Roberto Figueroa, a close friend of Alberto’s and current AAA television announcer, voices over the ring announcer in the movie in Spanish and Hugo Savinovich does the voice of the ring announcer in the English version.
A correction on the official title of Jeremy Borash from today’s issue. We wrote he was Director of Latin America operations stemming from a Figueroa interview. Borash’s official title is Vice President of Content and Development.
Stars of Wrestling presents Grapplr’s Paradise at the Alameda Point Gym in Alameda,CA on 8/9 at 4 p.m. with Moose, Steve Maclin, KC Navarro, Tasha Steelz, Deonna Purrazzo, Fred Rosser, Diamante, Ruthie Jay and Ray Lyn.
TKO just released a document regarding Vince McMahon and he currently owns 7.88 percent of TKO stock right now.
Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling on 8/8 in Newark, CA at the Pavilion has Aaron Solo vs. Jordan Cruz for the Big Time WRestling title,Matt Cardona vs. QT Marshall plus Viva Van & VertVixen vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Beatrice Domino, Alan Angels vs. Bad Dude Tito,LJ Clearly vs. Starboy Charlie, and more. Bret Hart will be appearing at their 10/3 show.
Justin Credible will be on Memphis Wrestling tomorrow morning.
AIW on 8/23 in Cleveland at 11213 Detroit Avenue. The JT Lightning Cup will be 9/20 in Lakewood,OH at The Roxy.
TKO announced on Friday that Wingstop will be a presenting sponsor for this weekend’s two-night WWE SummerSlam as part of an expanded partnership.
The restaurant chain will also “receive enhanced match sponsorships and other integrations within future premium live events, including Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.”
The partnership will continue at November’s UFC 322, expected to take place at Madison Square Garden. Wingstop branding will be featured in the Octagon and during fight week events, continuing a partnership that began last year.
Wingstop joins Minute Maid and Chase Freedom as presenting sponsors for this weekend’s SummerSlam which takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday and Sunday.
WWE SummerSlam night one (Saturday, August 2):
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
WWE SummerSlam night two (Saturday, August 2):
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes in a street fight
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
WWE United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu in a steel cage match
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria in a no DQ match (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
WWE Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix in a six-pack TLC match
The main event of SummerSlam night one appears to officially be set with CM Punk saying he’s looking forward to headlining the show.
To promote SummerSlam, Punk was a guest on the Good Guy/Bad Guy Podcast with UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. They asked Punk how important it is for him to main event Saturday’s card against World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.
“Me main eventing, I think it’s important. It’s important for the title. I think it’s important for Gunther,” Punk said. “I think the title should more often times than not always be featured in a main event. So, you know, I’m looking forward to not only main eventing SummerSlam but stealing the whole weekend.”
This is the first time SummerSlam has ever been a two-night event. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is hosting the show this Saturday and Sunday, with John Cena and Cody Rhodes’ street fight for the Undisputed WWE Championship expected to headline night two.
Punk had huge praise for Gunther ahead of SummerSlam, telling Good Guy/Bad Guy that he sees Gunther as someone who could have been a star in any era.
“Gunther’s a guy that I feel I’m super excited to get in the ring with. Like, you said it, he’s on fire. This dude is the best wrestler in the world. He’s got the gold to prove it, too,” Punk said. “Just everything about him is a throwback. I think he’s refreshing. I think he’s real. He had me speechless the one Monday, and I’m almost speechless now trying to explain how excited I am to get in there with him, you know, because he’s a guy who represents the business to me.
“He’s a guy who represents the current business, and you could take him and you could drop him into a territory in the 60s and he would thrive. You could put him in, you know, Madison Square Garden in the 70s across from Bruno or whatever and he would thrive. So he transcends decades to me. He’s one of the best right now.”
If Punk defeats Gunther, he’ll win his first WWE gold in more than a decade. His last WWE Championship reign lasted from November 2011 through January 2013.
SummerSlam will stream live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix elsewhere. Each night has a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern.
WWE SummerSlam 2025 (match order not announced) —
Night one (Saturday, August 2):
Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Night two (Sunday, August 3):
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
Street fight: Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes
Steel cage match: United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu
No DQ match: Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Six-pack TLC match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix
Drew McIntyre has an update on his WWE SummerSlam status.
In a social media post Wednesday night, McIntyre revealed that his passport issue has been resolved, and that he will in fact team with Logan Paul against Jelly Roll and Randy Orton on night one of the event.
In his video post, McIntyre first took kayfabe shots at anyone texting or messaging him regarding his being stuck in the United Kingdom due to a passport snafu as only looking for information to leak. He then ripped The Miz for offering to take his spot in Saturday’s tag team match, calling him “Mike Mizark” and “Missionary Mike,” before revealing that he was training alongside Paul.
McIntyre credited Paul for having more powerful friends than Jelly Roll in helping to clear up his passport issue and getting him back into the United States ahead of this weekend.
“Come Saturday, you and Randy Orton are screwed,” McIntyre said.
WWE SummerSlam takes place this Saturday and Sunday beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time, with three-hour pre-shows set for both days at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
WWE SummerSlam
Night one (Saturday, August 2):
Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Night two (Sunday, August 3):
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
Street fight: Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes
Steel cage match: United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu
No DQ match: Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Six-pack TLC match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix
WWE has concluded its countdown of the top 25 matches in SummerSlam history, ranking Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog in the top spot.
The countdown has been playing out on WWE’s YouTube channel over the last several weeks leading into SummerSlam 2025. Today, WWE officially revealed Hart vs. Bulldog from 1992 at Wembley Stadium as the best match in SummerSlam history. Full video of the bout — which saw Bulldog win the Intercontinental title in his home country — can be watched here.
Hart was featured in three of the top five matches on the countdown, with his 1991 match against Mr. Perfect ranking third and 1994 steel cage match against brother Owen Hart ranking fifth.
The other matches in the top five were John Cena vs. AJ Styles from 2016 and CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar from 2013.
Here is the complete list:
WWE’s 25 greatest matches in SummerSlam history —
25. Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (2023)
24. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena title vs. title match for the WWE Championship and United States Championship (2015)
23. The Undertaker vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Championship (1997)
22. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship (2019)
21. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship (2022)
20. Randy Orton vs. Christian no holds barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2011)
19. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (2015)
18. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2009)
17. Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship (2001)
16. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero ladder match (2005)
15. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship (2017)
14. The Rock vs. Triple H ladder match for the Intercontinental title (1998)
13. John Cena vs. CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship (2011)
12. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship (2023)
11. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship (2013)
10. The Undertaker vs. Edge Hell in a Cell match (2008)
9. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon ladder match for the Intercontinental title (1995)
8. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed Championship (2002)
7. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H unsanctioned street fight (2002)
6. The Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian TLC match for the WWF Tag Team titles (2000)
5. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart steel cage match for the WWF Championship (1994)
4. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar no DQ match (2013)
3. Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental title (1991)
2. John Cena vs. AJ Styles (2016)
1. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog for the Intercontinental title (1992)
SummerSlam 2025 is the first time the show has ever been a two-night event. It’s being held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey this Saturday and Sunday. Each night will feature six matches.
First reported Tuesday night by Sean Ross Sapp, a SummerSlam pre-show audio special hosted by Booker T and Hall of Fame podcast co-host Brad Gilmore will air this Saturday from 1-4 PM Eastern on ESPN Radio. Their show airs on ESPN 97.5 in Houston three nights a week.
For the first time ever, SummerSlam will be held on both Saturday and Sunday, emanating from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this weekend.
WWE SummerSlam night one (Saturday, August 2):
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
WWE SummerSlam night two (Saturday, August 2):
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes in a street fight
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
WWE United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu in a steel cage match
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria in a no DQ match (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
WWE Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix in a six-pack TLC match
The official WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 Preshow is set to begin at 5 pm Eastern Time (ET) on Sunday, August 3, 2025. This gives fans a full hour to catch pre show interviews, match previews, and special segments before the main card kicks off. Here is how that stacks up compared to the rest of the world.
SummerSlam 2025 UK Preshow Start Time – 10 pm BST
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the preshow will air at 10 pm British Summer Time (BST) on Sunday evening, aligning with the 5 pm ET US start. UK fans streaming via Netflix can expect coverage to begin sharply at this time, ahead of the main card landing at about 11 pm BST.
Australia Preshow Start Time – Early Morning Sunday
In Australia, the time difference means the Night 1 preshow begins in the early hours on Monday, August 4. For example:
Sydney / Melbourne (AEST): 2 am AEST
Perth (AWST): 12 am midnight AWST
Australian viewers should tune in at these exact times to catch the preshow in full before the live main card begins.
Canada & Central America Preshow Start Time
Canadian fans on the East Coast share the same 5 pm ET start, while those in Central Time (CT) regions see the preshow at 4 pm CT. In Mexico City and other Central America zones, expect the preshow at 3 pm CST, matching the US Central region.
South America & Latin America Preshow Start Time
In Brazil (BRT), the preshow begins at 6 pm BRT, while in Argentina (ART) it’s at 6 pm ART, both aligning with the global broadcast schedule around the 5 pm ET window. Other Latin American zones adjust accordingly to sit one or two hours ahead of Eastern Time.
Europe & Middle East Preshow Start Time
Central Europe (CEST): 11 pm CEST on August 3
Eastern Europe (EEST): 12 am EEST on August 4
Middle East (e.g., Riyadh AST): 12 am AST early Monday
Fans in these regions should bookmark their local live‑stream platforms (Netflix or WWE services) for these times.
Asia & Asia‑Pacific Preshow Start Time
For fans in India (IST), the preshow airs at 10:30 pm IST, while in Japan (JST) it’s 1 am JST on Monday August4. In Singapore / Hong Kong (HKT / SGT), expect it around 12 am (midnight) local time, aligning with the global ET schedule.
Latin America Pacific & Western US Preshow Start Time
In Pacific Time (PT, e.g. Los Angeles) the preshow begins at 2 pm PT. Fans in western Canada likewise tune in early for live coverage starting that same local time
Preshow Global Start Times (Night 2 – 5 pm ET, August 3, 2025)
The first night of WWE SummerSlam 2025 is rapidly approaching, and as reported by our own Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 40,280 tickets have been distributed for Night 1 of the two‑night event at MetLife Stadium.
While this marks a healthy pace of sales, the question on everyone’s lips is whether the event will officially sell out ahead of the August 2 start date.
SummerSlam Ticket Sales Figures for Night 1
According to the latest figures, 40,280 tickets have been distributed for Night 1 of SummerSlam 2025, reflecting strong interest in WWE’s first-ever two‑night SummerSlam. By comparison, Night 2 has already seen 41,905 tickets go out to fans, slightly outpacing the first night’s sales. These numbers place WWE on track to distribute over 80,000 tickets across both nights, signalling a pretty robust demand for the midsummer premium live event.
Pace of Sales and Historical Context
MetLife Stadium’s usual capacity for wrestling shows can be scaled according to stage configuration, but this year WWE has opted to make sweeping use of the stadium’s vast bowl, targeting upwards of 80,000 attendees per night. It’s wort noting that ticket sales have hovered around the 40,000 mark for each night for a while, a figure in line with WWE’s larger outdoor stadium shows in recent years.
Historically, single‑night SummerSlam events in football stadiums have sold out within weeks; WWE’s expansion to two nights this year has spread demand, but total attendance is expected to rival WrestleMania figures, given high‑profile matchups like John Cena vs Cody Rhodes.
Will SummerSlam Night 1 Sell Out?
The remaining seats are likely to move quickly in this final week before the event. The star power of John Cena’s farewell SummerSlam appearance and the novelty of a two‑night format are should drive a last‑minute surge in sales.
WWE typically releases intermittent blocks of seats to coincide with show announcements and marketing pushes, meaning fresh batches of tickets may become available in the days ahead. The consensus is that Night 1 should sell out, albeit closer to the show date than in previous single‑night SummerSlams.
WWE has put the finishing touches on this weekend’s SummerSlam card — adding a new stipulation, plus revealing which night the TLC match will take place.
The Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross singles match for night one of the event on Saturday now includes a stipulation where Zayn must say “Kross told the truth” about him should he lose, while Kross must say “I was wrong” about Zayn if Zayn wins.
Additionally, the six-pack TLC Tag Team title match will take place on Sunday, adding to a long list of gimmick matches set for night two of the event. In addition to TLC, Sunday’s show has a street fight, a cage match, a no DQs or countouts match, plus a triple threat contest.
The finalized cards for SummerSlam:
WWE SummerSlam
Night one (Saturday, August 2):
Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Night two (Sunday, August 3):
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
Street fight: Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes
Steel cage match: United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu
No DQ match: Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Six-pack TLC match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix
It looks like there will be three-hour Countdown broadcasts for each night of WWE SummerSlam 2025.
For the first time ever, SummerSlam is a two-night event this year with MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosting the show this Saturday and Sunday. Peacock is listing that the pre-shows for each night will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern leading into the main cards starting at 6 p.m. Eastern. The Countdown broadcasts typically do not have matches, instead consisting of panel discussion, interviews, and other pre-show hype.
Peacock notes:
We’re just a few days away from a SummerSlam so big, one night couldn’t contain it. Stream LIVE Aug 2 and 3 at 6E/3P exclusively on Peacock. Countdown each day at 3E/12P. Also streaming en Español.
The PLE will air live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix elsewhere. There are 12 matches taking place across the two nights (match order not announced):
WWE SummerSlam 2025 —
Night one (Saturday, August 2):
Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Night two (Sunday, August 3):
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
Street fight: Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes
Steel cage match: United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu
No DQ match: Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Night to be announced:
Six-pack TLC match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix
SummerSlam is WWE’s summer PLE, and Night 1 of SummerSlam 2025 lands on Saturday, August 2nd 2025. Fans around the world want to know: can you catch the action on Netflix? In short, yes, outside the United States, Netflix will carry live coverage of the main card.
In the US, viewers should subscribe to Peacock to stream Night 1 live. Read on to discover exactly how to tune in from your region:
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in the United States
For fans stateside, WWE SummerSlam Night 1 is exclusively available on Peacock Premium. Peacock’s live model allows you to stream the main card in high definition. If you already have Peacock Premium, you can navigate to the “WWE” section around an hour before bell time and find the live stream.
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in the United Kingdom
Fans in the UK can watch the main card live on Netflix without any additional purchase beyond a standard subscription. Simply open the Netflix app on your Smart TV, streaming device or mobile, and look for the “Upcoming Events” banner.
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in Australia
Australian viewers will also find SummerSlam Night 1 streaming on Netflix as part of the regular catalogue.
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in Europe
Across Europe, whether you’re in Germany, France, Spain or beyond, Netflix is your go‑to platform for WWE SummerSlam Night 1.
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in Japan
In Japan, WWE SummerSlam Night 1 will stream live on Netflix at 9 am JST on Sunday, 28 July. Netflix Japan subscribers can find the event under “スポーツ” (Sports) or “ライブイベント” (Live Events).
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1 in other international territories
If you’re in Canada, Latin America, the Middle East or Africa, Netflix remains the universal platform for WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1. Launch Netflix, head to the live events hub, and tune in at the listed local time.
