Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens and more wowed fans at WWE Summer Slam night two
Jordan Mendoza recaps WWE Summer Slam and the most impressive matches from night two.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following a resounding opening night, WWE SummerSlam 2026 has come to a close, and what a weekend it was in Minnesota.
After a resounding opening night, night two of the two-day event took place Sunday, Aug. 2, with the final six matches of the weekend pulling off a wild night of wrestling.
The SummerSlam main event between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins was a classic end to a long rivalry, with the World Heavyweight Championship match ending in a move you might not have expected. A new WWE Women’s Champion was crowned – an interim one – and it was a result got everyone excited for the winner. Titles did change hands, and all of that came after stunning return opened the day.
USA TODAY Sports has the full results and highlights from SummerSlam 2026 night two:
In possibly the last time they face off, Reigns and Rollins stare each other down before coming face-to-face in the middle of the ring. Rollins’ mind games are already at work, but Reigns in chirping back before they finally tangle up to official get it underway. The challenger continues to mess with Reigns and gets the early upper hand.
After some suicide dives to continue the attack, Rollins clears the announcer’s table, but gets a swift uppercut from Reigns. The match spills over the barricade and goes into the crowd as they each trade shots, with Rollins using a some nearby stuff for his attack before Reigns lands a suplex right on the hard surface. Reigns tried the spear through the barricade, but that fails.
Rollins taunts Reigns by trying to do the spear, but he gets caught. Reigns picks him up for a powerbomb onto the announcer’s table that sends him crashing down. The “OTC” clears the other table, trying to inflict more damage, yet Rollins counters it and gives Reigns a taste of his own medicine.
When both stars rush into the ring, Rollins greets Reigns with a pedigree that nearly gets the win. Rollins then tries the stomp that Reigns counters with a Superman punch, and he also gets the near count. Reigns is the first one on his feet and yells out for the spear, but Rollins dodges it and stomps him. Reigns just kicks out of that pin attempt.
Rollins picks Reigns up and puts him on the top turnbuckle. He gets sent down, but quickly climbs back up for a suplex that Reigns hangs onto and turns into a guillotine choke. Rollins goes down as the submission is locked, trying to power himself to break it. He does by picking Reigns up, but Reigns goes right into a spear that falls just short of getting the win.
Frustration is setting in for Reigns as he talks down to Rollins while punching him. Rollins gets up and suprises Reigns with a spear as both stars are on the ground, with the challenger now giving Reigns some words. A flurry of moves goes down that sees Reigns stomp Rollins and that also can’t close out the match.
Both stars get up and the passion gets reignited as they trade pleasantries, trading punches. A big uppercut from Reigns knocks the official down and Reigns pays homage to Dean Ambrose with Dirty Deeds. He gets ready for the spear, but again gets the referee. Rollins then stomps him as both stars are down.
The “Visionary” then grabs the chair and everyone knows what’s coming. Back in the ring, Rollins is about to hit him with it just like several times before, but he doesn’t do it and Reigns hits him. The “OTC” then grabs the chair and tosses it aside. It surprises Rollins as Reigns says they’re going to settle this in the ring. The go face-to-face and start beating each other up.
Rollins lands the Pedigree and after a missed stop, does get it in and then climbs up for a flying stomp that Reigns avoids. He spears Rollins and gets back up for the running spear, but the referee still hasn’t gotten up. Frustrated, Reigns looks right at Rollins and spears him one more time. The official does get up, and he counts to three as Reigns finally takes down the Rollins.
After the match, Reigns and Rollins sit across the ring from each other as they take it the battle they just endured.
Reigns gets up and puts his fist out, just like The Shield days. Rollins gets up, puts his mask down and joins Reigns with the fist, signaling the mutual respect of each other.
Analysis: The “OTC” reigns supreme over his longtime rival.
Both stars laid it all out on the line for a very captivating main event, one that had several twists and turns that sent everyone on a roller coaster of emotion, unsure what the result was going to be. While there were some things that didn’t make sense like the no count out or some missed spots, it was great story beginning to end as they each tried to win the mental war they had waged on another. Of course the callbacks were going to happen, and there were some sweet touches in there that made it better.
It only made sense for Reigns to conquer the one thing he hadn’t been able to in his career, and what a moment it was for them to show a sign of respect and appreciation for each other. Reigns has now officially captured it all in WWE, and his dominance will continue as he carries the title out of SummerSlam.
Aura. Reigns has arrived as the crowd acknowledges the “OTC.”
The challenger is pulling out the mind games. His entrances starts with the iconic Shield callsign before “Burn it Down” plays. He comes out wearing a modified version of the vest and mask he wore during the Shield.
The Minnesota Vikings star is in the stadium with a Vikings title belt and hypes up the main event.
The now respected opponents shake hands before starting their highly anticipated bout, and its quick jump as both wrestlers get right after it with fast-paced sequences. The intensity is pumping as they each go all out on just about everything they do, going all over in and out of the ring. Gable gets busted open rather suddenly has blood appears on his cheek.
Penta targets the left shoulder of Gable to try and slow him down, and the challenger responds by trying the same thing. Outside of the ring, Gable executes a moonsault as he starts to pull everything out of his arsenal. He gets a diving headbutt in the ring but the pin attempt doesn’t land as the hurt shoulder is bothering him. A Mexican Destroyer on the outside of the ring nearly ends it for Gable.
Penta tries to get another one in, but he falls right into an ankle lock. Gable has it in place and Penta tries to get out, but the lock is in. Penta taps out and Gable is the new Intercontinental Champion in the biggest win of his career.
Gable is emotional after the win, and Penta picks him up as raises his arm to congratulate the man that has finally accomplished his dream. His family joins him in the ring as “you deserved it” chants come in.
“My name is Chad Gable, and I was born, raised and lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” he said. “I can finally say I am the Intercontinental Champion.”
Analysis: Gable gets it done.
It was a long time coming but it was one of the best stories of redemption, a journey that set the stage for the perfect ending. You knew this was going to be a great match, and while it didn’t get as much time as it definitely could’ve used, Penta and Gable delivered. They each got the chance to shine and put it all on the line for a great bout with a finish everyone can appreciate.
This should continue a magnificent 2026 for Gable as he rises toward top card contention, and this should be a great Intercontinental title run.
The Minnesota crowd roots on his hometown star, with Gable doing the Vikings’ “Skol” chant with the crowd.
Danhausen and Dominik Mysterio meet in a Human Monies on a Pole match, and it’s exactly what it is sounds like. A bag of money is put above the ring, and either star must grab it to win. It stems from the money The Judgement Day alleges Danhausen stole from them.
Neither star wastes any time trying to end the match, trying to grab the bag of money instantly to no luck. Mysterio is on offense mostly but Danhausen is quick to end those threats. JD McDonagh comes out soon to help Mysterio out, and he is unable to stop an ambush by the Minihausens. They try to grab the money for Danhausen, but there is a height problem, and Mysterio comes to push them all out.
With McDonagh and Mysterio teaming up on everyone, Joe Hendry appears to even the playing field. That leaves Danhausen and Mysterio to fight it out, and just when Mysterio is about to grab the bag, Danhausen curses him. Pyro causes him to fall down, leaving the lane open for Danhausen to grab the bag and win.
Analysis: That was something.
You should expect complete chaos with a Danhausen match, and that’s exactly what we got in a match that was all over place. McDonagh, the Minihausens and Hendry all came out in a complete mess of a match that was entertaining, but also a mess.
Again, you shouldn’t expect a classic bout with Danhausen, but it was still a little fun.
The heat between Flair and Cargill couldn’t wait much longer as they start fighting outside of the ring to officially get the action going. Each star then gets their shot at each other. The friendship between Stratton and Green helps out as they work together to clear the field, but they can’t contain Cargill and Legend. However, it does help get Flair off of Stratton later on.
Green is the first star to get a chance to climb up the ladder, but it’s quickly stopped by Cargill as she lands a Jaded to her on a ladder. When Cargill tries to climb up, Stratton stops it. After bouncing Legend’s head off the ladder, Legend response with a brutal powerbomb.
Flair sees an opportunity to grab the title, but just as she touches it, Cargill takes the ladder down with Flair hanging on. Legend comes in to help drag Flair down in a scary move that could have ended badly. Stratton finds an open window, but Green comes back into the ring. She says sorry, and pushes her off the ladder and onto the rest of the competitors outside of the ring. Green is all alone, about to take the title when Cargill’s backup in Michin and B-Fab come out to stop it, attacking Green as the fan hype instantly dies.
Cargill gets helped up the ladder, and Flair springs back up to contest Cargill. Legend and Stratton try to come back but fail, and Cargill and Flair take each other out.
However, Green is still there and comes back to life. She’s all alone, and she climbs to grab the title and become the champion as the crowd goes wild.
Analysis: Finally, Green has done it.
One of the most desired results of the year, Green has been a great soldier in WWE, just awaiting that chance to be rewarded with the top prize. The crowd was fully behind her, and it paid off immensely. The build the entire match was fantastic, with a great dose of anticipation. Green snatching the title was one of the loudest pops for a result in recent memory, and it was a fantastic moment.
The match itself was solid, as multi-person ladder matches typically are. It was all executed to a tee, and it makes it even better when the result is one that just makes sense. Pledge allegiance, everyone.
The gear for Flair is a personal one, as it honors Scarlett Guillen, who was an 8-year-old fan with cancer who developed a close bond with the WWE star. Guillen died in July.
Cargill pays tribute to a Minnesota icon with gear resembling Prince.
The fight immediately starts with the champion taking it to Corbin, in and out of the ring. Williams decides to bring a table out, but setting it up allows Corbin to regroup and put a halt to Williams’ rhythm. Corbin unleashes several punches to Williams, including gouging at his eyes.
Lil Yacthy tries to intervene, just to get shoved into the barricade by Corbin. However, the rapper whips out the kendo stick, scaring Corbin off and perfectly setting Williams up to get back in his flow. He picks Corbin up, but again he gets poked at. An odd lull happens that results in Lil Yacthy hitting Corbin with the stick while the official isn’t looking, nearly setting a win for Williams.
Williams tries the Trick Shot and Corbin dodges it. As the referee attends to Williams, the challenger grabs the title to use it. The rapper tries to stop it, and Corbin grabs him. Williams tries to prevent another hit, but he inadvertently shoves his friend through the table set up outside of the ring.
He can’t believe it, and when he turns around, there’s Corbin awaiting a hit with the title the referee doesn’t see. Corbin executes the End of Days and like usual, it does the job as he becomes the new United States Champion.
Analysis: The Trick has been whooped. Williams’ hot start to the main roster comes to a screeching halt with Corbin putting an end to his reign.
The match itself was a real drag. It didn’t feel like anything was really going on, with several mistimed moments that left too much dead space. Lil Yachty really saved it with his involvement, and how he accidentally doomed his friend was a creative way to get the title off Williams.
However, putting the title on Corbin seems like a big miss. His return was already questionable, and he suddenly gets the championship and there’s no real solid path to go with it. Perhaps a longer feud with Williams is in store, but hopefully it’s better than what happened at SummerSlam.
It’s cold like Minnesota. Lil Yachty introduces his friend to the ring for another edition of “Whoop That Trick.”
We got a triple threat match. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis comes out to reveal he is adding another participant to the match, and it’s the man that beat him in night one: Gunther.
He and Aldis shake hands as he emerges toward the ring.
That’s not all. Aldis reveals there is another participant, and emerges Owens.
The crowd goes wild as he returns after suffering a devastating neck injury in March 2025.
The returning Owens wastes no time getting in some action, attacking Gunther and Balor while Zayn is stunned at what he sees. The two longtime friends stare each other down and hug before they trade blows in true Owens and Zayn fashion. Outside of the ring, Owens goes flying, showing there is no rust in the returning star.
Inside the ring, Gunther starts to take control as Balor tries to fight off the “Ring General.” Owens comes back into the picture and the action doesn’t slow down. Zayn is the one that slows Owens down, and when he readies a Helluva Kick on Owens, Gunther rushes to get the sleeper hold in. Then Balor flies in with the Coup de Grâce, nearly getting the victory with it before the pin is broken up.
Owens regroups and gives Balor and Gunther a stunner, and he tries with Zayn before he counters it with a Blue Thunder Bomb. When the friends get back to their feet, Owens executes the stunner on Zayn. With no one in sight, he successfully gets the pin and in his remarkable return, is the new No. 1 contender.
Analysis: How about that for a SummerSlam surprise?
In an event that has been known for them, there may be one more heartwarming than seeing Owens back in the ring. There was doubt he could ever return, and even though it was known he was in Minneapolis, you wondered if it could still really happen. But when that music played, the pop was glorious and met the moment.
The eventual winner was the obvious standout. Gunther, Balor and Zayn also had their windows of opportunity, but from start to finish, it was all about Owens. The pace was good and there wasn’t much to complain about in this one, as everyone is happy to see KO is back.
The Minnesota Vikings star is back to get the crowd ready for night two.
Grammy Award-winning artist Darius Rucker sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to kick off night two.
When is SummerSlam 2026?
SummerSlam 2026 night two is on Sunday, Aug. 2.
SummerSlam 2026 start time
SummerSlam 2026 night two starts at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT. The SummerSlam preshow begins at 3 p.m. ET.
Where is SummerSlam 2026?
It takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.
How to watch SummerSlam 2026
SummerSlam 2026 is streaming exclusively on ESPN’s streaming service. Viewers can sign up for a subscription to the site here, which starts at $29.99 a month.
ESPN’s service is available through select cable and TV packages, including:
If your cable or TV package includes the ESPN streaming service, you can figure out how to activate it here.
Internationally, SummerSlam will be available on Netflix in most markets. It cannot be watched on Netflix in the U.S.
SummerSlam 2026 match card night two
- Match to be No. 1 contender for Undisputed WWE Championship: Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn
- United States Championship match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Baron Corbin
- Ladder match for Interim WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend
- Human Monies on a Pole Match: Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio
- Intercontinental Championship match: Penta (c) vs. Chad Gable
- World Heavyweight Championship match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
The match order is set, according to PWInsider. The No. 1 contender match between Finn Balor and Sami Zayn will open the night, with the main event the World Heavyweight Championship between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
The night two preshow will be available to stream for free on YouTube and WWE’s social media channels.
SummerSlam 2026 has no set run time. With six matches on the card, it is estimated to be roughly three hours long, ending around 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Night one ended approximately at 9:05 p.m. ET/8:05 p.m. CT.
The stage resembles a WWE title-like Viking design inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here are the results of SummerSlam night one. See the full results here.
- Liv Morgan def. Iyo Sky to retain Women’s World Championship
- LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys def. The Bloodline
- Gunther def. Nick Aldis
- Fatal Influence def. Nikki Bella, Brie Bella and Paige
- CM Punk def. Cody Rhodes to retain Undisputed WWE Championship
- Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar in Hell in a Cell match
USA TODAY Sports’ wrestling writers predict night two of SummerSlam. See the full predictions for the entire event here.
Human Monies on a Pole Match: Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio
- Jordan Mendoza: Danhausen
- Richard Morin: Danhausen
Match to be No. 1 contender for Undisputed WWE Championship: Finn Bàlor vs. Sami Zayn
- Jordan Mendoza: Finn Bàlor
- Richard Morin: Finn Bàlor
Intercontinental Championship match: Penta (c) vs. Chad Gable
- Jordan Mendoza: Chad Gable
- Richard Morin: Chad Gable
United States Championship match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Baron Corbin
- Jordan Mendoza: Trick Williams
- Richard Morin: Trick Williams
Ladder match for Interim WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend
- Jordan Mendoza: Charlotte Flair
- Richard Morin: Charlotte Flair
World Heavyweight Championship match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
- Jordan Mendoza: Roman Reigns
- Richard Morin: Roman Reigns
An interim WWE Women’s Champion will be determined in a ladder match at SummerSlam, with Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, Chelsea Green, Charlotte Flair and Lash Legend vying for the prize – and it’s all because of what happened to Ripley.
The current WWE Women’s Champion suffered a torn meniscus at Clash in Italy on May 31, which has sidelined her out of action. With her unable to compete at WWE’s second biggest show of the year, the company decided to crown an interim champion that will be the title-holder in Ripley’s place.
When Ripley is cleared to return to action, she will face the interim champion to determine the true title-holder.
SummerSlam 2026 takes place Aug. 1-2. Here is the rest of the premium live event schedule confirmed for 2026:
- Money in the Bank: Saturday, Oct. 10 (Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Survivor Series: Saturday, Nov. 28 (Daikin Park, Houston, Texas)
There are expected to be more events announced at a later date.
Is it retirement or not? All eyes will be on the future of the “Beast.”
After losing to Oba Femi on night one, Lesnar returned to the ring to hug him and hold his arm up in the air for victory. He then took the microphone and told Femi he is the future of WWE.
It was a passing of the torch moment, and with questions about Lesnar’s future going into the event, it leaves many people wondering if this is the end of Lesnar in wrestling. However, he gave no indication he would be stepping away from the ring for good.
As of now, it looks like fans will have to wait to see what is next for Lesnar, or if he does eventually say anything about retirement in his next appearance.
WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque confirmed Bella suffered an injury during the six-person tag team match that required her to be taken to a local hospital.
It appears Brie Bella was injured when Jacy Jayne did a dive on her against the steel steps on her right shoulder. Bella was holding it for the rest of the match, and even after the loss, when her and her sister turned on Paige, Bella couldn’t take part in the attack.
Afterwards, she was taken to a local hospital for further examination.
”Don’t have a clean answer on it yet. I know she hurt her shoulder. Seems pretty bad, but I don’t have that answer yet,” he said. “Hopefully we will soon, and hopefully it won’t be as bad as we thought it was, but that’s the nature of the game.”
Radio is woven into the fabric of sports. It doesn’t just relay the action in the games, it gives audiences a sense of presence inside the stadiums — without needing visuals.
Sports have been broadcast on radio for roughly a century and is still around, mixing the nostalgic feeling with a modern approach. Baseball, basketball, football and more all still carry on the tradition.
Now joining the space? Wrestling.
WWE will produce a radio broadcast of SummerSlam 2026 on Aug. 1-2, marking the first time the wrestling company will do an audio simulcast of a premium live event. It comes as WWE launched “WWE Radio” on SiriusXM on July 27.
— Read more here.
