Almost 37,000 wrestling fans screamed in unison as the first, alarm-like notes of “Tokyo Shock,” Iyo Sky’s walkout song, sounded in Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium. And as Sky emerged from behind a massive digital screen with her name stretching across it, the crowd exploded, foreshadowing a punishing match between the Japanese superstar and Liv Morgan, the current WWE Women’s World Champion.
SummerSlam 2026 had begun.
This marked the second time the WWE’s signature summer event, now in its 39th year, took place over two nights. In addition to Morgan’s bout with Sky—which saw the champion hold on to her belt—the card included a title match between Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi taking on Brock Lesnar, and Seth Rollins challenging Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Chase Freedom helped set the stage for the weekend. Before a single wrestler entered the ring, diehards shopped at the SummerSlam Superstore. Cardmembers took advantage of early access to pick up the hottest gear. Over the course of the weekend, Chase Freedom also sponsored a lookalike contest and gave cardmembers a dedicated fastlane entry into the arena which amped up the energy even more before each night in the squared circle.
With Chase Freedom as a presenting sponsor, the WWE put on an event we’ll be talking about for a minute. Here’s how SummerSlam took over Minneapolis.
SummerSlam Superstore
SummerSlam wouldn't be SummerSlam without the chance to pick up WWE gear. As sponsor of the SummerSlam Superstore, Chase Freedom opened the doors early for cardmembers, giving them first access to shop the newest T-shirts, masks, and replica championship belts before the crowds came through.
SummerSlam Saturday
By Saturday night, you could feel the energy Chase Freedom helped build in every part of U.S. Bank Stadium. The place felt like it was about to erupt.
Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan’s entrances made it clear from jump that neither wrestler had come to play. The WWE Women’s World Championship was on the line, and Sky looked ready to take it from the three-time champ, who had Women’s Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez in her corner. But Morgan wouldn’t let that happen. At one point, Sky had her down for what looked like the count, but Morgan bounced back and pounded Sky into submission with a Code Breaker and a couple of ObLIVions.
Next up, Royce Keys, LA Knight, and Solo Sikoa took on The Bloodline. There’s a lot of beef between these guys, so this match felt like it was a long time coming, and it was on immediately. In the end, Knight took Jey Uso out with a BFT.
Once that was over, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis jumped in the squared circle to settle a score with Gunther. Aldis hadn’t wrestled in three years, and had never fought in the WWE, but still looked like himself in the ring. He showed real promise, but Gunther locked down the win with a sleeper. Afterward, the crowd chanted “You still got it!” to Aldis.
SummerSlam also marked Nikki Bella’s return to the ring following an injury. She and sister Brie Bella took on Women’s Tag Team Champions Fatal Influence, who were favored to win and did exactly that, leaving Brie with an injury.
Before the final Hell in a Cell bout went down, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk squared off, with Rhodes coming out in a helmet tied to a big movie role. Once they hit the ring, it was on. The pair showed some old-school flair, and after a lot of back and forth, Punk missed Rhodes with an elbow drop. The ref took some unintentional hits and both wrestlers threw their finishers before Randy Orton appeared and left just as quickly, but not before landing an RKO on Rhodes. It was crazy, but things came to an end when Punk delivered a GTS and won.
And then there was Hell in a Cell—Brock Lesnar versus Oba Femi. Once the cage came down, the brutality began. Lesnar hit multiple F-5s before delivering a Tombstone Piledriver, but Femi came out on top. Lesnar knew exactly what that meant. “This is the past,” he said at the end of the match, pointing at himself. He then pointed toward Femi: “This is the future.”
SummerSlam Sunday
On Sunday, after Chase Freedom gave fans more ways to take part in SummerSlam weekend, the second half of the card got underway.
The night kicked off with what was supposed to be Finn Bálor fighting Sami Zayn. But before the match got underway, Nick Aldis appeared and added Gunther—who’d beaten him the night before—to the bout. The triple-threat became a fatal four-way when Aldis also brought out Kevin Owens—who took home the victory.
After that, the crowd was fired up for Baron Corbin and Trick Williams, who Lil Yachty introduced and walked to the ring. Corbin was going at Yachty, which ended in Yachty slamming through a table. Corbin closed things out with an End of Days and walked off with the United States Championship for the second time.
The Ladder Match was next, with Chelsea Green beating Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and Lash Legend and becoming interim WWE Women’s Champion.
Danhausen left U.S. Bank Stadium $100,000 richer—and, more importantly, undefeated—after his Human Monies on a Pole match against Dominik Mysterio. The Minihausens and Joe Hendry held Danhausen down when JD McDonagh showed up for Mysterio.
The Intercontinental Championship was on the line when Chad Gable stepped into the ring with Penta and took the belt in his hometown. It was a real moment for Gable and his family, and the stadium felt it.
Roman Reigns is certified, and the night closed with him successfully defending his World Heavyweight Championship belt against Seth Rollins. The two former Shield members went off, even hitting each other with Shield Bombs. But in the end, the Tribal Chief threw three Spears at Rollins and showed exactly why he wasn’t giving up his title. Did the bout squash things between them for real? The two fist-bumped when it was over, suggesting that might be the case.
The fans, plenty covered in gear from the Superstore, continued cheering, and it was clear that from exclusive cardmember access to moments through the weekend, Chase Freedom made SummerSlam feel bigger than the matches alone.
