Summary
The firstWWEMonday Night Rawin the wake of SummerSlam took place in the arena in Baltimore, MD. The aftermath ofWWE SummerSlamsaw CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins further their rivalry, Bronson Reed had a breakout performance that sent shockwaves through the wrestling community, and Rhea Ripley attempted to get her hands on Liv Morgan and Dirty Dominik Mysterio after they double-crossed her in front of the world this weekend.
Winners & Losers recaps the night’s action with facts, context, and opinions about the current state of WWE, during one of the hottest year in the company’s history. Here’s the fallout from SummerSlam 2024.
15 Best WWE SummerSlam Main Events Of All Time
WWE’s second most prestigious event of the year has produced some stunning wrestling matches over the years.
9Bronson Reed
The monster from down under comes of age
It’s been simmering for some time, butthis was Big Bronson Reed’s long-awaited breakout moment on Monday Night Raw. As Reed blindsided Seth Rollins after his confrontation with CM Punk, the former World Heavyweight Champion found himself lying on the mat and suffering from internal bleeding, as Michael Cole screamed for paramedics. The big Australian hit his Tsunami top rope frog splash an eye-watering 6 times on the former World Champion. Referees, officials in suits, and a melee of WWE staff tried to protect Rollins, but the splashes just kept coming.It was savage but, more importantly, it mattered.
Bronson Reed was the silent beneficiary of Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship run, putting on incredible matches with him and NXT new newcomer, Ilja Dragunov. This has been coming for weeks and this is as good as taking your shot gets.The next time you see Bronson Reed, you had better believe he will have your attention.
8Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley
The former Judgment Day team-mates remain on the same page
It can be argued thatDamien Priest’s first promo after losing his World Heavyweight Champion was as important as anything he did during his title reign. Who is Damien Priest in his new role as one of the lead babyfaces on Monday Night Raw and why should we root for him? When he speaks from the heart with passion and Puerto Rican flare, with a reason as deep as having his Judgment Day family ripped from him, it is easy to believe in him.
The pop for Rhea Ripley is at a stage where it rivals a legitimate legend in CM Punkwhen it comes to sheer volume. Her near-miss in putting Liv Morgan through an announce table, only means that it’s going to be all the sweeter when it comes. After combining forces to send JD McDonagh packing,Priest and Rhea’s hug and pose together both felt and looked great.Long live their unholy union.
7Finn Balor
The Prince is sick of waiting for the crown
Finn Balor has had a relatively quiet last twelve months.Largely in tag-team competition with both Priest and JD McDonagh, he has had little of substance since following his WrestleMania 29 encounter with Edge by challenging Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title last August.He is the new de facto leader of The Judgment Day, he speaks with menace and his sneaky, snake-like character is something different on a show littered with guys who just want to bust heads.
It bares the refresher thatFinn Balor is one of the most popular superstars to ever graduate from NXT. He was crowned the first ever WWE Universal Champion. He was subsequently injured for 8 months and that remains his sole experience with the championship.The Paul Levesque era has proven to be the perfect time for superstars to reinvent themselves.This is Finn’s moment.
6Gunther
A worthy opponent awaits The Ring General
Wasting no time at all,Randy Orton appeared on what is most definitely not his show to challenge Gunther for his World Heavyweight Champion at Bash In Berlin. Realistically, Gunther is going to hold this title for some time. A loss does nothing to damage an established legend like Randy Orton and the match makes sense, given their match in the final of King Of The Ring had a controversial finish via disjointed three count.
The Austrian has been one of the WWE’s measuring sticks for some time, andhe has no shortage of competition for his title on Monday Night Raw. His show features CM Punk, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, and the man who defeated him after 666 days as Intercontinental Champion, Sami Zayn. It’s a hard-hitting future at the top of the men’s roster on the WWE’s flagship show.
5The Wyatt Sicks
The time for talking is over as The Wyatt Sicks finally debut.
They may look like closing time at the local goth club, but after months of build up,The Wyatt Sicks finally had their first match in the WWE. Their entrance was magnificent, their new theme music giving way to Bray Wyatt’s final theme was an eerie but moving tribute. Joe Gacy’s set was explosive, andthe crowd was red-hot for their every move.
It didn’t all work.Dexter Lumis’s spooky crawl in the opening seconds was jarring and nonsensical and Cole selling a landscape shift after a win over Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers felt hyperbolic. They’re here.Now the real work begins.
4Seth Rollins
It’s been a long weekend for The Visionary
Seth Rollins is one of the most selfless professional wrestlers on the planet.The absolute annihilation he suffered at the hands of Bronson Reed on Monday Night Raw came after he took CM Punk’s GTS on Saturday at SummerSlam. All this after he basically left WrestleMania 40 on one leg and wasn’t seen for months.Can Seth freakin’ Rollins catch a freakin' break already?!
Drew McIntyre was the correct winner at SummerSlam, but if anything became crystal clear, it’s thatSeth Rollins vs CM Punk is the money match of this period. Their rivalry feels personal. Their endless stare at one another was perfect. Both men both have nothing and everything to lose against one another. Bring it on.
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3The Alpha Academy
Otis and the gang require some direction.
WWE have earned our trust when it comes to long-term booking, and it’s easy to imagine the teased encounter between Otis and Chad Gable will be held for a bigger occasion,but right now, Alpha Academy feel a little lost in the shuffle. A backstage segment with the New Day and Odyssey Jones that seemed to shoehorn them into a situation that had nothing to do with and did little for them.
2The Awesome Truth
Difficult times for one of WWE’s most popular duos.
It feels a little like the party might be over for the team of Miz and R-Truth.A feelgood WrestleMania victory and a good run as tag-team champions, but The Awesome Truth’s latest loss to the resurgent A-Town Down Under follows a pair of defeats to the Judgment Day since they dropped the titles to Finn and JD on June 24th.
Miz and Truth can and will always be bonded to one another. R-Truth is one of the greatest comedic wrestlers in WWE history and The Miz is the perfect foil for his confusion in every element of life. Right now, though,they might both be better served being back in single’s competition.
