MINNEAPOLIS — It’s time for WWE’s party of the summer.
One of the major premium live events in WWE, SummerSlam is back for its 39th edition in 2026, once again a two-day spectacle that will take place in Minnesota. Six matches make up the first night of the card, and there’s a solid case it’s the best one of the weekend.
For the first time in 18 years, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes will battle one-on-one, with the top tier stars fighting for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a match that’s been teased for months. Another heavyweight affair is the third installment of Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar, who are meeting in Hell in a Cell.
In other action, Liv Morgan finally defends the Women’s World Championship, and Nick Aldis makes his intriguing WWE debut by
facing a powerhouse in Gunther.
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Watch: SummerSlam postshow
Hell in a Cell match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
There's no sneak attack in match three. Femi charges out of the gates, and even after he gets taken to Suplex City, Minnesota, he gets right back up to continue his attack. He throw Lesnar against the cage and steel steps before bringing out a table. He then throws Lesnar right into it. More weapons are brought out by Femi, just for Lesnar to recover enough to use them to his advantage. Femi gets hit with the steel steps and then Lesnar delivers the suplex.
Lesnar's relentless in his attack, but his first attempt at an F5 results in a counter from Femi. When they both get to their feet, Femi again breaks up a potential F5 with vicious slams. The Fall from Grace lands and not only doesn't get the pin, but wakes up Lesnar, who then lands three straight F5s. Yet, Femi kicks out of the pin.
THESE TWO ARE NOT HUMAN 😳 pic.twitter.com/8inl739Nd7
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
Frustrated, Lesnar rips the apron up and it's padding, exposing the wood of the ring. Instead of an F5, Lesnar does the Tombstone, in tribute of The Undertaker, and Femi kicks out, shocking Lesnar.
TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER ON THE BOARDS AND OBA KICKED OUT!!!! 😱
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
THIS IS CRAZY!!!! pic.twitter.com/wnX1OjZxRm
Femi lands the blow to Lesnar with a chair, and he picks him up for the Fall From Grace. He lands it, and he pins Lesnar to defeat him and officially win the battle against the legend.
OBA FEMI SLAYS THE BEAST 👑@Obaofwwe pic.twitter.com/vOjL8KyG4K
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
After Femi celebrates, Lesnar returns to the ring. He stares Femi down before he hugs him, and holds his arm up in the air for victory. He takes the microphone and tells Femi he is the future of WWE.
"This is the future ladies and gentleman," he said.
THE PAST 🤝 THE PRESENT 🤝 THE FUTURE@BrockLesnar | @Obaofwwe pic.twitter.com/YLmd6tDWg5
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
Analysis: There is indeed a new ruler in WWE.
In a result that couldn't have gone any other way, Femi definitely proves he is the future of the business by slaying the dragon in Lesnar. Hell in a Cell gave the match intrigue as there were so many ways the fight could get extreme. It didn't as crazy as it could, but there were good uses of the elements, including the unique twist of ripping the ring apart from Lesnar. That spot of Femi kicking out of the Tombstone was the perfect way to prove he is no ordinary star.
The end was solid, and the words after Lesnar certified everything we knew about Femi. He is indeed the future of the business, and there was no better way to prove it than by taking down the guy that had been the force of the business for so long. Femi can now continue his quest of dominance, while it remains a mystery as to what's next for Lesnar.
Is it retirement or not? All eyes will be on the future of the "Beast."
Brock Lesnar entrance
Possibly the last WWE match entrance? The "Beast Incarnate" is back in his home state.
HERE COMES THE PAIN 👊
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
Brock Lesnar returns to the BROCKTAGON! pic.twitter.com/Az7ahV4Pfv
Oba Femi entrance
The iconic entrance arrives for the main event.
KING OBA is ready for HELL 👑@Obaofwwe pic.twitter.com/8xaZoT4G4n
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
Undisputed WWE Championship match: CM Punk (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
The once friends, now enemies tie up frequently to start their match, with both sides trying to get the mental edge. Punk targeted Rhodes' left shoulder, while Rhodes tried to simply throw the champion around outside of the ring. Punk took some damage to his left knee.
Rhodes got the real first swing of offense as he targeted Punk's left knee, looking sinister in the process. Although limping, Punk was doing anything he could to fend off the challenger, even taking to the turnbuckle fly a flying elbow. He tried to signal the GTS, but didn't have the strength to execute it. Instead, Rhodes landed the Cody Cutter that nearly gets the win. After that, he continues to target Punk's knee while going for another Cody Cutter that can't get the job done.
A Cross Rhodes doesn't get a chance to work, and Punk tries to counter it with the GTS. Rhodes catches it, and goes for the Figure Four Leglock as Punk screams in agony. He is able to turn it so Rhodes is forced to let go. Punk tries an Anaconda Vice and Rhodes is able to get the leg on the rope to break it up.
Again, Punk signals it's time to sleep, but can't get his finisher off nor the Anaconda Vice. Rhodes gets up and lands the Cross Rhodes, thinking it's it, but Punk kicks out just in time. A surprising moonsault from Punk stuns the crowd as he barely lands it. Moments later, he does get the GTS. It takes time for him to go for the pin, allowing Rhodes ample time to kick out. Punk lands a GTS again, just for Rhodes to get his hand on the rope to break up the count.
These two are giving it EVERYTHING at #SummerSlam! 💪@CodyRhodes | @CMPunk pic.twitter.com/nCQpvY4Ziu
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
At the announcer's table, Punk lays Rhodes down and he climbs up the turnbuckle, the crowd rising to its feet, knowing what's about to happen. Punk flies for the elbow drop, but Rhodes gets out of the way as the champion crashes down into the table in a huge spot not many expected to see.
Rhodes drags Punk back into the ring and goes for another Cross Rhodes, but hits referee Charles Robinson instead. Punk gets in a GTS and Rhodes follows it with a Cross Rhodes.
That's when the surprise comes: Randy Orton returns for the first time since WrestleMania, and hits Rhodes with an RKO.
RANDY ORTON IS BACK 😱😱😱
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
RKO TO CODY RHODES!!!! pic.twitter.com/3IK4QrUHSL
Punk and Robinson get back in the ring, and the champion lands another GTS. Even with a slow count, Punk gets the count to retain his title.
The Best in the World RETAINS ⭐️@CMPunk defeats Cody Rhodes after the interference by Randy Orton. pic.twitter.com/3t2j9MoFZR
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026
Analysis: In a match we've all been waiting to see, Punk and Rhodes meet the moment in an epic clash.
The match was what you want out of two mega stars, a seesaw battle with plenty of twists and turns as they each dig deep to try and best each other. While Rhodes stayed his course, Punk again pulled out a few surprises, taking to the top rope several times in moves you don't often see the WWE champion do. There was nothing wrong with the fight, but the moment Robinson went down, you knew something was up.
Orton returns to re-ignite the feud with Rhodes. The right spot to do it, but definitely spoils what was a fantastic bout. Punk and Rhodes were finally able to get their long-awaited match, duke it out and then go onto new things awaiting them. We know what Rhodes has to deal with, while we wait to see who will be the No. 1 contender for Punk's title.
CM Punks entrance
The WWE Champion signals it's clobbering time, with "Cult of Personality" hitting the speakers to welcome to the ring. He comes out with a jacket nodding to the Minnesota North Stars.
AURA from the WWE Champion 🤩@CMPunk pic.twitter.com/WbXTaNXlN7
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Cody Rhodes entrance
Starring in the new "Street Fighter" movie, Rhodes has a video game-inspired entrance, including his mask donning the signature hair of Guile, the character he plays in the movie.
An entrance fit for a FIGHTER! ⚔️@CodyRhodes | @Street_Fighter | #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/s7x0UJjagg
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Nikki Bella, Brie Bella and Paige vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid)
Brie Bella and Henley start the match, and Fatal Influence's chemistry and sneakiness allows them to gang up on their opponents, dealing a fair amount of damage to Bella against the steel steps. They gloat and mess with the other side. It takes Nikki Bella to change the swing of the match into their favor, but even then the veterans aren't quick enough to deal with all of the movement coming from Fatal Influence, trying to just fight them off. During a sequence, it looks like Brie Bella hurt her right shoulder.
Jayne tries the Rolling Encore against Nikki Bella, but it doesn't land and gets Paige in. However, that doesn't entirely work. Thanks to a distraction from Henley, Jayne surprises Paige with a Rolling Encore, and gets the pin in quick fashion.
Fatal Influence pick up the WIN! 😱
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
What a #SummerSlam debut for this group! pic.twitter.com/UfVttksopR
After the match, the Bella Twins attack Paige. While a clearly injured Brie Bella looks on, Nikki Bella does most of the damage to their now former friend, sparking a new feud for the Hall of Famers in the process.
OH MY GOD 😱@NikkiAndBrie have TURNED on Paige! pic.twitter.com/DXKlQlrRHL
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Analysis: The new kids on the block have arrived, taking down the icons of the women's division. Fatal Influence controlled this match, and it didn't seem like there was much for the Bellas and Paige to do. It may have resulted in the bout coming off as boring, but that may have been thanks to Brie Bella appearing to be legitimately hurt. The tag team battle doesn't produce anything memorable.
Fatal Influence has been a surprising but great addition to the main roster, and there's no reason to kill their rise so soon. They've continued to show they are here to stay. On the other hand, we have a clear new feud between the Bellas and Paige. Brie Bella may be hurt, but Nikki Bella vs. Paige will be something enticing to watch.
Gunther vs. Nick Aldis
In his first WWE match of his career, Aldis is quickly in some headlocks from Gunther, as the "Ring General" taunts him in the process. After taking some shots, Aldis finally gets some offense in, much to the delight of the crowd. Still, Gunther towers over him, and does some more damage in front of Aldis' wife, WWE icon Mickie James.
Gunther goes for an early sleeper hold, the one that has ended the careers of several icons. Yet Aldis stays on his feet and breaks it up, looking for any ounce of momentum to swing his way with Gunther getting ahead of him at every step. As chants of "you still got it" rain down inside the stadium, Aldis fights back, with consecutive flying elbows before locking in the Sharpshooter. Gunther fights to reach the rope and break up the hold.
"YOU STILL GOT IT" 🔥@RealNickAldis pic.twitter.com/Qx2pVbte0g
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Aldis tries the sleeper, just for Gunther to reverse it and then turn it into a Powerbomb. The sleeper is applied once more, and Aldis can't break it, tapping out and falling as Gunther claims another victim on his run of terror.
After the match, Aldis gets a standing ovation from the crowd as James and his son join him in the ring to soak in the moment.
"The Career Killer" strikes AGAIN 🫢@Gunther_AUT has defeated Nick Aldis at #SummerSlam. pic.twitter.com/ZakxhlhWQZ
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Analysis: In his long awaited WWE debut, Aldis holds his own in defeat. It's always interesting to see how people who have been away from the ring do, and Aldis didn't disappoint. He showed up in incredible shape, and looked like his old self with some of those spots, something he should be proud of.
Of course, it was another long-time star that Gunther was going to take down. The "Ring General" was again one step of his opponent, constantly on the attack. Aldis had his few moments to shine, but it was all Gunther in this one. It would have been cool to see Aldis pull off the upset, but there wasn't anyway Gunther could drop this. It was a good feud to get him in the mix for SummerSlam, and now he should move on to another top card battle.
Nick Aldis entrance
The SmackDown general manager makes his WWE entrance debut, with the song "Morning Glory" by Oasis.
What a MOMENT 🥹@RealNickAldis is ready for his FIRST match in WWE! pic.twitter.com/Q0lK2BlDFA
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys vs. The Bloodline (Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu)
The Bloodline challengers don't wait much time to start the fight, rushing the ring to get the party started. The first one-on-one fight is with Jey Uso and Sikoa, and Uso seems to get the early advantage, but Sikoa mocks his brother and gets the upper hand. Just to taunt, he even runs it back with Uso's theme music, as he and crowd yeet in front of a disgruntled Uso.
Not Solo Sikoa running it back 😂
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
This is CLASSIC! pic.twitter.com/FqA1XO5Jjx
Naturally, Fatu comes in the picture to changes the whole dynamic, allowing The Bloodline to tee off on their family member. The assault lasts a good amount of time until Sikoa is able to get a lifeline by tagging in Keys, who goes back-and-forth with Jimmy Uso. Next up are LA Knight and Jey Uso, with the "Megastar" getting the upper hand despite a sudden spear.
All hell breaks loose as everyone gets some action in the ring, leaving Fatu and Keys alone to battle it out. Outside of the ring, Keys surprises Fatu by launching him over the barricade. Back in the ring, Jey Uso spears Knight and sets his twin brother up for the splash, but the pin attempt doesn't end it. Sikoa then sneaks in a Samoan spike on Jimmy Uso, distracting Jey Uso. When he looks back, Knight has a BFT waiting for him. He sticks it and pins him to defeat The Bloodline.
After the match, Sikoa gets a hug from LA Knight.
Analysis: The Bloodline isn't as dominant as before, suffering a loss while one of its former members shines.
LA Knight may have gotten the win and Keys had the major spot toward the end, but Sikoa was the absolute star of this match from beginning to end. His charisma as a face is ridiculously entertaining, and he has the whole crowd in the palm of his hand. He stood out from everyone else in this match, and you can only hope there's more going forward with him as a solo act.
The match wasn't spectacular nor bad, executing exactly what it needed to do in the current run of The Bloodline.
Women's World Championship match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Iyo Sky
The champion quickly attacks Sky off the jump, trying to end it early, but the challenger's quick thinking spoils it and gets a big push of momentum, gleefully trotting around the ring while landing hits on Morgan. When the action goes outside of the ring, Sky tries to get up on the barricade, just for Morgan to trip her up and seize control. She continues the fight in the ring, executing the patented Three Amigos with the signature Eddie Guerrero emote.
When a small window open, Sky pushes through it and is back on the hunt, taking to the top turnbuckle with a drop kick and getting the crowd going with her signature emote. She follows it with a stunning leap out of the ring, and when she tries to get her finisher readied, Roxanne Perez comes out to distract the referee, while Raquel Rodriguez pushes Sky down.
That allows Morgan to try to get the win, but Sky kicks out. The two try to attack Sky again, but the challenger is ready for it. Morgan then gets sent crashing down onto her fellow members of The Judgment Day, and Sky flies to take them out. Back in the ring, the two competitors meet at the top turnbuckle, where Sky delivers the Spanish Fly that nearly gets the victory.
IYO SKY CAN FLY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RtkM94oshe
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Punches are traded when they get back on their feet, and Morgan attempts ObLIVion, just for Sky to avoid it. Moments later, Sky does her own version of her opponent's finisher, landing it but not getting the win. Sky zeroes in on the win with the Over the Moonsault, and Morgan gets out of the way and quickly gets a flying Code Breaker. The pin attempt on that one doesn't work.
There's another ObLIVion attempt that fails, but this time, Morgan stays ready and follows it with a Code Breaker that does land. Sky bounces back toward the ropes, and finally, ObLIVion works. The champion takes Sky down and gets the win to retain her gold.
WOW 🤩@YaOnlyLivvOnce retains the Women's World Title after a BATTLE at #SummerSlam! pic.twitter.com/CmfvGHEYcs
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2026
Analysis: Was that Morgan's best match ever? The champion meets the moment with Sky to deliver an epic opening match that was rocking from the jump.
Sky has a knack for bringing out the best out of her opponents, so it may be the case, but this definitely was a standout performance for Morgan from their meeting a Night of Champions. She stepped her game up to not give an ordinary outing, with a finsihing sequence that was brilliant and worthy of a title-holder. You knew Rodriguez and Perez would come out to make their presence known, but not letting them dictate the result helped the match be brilliant on its own. Sky was great as usual, but it's hard to ignore how good Morgan was, especially that final sequence that just ruled.
A stellar start to the event, and Morgan makes the wait for her first title defense well worth it − and proves a Danhausen curse doesn't last forever.
Justin Jefferson opens SummerSlam
Minnesota's star receiver narrates the introduction of SummerSlam.
Justin Jefferson welcomes @WWE SummerSlam to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis this weekend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2026
Stream both nights of the event live on the ESPN App. pic.twitter.com/JboXM5smho
Who is Vaughn Evelyn?
"God Bless America" was sung by Vaughn Evelyn. If she looks familiar, it's because she is the youngest daughter of Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Stephanie McMahon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WWE SummerSlam Night 1 results: Oba Femi rules the day; winners, highlights
