8 Winners & 4 Losers From WWE SummerSlam 2024 (2024)

WWE continued their red-hot 2024 as SummerSlam took place at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH. The second-biggest show of the year was not short on incidents as Cody Rhodes retained his WWE Championship in his match against Solo Sikoa, with help from a returning Roman Reigns. Drew McIntyre overcame CM Punk controversially, Nia Jax dethroned Bayley for the WWE Women's Championship, and two men captured their first main roster gold, with Bron Breakker beating Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship, and LA Knight beating Logan Paul for the United States Championship respectively.

It was a huge night for one of the most popular factions in WWE as The Judgment Day as we know it changed forever. Dirty Dominik Mysterio aligned with Liv Morgan as she defeated Rhea Ripley in a great opening contest, and Finn Balor betrayed Damien Priest as Gunther became the new World Heavyweight Champion. For a more in depth look at SummerSlam 2024, here are your Winners & Losers.

Winners

Liv Morgan & Dirty Dominik Mysterio

The dirtiest couple in the game go public

Whether you saw her union with Dominik Mysterio coming or not, the final stages of Liv Morgan and Rhea Rhipley’s opening bout for the WWE Women’s Championship was a masterpiece. The moments of confusion in the aftermath of Liv Morgan’s victory over Rhea Ripley, slowly giving way to the realization that Dominik Mysterio and the champion have been plotting every move since her initial title win over Becky Lynch at Queen of the Ring, were only outmatched by the immaculate performances involved. Be it Rhea’s heartbreak as she lay beaten and in floods of tears, or the gratuitous kiss between Morgan and Mysterio, this was as good as wrestling storytelling gets.

This is a deserved victory for Morgan and the incredible work in being the gasoline to the fire in this feud. As Rhea suffered injury, her outrageous antics made sure Ripley was always part of the conversation at the pinnacle of Monday Night Raw’s women’s division. Look for that to continue as she and Dominik prepare for their future as the most hated couple in WWE.

The Intercontinental Championship

Bron Breakker furthers the modern legacy of the Intercontinental Championship

For much of the 21st century, the importance of the Intercontinental Championship felt like it was under constant scrutiny. Gunther’s 666-day reign almost single-handedly changed that, rebooting the historic belt. At the same time, Sami Zayn has also performed admirably as champion since winning the belt at WrestleMania, elevating Chad Gable’s standing with audiences and the growing reputations of both Bronson Reed and Ilja Dragunov. That title's worth now has the ability to help Bron Breakker on his journey to becoming one of WWE’s biggest names.

Lifting the title aloft after a pair of devastating spears to the champion, Michael Cole greeted his three-count with “welcome to the Bron Breakker era”. Being the new Intercontinental Champion already makes him feel like a bigger deal. The man who has spent recent years being NXT’s measuring stick is now one for the whole roster. Bron Breakker is the right man at the right time for the Intercontinental title.

LA Knight

The 41-year-old strikes gold for the first time in WWE

Since ditching the woeful Vince McMahon-endorsed gimmick of Max Dupri and returning to the character that worked up a storm in NXT, LA Knight has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Paul Levesque Era. Simply given the responsibility to grab the bull by the horns by being himself, Knight makes sense to older fans from the Attitude Era and today’s wrestling audience alike. Every one of his catchphrases works, his struggle to reach the top of the mountain has been easy to get behind, and it feels like we’ve really been made to wait for this Championship win.

It was a victory worth waiting for. Logan Paul is exactly the right kind of loathsome champion for the crowning moment of LA Knight’s popularity. He has waited his whole life for this moment, and he put on one of the most versatile and impressive in-ring displays of his career at SummerSlam to prove it. Now that he’s United States Champion, LA Knight has to show that he’s ready for this responsibility. There’s only one answer to that.

"2024 now is the time to start building that legacy, building that... we’ll call it the legend of LA Knight" - LA Knight, SummerSlam Post-show Press Conference

Nia Jax

All hail the new Queen of SmackDown

Turning around the opinion of the larger wrestling community is a difficult task, but Nia Jax’s WWE Women’s Championship victory seals her reputation as one of wrestling’s most improved performers. Cutting an imposing figure and wearing her crown for her entrance to the ring, 2024’s Queen Of The Ring feels like the latest superstar to break through the mid-card scene. This may be her second Women’s Championship, but this is the first time that she feels like the top of her show’s food chain.

Her friendship with Money In The Bank holder Tiffany Stratton is something to pay close attention though, not least because she attempted to cash in the briefcase at SummerSlam but failed to enter the match. That is a positive thing. There is mileage in that friendship being tested further down the line. Jax has earned this Championship and a shot to prove her worth. Her every move in 2024 is doing that emphatically.

Seth Rollins

Controversy in Cleveland for The Architect

If there has ever been a slither of criticism about one of the greatest performers of his generation, Seth Rollins detractors will say that he occasionally lacks personality. That could not be further from his performance as Special Guest Referee at SummerSlam. Strutting to the ring, laughing at the ensuing carnage, and encouraging the violent physicality between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk, the idea that Rollins would take away from WWE’s feud of the year were annihilated by his performance on the night.

True to his word and proving an impartial official, Seth would accidentally miss Punk pinning Drew twice before the simmering tension between the two would end in Rollins taking a GTS following a heated exchange over Seth wearing Punk’s stolen bracelet. It is just another explosive incident in the history between CM Punk and Seth Rollins, fueling a rivalry that could make what’s happened between Drew and Punk this summer look like child’s play. The road to that starts now.

Drew McIntyre

Three cheers for sweet revenge

In a year that has included winning some of WWE’s biggest matches, including the men’s Elimination Chamber match, the Money In The Bank briefcase, and the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, Drew McIntyre beating CM Punk at SummerSlam will rank as his year’s highlight. From the initial shock of McIntyre mocking Punk’s real-life tricep injury on social media back in January, Drew’s relentless quality has catapulted himself into the upper echelons of the WWE Main Event scene. His victory makes him likely to be one of that scene’s most significant players too.

The momentum of the big Scot has is now crucial. Whoever is caught in his sights next, Drew McIntyre must continue to tell great stories. If he’s anywhere near as good in the second half of the year as he’s been in the first, he is certain to be in the conversation for Wrestler of the Year.

Roman Reigns

The Original Tribal Chief returns at SummerSlam

In the blink of an eye, the entire landscape of WWE shifted. SummerSlam’s Main Event between Cody Rhodes and The Bloodline’s new self-appointed Tribal Chief Solo Sikoa had descended into chaos, a sea of bodies lay strewn across the battlefield of Cleveland Browns Stadiums, as Kevin Owens and Randy Orton returned to help take out Jacob Fatu, Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga in the Bloodline Rules match. With Sikoa and Rhodes both down, Roman Reigns' music would hit, and he appeared on WWE TV for the first time since being pinned for his WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. Cinema, indeed.

Following his decision to Superman punch Solo Sikoa before finishing him with a spear, the stare-down between Reigns and the retaining WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, was layered with possibilities. Time will tell if they manage to see eye-to-eye and stand by each other’s side against Solo’s Bloodline or they are destined to be adversaries, unable to be on the same page.

Losers

Logan Paul

The Maverick faces adversity for the first time since he joined WWE

When considering the bigger picture, it is hard to see Logan Paul as a man who lost too much this weekend in the eyes of WWE, despite dropping his United States Championship. Being so loathsome that he can be booed in his hometown while wearing their NFL colors, he is destined for the top of the card and to Main Event major WWE events. Nevertheless, his lack of in-ring competition has annoyed some, with this loss to LA Knight being his first United States Championship defense since WrestleMania. As a result, this is the first time Logan Paul has had to raise his stock in the eyes of the WWE audience since becoming a full-time member of the roster.

This is a man who has a history of making light work of his doubters, no matter what you might think of him or his actions. The Netflix era is coming in January and Logan Paul is going to be a huge part of it. The next six months will give us a clearer idea of just how significant a part that is.

CM Punk

His first WWE singles match in ten years ends in defeat

CM Punk’s reputation as one of the greatest storytellers wrestling has ever seen was cemented long ago, but defeat to Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam raises some big new questions for the legend of the game. Can CM Punk conquer the likes of Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and (most significantly) Seth Rollins when considering this loss? On the one hand, sure. He pinned McIntyre twice before eating his pinfall and an actual referee would have seen that. On the other, he’s 2-0 on coming up too short since coming back to WWE when factoring in the 2024 Royal Rumble.

Most tantalizingly, it means that Punk really cannot afford to lose to Seth Rollins when they finally get their hands on one another. The Royal Rumble is a lottery. Much to the chagrin of a vocal minority, adding Rollins to the McIntyre match brings questions about the legitimacy of the match into play. A loss to Seth Rollins will mean Punk is 3-0 in coming up short. The match with Rollins was always going to matter. Somehow, SummerSlam raised those stakes even higher.

Damien Priest

A noble end for a worthy championship reign

Defiant until the end, Damien Priest’s desperate and valiant final stand as El Campion brought a fitting end to his title reign that improved with every passing month. On the road to SummerSlam, he and Gunther have told one of the most compelling stories on the card, Priest showing vulnerability to talk about the hardship of life on the streets of New York and Gunther showing disdain accordingly.

Ultimately, as correctly predicted in our SummerSlam wishlist, Gunther proved inevitable as Finn Balor would further erode The Judgment Day, becoming the second member of the faction to cost a team-mate victory in one evening.

It feels like the coming months will determine the success of Damien Priest’s time with the World Heavyweight Championship. Finn Balor and The Judgment Day is an excellent first feud for him as he continues to build on the stature he has erected in the past few months.

Solo Sikoa

A world of trouble awaits the self-appointed Tribal Chief

That “nooooooooo!” would give Darth Vader a run for his money, huh? In all seriousness, Solo Sikoa’s in-ring performance showed maturity beyond what we’ve seen of him so far despite defeat, and his athleticism is so good it’s freakish. That said, it’s hard to see what is next for The Bloodline now that Roman is home.

Realistically, it would have been one of the biggest upsets of all time if Solo had bested Cody Rhodes. Now he has this experience, he is totally viable as a potential feud for LA Knight now that he is US Champion or that he could beat Kevin Owens or Randy Orton one-on-one. His time as The Head Of The Table may have been short-lived, but his future feels a lot brighter after passing most of the tests put before him at SummerSlam.

The Final Word…

• LA Knight becomes the 104th United States Champion.
• CM Punk’s last match in singles competition came in a victory over Billy Gunn on the 20th January 2014. His last defeat came against Roman Reigns on the Old School Raw episode of Monday Night Raw on January 6th, 2014.
• “It’s not always about me, but it’s never about you”. Incredible.
• Bayley powerbombing Nia Jax was a huge "wow" moment.
• We sure are going to miss Gunther saying “street trash”.
• Gunther’s two WWE title reigns thus far stand at 870 days as NXT United Kingdom Champion and 666 days as Intercontinental Champion. Good luck, everyone!
• Solo Sikoa is the first person to headline SummerSlam in his first performance at the event since Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2016.
• It's kind of impressive that Logan Paul found someone the crowd liked less than him by inviting MGK to walk him to the ring.
• Jelly Roll joins the likes of Pitbull, Snoop Dogg, CeeLo Green, and P.O.D. who have also performed at SummerSlam.
• The OTC on Roman Reigns new t-shirt stands for Original Tribal Chief.