WWE SummerSlam makes history by breaking unusual streak
WWE SummerSlam 2024 will be remembered for a bevy of moments, from Roman Reigns' return to Gunther's coronation, among others. The show was also notable for something that had not happened in five years.
According to Wrestling Stats & Info on X/Twitter, every current championship reign across SmackDown, RAW, and NXT commenced in 2024. The last time this happened was in 2019 when Rhea Ripley won the NXT Women's Championship from Shayna Baszler on the December 18 episode of NXT.
Logan Paul dropping the United States Championship to LA Knight was the last belt that needed to make the list, as Paul's reign kickstarted in November 2023.
LA Knight's US Title triumph also marked The Megastar's long-overdue-first championship win in WWE. After SummerSlam, Logan Paul broke character to congratulate the 41-year-old but hinted at their issues being far from over, with The Maverick even claiming that the title is his.
Aside from Knight's win, Bron Breakker, Nia Jax and Gunther won championships at SummerSlam. Out of the six title bouts on the card, only Liv Morgan and Cody Rhodes walked out with their belts.
Gunther's challenger for WWE Bash in Berlin announced
WWE wasted little time after SummerSlam by sending Gunther out this past Monday on RAW to open the show. He was interrupted by SmackDown's own Randy Orton, who challenged The Ring General.
Gunther took on Randy Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament in Saudi Arabia. The bout culminated in controversy as The Legend Killer's shoulders were not on the mat. Despite this, the referee declared The Ring General as the victor. It is this crucial win that led to the latter challenging—and defeating—Damian Priest at SummerSlam.
Whether this means the 14-time World Champion is now a member of the RAW roster is not confirmed, but perhaps more of this angle will be unveiled in the coming weeks. As for Gunther's homecoming at Bash in Berlin, Randy Orton stands as a formidable foe.
The upcoming episode of SmackDown will feature LA Knight's first show as United States Champion, and will also feature an appearance by Roman Reigns, who was last seen on the blue brand while on the Road To WrestleMania XL.