4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SummerSlam Night 1 (Review & Results)

1. Cody & Punk Go For Epic

By any measurement, Cody Rhodes versus CM Punk should have closed out SummerSlam entirely on Sunday night. Instead, they were relegated to the semi-main on Saturday, but that didn’t stop them from going out and trying to deliver a main-event-caliber battle.

Punk and Rhodes wrestled a long, often methodical style that saw both men target body parts throughout while mixing in some highspots and action sequences. Punk targeted Cody’s shoulder and left arm, while Rhodes zeroed in on Punk’s left knee.

The match eventually spilled to the outside, where Punk placed Cody on the announce desk and then attempted a diving elbow drop – but missed. Back inside, Rhodes’ Cody Cutter wiped out the referee, which allowed Randy Orton to return with a run-in RKO on the American Nightmare. Punk recovered and finished Cody with a GTS to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Clocking in at a half-hour, this match was probably a bit too long, but they achieved a rarity in today’s WWE: they kept the fans engaged despite working a match focused on limb work and eschewing a ton of ga-ga until the closing moments. Aside from Punk’s abysmal attempt at a moonsault, this was a cleanly worked match as well.

It’s a shame that WWE spent years teasing this match, only to pull the trigger with a short runway to SummerSlam, stuck it in an unworthy spot, and then gave the match an inconclusive finish. Still, this was the best thing on the card Saturday night, and it probably set the bar for Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.