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Two nights after Night of Champions, WWE immediately began loading up SummerSlam with huge matches. Two massive bouts were added to the two-night spectacle during Monday’s episode of Raw.
The first of those matches will see Oba Femi pass on the title shot he earned by winning King of the Ring, instead choosing to face Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell. In the second new addition to SummerSlam, Roman Reigns will defend his world heavyweight championship against former teammate and longtime rival Seth Rollins.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
SummerSlam lands two titanic matches
Oba Femi opened the show, ready to celebrate being crowned the newest King of the Ring. His celebration was cut short by the appearance of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Lesnar said that he heard Femi had insulted him when he wasn’t in the building before delivering a low blow and an F5. After Lesnar left the ring, Femi grabbed the microphone and insulted Lesnar “to his face” before laying out a challenge for SummerSlam. Lesnar said he would one-up him and said he would accept the match if it took place inside Hell in a Cell. Femi was quick to accept the challenge. Raw general manager Adam Pearce confronted Femi later, asking if he really wanted to give up the title shot he earned by winning King of the Ring and Femi said he was sure because the titles will always be there, but this might be his last chance to settle things with Lesnar.
The show ended with Roman Reigns coming to the ring with Jacob Fatu by his side. Before Reigns could speak, Seth Rollins’ music hit and Rollins made his way to the ring. Rollins pointed out that, for all of Reigns’ accomplishments, one thing he never has done is defeat Rollins, walking through their history and claiming he “owns” Reigns and has ever since he hit Reigns in the back with a chair to end The Shield. Reigns eventually agreed, saying he didn’t want to beat Rollins, he needed it, and he needed his entire family to see it happen, agreeing to face Rollins at SummerSlam.
Personally, I hate the idea of holding a tournament for a title shot and having the winner immediately abandon that shot to pursue a non-title match. I would have preferred a WrestleMania 30 situation where Femi faced Lesnar and then challenged for a title later in the night, but that’s not what happened, and with Rollins challenging Reigns, it’s not going to happen. Rollins vs. Reigns is a good decision, though, with tons of history to draw on, including Rollins being someone Reigns did not defeat during his historic run as champion. Grade: C
What else happened on WWE Raw?Rey Mysterio def. Ethan Page via pinfall with a frog splash.Joe Hendry def. Austin Theory via pinfall with a Side Effect. Theory interrupted a Hendry and The Street Profits as they held a concert, leading to the match. Earlier in the night, Theory confronted Paul Heyman, saying he didn’t know Heyman was there and that he was hoping Heyman would walk with him for his match, but Heyman stormed off.Liv Morgan and Judgment Day beat down Iyo Sky. Morgan interrupted Sky’s promo, setting a trap. Sky did manage to find off the initial attack from Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez before the numbers game took over and the group attacked Sky’s knee.Jimmy Uso def. LA Knight via pinfall with a roll-up. Knight hit Jey Uso, who was seated at ringside, during the match. In retaliation, Jey jumped on the ring apron, causing a distraction that allowed Jimmy to get the roll-up win. Knight attacked Jimmy after the match and Jey came to the rescue, but that left Jimmy open for Solo Sikoa, who snuck into the ringside area to deliver a Samoan Spike. As Jey went to Jimmy’s defense, Knight dropped him with a BFT.Raquel Rodriguez def. Maxxine Dupri via pinfall with a Tejana Bomb. Rodriguez confronted Adam Pearce about a shot at the women’s intercontinental championship, leading to a match with Dupri to determine a No. 1 contender. Dupri spoke to Chad Gable before the match, with Gable saying she didn’t owe an apology and that if she accepted his, it would come in time. After the match, Theory told Dupri that if she wants to go back down the Gable road, maybe they “aren’t going to work out.”Chad Gable def. JD McDonagh via submission with an ankle lock. McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio destroyed Danhausen’s lab earlier in the night. Danhausen “returned” their money during the match, but when Mysterio opened it after McDonagh’s loss, there was a small explosion of powder, which Danhausen used to steal back his Knicks jersey, only for Raquel Rodriguez to attack him and steal the jersey back.