Roman Reigns returns; winners, highlights

WWE’s biggest party of the summer was a rager for the ages.

Outside of WrestleMania, SummerSlam is one of the grandest premium live events on WWE’s calendar, and after Saturday night, the course of WWE has drastically changed.

Seven matches took place at the home of the NFL‘s Cleveland Browns, six of which were for championship gold. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre finally got in the ring months after the hottest rivalry in wrestling began, and the main event featured Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Solo Sikoa. But a remarkable return happened during the Bloodline rules match, and now the fight to be the true “Tribal Chief” begins.

Here is a recap of all the action at SummerSlam 2024:

WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, center, is surrounded by The Bloodline.

The real “Tribal Chief” is back, making his entrance during the Undisputed WWE Championship match. He took out Solo Sikoa.

Undisputed WWE Championship match (Bloodline rules): Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa

The aura inside Cleveland Browns Stadium was immaculate to start this match, and the crowd made its distaste for Solo Sikoa known early. The first minutes of the match were spent feeling each other out, but it was Sikoa that got some of the best shots in to start. He tried going for quick pins and a Samoan spike, but the champion is a seasoned star that won’t go down easy.

Sikoa was still aggressive in his approach, paying homage to his family with several moves they made famous. Rhodes would counter some opportunities only for Sikoa to regain the advantage. Rhodes finally got the upper hand when he executed a Cross Rhodes, but since it was Bloodline rules, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa came out to punish the champion. Sikoa went for a pin, only for Rhodes to kick out. That’s when Kevin Owens came out to aid Rhodes and deal with the siblings. When The Bloodline began to gang up on him, Randy Orton came out to help. Owens and Orton took out Tonga and Loa, and Rhodes got a Cross Rhodes on Sikoa, but he kicked out.

Understanding it takes more to win, Rhodes used the steel steps on Sikoa. He was surprised by a spear from Sikoa, which resulted in an unsuccessful pin. When Sikoa tried to use the steel steps, it backfired and led to two Cross Rhodes from the champion. That’s when the unpredictable Jacob Fatu emerged and unleashed a ruthless assault on Rhodes. He helped Sikoa attempt a pin, but Rhodes kicked out. Fatu continued the onslaught with a dive onto the announcer’s table, and he appeared to hurt his leg off the jump. Sikoa brought Rhodes into the ring to finish it, and somehow, Rhodes kicked out.

That’s when Roman Reigns emerged. The former WWE champion delivered a Superman punch to Sikoa and then a spear to his former enforcer before leaving the ring. Rhodes was stunned watching it happen, but he did what he needed to do. He hit the Cross Rhodes and got the pin on Sikoa as Reigns and him locked eyes. The title is retained.

Analysis: It finally happened. Roman Reigns has made his emphatic return to WWE and he made a statement. Yes, this was a match for the WWE title, but this result means so much more for The Bloodline. Cody Rhodes will be dealt with later.

Now the serious battle for the right to be the “Tribal Chief” begins. Solo Sikoa has self-appointed himself to the head of the table, but Reigns is back to remind him who is in charge. How everything unfolds after this will be captivating television that every fan will be excited to watch. One year ago, Paul Heyman said The Bloodline storyline was in the bottom of the third inning, and people thought he was crazy for thinking this story could continue on. Flash forward to now, and it’s again the top story in WWE. The “Wiseman” was indeed wise.

Watch: Cody Rhodes makes his SummerSlam entrance

Pharaoh. Arn Anderson. What an entrance for the Undisputed WWE Champion.

Jelly Roll delivers chokeslam, five-knuckle shuffle to Austin Theory

Not only is he the artist of the official song of SummerSlam, he also can put some moves on in the ring.

When The Miz and R-Truth announced the crowd attendance, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller came out to bash Cleveland. Jelly Roll didn’t like that, so he showed up in the ring with a steel chair and hit both Theory and Waller with it. Afterward, he delivered a chokeslam to Theory, and he, The Miz and R-Truth hit the five-knuckle shuffle to take him out.

World Heavyweight Championship match: Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther

Damian Priest knew the challenge he had ahead of him, and he wasted no time going on the attack, surprising Gunther. Once the fury settled, that’s when Gunther displayed his prowess and started his game. The champion wasn’t going to down easy, responding to anything thrown at him. Gunther is known for his ruthless chops, but it was Priest who landed merciless slaps that were so strong, it cut open the challenger.

Gunther executed his dropkick-powerbomb combo but was unsuccessful in securing the pin. Preist responded with a South of Heaven slam that was also kicked out of. Once Gunther recovered, he started to launch blow after blow to Priest, each hit more punishing than the last. Finn Balor came out and tried to rally his champion, but Gunther was having none of it, even as he had blood running down his body. He kicked Balor in the head, only it added some fuel to Priest. He responded with some vicious clotheslines, landed a Razor’s Edge and a South of Heaven slam to get the pin, but chaos ensued.

Balor put Gunther’s foot on the rope to end the pin. Priest saw the replay on the Jumbotron and was baffled to see what happened. With Priest distracted, Gunther put the champion in a sleeper hold, only for him to get out. Priest tried to retaliate on Balor, but Gunther went back to the sleeper, and this time the champion was out for good. “The Ring General” is the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Analysis: Well, there goes The Judgment Day. With Dominik Mysterio betraying Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor backstabbing Damian Priest, the faction that has controlled “Monday Night Raw” for more than a year is basically in shambles.

Gunther is among the best in the business and he didn’t need help to keep his hopes of winning the title alive, but it was necessary for story purposes. The World Heavyweight Championship is still young and needs to be held in high regard, and Gunther is the perfect person to take it to the next level. There’s a chance he holds this title for a lengthy time period and solidifies his position as the unstoppable force of WWE.

On the other side, a feud between Priest and Finn Balor has been brewing for months and now it’ll finally take place. Priest’s title reign helped him become a more respectable wrestler, and now he’ll look more legit when he takes on a veteran in Balor. The demise of The Judgement Day will be something worth watching.

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk (with Seth Rollins as special guest referee)

The most highly-anticipated match of the night started off with tremendous hype, and Seth Rollins helped the crowd get even more wound up before he rang the bell and the two stars teed off on each other.

Issues with Rollins started early when CM Punk and McIntyre both got upset with him going with five-counts off the turnbuckles. CM Punk got the first advantage and took the action out of the ring, and Rollins didn’t even bother with the count − or care. When McIntyre got on offense, he bounced Punk off the steel frame of the ring and all Rollins did was laugh.

McIntyre tried pushing Rollins’ boundaries with a steel chair, and Rollins looked to allow it, but ultimately grabbed it from McIntyre before he could hit Punk. McIntyre shoved Rollins, who tried to hit McIntyre with the chair in retaliation but almost took out Punk instead. Rollins held back, and got rid of the chair. When he wasn’t looking, he missed a roll-up pin from Punk. Punk responded with three high knee kicks and an elbow drop off the top rope, but it wasn’t enough for a pin.

Punk had McIntyre ready to submit, but he saw the bracelet that had his wife’s and dog’s name on it, and he let go to get the bracelet back. It cost Punk. McIntyre landed a Claymore. However, Punk kicked out.

Punk recovered and was going to go for a GTS, only to see Rollins with the bracelet on. Distracted, it gave McIntyre enough time to hit Punk and inadvertently take out Rollins. Punk was able to get the GTS, but since Rollins was out, he wasn’t able to get the pin. Punk and Rollins argued, and it ended with Punk delivering a GTS on the referee. Punk got his bracelet back, but McIntyre hit a low blow and then a Claymore on his opponent. He went for the pin, and even though it was slow, Rollins counted to three to get McIntyre the win. Plus, McIntyre got the bracelet back

Analysis: There was plenty of hype for this match and it delivered on all fronts. Seth Rollins was so good at creating chaos, letting CM Punk and Drew McIntyre unleash hell on each other while adding layers of complexity with his authority.

For as much as McIntyre has cost himself this year thanks to his rival, it was Punk who blew it this time. He lost focus with Rollins and it led to him losing his first WWE singles match in a decade. But despite not having an actual match in quite some time, he looked fantastic. There were moments where it looked like we were watching prime Punk from years ago, and that’s a good sign as he gets fully back into competing with WWE. The rivalry between him and McIntyre is far from over, but it did plant the seeds for a future feud between Punk and Rollins, something that was planned for WrestleMania 40. Round one goes to McIntyre. Can’t wait to see what round two offers.

Watch: CM Punk makes entrance for first WWE singles match since 2014

WWE Women’s Championship match: Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax

The “Queen of the Ring” took quick control of this match, dominating Bayley right out of the gate with vicious, powerful moves. Even when Bayley was able to get some shots in or slow down the challenger, Nia Jax would take back control, taunting her several times in the process. Jax even got in an Annihilate-her that surely looked to end the match, but Bayley got out of it.

Jax continued to put the pressure on, and she was going to go for another Annihilate-her, but Bayley not only got up before it was too late, she picked up Jax and delivered an insane power bomb in an incredible display of strength. Bayley went for a flying elbow to end the match, but Jax kicked out.

Tiffany Stratton came out and attempted to cash in her Money in the Bank contract, but she wasn’t able to do it since Bayley knocked her out. Turns out, that’s exactly what Jax needed.

The challenger recovered and caught Bayley trying to end the match. She hit a power bomb on her and landed not only one, but two Annihilate-hers on Bayley. It was more than enough and Jax claimed the WWE Women’s Championship.

Analysis: This was a shocking result. Bayley hadn’t done much with her title reign, but she was still a formidable champion that was looking to get a convincing victory. Instead, Nia Jax is queen and champion.

Say what you want about Jax’s in-ring abilities, but she has improved so much since her first stint in WWE. She’s a great heel, and now she’s able to pull it off exceptionally in matches. Now, she’s getting rewarded for how far she’s come. Tiffany Stratton may have come out to just be a distraction, but regardless, she and Jax are a formidable threat in the women’s division for now. Yes, Stratton can cash in her contract on Jax if she wants to, but that likely won’t come soon. So in the meantime, Jax can reign in terror on “Friday Night SmackDown” and become a legitimate, dominant champion.

United States Championship match: Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight

The hatred between these two is so strong, the action started outside of the ring before the bell even rang. LA Knight was attacked, but he got the upper hand and even used Prime bottles as a weapon before he pulled off a Neckbreaker on the announcer’s table.

The two finally got in the ring for the match to start, and LA Knight began with the advantage before the champion gained the upper-hand. Even though he was performing in his home state, the crowd booed Paul while clearly making it known it wanted LA Knight to win. The crowd advantage appeared to help the challenger get back on the attack, and he had an impressive elbow drop in a move we hadn’t seen from the wrestling veteran. But Paul showed off the aerial skills he’s known for with a wild backflip off the top rope outside the ring.

Paul landed his coveted knockout punch, but LA Knight kicked out. He countered with a Superplex off the top rope, and Paul also successfully kicked out. Paul tried to get brass knuckles from his associates ring-side, and LA Knight tried to eliminate the chance by taking them out. But it was artist Machine Gun Kelly that had the brass knuckles as a neckless, and he gave them to Paul. He sneaked in a hit to the head, and he went for the win, but LA Knight recovered, executed a BFT and got the pin to win his first singles title in WWE.

Analysis: LA Knight finally gets his moment. He exploded onto the scene last year and instantly became a fan favorite, even getting a WWE title shot, but there was no solid momentum for him to build off of. Time was running out for him to capture a championship, and if he didn’t win Saturday, it might’ve been the end of his stardom. Logan Paul has been impressive in the ring, but he wasn’t a great champion since he barely defended the title, plus there’s his out-of-the-ring, social media issues. It was the perfect opportunity to take the title off of Paul and give it to someone that not only needed it, but deserved it. The LA Knight reign is here, yeah.

Intercontinental Championship match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker tried to end the match off the bat with a spear, but Sami Zayn was smart enough to get out of the way and let the eager star hurt himself.

Still, Breakker is unlike any star WWE has seen, and he recovered quickly by showcasing his power and speed on the champion. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick, but Breakker countered with a spear. He knew it might take more, and he bounced off the ropes with his incredible speed and hit another deadly spear on Zayn to get the pin in relatively quick fashion and become the new Intercontinental Champion.

Analysis: Bron Breakker has been built up as the future of the next generation, and now he finally has championship gold to begin that climb to the top of the mountain. It’s unfortunate this match was done in quick fashion knowing Zayn can put on a classic, and it made him look more like a punching bag, but Breakker needed to be put over a certified star to show he will be a problem in the future for the entire roster. It’s a major win for someone that needed it more than the champion did. This Intercontinental title run will be crucial to his development, but Breakker is on the right path toward unimaginable success.

Damian Priest livid after Dominik Mysterio turns on Rhea Ripley

The World Heavyweight Champion has another issue to deal with before his match against Gunther.

Damian Priest stormed into The Judgment Day locker room after seeing Dominik Mysterio turn on Rhea Ripley and kiss Liv Morgan. The three other members said they would go find Mysterio and deal with him.

Women’s World Championship match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

“Mami” and Dom are no more.

Liv Morgan kept away from Rhea Ripley to start, playing cat-and-mouse for several minutes. When they finally met in the ring, Ripley launched a full assault on the champion. She went for a quick finish with a Riptide, but Morgan got out of it to end the threat. Morgan pushed Ripley into the turnbuckle and she hit the surgically repaired shoulder she just recovered from. Ripley told the referee “it’s out” about her right shoulder, but didn’t want the match to end, and Morgan went on offense with repeated shots to the injured shoulder. When she had a free moment, Ripley popped her shoulder back in place in a painful moment.

With Ripley’s shoulder feeling better, she was able to get back to delivering blows, but Morgan was countering nearly everything. She tried to bring a chair into the fold, and Ripley hit a Riptide. She wasn’t done, and tried to hit Morgan with the chair, but Dominik Mysterio stopped her. It distracted Ripley, and Morgan kicked Ripley into Mysterio and executed an Ob-Liv-ion. But somehow, Ripley kicked out.

But Mysterio got the referee’s attention, and with him not looking, Morgan hit an Ob-Liv-ion and Ripley’s head landed on the chair. Morgan then went for the pin, with the referee paying attention, and Morgan got the win.

And that wasn’t all.

Mysterio turned on his “Mami.” He helped Morgan up and gave her a big smooch, shocking Ripley and the crowd. The two walked away arm-in-arm with a stunned Ripley in disbelief.

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