WWE SummerSlam results: Powell’s live review of night two with Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship, Penta vs. Chad Gable for the Intercontinental Title

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE SummerSlam (Night Two)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Bank Stadium
Streamed live August 2, 2026, on ESPN Unlimited (and Netflix internationally)

Darius Rucker closed out the pre-show by performing the national anthem while standing in the ring… Michael Cole opened the main show and was joined on commentary by Wade Barrett. Cole narrated arrival/backstage shots of various wrestlers… A SummerSlam Saturday recap video aired…

Ring announcer Alicia Taylor delivered the introductions for the opening match. Finn Balor made the first entrance. Yes, Cole told the story of Balor winning the championship ten years ago and having to relinquish the title a day later. Sami Zayn made his entrance. Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis walked out once both wrestlers were inside the ring. Aldis said that he was making an executive decision to add a participant. Gunther made his entrance while Zayn threw a fight inside the ring. Gunther stopped and shook hands with Aldis before heading to the ring. Just as the match was about to start, Aldis said he actually made it a Fatal Four-Way. Kevin Owens’ entrance theme played. Zayn’s jaw dropped as his longtime friend and rival made his entrance to a big ovation. Very cool moment…

1. Kevin Owens vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor in a four-way to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. Owens looked emotional before he entered the ring. Cole said no one thought Owens would wrestle again after his neck surgery. The bell rang, and Owens went right after Gunther. Zayn stood in a corner of the ring with his jaw dropped as Owens performed cannonballs on Gunther and Balor in opposite corners.

Owens stood in the middle of the ring. Zayn walked toward him. Owens and Zayn hugged and then traded punches. Moments later, Owens performed a top rope Swanton onto all three opponents on the floor. Back in the ring, Gunther worked over Zayn with knees to the gut and a big chop. Gunther played to the crowd and soaked up the boos.

Later, Balor had Zayn down when he went up top, but Owens pushed him off the top rope. Owens went for a Swanton on Zayn, who put his knees up. Owens came up holding his neck. The referee held Zayn back. Zayn went to a corner of the ring before running toward Owens for a Heluva Kick, but Gunther caught him in a sleeper and took him down to the mat.

Balor performed a Coup de Grace onto Zayn to break up Gunther’s sleeper before covering Zayn for a near fall. Owens hit Stunners on Balor and Gunther. He kicked Zayn and went for a Stunner, but Zayn countered with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Zayn set up for a Helluva Kick, but Owens beat him to the punch with a superkick. Owens kicked Zayn and put him down with a Stunner before covering him for the three count.

Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn, Gunther, and Finn Balor in 8:30 in a four-way to become the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship.

Powell’s POV: That was an outstanding way to open the show. Aldis adding Gunther a night after facing him in a match was fun, but Owens returning and winning was awesome. By the way, WrestleTix listed the venue as being set up for 34,080, with 33,086 tickets distributed (35,759 were distributed for night one). The peak capacity for U.S. Bank Stadium is 73,000. SummerSlam Sunday 2025 was held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and 58,186 tickets were distributed.

The cast of Super Troopers 3 was shown in the crowd slamming beers while Cole plugged the movie before a trailer aired…

U.S. Champion Trick Williams and Baron Corbin were shown warming up backstage heading into a batch of ads…

The entrances for the U.S. Title match took place after the break with Corbin entering first. Lil Yachty stood on the stage and introduced Trick Williams, who stood on a platform that slowly spun around once before he walked off and headed toward the ring with Yachty. Trick stopped halfway, looked back at a camera, and winked before finishing his entrance…

2. Trick Williams (w/Lil Yachty) vs. Baron Corbin for the U.S. Championship. Trick hit Corbin, and the referee rewarded him for it by calling for the opening bell. Trick clotheslined Corbin over the top rope and then followed him to the floor, where he ran him into the barricade. Trick pulled a sponsored table out from underneath the ring and set it up on the floor while Corbin returned to the ring.

Trick followed Corbin back inside the ring, but Corbin ducked out the other side. Trick followed and charged Corbin, who put him down with a Deep Six on the floor. Corbin roughed up Trick on the floor and then worked him over with punches and elbows once he was back in the ring. Corbin went after Trick’s eye before dumping him to the floor. Corbin followed him, but Yachty got in his face. Corbin shoved Yachty down, but Yachty grabbed his white kendo stick, causing Corbin to return to the ring, where Trick was waiting.

Trick performed a neckbreaker, a couple of kicks, and a Bookend for a two count. Trick picked up Corbin on his shoulders, but Corbin raked his eyes while the referee was shielded. Corbin tried to run the ropes. Yachty hit Corbin with a kendo stick from the floor, which the referee also missed. Trick performed a Death Valley Driver-style move for a near fall.

Late in the match, Corbin grabbed the U.S. Title belt. Yachty confronted him. Trick punched Corbin, who collided with Yachty, who fell from the apron and through the table on the floor. Corbin picked up the title belt and hit a distracted Trick while the referee was focused on Yachty. Corbin followed up with End of Days and got the three count…

Baron Corbin defeated Trick Williams in 9:05 to win the U.S. Championship.

Powell’s POV: That’s the first big upset of the weekend. Does Corbin shave the furry title belt to make it a bald belt? Anyway, the match was fine, but they really made the referee look like an idiot for missing so many things.

Cole said Rhea Ripley is out indefinitely with an injury. He said they would crown an interim WWE Women’s Champion in a ladder match after a break…