WWE SummerSlam 2024 - Best and Worst - Roman Reigns turns babyface; major star seriously injured?
SummerSlam 2024 was a smash hit, with very little wrong. WWE delivered a fantastic show that featured a bit of everything.
From physical matches and epic storytelling to some massive swerves and Roman Reigns' return, The Biggest Event of the Summer was a great time. So, with that said, let's look at the biggest highs and lows from SummerSlam 2024.
#3. Best: Roman Reigns is back
It finally happened. The real Chief is back in WWE!
For the first time since WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns has graced us with his presence. He returned with new theme music at SummerSlam 2024 and attacked Solo Sikoa, allowing Cody Rhodes to win the Bloodline Rules main event. The match itself was fun, with a bunch of run-ins from familiar faces.
But, of course, all the focus is now on Reigns. He is officially a babyface and is going after Solo. The Big Uce has some fences to mend, and his interactions with the rest of the roster will make for interesting viewing. A great way for SummerSlam 2024 to end!
#2. Worst: Is Jacob Fatu okay?
For all the positives in the main event, Jacob Fatu's potential injury may have put a downer on things. The Enforcer hit a top rope splash on Cody Rhodes through the announce table, after which he seemed to be in genuine pain. Fatu was clutching his ankle and unable to stand.
If he is seriously hurt, that's an unfortunate roadblock that would force WWE to change their plans for The Bloodline. With Roman Reigns finally back, that's not ideal at all. Hopefully, Jacob Fatu is okay and this was a false alarm. But it's not looking great.
#2. Best: A night of betrayals
The Judgment Day will never be the same again following the events of SummerSlam 2024. We saw it coming from a mile away, but that doesn't make the dual betrayals any less exciting.
Dominik Mysterio finally showed Rhea Ripley his true colors as he helped Liv Morgan retain her Women's World Championship. Dirty Dom then kissed her as a heartbroken Mami looked on. Damian Priest was equally stunned as Finn Balor turned on him during his match against Gunther.
The Ring General ultimately won the World Heavyweight Championship after a hard-hitting fight. It will be interesting what's next for him following SummerSlam 2024, while Priest and Ripley go after the new-look Judgment Day on WWE RAW.
#1. Worst: Jelly Roll gets physical at SummerSlam 2024
There wasn't much wrong with the in-ring portion of SummerSlam 2024 at all. This automatically makes the pre-main event segment the worst thing on the show by a long distance.
Jelly Roll already appeared on-screen for a live performance, only for him to get physical in a WWE ring. This happened after A-Town Down Under interrupted The Awesome Truth's promo for the fans in Cleveland. The singer entered the ring and hit the heels with a steel chair after help from The Miz and R-Truth.
He then hit Austin Theory with a chokeslam and a Five-Knuckle Shuffle. That wasn't necessary at all for multiple reasons. First, the segment just filled time and kept us waiting for the main event. Also, Theory ended up looking bad. That's not ideal, especially with a babyface turn potentially on the horizon.
#1. Best: The grudge lives on
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre felt as epic as we'd hoped. The hatred on display was beautiful, as that's what led to the former AEW star's downfall. Punk could have finished McIntyre off multiple times, only for him to get distracted by the bracelet that The Scottish Warrior stole from him.
He didn't leave SummerSlam 2024 with the bracelet or the win. Not a good night for CM Punk, who hit a GTS on Seth Rollins out of rage. This led to Drew McIntyre low blowing him before nailing the Claymore Kick, as The Visionary slowly counted to three.
The chaos was excellent, making Punk vs. McIntyre among the best matches at SummerSlam 2024. That is saying something, considering how good the in-ring action was. Sometimes, the story is better than the moves.