WWE Raw Winners, Live Grades and Reaction After SummerSlam 2026

On the heels of a blockbuster SummerSlam that saw Roman Reigns defeat Seth "Freakin" Rollins to retain the World Heavyweight Championship and Oba Femi conquer Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell, WWE Raw hit the Netflix airwaves with all of the fallout from premium live event.

What went down and how did it impact the flagship show moving forward?

Find out with this recap of all of the action from Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Lineup

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Announced in advance of Monday's show:

• The fallout from SummerSlam 2026
• Roman Reigns appears
• Big Cass returns

LA Knight Interrupted Roman Reigns

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Last Time in Action: Roman Reigns defeated Seth Rollins (SummerSlam, August 2); LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys defeated The Bloodline (SummerSlam, August 1)

Roman Reigns may have defeated Seth "Freakin" Rollins in the main event of SummerSlam, but it was another prospective No. 1 contender, LA Knight, who interrupted his victory address to the WWE Universe.

The combatants and familiar foes hurled insults at each other before Knight reminded Reigns that he had earned the title opportunity, so much so that The OTC had to rely on his Bloodline minions to beat The Megastar the last time they fought.

He threatened to smack Reigns "back to factory settings" if they clashed again, leaving the world champion seething to close out an electric segment that, finally, reintroduced Knight to the main event scene that he has inexplicably been shut out of.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• Knight smoked Reigns here. He was electric and quick-witted, taking shots at The OTC and creating some buzz for what suddenly feels like an impending match.
• Conversely, Reigns gave a lot here, allowing Knight to shine and establish himself as a threat, not only to the Bloodline, but the champ himself.

Je'Von Evans vs. Ethan Page

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Last Time in Action: Je'Von Evans defeated Rusev (Raw, July 27); Ethan Page defeated Rey Mysterio (Raw, July 27)

"All Ego" Ethan Page dominated most of his match with Je'Von Evans, but was unable to put him away. Late in the match, with frustration mounting, he attempted to remove the top turnbuckle. The official caught him and argued with the heel, allowing Evans to leapfrog both men and deliver the OG Cutter to Page for the win.

It was a quality match that injected the show with some strong in-ring content.

It was not the bout so much that made headlines. Instead, it was what went down after as Big Cass made his return to WWE, attacking Evans and leaving him lying. It was a physical assault that sent a message to the rest of the WWE roster and drew a decent amount of jeers by the time it concluded.

Cass still has the tools to be a big-time player in WWE and this was a solid reintroduction to him, with a beatdown on a beloved babyface.

Result

Evans defeated Page

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• One of the hallmarks of the early days of the Paul Levesque Era was that wrestlers managed to feud with each other without having to wrestle repetitive matches every week. Evans and Page have been in the same stratosphere for way too long and could use a little freshening up in that regard.
• With that said, they do have strong in-ring chemistry, so it tracks that they would be relied on to bring the workrate.

Liv Morgan's Victory Speech

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Last Time In Action: Liv Morgan defeated Iyo Sky (SummerSlam, August 1)

Still beaming following her victory over Iyo Sky at SummerSlam, Morgan cut a braggadocious promo and also put over her Judgment Day teammates, Women's Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez.

Sol Ruca interrupted the proceedings ahead of her match with the latter.

This was a quick set-up promo that set up the idea that no one was left to challenge Morgan, despite Ruca having unfinished business with her. Perhaps that is the direction things are heading in as the former IC champion battles The Prodigy one week after dropping the title.

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• Backstage, Royce Keys confronted Jacob Fatu and tried to bury the hatchet with his former friend. Instead, The Samoan Werewolf informed him they would meet tonight in a Street Fight.

Sol Ruca vs. Roxanne Perez

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Last Time in Action: Sol Ruca lost to Raquel Rodriguez (Raw, July 27); Roxanne Perez lost to Iyo Sky (Raw, July 13)

For the second consecutive week, Ruca found herself the victim of a 3-on-1 beatdown at the hands of The Judgment Day.

It followed a competitive match between the former Women's Intercontinental Champion and Roxanne Perez, in which Ruca overcame a focused attack and was on her way to victory when the heels intervened, drawing a disqualification.

Becky Lynch returned, shutting down the attack and staking her claim to a match with Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship. She called her the worst women's champion of all time and said she would not let Morgan get to 100 days without defending her title again.

As Morgan and Judgment Day attempted to leave, Stephanie Vaquer's music played and La Primera made her long-awaited return, taking out months of frustration on the champion.

And with that, the women's division on Raw just got a lot more interesting, thanks to the returns of two elite performers and the wildcard that is Ruca. The tense staredown between Lynch and Vaquer teases a program between them, which should excite fans.

This was another strong story development that suggests there is long-term planning at play.

Result

Ruca defeated Perez via disqualification

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• Lynch to Morgan: "You're not even the best women's champion in your own group. Hell, you're not even the best women's champion who slept with Dominik Mysterio!" Killer insult.
• If the prospects of Lynch, Morgan, Vaquer, and Ruca feuding over the women's title, with Perez and Rodriguez sprinkled in by proxy, do not excite you, nothing will.

The Ruler Speaks

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Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam, August 1)

Moments after a Brock Lesnar tribute video aired, Oba Femi approached Paul Heyman backstage and asked the advocate to share his gratitude with The Beast the next time he sees him.

From there, the Ruler took to the squared circle to address his momentous weekend and put the locker room on notice, saying anyone who wants to try him will answer to him.

As he exited the arena, Bron Breakker's music played. The Badass stepped through the curtain and came face-to-face with Femi, teasing a high-profile bout between two of the brightest young stars on the WWE roster.

Femi cut a solid, if unspectacular, promo, but the staredown between him and Breakker was most notable. There was intensity there that immediately captured the audience's attention and essentially promised a future battle between the men who will be cornerstones for WWE over the next decade-plus.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• This was the most badass Breakker has looked in months.

Joe Hendry vs. Bron Breakker

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Last Time in Action: Joe Hendry defeated Dominik Mysterio (Raw, July 20); Bron Breakker and Austin Theory defeated Alpha Academy (Raw, July 27)

Distracted by his sudden desire to combat Femi or not, Breakker wasted little time in dispatching Hendry.

Not even a blind charge into the ring steps could slow the Badass. After Hendry tossed Austin Theory over the commentary table, Breakker obliterated him with a spear for the win.

After the match, Theory attacked Hendry, only for Alpha Academy's Akira Tozawa to hit the ring, attack the tag champ, and send him and Maxxine Dupri scurrying to the back.

This was certainly a segment, one that Breakker should be above from here on out if he is going to feud with Femi.

Result

Breakker defeated Hendry

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

• Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Big Cass, who warned that he is there to stack bodies and Je'Von Evans was simply the first.
• A focused, destructive Breakker is what this show needs right now. The last few weeks of him standing in the background while Theory and Dupri enjoyed the spotlight felt like a monumental waste of a guy poised to be the next big thing in wrestling's most prolific promotion. This felt like a return to form.

Chad Gable and Penta vs. Judgment Day

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Last Time in Action: Chad Gable defeated Penta (SummerSlam, August 2); Dominik Mysterio lost to Danhausen (SummerSlam, August 2); JD McDonagh lost to Rey Fenix (SmackDown, July 31)

A longer-than-it-should-have-been promo segment set up new Intercontinental Champion Gable and Penta battling Mysterio and McDonagh in tag team action.

Gable fought from underneath in the match, overcoming a lengthy heat spot from The Judgment Day to make the tag to Penta. The action broke down from there, with the luchador delivering a Mexican Destroyer to McDonagh on the floor. Back inside, Mysterio attempted to load his boot and cheat to win.

Gable caught him, though, preventing it. Penta capitalized on the distracted referee, fought fire with fire by blasting Dirty Dom with the IC title, and Gable scored the win with Chaos Theory.

This was a longer match that ate up considerable time and featured three of the best wrestlers in the world and one of the best heels in the business. The ring work was strong, the crowd was into it, and the right team went over. One cannot ask for more than that.

Result

Gable and Penta defeated The Judgment Day

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

• McDonagh took a Mexican Destroyer on the arena floor. That would have been the end of his career two decades ago. Kudos to the Irish Ace, wrestling's most underrated and underappreciated, for selling it as well as he did.
• Gable and Penta sniffing out Dom's cheating was a nice touch as anyone who has been paying attention knows the heel is going to try something to steal the win.

Street Fight: Royce Keys vs. Jacob Fatu

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Last Time in Action: Royce Keys, LA Knight, and Solo Sikoa defeated The Usos and Jacob Fatu (SummerSlam, August 1)

Royce Keys and Jacob Fatu settled their differences Monday night in the main event of Raw, a Street Fight that saw their brawl spill out of the ring, to the floor, through the timekeeper's position, and back again.

The competitors flooded the ring with a pile of steel chairs, each looking to inflict punishment on the other.

The Samoan Werewolf unloaded on Keys with a kendo stick, then set up two of the steel chairs facing each other. The babyface countered his opponent, driving Fatu spine-first through the two chairs and netting a two-count.

Fatu delivered an implant DDT on the chairs as neither man could keep the other down. Keys recovered and powerslammed his former friend through chairs as the physicality escalated.

Fatu eventually delivered the top-rope moonsault, then applied the Tongan Death Grip for the win.

Roman Reigns appeared and acknowledged Fatu. When he returned backstage, Rey Mysterio confronted him with a business proposal for AAA. They walked off camera to close the show.

A hard-hitting battle, it featured some great physicality from both men and went a long way in rebuilding momentum for Fatu after Saturday's loss. It would have been nice if it had not come at the expense of Keys, but if nothing else, it paid off a story.

The fact that the assault was on Fatu's former friend suggests that any connection he had to reality outside of The Bloodline is gone, and that makes him as dangerous as ever.

As for the AAA development, it will be interesting to see what Mysterio has to offer Reigns and whether it includes a spot on the Triple Mania card for the OTC or The Bloodline.

Result

Fatu defeated Keys

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• After being neutered, for lack of a better term, by Reigns after his loss at Clash in Italy, Fatu needed this. It was a big reminder of the unchained fury he possesses and why he is every bit as unstoppable as someone like Oba Femi or Bron Breakker.
• Strategically incorporating AAA in to the main roster shows will only benefit that brand long-term. As long as it does not become just another WWE brand.

MVP and Overall Grade

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MVP: Raw Women's Division

In one segment, what looked to be a dire situation for the red brand's women's roster was injected with life, thanks to the returns of Lynch and Vaquer. Their appearances, as well as the match between Ruca and Perez that preceded it, were exactly what this show needed to re-establish faith with the audience that the division was fading.

Overall Grade: B+

This was a really strong show from start to finish, with great in-ring content, interesting storyline developments, the introduction of new rivalries, and a main event that reminded fans of Fatu's chaotic unpredictability.

Big thumbs up for this post-SummerSlam show and some of the intriguing directions it presented.