Detailed Results
Following a stellar SummerSlam Kickoff where The Miz & The Miztourage scored the win over Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz in 6-Man Tag action, Neville surprised everyone by defeating Akira Tozawa to win back the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, and The Usos bested The New Day in an incredible match to win the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, the 30th annual SummerSlam would officially get underway with a personal grudge match as Baron Corbin would go one-on-one with the man who cost him the WWE Championship on SmackDown LIVE, the sixteen-time former World Champion John Cena. Throughout the match, it became clear that Baron Corbin’s rage was getting the better of him against his veteran opponent and, in the end, it was John Cena hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Baron Corbin, pinning Corbin to pick up the win to kick off “The Biggest Event of the Summer”.
The top prize in the SmackDown LIVE Women’s Division would then be defended at “The Biggest Event of the Summer” as Natalya would challenge Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. During the match, Naomi would manage to escape the Sharpshooter of Natalya but the veteran challenger would lock on the Sharpshooter a second time, leaving Naomi no choice but to tap out as Natalya becomes the brand new SmackDown Women’s Champion, her first title win in nearly seven years! After the match, Naomi was left in tears in the ring as Natalya celebrates her victory.
In the first RAW match of the night, Enzo Amore would be locked in a shark cage and suspended high above the ring, SummerSlam would see “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show, with his right hand bandaged up thanks to the attack by Big Cass and Gallows & Anderson on RAW, go one-on-one with the seven-footer from Queens, Big Cass. Throughout the match, Big Show would struggle to maintain offense with his injured right hand and it wouldn’t take long for Big Cass to target the injury. During the match, Enzo Amore would strip down to his underwear inside the shark cage, pulling out some oil, oiling himself up. This would allow Enzo to slip out of the shark cage and drop down to the ring below, but Big Cass was waiting as Cass blasts his former friend with a big boot! Big Cass then follows this up with a big boot to Big Show, but Big Show kicks out so Big Cass hits a second big boot, following it up with the Empire Elbow to finally put “The World’s Largest Athlete” away, not only winning the match but taking out both Enzo Amore and Big Show in the process.
In a grudge match from SmackDown LIVE, thirteen-time former World Champion “The Viper” Randy Orton would go one-on-one with “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev at SummerSlam. However, before the match can begin, Rusev would attack Randy Orton from behind, bringing Orton to the outside and using a Fallaway Slam to toss “The Viper” into the ringside barricade. Rusev would then toss Orton into the ring before getting into the ring himself, impatiently standing by as the referee makes sure that Randy Orton is able to continue. Orton would assure the referee that he’s able to compete so the referee calls for the bell as the match officially gets underway but, almost as soon as the match begins, “The Viper” would strike suddenly with the RKO, pinning Rusev to defeat “The Bulgarian Brute” in short order.
With three title matches and three title changes at SummerSlam, Alexa Bliss would be looking to break that trend as the self-proclaimed “Goddess of WWE” would defend the RAW Women’s Championship against “The Boss” Sasha Banks. During the match, Sasha Banks would lock in the Bank Statement on Alexa Bliss, but the champion is able to get to the bottom rope. Alexa then slides to the outside and Sasha follows the champion with Alexa pulling the ring skirt out from under Sasha, making “The Boss” fall to the floor as Sasha appears to hurt her left shoulder, similarly to the injury that Bayley suffered. The champion then targets the shoulder of Sasha, tossing the challenger out of the ring and nearly getting a count-out win but Sasha beats the count. Back in the ring, Alexa hits Twisted Bliss on Sasha but “The Boss” is able to kick out. Sasha then locks in the Bank Statement again with Alexa attacking the injured shoulder to escape but “The Boss” would lock in the Bank Statement again, this time making Alexa tap out as Sasha Banks wins her fourth RAW Women’s Title!
In a match between two strange individuals, SummerSlam would see the return of “The Demon King” as the creepy alter ego of Finn Balor would emerge to go one-on-one with “The Eater of Worlds” Bray Wyatt. At the end of a back-and-forth match, it was “The Demon King” who would reign supreme as Finn Balor would hit the Coup de Grace on Bray Wyatt, pinning “The Eater of Worlds” to pick up the win.
After finally reuniting and getting on the same page on RAW, former Shield members would reunite at “The Biggest Event of the Summer” as Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins would challenge Cesaro & Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Titles. During the match, Cesaro & Sheamus would take Dean Ambrose to the outside where Sheamus would level “The Lunatic Fringe” with the Brogue Kick, leaving Seth Rollins all alone against the champions. Later on in the match, Sheamus would be working over Seth Rollins as the crowd would become distracted by a beach ball that someone brought. Cesaro would respond to this by going into the crowd, retrieving the beach ball, and ripping it to shreds!
Later on in the match, Cesaro would trap Dean Ambrose in the Sharpshooter as Sheamus takes out Seth Rollins on the outside. With Ambrose nearing the ropes, Cesaro would transition into a Crossface but Dean is able to counter, nearly pinning Cesaro but Cesaro kicks out. Shortly after this, Cesaro & Sheamus would hit a double team High Cross on Ambrose but Rollins would break up the pin at the last possible second. Seth then uses a hurrincanrana to send Cesaro into Sheamus, doling out super kicks to both Cesaro & Sheamus before Rollins hits the Knee Trigger on Sheamus and Ambrose follows up with Dirty Deeds as Dean pins Sheamus to do the unthinkable as Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins win the RAW Tag Team Titles! After the match, Cesaro & Sheamus would regroup on the entrance ramp as Ambrose & Rollins celebrate their improbable title victory, standing united in the ring.
In the fifth title match of the night, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles would defend the prestigious United States Championship against Kevin Owens with SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon serving as the Special Guest Referee to try and ensure that the title match is contested fairly and without controversy. During the match, Shane McMahon would get put to the test by both competitors as, first, Kevin Owens would appear to inadvertently make contact with Shane, sending the Special Guest Referee into the ropes, crotching AJ Styles. Shortly after this, AJ Styles would go for a 450 Splash off of the top rope onto Kevin Owens, inadvertently making contact with Shane in the process! AJ would then check on the Special Guest Referee and this would give Kevin Owens the opening to hit the champion with the Pop-Up Powerbomb, but Shane would struggle to get into position to make the count, giving Styles time to kick out.
This would lead to Kevin Owens getting in Shane’s face and, this time, it would be AJ who would take advantage, sending the challenger into the corner before locking in the Calf Crusher. Owens would use a rake to the eyes to escape the hold before AJ would look to catapult the challenger, but Owens would counter, kicking Styles right into Shane, who topples out of the ring. Styles then locks in the Calf Crusher again, making Kevin Owens tap out, but with Shane still recovering on the outside, the tap out would go unseen. Once Shane is able to get back into the ring, he is confronted by an angry AJ Styles, who actually shoves the Special Guest Referee before Shane shoves back, shoving AJ right into a roll-up by Kevin Owens with Styles just barely able to kick out.
A little later in the match, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens would go counter-for-counter before AJ is able to hit the Styles Clash, but Owens kicks out. The champion then goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens is able to dodge the move before planting Styles with the Pop-Up Powerbomb. However, AJ is able to get his foot on the bottom rope and, despite making the three-count, Shane McMahon would immediately call it off after seeing AJ’s foot on the rope. This would lead to another confrontation between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon with words leading to shoving and, in a role reversal from earlier, it was Shane shoving Owens right into a roll-up by AJ Styles, but Owens is able to kick out again. AJ then catches the challenger with the Pele Kick before connecting with the Phenomenal Forearm and, to make absolutely sure he gets the three-count, Styles would plant Kevin Owens with the Styles Clash, finally securing the three-count to successfully retain the United States Championship, becoming the first champion to retain his title that night.
Then it was time for the top prize in WWE to be contested at SummerSlam as the charismatic and unpredictable Shinsuke Nakamura would challenge “The Modern Day Maharaja” Jinder Mahal, with The Singh Brothers in his corner, for the WWE Championship. During the match, Jinder Mahal would avoid the Kinshasa from Shinsuke Nakamura before Nakamura would avoid the Khallas. Nakamura then sends Jinder into the ring post and this is when The Singh Brothers would get involved. However, before the brothers could attack and cost Nakamura the title, “The Artist” would take out The Singh Brothers with the Kinshasa. The distraction would pay off, however, as Jinder would plant Nakamura with the Khallas, pinning Nakamura to successfully retain the WWE Title.
Then it was time for what was sure to be a hard-hitting, wild main event as “The Beast” Brock Lesnar would walk into SummerSlam with the odds against him as Brock, with Paul Heyman in his corner, would defend the Universal Championship against “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman, “The Destroyer” Samoa Joe, and “The Big Dog” Roman Reigns in a Fatal 4-Way Match where the first Superstar to score a pinfall or submission will walk out as the Universal Champion and, if Brock Lesnar loses the title, then both he and Paul Heyman will leave WWE! As soon as the match begins, Brock Lesnar would square off with Samoa Joe in the ring as Roman Reigns squares off with Braun Strowman on the outside. After tossing around Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar would come face-to-face with Braun Strowman before Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe break it up. However, Brock and Braun are able to dispatch Reigns and Joe before continuing their face-off.
Finally, the two monsters would collide with Braun getting the better of the champion, using his power to toss Brock into the corner before sending Lesnar out of the ring. Roman then tries to take Braun to the outside, but Strowman shoves Reigns away. Meanwhile, on the outside, Samoa Joe traps Brock Lesnar in the Coquina Clutch but Joe lets go of the hold and gets out of the way of a charging Roman Reigns as “The Big Dog” delivers a massive Spear to Brock Lesnar, sending “The Beast” crashing through the barricade! Braun then takes control of the match, running right into Samoa Joe and sending Joe over the German announce table. Strowman then exposes the Spanish announce table before “The Monster Among Men” sets his sights on Brock Lesnar, putting “The Beast” on his shoulder with ease and driving the champion through the announce table with a running powerslam!
Roman Reigns would then cut off Braun Strowman’s destruction with the Drive-By before Samoa Joe dives out of the ring to take out Reigns. With Reigns and Joe battling, Braun Strowman would hurl a chair a good six feet, taking out both Reigns and Joe! Braun then exposes the SmackDown LIVE announce table, again picking Brock Lesnar up and driving the Universal Champion through another table with the running powerslam! “The Monster Among Men” then tries to crush “The Beast” as Braun uses his ungodly strength to tip the German announce table over on top of Brock Lesnar! Referees, agents, and medical personnel then rush to the aid of Brock Lesnar, managing to lift the table off of the champion. Paramedics then arrive on the scene with a stretcher, loading “The Beast” onto a stretcher and strapping Brock in. With Brock barely moving, the paramedics, referees, agents, and medical personnel wheel Lesnar to the back with Brock’s advocate, Paul Heyman, in tow as the match continues with Brock Lesnar apparently on his way to a local hospital!
Braun would then grab the steel steps, using them as a weapon to take out Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe before tossing the steps in the ring. Strowman and Reigns then square off in the ring with Reigns grabbing the steel steps, repeatedly blasting Strowman, knocking Braun out of the ring. Samoa Joe then tries to surprise Roman Reigns with a roll-up, but Roman is able to kick out. Joe and Reigns then go counter-for-counter with Roman getting the better of the fight. Joe then avoids the Superman Punch before locking in the Coquina Clutch, but Braun breaks it up, delivering a double chokeslam to Reigns and Joe. Strowman then tries to pin Reigns, but Reigns kicks out before, somehow, Brock Lesnar comes back out, making a beeline for the ring despite the best attempts of agents to convince “The Beast” otherwise.
The champion would return to the ring with a vengeance, first taking down Braun Strowman before delivering a suplex to Roman Reigns and a suplex to Samoa Joe as well. Brock then tries to suplex Braun but, when that fails, “The Beast” locks Strowman in the Kimura Lock before Roman Reigns takes Braun down with the Superman Punch. Roman then catches Brock with a Superman Punch before Samoa Joe gets a Superman Punch as well! Reigns then sizes the champion up, blasting Brock with the Spear, but “The Beast” is somehow able to kick out! Roman then sizes Lesnar up for a second Spear, but Samoa Joe intervenes, locking in the Coquina Clutch on “The Big Dog” before Braun Strowman catches both men with a big dropkick that sends Reigns out of the ring.
Braun then picks Samoa Joe and delivers the running powerslam but, with the three-count seemingly a certainty, Brock Lesnar would resort to pulling the referee out of the ring to save his title for the time being. Reigns then catches Brock with the Superman Punch before heading back into the ring and delivering the Superman Punch to Braun as well. Braun then avoids the Spear before planting Reigns with the running powerslam before Brock Lesnar leaps in the ring to break up the attempted pinfall. Brock then manages to lift Braun up for the F-5 but Braun fights out before looking for another running powerslam before Reigns hits Strowman with the Spear. This leaves Brock and Roman alone in the ring before Samoa Joe joins the fray, tossing Roman out of the ring before locking in the Coquina Clutch on “The Beast” with Lesnar managing to counter, hitting the F-5 but Roman is able to break up the pinfall attempt at the last second.
Reigns then catches the champion with three back-to-back Superman Punches before sizing Brock up for the Spear but Brock is able to counter the Spear into the F-5, finally managing to pin Reigns for the three-count to, against all odds, successfully retain the Universal Championship in an absolutely hellacious Fatal 4-Way Match! After the match, Brock Lesnar lies on the floor clutching his Universal Title before getting to his feet, managing to crack a smile before leaving with Paul Heyman by his side having survived a punishing, destructive main event to remain Universal Champion at “The Biggest Event of the Summer”.
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