WWE SummerSlam 2025 Recap

This past Saturday and Sunday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey saw the WWE Universe take multiple twists and turns over the course of the 38th annual SummerSlam. Night 1 (Saturday 8/2) opened with a tag team showdown, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Breakker and Reed, disciples of longtime Reigns foe Seth Rollins (who had been absent for weeks due to an apparent injury), threw everything they had at the once and perhaps future Tribal Chief, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the reforged alliance between Reigns and Uso. The cousins watched each other’s backs, taking hits to protect each other throughout the match, culminating in Uso pinning Reed for the win.

The second match of the night was another tag match, this time for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. Reigning champs Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez of the Judgement Day faced down Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, both multi-time champions but rarely allies. They were able to put their differences aside long enough to topple Perez and Rodriguez and claim the tag belts for themselves. How long this alliance lasts remains to be seen.

Sami Zayn refused to stoop to Karrion Kross’ level in their match on Night 1, and that ultimately proved to be Kross’ undoing. When tempted to pummel Kross with the same metal pipe that Kross had used many times on him, Zayn refused, taking advantage of an enraged Kross to deliver his Helluva Kick finisher and pin the heel fair and square.

Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton faced her toughest opponent yet in Jade Cargill, who threw everything she had at Stratton to win the belt for herself. It wasn’t enough as the stubborn champ refused to cave, ultimately hitting Cargill with her signature “Prettiest Moonsault Ever” to retain the championship.

Next up, Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre took on Randy Orton and Jelly Roll. In his first match in WWE, singer/rapper Jelly Roll may not have won the fight but he definitely won the adulation of the crowd, standing up to a vicious beating from the villainous Paul and McIntyre but ultimately taking the pin.

The main event of Night 1 was CM Punk vs. Gunther for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. As expected, CM Punk refused to go quietly against the arrogant “Ring General” Gunther, leaving the imposing champion battered, bloody and ultimately defeated.

Punk’s victory was short-lived, however, as Seth Rollins returned, entering the arena on crutches and carrying his Money in the Bank briefcase as a warning for the future. But then the crutches fell, revealing the entire injury to be a ruse as Rollins rushed the ring, pummeled Punk, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and pinned his longtime enemy to win the belt for himself.

Night 2 began with a Triple Threat match for the Women’s World Championship. The unhinged reigning champ Naomi gleefully took on former champions Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley, playing on their own rivalry to get the upper hand. The psychological warfare paid off, as Sky and Ripley focused too much on each other (Ripley hung up on the fact that she’s never beaten Sky), allowing Naomi to take advantage and pin Ripley for the win.

Next up was the multi-team free-for-all Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the Tag Team Championship. Six different teams from Smackdown — Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis of the Wyatt Sicks, luchadors Andrade and Rey Fenix, #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa), The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins), Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) and Fraxiom (Axiom and Nathan Frazer) — battled it out for the belts, with interference from multiple allies along the way, including Wyatt Sicks members Erick Rowan, Nikki Cross and Uncle Howdy, #DIY cohort Candice LeRae, and Street Profits ally B-Fab. After a chaotic fight both in and out of the ring, the Wyatt Sicks were able to overcome all the challengers, climbing the ladder in the center of the ring and retrieving their belts for the win.

Becky Lynch defended the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from former champ Lyra Valkyria, in Valkyrie’s last chance to challenge for the title. With no count-outs or disqualifications, the two women battered each other with chains, chairs, tables and zipties. An attempted assist by Bayley on Lyra’s behalf backfired in the end, with Bayley accidentally attacking her friend instead of Lynch, who capitalized on the mistake to pin Valkyria and retain the title.

Next was a Steel Cage match for the United States Championship, with current champ Solo Sikoa of the Bloodline facing off against former champ and former friend Jacob Fatu. Having Solo all to himself, Fatu had the upper hand for much of the match until the rest of the Bloodline — Talla Tonga, JC Mateo and Tonga Loa — arrived to interfere. Another ex-Bloodline member, Jimmy Uso, attempted to even the odds in Fatu’s favor, but the numbers game proved too much as Sikoa’s allies helped him escape from the cage, giving him the victory.

On Night 2 (Sunday August 3), more Bloodline drama will be addressed as United States Champion Solo Sikoa will take on his former ally (and the man who he beat for the title), the “Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu. Both men are known for their ferocity in the ring, so it comes as no surprise that the match will be fought inside a steel cage. First man to pin the other or escape the cage is the winner. And while Fatu is borderline unstoppable in a fight, he’ll have to reckon with the likely interference of Sikoa’s allies, Talla Tonga, Tonga Loa and JC Mateo.

Intercontinental Champion (and certified cowardly heel) Dominik Mysterio has been ducking AJ Styles for weeks, waving a doctor’s note and claiming he’s not cleared to wrestle. But Mysterio’s luck ran out in time for SummerSlam, and Styles will finally get his championship match. And worse, Mysterio may not be able to count on backup, thanks to the ongoing Judgement Day friction between himself, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh.

The penultimate match of the night was the Men’s Intercontinental Championship, as Dominik Mysterio finally had to face battle-hardened challenger AJ Styles after ducking him for weeks. Styles used his Calf Crusher submission move multiple times on Mysterio, ending with Mysterio literally yanking his leg out of his boot to escape. Mysterio then used that very boot as a weapon to deck Styles, incapacitating the bigger man long enough to pin him for the win.

The main event of Night 2 — and the whole weekend — was John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Championship. On the Friday Night Smackdown before SummerSlam, a contrite Cena apologized to Rhodes and all of WWE for his recent heel behavior, admitting Rhodes had finally beaten some sense into him. The Street Fight match opened with a hug of friendship, before the two men proceeded to beat each other to a pulp, pinning each other multiple times without success. In the end, Rhodes was able to use his Cody Cutter finisher to wipe out an exhausted Cena, pinning him and reclaiming the championship for himself after his loss at WrestleMania.

After the bell, Cena handed the title to Rhodes and acknowledged him as champion. Rhodes then yielded the ring to Cena, who took in the cheers at what is likely his final SummerSlam. But in one final twist, Cena’s celebration was interrupted by the surprise return of “the Beast Incarnate,” eight-time champion Brock Lesnar. Gone for nearly two years, Lesnar returned to a stunned, screaming crowd, hitting Cena with his brutal F-5 finisher to begin what is likely one of the final feuds of John Cena’s wrestling career.