Everything Triple H, WWE Got Right and Wrong During SummerSlam 2026 Weekend
A slew of returns, notable developments and quality matchups made what could have easily been a skippable SummerSlam on paper a entertaining one for WWE.
The event also served a significant step back in the right direction for the company, whose creative direction has caused dissatisfaction among a segment of its audience in recent months. While far from a home run on the whole, SummerSlam 2026 left enough for fans to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead.
The weekend wasn't without its fair share of criticism and justifiably so. While most of the outcomes were correct, a few matchups left a bit to be desired for a number of reasons, and nor is the immediate future clear for certain competitors.
From the best booking decisions to what could have been better, this is everything Paul "Triple H" Levesque got right and wrong during SummerSlam 2026 weekend in Minneapolis.
Right: Randy Orton and Kevin Owens Are Brought Back in Prominent Spots
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SmackDown has shown some promise since reverting back to two hours at the beginning of July, but its main event scene was still lacking some serious star power.
CM Punk being added to the mix upon his return was huge, and now Randy Orton and Kevin Owens being back as of SummerSlam will make matters even more exciting.
Orton cost Rhodes the Undisputed WWE Championship in his clash with Punk on Saturday night, while Owens was a last-minute entrant in the number one contender's match on Sunday night. His win ensured that it will be Owens vs. Punk coming up next for the coveted title while Orton and Rhodes rekindle their rivalry separately.
It would have been overkill to rush the belt back onto Rhodes so soon. He and Orton can finally have the feud they should have had going into WrestleMania 42 without Pat McAfee involved, giving Rhodes a chance to establish an identity that isn't completely centered around gold.
As for Punk, there is no shortage of compelling challengers for him to have, but getting right into him and Owens provides plenty of promise for the fall season.
Right: Longer Match Times
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The biggest complaint of WrestleMania 42 weekend from fans was a majority of the matches (specifically on Night 1) weren't as long as they should have been, largely due to the overabundance of ads, commercial and sponsorship spots.
The elaborate entrances also ate up a decent chunk of the runtime for each night, so it was refreshing to have more time devoted to the actual in-ring action on both nights of SummerSlam.
Some matches could have benefited from being given a few more minutes (Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar and Gunther vs. Aldis in particular), but on the whole, the pacing was far smoother. Doing six matches on each night was smart.
Seven matches with a three-and-a-half-hour runtime for a show the caliber of SummerSlam also would have been possible, but at least no time was wasted on meaningless talking segments in the ring or backstage. It really was a balance between the commercials and the matches.
Wrong: Hell in a Cell Stip Was Unnecessary
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Brock Lesnar's loss to Oba Femi and post-match endorsement of The Ruler made for an epic ending to Night 1 of SummerSlam.
Unfortunately, at only 11 minutes long, the Hell in a Cell match that preceded it was far from epic.
Femi and Lesnar were well on their way to having a hard-hitting, brutal war before the bout was abruptly cut short. Lesnar hitting a Tombstone on Femi on the exposed wood beneath the canvas and Femi kicking out was a major moment, but Femi winning right after was anticlimactic.
Additionally, the underwhelming nature of the finish begged the question of why what is supposed to be a sadistic stipulation was necessary in the first place.
Fans were sent home happy, and it was more about the moment for Femi than anything else, but what may end up being Lesnar's swan song should have felt more monumental from an in-ring standpoint.
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Right: Nick Aldis Got His Moment
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Nick Aldis' emotional in-ring return against Gunther could be considered the best bout from Night 1 of SummerSlam. It was everything it needed to be and lived up to the hype as the strongest-built match on the card.
Despite not having wrestled a formal match in nearly three years, Aldis didn't look out of place in the slightest. As a former NWA and TNA World Heavyweight champion, it also wasn't totally unbelievable for him to have such a competitive contest with Gunther and take him to the limit.
Having Aldis' family ringside was a nice touch, along with them joining him in the ring following his loss. It was subsequently made official by Triple H that Aldis will be returning to his role as SmackDown general manager effective immediately.
Regardless of whether Aldis eventually steps inside the squared circle again (and he should), he should be proud of what he produced at SummerSlam, and it can't be overstated how exceptional of an opponent The Ring General was for him to have for the special occasion.
Wrong: What Happened to the United States Title Picture?
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There was a solid stretch of time where the United States Championship picture was the hottest thing going on SmackDown. The near-weekly title defenses from Sami Zayn, Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes carried the show for months on end and eclipsed the Undisputed WWE Championship scene more often than not.
That hasn't quite been the case since at least WrestleMania 42, where Trick Williams took the title from Zayn.
Williams had a perfectly passable run, but through no fault of his own, it just wasn't all that interesting. His feuds were fine but the booking was basic, leaving him with little to work with from a promo standpoint.
At SummerSlam, Baron Corbin disposed of Lil Yatchy before putting away Trick Williams to win the star-spangled prize. Although the right person won, there's no reason to believe WWE will be making the U.S. title more of a priority coming out of the event.
Rey Fenix has thankfully resurfaced on SmackDown in a semi-regular role, but where have Hayes, Dragunov and Ricky Saints disappeared to? The belt won't feel sought-after if only two people are in the mix at any given time.
Wrong: WWE May Have Jumped the Shark with Danhausen
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As one of WWE's most popular and profitable acts, Danhausen is understandably featured rather frequently on WWE TV. His character, of course, has a shelf life, and the company is rapidly approaching its expiration date by putting him in situations that aren't suited to his strengths.
Backstage segments and the occasional match are fine, but there was zero reason for his "Human Monies on a Pole" match with Dominik Mysterio to make the SummerSlam card. It was the typical WWE comic relief that didn't offer anything unique or worthwhile.
Worse yet, Danhausen was booked to go over. Although Mysterio was never pinned, it was still silly for the reigning AAA Mega champion to be beaten by a comedy act who doesn't regularly wrestle.
WWE already received a ton of flack for the terrible concert Danhausen was involved in with Joe Hendry last week on Raw, so they must be careful to not completely jump the shark with his shtick before it's too late. Sadly, SummerSlam wasn't an encouraging sign even though he emerged victorious.
Wrong: A One-Night Card Would Have Been Stronger
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While it's admirable to attempt to get as many stars on the show as possible across two nights, SummerSlam doesn't have and has never had the same level of importance or grandeur as WrestleMania. Thus, the two-night formula simply doesn't work as well.
This year's installment was solid overall, but there were a handful of matches that could have been relegated to Raw or SmackDown, In theory, doing two nights should give the matches more time, but it also means more commercials, so the matches truly aren't much longer than they normally would be.
Trimming the filler and only showcasing the biggest bouts would have made SummerSlam a stronger show and arguably more memorable. The two-night concept should solely be reserved for WrestleMania.
As attendance inside the stadiums for SummerSlam continues to decline year over year, perhaps WWE will learn their lesson sooner rather than later and either return to one-night SummerSlam shows or cut down on the ticket prices to pack in more people.
Right: Chad Gable Finishes His Story
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For all of Triple H's talk this past weekend about Superstars needing to organically get themselves over in order to be pushed, Chad Gable was a prime example of someone who did just that a few years ago but never properly reaped the rewards for it.
Instead, he fell short in his pursuit of the Intercontinental Championship and was forced to flounder in the undercard before finally finding success as El Grande Americano. His recent redemption arc could only end one way, and that was with him becoming Intercontinental champion once and for all.
He and Penta had a well-wrestled affair, though we've seen before that they're capable of even better. Perhaps they'll have the chance to run it back sometime soon on Raw, but either way, Gable clinching the championship was always the endgame.
Penta made the most of his time with the title and should ideally be elevated up the card now that his reign is over. Ethan Page and Je'Von Evans will also be waiting in the wings for a shot at the strap following their wins on last week's Raw.
Wrong: Raw's Women's Division Remains in State of Flux
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Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan's match for the Women's World Championship at SummerSlam received a stunning lack of build, yet it ended up being one of the best bouts of the entire weekend.
It felt like a lock that Sky would take the title given the alarmingly underwhelming reign Morgan has had since WrestleMania 42, which had featured all of zero title defenses prior to this past Saturday. However, Sky reigned supreme thanks to an assist from Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez.
The match itself was above-average and acted as an excellent opener for Night 1, but the result keeps Raw's women's division in a state of flux.
There isn't anyone ready to step up and challenge Morgan, nor has there been for months. It's why Sky and Morgan originally had to face off in the finals of Queen of the Ring at Night of Champions.
The abysmal booking of Raw's women's division as of late doesn't inspire a ton of confidence for the fallout from SummerSlam and specifically in regards to where both Morgan and Sky go from here.
Right: The Shield Takes Precedence Over The Bloodline
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The Bloodline peaked years ago, but even during the group's glory days, the excessive amount of interference in Roman Reigns' matches consistently hindered their quality. The overbooked spectacle of WrestleMania 40's Night 2 main event may have been the only exception.
There was a concern among fans that The Bloodline would make their presence felt and interfere in Reigns' World Heavyweight Championship defense against Seth Rollins, but ultimately, they never appeared and it was rather refreshing.
Instead, The Shield's lore took precedence, making for a much more streamlined, story-driven match with callbacks and suspenseful nearfalls. They hit on every note imaginable, right down to paying homage to The Shield's third member Dean Ambrose.
The finish was appropriately executed with Reigns decisively defeating Rollins on a major stage for the first time in his career and embracing him with a Shield fist bump afterward. WWE couldn't have closed that chapter of The Shield saga any better.
Reigns going back to The Bloodline on Monday's Raw and completely ignoring the long-awaited character development he showed on Sunday night will be disappointing, but for one night, The Shield took center stage and stole SummerSlam weekend.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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