WWE 2024 Summer Slam Recap (8-3-24)
By: Xavier Jones
Headline Photo Credit: WWE
Live from Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH, WWE brings to you Summer Slam. The Miz was tasked with hosting the biggest event of the summer. Music artist, Jelly Roll, opened the show with a performance. This night was filled with a bunch of twists and turns, and also four title changes. The match card for Summer Slam was of the following:
Women’s World Championship match:
Liv Morgan (c) v Rhea Ripley
Intercontinental Championship match:
Sami (c) v Bron Breakker
U.S. Championship match:
Logan Paul (c) v LA Knight
WWE Women’s Championship match:
Bayley (c) v Nia Jax
Drew McIntyre v CM Punk w/ Seth “Freakin” Rollins as Special Guest Referee
World Heavyweight Championship match:
Damien Priest (c) v Gunther
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Bloodline Rules
Cody Rhodes (c) v Solo Sikora
Women’s World Championship match
The opening match of the night was Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship. At the beginning of the match, Liv Morgan was playing mind games with Rhea by running in and out of the ring. This was visibly irritating Rhea Ripley. However, after one too many times of doing that, Rhea finally caught Liv and hit her with a few clotheslines. Rhea bounces Liv’s head off of the steel steps as the beatdown continues. Then, Rhea would hit Liv with a massive headbutt. Rhea attempts her finisher, the Riptide, but Liv Morgan manages to escape. After a misstep by Rhea, it looked like she may have aggravated her already injured shoulder. Liv begins to target the shoulder area. Morgan hits a Codebreaker on the shoulder of Rhea. The most insane thing of the night was when Rhea intentionally hit her shoulder on the announce table to pop her shoulder back in place. Rhea goes on the offensive and attempts another Riptide. Afterward, Rhea puts Liv in the Prism Lock submission, but the champ can escape. Liv gets a chair but is stopped by Rhea before any punishment can be dished out. Rhea gets the chair and before she can use it, she is stopped by Dom because it would DQ her. Liv would then push Rhea into Dom and hit her with the ObLIVion. After a near fall, Dom slides the chair into the ring and distracts the referee. Liv would hit Rhea with another ObLIVion, and this time she connected with it onto a chair for the three count. Liv Morgan retains her title, and then Dom kisses her in front of Rhea and they exit together.
Intercontinental Championship match
As soon as the bell rang, Bron Breakker went for a Spear but missed and hit the ring post. Bron quickly gets back into the match and takes it to Sami Zayn. Breakker then hits Zayn with the Frankensteiner from the top rope. Sami gains some momentum and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb on Bron for a two-count. Zayn had Bron set up in the corner for a Helluva Kick but is hit with a Spear instead. Breaker connects with another Spear for the three count. And new Intercontinental Champion, Bron Breakker!
U.S. Championship match
Before the bell could ring, Logan Paul and LA Knight took the fight to the outside. LA Knight hits a huge neckbreaker on Logan Paul onto the announce table. Both competitors finally entered the ring and the match officially started. Paul pounces on Knight and takes the fight to him. Logan Paul and LA Knight exchange rights and lefts in the middle of the ring. Knight gets the upper hand and punishes Paul in the corner. He then hits Paul with an elbow drop from the top rope for a two-count. Logan manages to drop Knight with a Springboard Clothesline and then a Springboard Moonsault. Paul lands a knockout punch, but only for a near fall. Knight hits Paul with a superplex from the top rope for a near fall of his own. Machine Gun Kelly hands Logan Paul some brass knuckles which he uses on LA Knight. Logan then attempts a clothesline, but is caught by Knight and gets hit with the BFT for the three count. And the new U.S. Champion, LA Knight! YEAH!
WWE Women’s Championship match
At the beginning of the match, Bayley uses her quickness against Nia Jax to keep her off balance. However, the power of Jax was too much for Bayley to withstand. Jax puts Bayley in submission until she breaks free and hits her with a backdrop. Nia would then hit Bayley with a Rolling Senton and Leg Drop combination for a two-count. Jax goes for a Leg Drop from the second rope but misses. Bayley connects with the Bayley to Back suplex on Nia Jax for a near fall. Bayley shows off her strength by hitting Jax with a Powerbomb. She then hits Nia Jax with a Flying Elbow from the top rope for another near fall. Tiffany Stratton’s music hits and she runs down to the ring causing Bayley to become distracted. Jax would then capitalize and hit two Powerbombs on Bayley before connecting on two Annihilators for the three count. And the new WWE Women’s Champion, Nia Jax!
Drew McIntyre v. CM Punk w/ Special Referee Seth “Freakin” Rollins
CM Punk and Drew McIntyre exchange blows as soon as the bell rung, leading to Seth “Freakin” Rollins physically separating the two competitors. Punk gets the upper hand as the match spills to the outside of the ring. Drew takes control as the match continues on the outside. The whole time the two competitors were fighting outside the ring, Rollins never attempted to count out the two. McIntyre hits Punk with two Powerbombs, but only for a two-count by Seth Rollins. Drew attempts to use a chair but is quickly stopped by Rollins. Drew shoves Seth in the face causing him to use the chair, but stops himself before hitting CM Punk by accident. Punk puts Drew in the Anaconda Vice submission, however stops it to take his bracelet off of McIntyre. Next, Drew connects with Claymore on CM Punk for a near fall. Punk goes for the Go To Sleep, but stops because he sees Rollins wearing his bracelet. Punk hits Rollins with a GTS, then Drew catches Punk with a low blow before catching him another Claymore. Seth Rollins crawls over to Drew covering Punk for the three count.
World Heavyweight Championship match
Damien Priest and Gunther begin the match exchanging blows until the action lands on the outside of the ring. Gunther gains control and begins to deliver some knife-edge chops to the champion. The priest connects with a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Both competitors go back and forth with the knife-edge chops. Gunther’s chest starts to bleed as a result of the physicality of the match. Priest hits the South of Heaven on Gunther for a near fall. After several hard hits by Gunther on Damien Priest, he only gets a two-count. The champ refuses to stay down and the challenger continues the all-out assault. Priest gains momentum after two clotheslines, a Razor’s Edge, and South of Heaven. Damien Priest goes for the pin, but Finn Balor puts Gunther’s feet on the ropes. After losing his focus on Gunther because of Finn’s betrayal, he is then hit with a Powerbomb and choked out with a Sleeper Hold. The referee lifts Priest’s arm in the air only for it to drop due to being choked out and the ref calls for the bell. And the new World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther!
Undisputed WWE Championship match
Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa lock horns until both competitors begin playing mind games with one another. Rhodes hits the Disaster Kick, and then a Suicide Dive to the outside on Solo. He goes for another Suicide Dive but is cut down short by Sikoa. Solo takes control of the match and dishes out the punishment on the champion. Cody counters Solo’s Samoan Spike with a Cody Cutter. Rhodes attempts another Disaster Kick but is caught in mid-air for a Powerbomb. Solo regains control of the match. He hits a Spinning Solo on Rhodes for a near fall. Cody fights back but is stopped with a Samoan Drop. Rhodes counters Solo’s top rope maneuver with a superplex of his own. Both competitors go blow for blow in the middle of the ring. Cody manages to hit Solo with a Cross Rhodes only for the Bloodline to interfere. They attack Cody and Solo goes for a pin, but it was a near fall. Kevin Owens heads to the ring to even things out but it is still 4 against 2. Randy Orton comes out to help take out the Bloodline. Cody brings in the steel steps and hits Sikoa with it until he counters with a Spear. Rhodes hits two Cross Rhodes, and while going for a third one, Jacob Fatu enters the ring. He begins to punish Cody Rhodes and throws him outside of the ring. Fatu places Cody on the announce table and jumps from the top rope for a splash through the table. Solo connects with a splash of his own, but it only results in a near fall. Roman Reigns’ music hits, and he begins to make his way down to the ring. Reigns hit Sikoa with a Superman Punch and then a Spear. He looks at Cody before leaving the ring. Cody hits the Cross Rhodes on Solo for the three count as Roman Reigns looks on. And still Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes!
The next Premium Live Event for WWE will take place on August 31, 2024, in Berlin for WWE Bash in Berlin.
