Recaps
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night One: Top 5 Takeaways

Night night one of WWE’s SummerSlam on August 1, saw the return of “The Viper,” Randy Orton, the passing of the torch to Oba Femi, and SmackDown GM, Nick Aldis getting back into the ring after 3 years to take on “The Ring General’ Gunther. These were just a few of the major moment from the six bout match card.
Emanating from U.S. Bank stadium in Minneapolis, the match-ups had several ups and downs that either got the crowd into an electric frenzy or deadly quiet. The WWE creative was smart to kick-off night one with the Women’s World Championship match between the champion Liv Morgan and Ivo Sky, who put on a great show.
Both women brought their A -game, but Liv Morgan showed why she is the champ, while Iyo Sky remains the best overall female wrestler on the current roster. Here are our five top takeaways from Night 1 of SummerSlam:

Photo: WWE
RANDY ORTON AND CODY RHODES FEUD UP NEXT
The match between CM Punk, the current Undisputed World Heavyweight, and Cody Rhodes, the former champ, had most fans booing Rhodes and cheering for Punk. However, both men displayed some heel-ish moves throughout the bout.
When Rhodes missed a Cody Cutter and hit referee Charles Robinson instead, chaos ensued. Punk was out of the ring, so too was Robinson on the other side. Cody was in the ring laid out flat. Eventually, Randy Orton does a run-in out of nowhere and delivers the RKO to Rhodes, winks at the camera, and slinks out of the ring and runs out of the arena site unseen by Punk and Robinson.
Next, Punk rolled back in the ring and hit a third GTS on Rhodes to retain the title. In the end, there was no clean pinfall for Rhodes vs. Punk. It should be noted that Punk also missed a moonsault maneuver that looked sloppy, which has been fodder on social media.
So, what does this do for Punk and Rhodes moving forward? It leave us with Punk moving on to face new challengers for the title, and Cody and Randy Orton to walk back the start of their feud that got messed up once WWE inserted Pat McAfee into the storyline at WrestleMania 42, which the WWE Universe was a hard pass on.
Can Orton and Rhodes now have a proper feud? Will there be a double turn comig? Randy (who the crowd was cheering for) actually being the face and Cody having had it with all the shenanigans used against him, just finally giving in and turning full heel? Stay tuned.

Photo: WWE
OBA FEMI WAS PASSED THE TORCH
Femi got quite the moment after he won the third match of his trilogy against Minnesota’s own Brock Lesnar, The Ruler beat The Beast Incarnate inside Hell in a Cell.
While there were five straight F5s in a row and Femi was taken to Suplex City, it appeared Lesnar had this under control especially after he exposed the wooden boards under the ring mat and apron. Next, Lesnar delivered a Tombstone piledriver paying homage to The Undertaker who Lesnar had defeated in two Hell in a Cells. However, the move left Femi unfazed. Suddenly, Femi was back up and shortly thereafter pinned Brock and won the math.
As he was exiting the ring, Lesnar broke character to hug Femi and called fo a mic and announced himself as the “past” and The Ruler as the “future” of WWE. Clearly, Lesnar gave the crowd in attendance and the millions around the world, his stamp of approval for Femi and passed the torched.
It should be noted we did not get Lesnar officially retiring in his home state, so he may be back. Meanwhile, Oba is clearly the WWE’s handpicked star who is having a rapid ascension to the top. Is it just a matter of time before Oba takes on Roman Reigns and wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from him?

Photo: WWE
NICK ALDIS CAN STILL GO
Aldis, who came out to Oasis’ “Morning Glory,” and had excellent ring gear to boot, showed that after three years out of ring action that he can still turn it out and against Gunther, no less. The crowd chanted “you still got it” during the match.
However, in the end Gunther was eventually able to put Aldis down. After the match, Aldis got to share in the moment with his young son, Donovan and is wife, Mickie James inside the ring, to celebrate Aldis’ return to the ring if even for one night.
During the Post Show on ESPN, Triple H reinstated Aldis as the SmackDown GM, and tore up Aldis’ resignation letter, so Nick was still a part of the WWE in his managerial position moving forward.

Photo: WWE
THE BELLA TWINS SHOULD HAVE STAYED RETIRED DUE TO INJURIES
As we predicted, during the trios match between the Bella Twins and Paige v. Fatal Influence with Jacy Jayne, it would be Paige tho took the pin from Jayne. With that, the Bella Twins went back to full heel-mode, when Niki Bella who just returned after suffering from a broken ankle attached Paige.
Brie Bella could not get in to the beatdown because earlier in the match she suffered a serious shoulder injury which will now keep her out of action. If the plan was to have an evil Bella Twins run, now that Niki is back, well that just fell apart with the ill-fated timing of Brie’s injury.
This is a case where Hall-of-Famers want to get back into the ring later in their careers and things don’t go as smooth as planned. Now it remains what the WWE will do. Obviously, Niki will feud solo with Paige.

Photo: WWE
SOLO SIKOA IS GREAT AS A BABYFACE, DON’T RUIN IT!
The actual moment of the night belongs to Solo Sikoa who got the the last laugh on the Usos. Sikoa mocked Jey Uso’s Yeet chants and moves specifically when Jey runs it back with the audience, by having Jey’s theme music play and imitating him.
Later, via Samoan Spike to Jimmy Uso, he stopped a 1D attempt while L.A. Knight hit the BTF on Jey for the victory. Jacob Fatu, who teamed wiht the Usos had the coolest entrance of the night with his werewolf mask and antics. Royce Keys who teamed with Knight and Sikoa also got to show off some of his power moves to help his team secure the win.
You can check out the full SummerSlam Saturday 2026 night one highlights below.
So, what was your top takeaway and moment from night one of SummerSlam? Favorite match? Least favorite match? Let us know via the comment section.
6 matches in 3 hours was a highlight for me. Last week’s AEW ppv had 10 matches in around 5 hours which can make for a long night no matter how good the wrestling is.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: If Jason Leaves the Mob, What Will He Do Next?

As had been teased since Jason Morgan’s (Steve Burton) captivity by the WSB and his release on General Hospital, he is clearly having issues speaking about what happened to him, after he was dragged away from Port Charles when he took the fall for Rocco (Finn Carr) who shot WSB director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Now. as Jason tries to reacclimate to life back in Port Charles, he has already displayed that he wants to do better for his son, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and the people he loves and to show up for them.
In addition, things took a turn on the Friday, July 31 episode where after Sonny (Maurice Benard) questioned Jason if he was having an issue with Ric (Rick Hearst) working side by side with his half-brother, Jason had something to say.

Courtesy/ABC
An emotional Jason tells Sonny, “I can’t work for you anymore.” The moment left Sonny dumbfounded, and viewers won’t know the pick-up of the conversation till Monday’s August 3 episode of GH.
Could it be that this time Jason will cut ties with Sonny and the mob for good? If so, it would be the end of an era for Jason and Sonny, sort of the Batman and Robin of GH with a twist.
Previous teases from the GH co-head writing team of Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte, and Burton himself on his podcast That’s Awesome ,seem to indicate there is a change coming for Jason that sends him off in a different path in his life.
However, we should learn Jason’s reasons shortly, and if Sonny can talk him back into the mob, or can just wish Jason the best and let him go. But now the question becomes, if Jason exits life as Sonny’s right hand man and henchman, what do you see him doing with his life? We do know that Jason is aware that Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) has tied to the WSB, since he escorted him to Port Charles via Jakarta on the plane which may be a clue.
Weigh-in below: Do you want Jason to go work for the Quartermaines and truly join the family in full? Do you see him doing something to help those in need, or do you see him going undercover with the WSB to expose some of the treacherous things they perpetrated on him and others, or do you see Jason doing something completely different with his life? If so, what? Let us know your hopes and thoughts for Jason in the comment section below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan Lovett Hightails Out of the Country, Christian Howard Wraps His Stint

That was quick! Christian Howard, who now looks to have literally stepped in for Nathan Dean to wrap up a few episodes for the character of Ethan Lovett made a quick exit on Friday’s July 31 episode of General Hospital.
GH viewers were stunned earlier this week on the Monday, July 27 episode when a voiceover announcer shared that Christian Howard was now playing Ethan Lovett. Next, Ethan hits the sheets with Ava Jerome, played by three-time Daytime Emmy-winner, Maura West. All seemed to be moving forward when suddenly at the end of the Thursday, July 30 episode, Ethan spots newcomer Hudson (Troy Lennon Appel) at the Metro Court Pool, and makes a quick getaway.
Then, it’s revealed after packing his bags at Lulu’s (Alexa Havins) house, that out of nowhere, Ethan received a lead on an incredible opportunity so he has to say goodbye to Lulu and run out of town and was leaving Port Charles.

Courtesy/ABC
RUNNING OUT OF TOWN
In fact, Ethan was in such a hurry, he forgot to say goodbye to Ava who had been waiting for him at the Metro Court pool. There is clearly a connection to Hudson and baby Phoebe after Ethan spotted the guy, because Ethan also glanced over to the baby and Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) at the Metro Court pool, before he ran to Lulu’s to pack his things. All of this points to Howard being an emergency recast for Dean.
It’s definitely been a week of change on-screen on the ABC soap with the news of Maxie, Spinelli, James, Georgie and Bailey all suddenly leaving Port Charles for Australia, after Spinelli got an offer he could not turn down.
That exit was written because Kirsten Storms is at this time,, and the very foreseeable future, not returning to General Hospital and is living in Tennessee. As she had documented via her Instagram stories and posts, she has been going through several personal ordeals. In addition to Storms, Ryan Paevey also exited the series earlier this month when he ended his run as Cassius Faison, while leaving the door open for his return down the line.
So, will newcomers Kelly Kruger (Serena Baldwin), Dean Geyer (Tristan Roberts) and Troy Lennon Appel fill the void of the multitude of exits? What are your theories on Christian Howard’s departure as Ethan Lovett on GH? Let us know via the comment section below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Drew and Willow Have Their Long-Awaited Showdown; Only She Gains the Upperhand and the End of Their Marriage

Finally, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) can walk and talk and chew gum all at the same time as he shows up at the front door of his house, much to the dismay of his wife, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen).
Drew just survived a murder attempt by Willow’s mother, Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros), only an unknowing Gio (Giovanni Mazza) jumped into the lake to bring Drew to safety, after Nina tried to rid the world of him by pushing the former congressman in his wheelchair into the water to hopefully drown, but it all backfired.
Now at the Cain residence, Drew taunts Willow, that he could not wait to see his “loving wife!” Willow, who shot Drew and got off on an attempted murder charge, who then turned to a paralytic drug and Sidwell (Carlo Rota) to keep Drew out of her life, was quickly shushed when she started to explain herself while in fear for her own life.

Courtesy/ABC
AN ENRAGED DREW THREATENS WILLOW WITH INTENTIONS TO MAKE HER LIFE A LIVING HELL
Drew stated, “I have listened to you for so long, and all I could do was just sit there and blink like a desperate idiot. Now it’s my turn. Go ahead, blink all you want while you still can.” Next, Drew actually tells Willow he can almost understand her reasoning for shooting him after she snapped, but he helped the jury get her off of the charges and she still drugged him and kept him a “prisoner in his own body” for months.
However, Willow’s fears of being killed on the spot get a reprieve when an angered Drew tells her, ”I’m Not Going to Kill You, But You’re Going to Wish I Did.” With rage and a smug smile, Drew informs Willow that he will tell her kids, Wiley and Amelia, what a psychopath she truly is, and then flaunts how Michael (Rory Gibson) will get full custody of her their children because she will be serving a life prison sentence.
Suddenly, Nina and Jack (Chris McKenna) burst in the front door as Jack holds a gun on Drew. Nina wants Jack to shoot Drew. Jack then reveals he doesn’t have to because he has the evidence right in his pocket on how Drew misappropriated federal funds designated for the McConkey Esplanade to instead fund his congressional campaign.

Courtesy/ABC
SAVED BY THE EVIDENCE
Telling Drew the first deed is a federal crime, Jack had more goodies on Drew. He informs Drew that there is evidence that he blackmailed the receptionist at the burn clinic in Germany to prevent Willow from speaking with Michael about custody of their children. Jack also claimed to have evidence that Drew bribed Judge Heran, who eventually wound up dead in the pier.
An angered and enraged Drew threatened to bring all three of them down, but Jack reminded Drew that his crimes held a minimum sentence of 20 years each.
Willow then played her own game with Drew warning if he went to prison for decades, he would lose his daughter Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) forever who will then be raised with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), and Nina sniped that Tracy (Jane Elliot) and Michael would have a field day over Drew being locked up for most of his life.
FREEDOM
Next, Willow tells Drew nothing needs to change, and all he needs to do is agree to a divorce. Nina piled on that he cannot run for congress again or take back Willow’s seat, while Jack toyed with him that he could release the evidence that he has against him at any point in time.
Willow follows Jack and Nina out the front door, but before she exits removes her wedding rings and drops them on the floor, saying “freedom.” However, now alone in his house, Drew snipes, “Enjoy it while it lasts, you treacherous bitch!” We fade to black.
So, what did you think of the upshot of the highly-anticipated scenes where Drew and Willow would have it out? Were you pissed off that Drew didn’t try to murder Willow, or do something to her and Nina for what they did to him?
Glad that Willow and Drew ended their marriage and it seems like everyone is going to keep silent about everything? Does that feel like payback? Or, will Drew as he threatened, plan something heinous to pay back Willow, Nina and Jack? Share your thoughts via the comment section, but first take another look at some of the confrontation scenes from today’s GH below.
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