WWE’s halfway-mark to WrestleMania is here. It’s the Biggest Party of the Summer, which has been split up into two nights. WWE SummerSlam Night 1 features two World Championship matches, Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell, and much more! Is the first night worth the PLE ticket?
Let’s find out together, shall we?
Thanks for the submission!
Here are the full results for WWE SummerSlam Night 1:
- Liv Morgan defeated IYO SKY via pinfall with ObLIVion to retain the Women’s WWE World Championship.
- LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, & Royce Keys defeated The Bloodline via pinfall with the BFT.
- Gunther defeated Nick Aldis via submission with the Sleeper Hold.
- Fatal Influence defeated Paige & The Bella Twins via pinfall with the Rolling Encore.
- CM Punk defeated Cody Rhodes via pinfall with the Go To Sleep to retain the Men’s WWE Championship.
- Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar via pinfall with the Fall From Grace.
We kicked things off with multi-time WWE Champion IYO SKY challenging Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. Morgan’s been criticized throughout her reign, as she’s not defended the title once since winning it at WrestleMania. Would she be able to escape with the gold tonight?
Per Michael Cole, she had luck on her side, as Liv is undefeated at SummerSlam and also 2-1 against IYO SKY. The numbers were in her favor. But oftentimes, matches don’t work out the way they would on paper.
Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs Liv Morgan (c)
IYO SKY took Liv Morgan down early with a stiff knee to the gut. The former champion hammered Morgan in the corner, hitting the handstand slingshot dropkick in the corner. Liv blocked a double underhook backbreaker, but got tripped up for a running basement dropkick. SKY was on fire.
Morgan turned things around when SKY moved up to the barricade, pulling her legs out from under her and sending the challenger into the wall. Morgan hit the Three Amigos, followed by a Shining Wizard, but couldn’t secure the W. SKY stunned Morgan with a roll-up counter and a double stomp, putting the match to a halt and giving her time to recover.
The shotei uppercut and flapjack combo set up SKY for the roundhouse kick to Morgan. The WWE Women’s World Champion was sent flying across the ring thanks to The Genius of the Sky’s top rope missile dropkick. Bullet Train Attack!! Morgan crawled to the apron to avoid a pinfall, but SKY refused to give her a chance to breathe. Sunset flip powerbomb through the ropes!!
SKY took Morgan back in the ring for the Over the Moonsault, but Roxanne Perez pulled up to distract referee Jessika Carr. Raquel Rodriguez took SKY to the mat with a massive chokeslam, but the challenger managed to kick out. The Judgment Day distracted SKY again, but she countered an ObLIVion attempt, sending Morgan crashing onto her teammates.
A moonsault took out the Judgment Day, sans Morgan, who rolled in the ring before the attack. A headscissors driver caught IYO in the ropes. Morgan went up top instead of going for her finish, which might’ve been a mistake. Another shotei rocked her, and SKY brought her down with a GORGEOUS Spanish Fly for another two-count!
SKY dropped Morgan with an Angels Wings and a double underhook backbreaker back-to-back. The champ narrowly avoided the Bullet Train Attack, but SKY countered the ObLIVion and spiked Morgan with a Cross Rhodes of sorts. ObLIVion from IYO!! 1-2-kick out!!
Liv was dumped on the apron with a German, and a Bullet Train Attack drove Morgan’s head into the post. SKY seemingly injured her knee, but moved up for the kill shot. Over the Moonsault!!
Liv got her knees up just in time!! ObLIVion!! No! SKY handsprung out of it, but Morgan followed with a codebreaker!! SKY fell into the ropes, and the ObLIVion connected!!
Liv Morgan defeated IYO SKY via pinfall with the ObLIVion to retain the WWE Women’s World Championship.
Grade: A. A fantastic way to open the PLE. Liv Morgan and IYO SKY’s history was mentioned thorughout the kick-off and opening moments of SummerSlam, and this match was full of both women trying to predict the other competitor’s next move. The crowd was into it as well, making all the big moments count.
After a several-minute-long commercial break during a PLE, we moved right onto the next match.
The Usos & Jacob Fatu vs Royce Keys, Solo Sikoa, & LA Knight
The Bloodline started strong, with Big Jim landing on top of most of the other competitors outside of the ring after a big brawl. Solo Sikoa and Jey Uso were the legal men, and baby brother laid out Jey with some of Main Event Jey’s “unique” punches before starting up the Yeets, with Jey’s music! The crowd LOVED that.
The Samoan Werewolf tagged in and was immediately dropped with the Samoan Drop, but Solo got a bit too excited. Some taunting to the crowd allowed Fatu to immediately get up, planting Solo Dolo with a Samoan Drop of his own. These two fought for the United States Championship last summer, with Solo getting the better of him.
Tonight, Fatu needed to exorcise that loss. The Usos tagged in, flattening their younger brother with corner splashes. Fatu rolled back in, but Solo managed to get to big Royce Keys. The “Powerhouse” flattened the Usos with big slams while keeping Fatu on the outside of the ring. Fatu distracted him, allowing Jimmy to stun the big man with three back-to-back superkicks.
Keys caught Big Jim with a huge slam off the top and tagged out to the Megastar! Main Event Jey met LA Knight, and the former United States Champion came at him like a house on fire! The LA Knight elbow hit, but Jey recovered fast for a huge spear!!
1-2-kick-out!! Knight chased Jey up for his leaping superplex. Jimmy followed with an Uso Splash. Solo hit the Spinning Solo, and then Fatu laid him out before Royce planted him with an earth-shattering spinebuster. They fell to the floor, where Keys countered Fatu’s running splash with a spinning powerslam over the barricade!
Back in the ring, Jey cut LA Knight down with the spear, and Jimmy followed with the Uso Splash. LA Knight kicked out again!! The Usos set up for the 1-D, but Solo struck out of nowhere with the Samoan Spike, taking down Jimmy! Jey was dropped with the BFT, and that put the Bloodline down!
LA Knight, Royce Keys, & Solo Sikoa defeated The Usos & Jacob Fatu via pinfall with the BFT.
Grade: B. To quote Jacob Fatu, “ALL GAS! NO BREAKS!” There wasn’t any breathing room in this one, for better or worse. It was a little messy in parts, but it was incredibly fun. It was also great to see Knight, Solo, and Keys…not only win, but get big reactions from this crowd. It felt like a resurgence for Solo, and the REAL start of Keys’ rise in WWE.
Next was the in-ring debut of Nick Aldis in WWE. Unfortunately for the former NWA World Champion and former SmackDown GM, he was facing the Ring General, Gunther. Aldis came out to “Morning Glory” by Oasis, which got a huge pop from Wade Barrett, claiming it an Englishman’s dream come true.
Nick Aldis vs Gunther
Gunther started strong early, bringing Aldis down a few times with headlock takeovers before jumping onto the announcer’s desk to gloat. Hopefully, Gunther’s head didn’t get too big. Spoiler: it did.
Gunther took Aldis to the corner for a cheap shot, and Aldis responded with a series of big strikes! Gunther went for a leaping crossbody, but Aldis caught him and tossed him up for a delayed suplex! The crowd popped for that one.
As Aldis went up top, Gunther moved in, chopping him and sending him crashing down to the mat. Gunther kept the pace slowwwwww, refusing to give Aldis a chance to build momentum. For several minutes, Gunther battered Aldis, and at one point nearly decapitated him with a stiff clothesline.
Gunther moved to the second rope, where Aldis followed for a superplex. A “You Still Got It” chant erupted as Aldis took the fight to the Ring General. He withstood a series of chops and bounced the former WWE World Champion around with a pair of clotheslines. A British Bulldog-style running powerslam planted Gunther for a close two-count!
After a big diving elbow to the back of Gunther, Aldis locked in the Kingsman’s Cloverleaf!! Gunther reached for the rope, but Aldis dragged him back to the center. Gunther had to fight and scratch, but he did eventually reach those ropes.
Gunther and Aldis traded sleepers before Gunther dumped him on his head with a sleeper suplex. The sleeper was finally locked in by Gunther, and Aldis, despite being close to the ropes, tapped out.
Gunther defeated Nick Aldis via submission with the Sleeper Hold.
Grade: B-. Gunther was in control for most of this. Any time Aldis rocked him, it was because Gunther was getting arrogant. This allowed Aldis to get in a good bit of offense and get the crowd on their feet, but gave Gunther just enough distance that the end was never in question.
After the match, Nick Aldis celebrated with his son and wife, former WWE Champion Mickie James. He possibly said goodbye, but it wasn’t clear.
The Bella Twins & Paige vs Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, & Lainey Reid)
Brie Bella kicked things off with WWE Women’s Tag Champion Fallon Henley, pelting her early with the Yes Kicks. Fatal Influence went for a cheap shot on the legends, but Paige and Nikki Bella sent them crashing to the floor, following with a pair of dives.
Brie went up for a dive and rocked Fallon with a right. The ref went to check on Fallon, allowing Fatal Influence to yank Brie to the stairs and smash her face into the steps. Lainey Reid tagged in and kept Brie away from her corner for a while. Lainey got a bit too cocky, though, and Brie finally took her down with a clothesline before tagging in multi-time Divas Champion Nikki Bella.
Nikki sent Fallon into Jacey and clotheslined the latter, which also spiked Fallon with a DDT. A spin-out X-Factor planted Lainey for a two-count. Paige prevented Fallon from getting involved, allowing Nikki to hit the Rack Attack 2.0. Jacy had no choice but to break the pin.
Fallon tagged in, and the tag champs caught Nikki with a double brainbuster for a near fall. Brie sent Jacy and Lainey to the floor, but Fallon flattened her with her running facebuster. The former North American Champion mocked Nikki’s hip swivelling dance before both women rocked each other with big forearms.
Jacy tagged in and went for her Rolling Encore. Paige shoved Nikki out of the way, but when she tagged in, took the Rolling Encore anyway.
Fatal Influence defeated Paige & The Bella Twins via pinfall with the Rolling Encore.
Grade: C-. It was good to see Nikki back, and she actually seemed to have shaken the rust off quite easily. It was an awkward one, though, with a few mistimed moments that kept it from getting to the level it could’ve gotten to. The crowd was mostly silent on this.
After the match, The Bellas jumped Paige, turning heel in the process. Nikki screamed, “This is MY HOUSE” and went after her neck while Cole reminded us of the Anti-Diva’s neck problems in the past. Brie watched on while Nikki carried Paige around the ring and mocked the crowd. Rack Attack 2.0 planted Paige.
The WWE Championship was next, as former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes faced off against the current champion CM Punk. Cody arrived with a special entrance, as the theme song of Guile from Street Fighter echoed out when he went up the Codyvator. WWE’s QB1 even had a special mask with Guile’s hair attached to the skull mask. I don’t think that’s how hair works.
Men’s WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs CM Punk (c)
Punk revealed today that this was the 20th anniversary of his WWE debut. WWE commentator Michael Cole added to it, saying this was the first singles match between these two in eighteen years.
Punk started strong, turning Rhodes inside out with a headscissor takedown and focusing on the left arm of WWE’s American Nightmare. Punk went for an early GTS, but Rhodes escaped, bringing him down with a headlock takeover to slow things down.
Punk regained control with the focus on his challenger’s arm. Rhodes sent Punk to the floor and followed with a suicide dive, but Punk responded with a leaping clothesline off the barricade. Rhodes continued to shake some feeling back into his arm as they rolled back in the ring.
The Goldust drop-down uppercut connected, but again Punk immediately responded, this time with the crescent kick. Punk landed awkwardly on his knee, and it seemed that the WWE Champion’s knee gave out mid-kick.
Rhodes countered the running bulldog, focusing on the knee of the champion with a kneebreaker. A dragon screw left Punk screaming in agony, and Rhodes stomped it out, not unlike his mentor Randy Orton.
Another GTS failed, but Rhodes caught Cody coming out of the air. The Disaster Kick was countered with a leaping boot, as Punk’s knee wouldn’t allow for a dropkick. A big slam set up for the Macho Man Elbow Drop. The former WWE Champion cut him off, going for the superplex.
Punk knocked him back down to the mat and connected with the elbow! It wasn’t enough. Back to their feet, Rhodes caught Punk looking with the Cody Cutter!!
1-2-kick-out! The Disaster Kick stunned Punk for another two-count. Rhodes hammered the knee of WWE’s Voice of the Voiceless, getting some boos from the crowd. Another Cody Cutter out of the corner, but Punk still kicked out. The WWE fans chanted “CM Punk” as Rhodes set up for the kill.
Cross Rhodes? Nope! Punk dropped down for a kick to the left shoulder. Rhodes’ Figure 4 was blocked, and Punk nearly got the pin there. GTS?? No!! Cody caught the knee and tripped the WWE Champion up for the Figure 4-Leglock!!
Punk wasn’t trapped long, as he turned the pressure and forced Rhodes to release the hold. He locked in the Anaconda Vice but couldn’t keep Rhodes from the ropes. Cody’s Alabama Slam was stopped, and Punk locked the Vice in again! This time, Rhodes was trapped in the center of the ring.
Rhodes countered into a pinfall, and the two traded pinning attempts before Rhodes planted Punk with the Cross Rhodes!!
1-2-no!! Punk kicked out!! The two moved up top again, as Cody seemed to be going for an Avalanche Cross Rhodes? Punk knocked him off and followed with a moonsault!! The WWE Champ’s weight came crashing down, all knee, on Cody’s face! A striking combo lit up Rhodes, and Punk cracked him in the skull again with the GTS!!
Punk couldn’t get to the pin on time, though, thanks to his injured knee. He fell away from Rhodes and had to crawl over for a weak pin, all but guaranteeing a kickout from the challenger.
After fighting on the table, they moved back in for another GTS. Still, Rhodes kicked out. Rhodes fell to the floor, near the announcer’s desk again. After placing Rhodes on the table, Punk went for the diving elbow drop!! Rhodes got up just in time, and Punk crashed through the table knee first!!
Back in the ring, Punk avoided a Cody Cutter, but Rhodes ended up crashing into referee Charles Robinson! Punk rocked him with another GTS, and Rhodes bounced off the ropes. GTS again? No, Cross Rhodes!! Punk fell to the floor as…Randy Orton rolled into the ring!!
RKO!! Punk and the official didn’t see it!! GTS!!
CM Punk defeated Cody Rhodes via pinfall with the GTS to retain the Men’s WWE Championship.
Grade: B. Seemed like they wanted another classic like Punk and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, but they could’ve shaved about ten minutes off of this one. Lotta lulls in this one, but the big moments were still big, and the Randy Orton return was unexpected.
Rhodes sat against the ring, moping, while CM Punk lifted, dropped, then lifted again, the WWE Championship above his head.
With all that out the way, it was time for the main event of WWE SummerSlam Night 1. Oba Femi. Brock Lesnar. Hell! In a Cell!
Hell in a Cell Match: Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman
Brock Lesnar started strong, slamming Oba Femi with three back-to-back German suplexes. Oba bounced back to his feet, though, and dumped the Minnesota native to the floor with a clothesline. The Ruler and the Beast Incarnate sent each other into the apron, cell, and steps, fighting like two caged monsters.
In the ring, Lesnar hammered Femi with three devastating shots from the steel steps. Lesnar kept up the pressure, battering WWE’s newest dominant star with a chair. Femi responded with a big slam, though, and started firing up. How did he have anything left after all of that punishment?
Two running uppercuts rocked Lesnar in the corner. Brock countered the third, but Femi escaped the F-5 attempt for a chokeslam!! Shot Put Bomb!! Lesnar struggled to get up, needing the ropes to recover. Fall From Grace!! WrestleMania revisited!!
1-2-kick-out!! Lesnar rocked Femi with a mule kick as he got back up, and planted the young WWE stud with two F-5’s! One more??
Three F-5s!! 1-2-no!! Oba Femi kicked out!! Lesnar cracked Oba with several more chair shots before stomping the ring in frustration. As Femi struggled to stand, Lesnar removed the padding of the ring for an exposed F-5!
Femi slid down, and Lesnar instead spiked him with the Tombstone Piledriver on the hardwood!! And yet…Oba Femi kicked out!! Lesnar was stunned and grabbed a chair.
Oba Femi punched THROUGH the chair before driving Lesnar into the mat with one more Fall From Grace!!
Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar via pinfall with the Fall From Grace.
Grade: B+. Another fun one between these two. Oba Femi seemed to have taken the torch from the Beast Incarnate and ran with it. The 2026 WWE King of the Ring took everything the 2002 King of the Ring had to offer and came back wanting more. The Ruler conquered the Beast once and for all in the Night 1 main event. Was all this better than Oba retiring Lesnar at WrestleMania and ending it there? No, but it was fun regardless.
Oba Femi celebrated in the ring as the WWE fans strutted along to his music. Michael Cole claimed, “The Next Big Thing is here.” Lesnar stood on the ramp and gave Oba a round of applause before he and Paul Heyman returned to the ring. The two shook hands and hugged, and Lesnar raised the hand of WWE’s new Beast Incarnate.
Brock motioned for a microphone and called out to Minnesota and the world that was watching. Oba went to leave, but Brock brought him back in. “This is the future, ladies and gentlemen.”
Overall Grade: B+. Thanks to a strong start with the WWE Women’s World Championship, this ended up being one of the best PLEs that WWE has had this year. Though we’d have to wait until Night 2 to confirm that.
Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking here
Edited by Greg Bush
