WWE Summerslam 2026 Night 1 8/1/2026

WWE Summerslam 2026 Night 1 8/1/2026

We are in Minneapolis, MN. Wade Barrett and Michael Cole are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive and hang out. 

Women's Title - Liv Morgan (c) vs Iyo Sky

Iyo backs her up in the corner and is thrown down backwards. Liv stomps and clubs on her. Iyo knees her in the gut and stomps her in the corner. Iyo headstand pendulum double knees her in the corner. Liv is sent out and pulls down Iyo on a dive attempt. Iyo drops her with a forearm. Iyo stands on the rail and is swept on it. Iyo is then sent into the LED board rails.

Liv basement dropkicks Iyo in the ring then stomps her. Liv kicks her in the ribs. Liv suplexes her three times. Liv enzugiri's her for 2. Liv backsplashes her and step up knees her in the corner. Liv rolls her into a double stomp. Iyo flapjacks her and buzzsaw kicks her. 

Iyo pulls Liv's arm down over the top rope. Iyo top rope dropkicks Liv. Iyo corner meteora's her. Iyo then sunset bombs her on the floor. Iyo goes up top and Raquel/Perez come out. Raquel pushes Iyo off the top rope. Iyo knocks Perez off the apron and back body drops Liv onto Raquel. Raquel catches Liv and Iyo top rope moonsaults Perez and Raquel outside.

Liv headscissor spikes Iyo over the middle rope. Liv is up top and gets hit with a shotei. Iyo top rope spanish flies Liv. They trade forearms. Liv pounds on her and Iyo hits an angel's wings. Iyo double underhook backbreakers her.

Iyo misses a corner meteora. Iyo twisting reverse ddt's her. Iyo hits Liv's oblivion for 2. Iyo misses a top rope moonsault and hodls her ankle. Liv 2nd rope diving codebreakers her for 2. Iyo germans Liv on the apron. Iyo meteora's her against the post on the apron.

Liv goes for a moonsault off the top but Liv gets her boots up. Iyo headflips out of oblivion and is codebreakered. Liv hits oblivion again and pins her.

Thoughts: There wasn't a great story or anything but I liked what we got. Both girls tried a bit harder than usual, they didn't botch and things went well for the most part. I was a little surprised to see Liv win and am curious as to where this leaves Iyo now.  

The Bloodline are in the back and Jey hypes up Jimmy.

We see some legends in the crowd like X-Pac, Dan Spivey and Jimmy Hart.

We get a Gears of War video game ad before the next match with some rubble on the stage and some skull graphics on the tron.

LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys vs. The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso)

Fatu comes out with a wolf's mask.

The faces run in and the fight starts. 4 of the 6 fight in the ring. LA back body drops Jimmy over the top. Jimmy then suicide dives out. Jey hits punches on Solo and Solo punches back. Solo does Jey's punch and dance. Solo then does Jey's yeeting with taunts and music.

Solo shoulders over Jey. Solo samoan drops Fatu and does his dance. Fatu then superkicks him. Fatu pop-up samoan drops him. Fatu sentons him and hits mounted punches. Fatu chokes Solo on the ropes. Jimmy stomps Solo in the corner. Jey corner splashes Solo. Solo is then abused on the ropes.

Fatu stomps and headbutts Solo. Fatu running corner hip attacks him. Solo hits punches on Fatu then they double clothesline each other down. Keys comes in and hits lariats on Jimmy. Keys corner splashes him then lariats him. Keys world's strongest slams Jimmy. Keys then sky high's Jey. 

Keys hits punches on Jimmy and Jimmy superkicks him three times. Keys 2nd rope spinning slams Jimmy. LA comes in and hits shots on Jey. LA pop-up slams him. LA elbow drops Jey. Jey spears LA for 2. 

Jey goes up top, LA jumps up there and superplexes him. Jey top rope splashes LA. Solo uranage's Jimmy then Fatu impaler ddt's Solo. Keys spinebusters Fatu. Fatu superkicks Keys outside. Keys powerslams Fatu over the timekeeper's rail. LA rolls up Jey for 2. Jey spears LA. Jimmy top rope splashes LA for 2. LA hits a BFT on Jey and pins him.

Thoughts: It was okay but more suitable for a Raw match than a big show like this. They just didn't go all out or get to do anything special. The match did flow well though and probably worked out as good as it was going to go. Keys' powerslam over the rail was the highlight of this. 

Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

They lock up. Gun wristlocks him. Nick kips up out of it and reverses it. Gun side headlocks him. Gun shoulders him over then side headlock takeovers him. Gun slides out and poses on the commentary table. Gun backs him up in the corner and chops him. Nick punches back. Gun jumps at him and is caught with a suplex for 2.

Nick sits up top and is chopped down. Fatu sends Nick into the post then talks smack to Mickie James, Nick's wife. Gun chops Nick down. Nick hits punches and chops on Gun. Nick is thrown hard into the buckles. 

Nick backbreakers Gun. Gun sleepers him. Gun lariats Nick down. Nick 2nd rope superplexes Gun. Nick hits punches on Gun and Gun chops him. Nick lariats him then Gun lariats him back. Nick flying lariats him then powerslams him for 2. Gun misses a corner facekick and Nick kicks him in the leg. Nick slams Gun then top rope elbow drops him twice. Nick cloverleaf's Gun and Gun ropebreaks.

Gun goes for a sleeper then Nick goes for one. Gun saito suplexes him and powerbombs him for 2. Gun hits downward elbows on Nick and grounded chokes him. Nick then taps out.

Thoughts: It was an okay bout here. Nick looked fine though he was definitely getting a little tired by the end. Gun got the win as expected. It's nice to see Nick finally get to wrestle in WWE after never getting a chance despite checking all the boxes.

Nick's wife and kid come into the ring after to hug him. 

Tommy Dreamer and Bubba Ray Dudley are shown in the crowd as part of Busted Open Radio.

The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella and Brie Bella) and Paige vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley) 

Fallon forearms down Brie (long pants). Brie knees her in the gut and russian legsweeps her. Brie hits chest kicks on Fallon. The heels have their heads banged off the steps (not Jacy though). Paige and Nikki dive off the apron on their opponents.

Brie goes up top and is pulled down by Jacy. LR stomps Brie's face into the steps. Jacy cannonballs Brie against the steps. Jacy sentons Brie for 2. LR running euros Brie in the corner and chinlocks her. Brie back elbows LR. 

Brie lariats LR. Nikki hits running lariats on LR. Nikki neckbreakers Jacy, forcing her to ddt Fallon. Nikki facebusters LR for 2. LR cradles Nikki for 2. Nikki forearms LR. Paige cannonballs Fallon from the apron. 

Jacy superkicks Paige in the ring. Brie surprises Jacy with a forearm. LR sunset flips Nikki then pumping knees her. Nikki takes like a double team fisherman's suplex for 2. Fallon swinging facebusters Brie then dances. Nikki and Fallon forearm each other down.

Paige slingshot sunset flips Jacy. Jacy spinning forearms Paige  and pins her.

Thoughts: It was an average match. They didn't botch too bad but the work just wasn't great. I'm kind of surprised the faces lost since The Bella's are re-united again here.

The Bella then beat up Paige after in a surprise turn. Brie TKO's Paige and The Bella's leave Paige laying. Nikki says "lesson learned, you'll never take my spot".

We get a cool Street Fighter style character select screen with WWE wrestlers. 

Undisputed WWE Title - CM Punk (c) vs Cody Rhodes

Cody comes out to Guile's Street Fighter music with a helmet with Guile's hair on it. Cody is lifted up from under the stage. Punk comes out in Minnesota North Stars themed attire.

They stare down and lock up. Punk double chops him on the break then Cody does the same. They trade chops. Punk hiptosses him and flying headscissors him. Punk kicks and boots Cody in the arm. Punk whips him down by the arm and hammerlocks him. 

Punk side headlocks him and Cody shoulders him over twice. Cody side headlock takeovers him. Cody shoulders him over and side headlock takeovers him again. Cody chops Punk and Punk whips him down by the arm. Punk hits chest kicks and yanks the arm. 

They trade hammerlocks and Punk is sent out of the ring. Cody topes him outside. Punk is sent into and over the rails. Punk flying lariats him off the rail. Punk top rope double axe handles him. Punk suplexes him for 2. Cody hits a drop down punch and Punk leg lariats him. Punk then holds his left knee. Punk step up knees Cody in the corner. Cody kneebreakers Punk then kicks him in the leg. 

Cody dragon screws Punk. Cody hits corner spears and kicks him in the leg. Cody dragon screws Punk again. Cody twists the ankle and Punk boots him in the head. Cody springboards and is kicked in mid-air. Punk slams Cody. They fight up top and Cody goes down. Punk top rope elbow drops Cody.

Cody hits a cody cutter for 2. Cody hits a disaster kick for 2. Cody walks up the buckles and diving cody cutters him for 2. Punk upkicks Cody then rolls him up for 2. Cody blocks a go to sleep then Cody figure fours Punk. Punk rolls to reverse the figure four and they ropebreak. Punk puts him in the anaconda vice. 

Punk hits punches and chops on Cody. Punk does another anaconda vice. Cody hits a cross rhodes for 2. Punk is crotched up top. Punk tries a top rope moonsault but he misses and it looks terrible. Punk lariats him down for 2. Punk double axe handles Cody and hits a go to sleep for 2. 

Punk bangs Cody's head off the commentary table. Punk is swept on the commentary table. Punk is sent into the steps. Punk hits a GTS on Cody in the ring for 2.

Cody is on the commentary table. Punk misses a top rope elbow drop and goes through the table. Cody walks up the buckles and dives on the ref when Punk moves. Punk hits a GTS on Cody. Cody hits a cross rhodes and Punk rolls out. Randy Orton returns, runs in and RKO's Cody. Punk hits a GTS on Cody and pins him.

Thoughts: It got a lot of time and had a little bit of a slower pace to it (maybe too slow at times). It was a good match overall with Punk working the arm and Cody working the leg. Randy Orton returned, bringing back his Mania feud with Cody, and at least gave Cody an out here. Punk's top rope moonsault was bad and I was very surprised he tried that dive through the commentary table. 

Corey Graves, Big E and Joe Tessitore talk about the Cody/Punk match then hype up the main.  

Hell in a Cell Match - Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

Paul Heyman stands on the commentary table and does the intro for Brock. 

Oba boots and euros him. Oba hits corner spears then running corner euros him. Brock germans him three times but Oba no sells the 3rd. Brock is lariated over the top and goes into the cage. Brock's head is banged off the apron and he is sent into the cage. Oba is sent into the steps.

Oba suplexes Brock on the floor. Brock is sent into the steps. Oba leans a table against the cage and Brock is whipped into it. Brock hits Oba in the head with steps in the ring. Brock then hits him hard with them. Brock germans him twice and chairs him. Brock suplexes him. Brock suplexes him on chairs. Oba blocks an F-5 and pop-up spinebusters him. Oba hits shots to the gut and running euros him in the corner. 

Oba chokeslams him and throws him on a backdrop. Oba sitout powerbombs him for 2. Brock laughs in his face and double boots him. Brock F-5's him. Oba gets up then gets up on another F-5. Brock hits a third F-5 for 2. Brock chairs Oba.

Brock rips the ring canvas and pulls the mat away. Brock does Taker's throat slit and tombstones Oba on the exposed wooden boards. Brock then gets a 2 count while trying to pin him Undertaker style. 

Oba punches through a chair and pop-up sitout powerbombs Brock on the mat. Oba pins him.

Thoughts: It wasn't quite a classic. There was no blood and the wildest spots was Oba's bump on the wooden planks. They just never really tried to get this to the next level or do anything too crazy. It was a shorter bout also. It was alright but it could have been a lot more.

Brock hugs Oba after and raises his arm. Brock gets on the mic and says Oba is the future of WWE. They shake hands. Brock says he's the past and Oba is the future.

Overall thoughts: Liv/Iyo was okay. The trios match was also okay but would have been better suited for Raw or SD. Gunther/Aldis was fine. The women's match was average. Cody/Orton was good and was the match of the night. The main was alright but it was shorter and the risks were kept to a minimum.

Sadly, this was show pretty typical of recent WWE PLE's. The days of classic PLE's with everyone giving their all, getting longer matches and making the show special are long gone and do not seem like they will be coming back. There were tons of commercials breaks and probably as much downtime as there was wrestling. I'd give this a 6 out of 10 overall as the wrestling was fine, but there's nothing you'd need to see here and this isn't something I would ever rewatch. Skip this one.