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Night one of SummerSlam 2026 is in the books and overall, it was a strong, eventful show. Going into the weekend, this card looked to be the stronger one, build wise, and they paid that off very well with a number of strong bouts and a great moment to end the show. Let's get to the matches.
Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky
These two women are so, so good. If you expected anything less than an excellent match out of them then I don’t know what you were thinking. They certainly delivered. Going in, the story was that Liv can't beat Iyo so that meant that she really needed to win here. Add in that The Judgment Day isn't exactly firing on all cylinders right now and taking the belt off of Morgan would have really hurt the group.
There were so many cool sports and transitions in this match. Sky moves in ways that no human should be able to move. Her balance is amazing.
It's easy to sleep on how great Morgan is. She just does everything so, so, so well. She totally gets how to be a heel wrestler and mix in the big spots when the time is right.
The finishing sequence of this match was awesome. The loss didn't hurt Iyo at all.
Usos and Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys.
I wasn't really sure what to expect here but it ended up that the match was a hell of a lot of fun. The work and the pacing was really good.
I am a really big fan of Solo. He has so much charisma. Him doing the yeet deal was awesome and got the fans rooting for him. They really hurt his presentation after he lost to Roman Reigns on the first Raw on Netflix but he has found his way back recently. His facials and timing with his character are great. Solo has a character that is unlike anything else that they have in WWE. I want to see him, LA and Royce keep on going as a faction.
I loved that they had his team win. I want to see where they can take those three as a faction. The Bloodline now has to face Roman so we will see where that goes.
Jacob coming out in the mask was a cool moment.
The Usos getting the big pop at the start? That is part of what was hard about this show for me. We need clearer lines where heels are heels and faces are faces. This isn't UFC where people just fight. It's an ongoing drama and Triple H needs to do better with that part of the business.
Jey landing on his head at the finish looked scary in real time. I was glad to see him roll out of the ring.
Royce Keys is a strong, strong man. That powerslam spot on Jacob was super cool.
Nick Aldis vs. Gunther
This was a lot of fun for me. There were two old school pro wrestlers doing it the way I love to see it done. They worked hard and smartly.
Obviously, Gunther should have won but Aldis did such a great job that WWE should let him work again. I know that he is the GM of Smackdown again but with the match he delivered and the reaction that he got, WWE should think about getting more out of him,
The fans hate Gunther, which is a testament to his great work. That helped Aldis' reaction early but by the end he earned their cheers. Hell, he earned them well before the end. This match exceeded my expectations.
Nick got one hell of a pop when he came out. Wade losing it for the Oasis song was tremendous! I am sure Aldis really appreciated the "You still got it" chants. I would have. The crowd popping for him after the match was awesome. HHH and company should listen and let the man wrestle.
It was cool to see Mickie James there and got a moment in the ring at SummerSlam.
The Bellas and Paige vs. Fatal Influence
The right team won here. HHH blew the hot start that Fatal Influence had so hopefully they can get that back. The new stars should have definitely beat the vets here.
I felt bad for the women here. The first three matches were so good that a breather would have to be taken at some point. They all worked hard and made the most of the match.
Nikki’s character is pure evil. So is Brie’s. They are rotten lowlifes (in the storylines). At least they are real heels. That doesn’t always happen with HHH these days.
I was glad to see that Nikki Bella was back to 100 percent, even if she can’t be trusted.
Punk vs. Cody
As expected, they put on a clinic. Expecting anything less would be a fool's errand. They killed it and the right guy got the win. I suggested that Randy could return in the Tip Sheet and I think that was a good way to get to the finish. Now, Cody has to deal with Randy and it also keeps him away from the Title, which I think he needs for a while.
It was so much fun watching them work and sell. It doesn’t have to be a lost art. These two guys totally get it. Nothing they do will leave much of a long term mark on the body but it looks devastating when they do it and the fans believe it. That’s what’s called being a pro wrestler. Anyone can do things that actually hurt. The real pros do things that don’t hurt but look like they hurt.
The crowd loves Punk. That is clear. As I said above, Cody needs time away from the belt anyway and if they had him beat Punk I don't think a lot of fans would have accepted that very well.
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi in the Cell.
This was the match that I was most looking forward to and man, it was a hell of a lot of fun. I loved watching two monsters throw big hands. This match was exactly what it should have been in every way.
There were a lot of cool things in this match. The biggest, of course, was the way Brock put over Oba. He sold like a mofo for him throughout the match and obviously, when it was over he literally put him over. If that was it for Brock, what a way to go out, giving back in a big way to the next big thing. What a career that man has had.
The fans are really into Oba. I know, thanks Captain Obvious. But seriously, they are. Fans always love a monster, especially one that can work and speak like Oba can. He also showed that he can sell as well. I am excited to see where the future takes him. Success is not guaranteed but he seems geared to have one hell of a career.
Other Notes:
I love the team of Michael Cole and Wade Barrett. No disrepect meant to Corey Graves or Joe Tess, but Cole and Barrett just blend so well.
The crowd was awesome all night and added to the show.
I love US Bank Stadium because that is where The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl. GO BIRDS!
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