“The Biggest Part of the Summer” has ended, and wrestling fans left the event wanting more from their favorite stars. SummerSlam provided fans great, happy, sad, and confusing moments, with the end result being Roman Reigns continuing his run as champion.
Reigns beat Jey Uso to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Title in a Tribal Combat match. In a violent affair, everyone will be talking about Jimmy Uso turning on his brother.
It is unknown where The Bloodline goes from here, but Solo Sikoa will be one to watch, especially since he refused to help Reigns after he accidentally speared Sikoa.
The rest of the card saw just about everyone deliver when it mattered the most during a time when WWE couldn’t be hotter.
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Outside of that emotional affair, one of the top main event matches was Cody Rhodes closing the door on his rivalry with Brock Lesnar. Rhodes fought back from a Lesnar onslaught, which included multiple suplexes in and out of the ring. Rhodes completed a Super Cena-like performance which was just the right amount of spunk to continue his hot run as a babyface. Rhodes landed multiple Cross Rhodes’ for the win, going 2-1 against Lesnar. The two embraced after to end the feud. It may lead to bigger things for Rhodes, like championship aspirations.
In a match seven years in the making, Seth “Freakin’” Rollins defeated Finn Balor to retain the World Heavyweight title. There were plenty of mind games in this match and throwback moves, dating back to SummerSlam 2016 when Rollins injured Balor. In the end, after multiple false finishes, miscommunication from The Judgement Day cost Balor the match. Are there cracks in The Judgement Day?
Meanwhile, Damage CTRL seems to be getting stronger. Bianca Belair won back the WWE Women’s Title by beating Asuka and Charlotte Flair. After the bout, Ito Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase, winning world title gold in WWE (not NXT) for the first time.
LA Knight made an impact, winning the Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal. The match may have taken away from Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch, and Rhea Ripley, but hopefully, his will lead to a big push for Knight. Now, give him his own Slim Jim commercial… YEAH!
In a crossover bout, Shayna Baszler defeated Ronda Rousey in an MMA Rules fight, the first Rousey has competed in since Amanda Nunes brutalized her with strikes in 2016. It was a throwback that not many wrestling fans would understand, but old-school fight fans might have appreciated it. Baszler got the big win, in what may have been Rousey’s last WWE match, for now at least.
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Once again, Gunther and Drew McIntyre didn’t disappoint. In a singles bout compared to competing in multi-man matches, the two beat the other senselessly for the status of Intercontinental Champion. Gunther once again retained the belt and needs one more month to pass the Honky Tonk’s Man single-reign record as champion.
Meanwhile, to start the show, Logan Paul beat Ricochet in what got promised to be the most viral match in WWE history. The two landed a variety of flips and innovative moves that had the crowd on their feet. Trying to outdo the other, they got the job done and looked like a classic until Paul had to cheat via brass knuckles to win.
After the match, Paul rushed out of the arena to attempt to watch his brother Jake box Nate Diaz in Dallas.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire SummerSlam card. Check it out!
WWE SummerSlam 2023 full card results
- Roman Reigns (c) def. Jey Uso in a Tribal Combat match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title
- Iyo Sky def. Bianca Belair (c) for the WWE Women’s Title
- Bianca Belair def. Asuka (c) and Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Title
- Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) def. Finn Balor for the World Heavyweight Title
- Gunther (c) def. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Intercontinental Title
- Shayna Baszler def. Ronda Rousey
- LA Knight wins the Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal… YEAH
- Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
- Logan Paul def. Ricochet
