The American Nightmare had his night at the biggest party of the summer.
SummerSlam Saturday was a night nobody will ever forget. CM Punk’s victory was squashed by Seth Rollins’ Money in the Bank cash-in. Now, we came to the second night’s main event.
John Cena’s recent babyface turn happened late in the game in this story with Cody Rhodes. The two entered MetLife Stadium with the goal of leaving as WWE Champion, and fans were in for a historic street fight.
The entrances for this match felt special before SummerSlam Sunday’s main event. Cody Rhodes’ music was preceded by a few Dusty Rhodes quotes. Also, John Cena’s screen opened with the black heel look before exploding into color to pop the crowd as he ran to the ring. The match also got a big fight feel thanks to Alicia Taylor’s incredible ring introductions.
After the two hugged in the middle of the ring, they erupted into a hockey fight and the brawl spilled into the ringside area. This street fight meant that everything was on the table. That included John Cena taking Tyrese Halliburton’s crutch, as the NBA player is recovering from an Achilles injury, and then Cena beat Cody with said crutch.
The ring steps were brought into the ring eventually and Cena took a slam on them before Cody climbed to the top rope before John just pushed him off to the floor. Then Cena picked up the steps and heaved them at Cody Rhodes at ringside. That was brutal, but Cena followed it up to keep the match pace up.
They continued this match as Cody took control. Then Cena lifted the American Nightmare to the floor, where he started looking under the ring for weapons, and Cena did the same thing on the other side of the ring. They returned to the ring with chairs and clashed them against each other as Cena dropped his. Then Cody wedged a chair in the corner only to take that chair to the face before John started his 5 moves of doom, including a 5 Knuckle Shuffle. Cody got out of the AA to nail a Bionic Elbow and a Cody Cutter for a two count.
They continued the match as Cena kicked out at two after taking a Cody Cutter from the top rope. Then Cena nailed an electric chair drop for a near fall of his own. Cody returned with a piledriver for a very close two count. After he got back to his feet, Cena nailed him with an AA, but he couldn’t get a pin as he collapsed to the mat.
Cena locked on an STFU eventually, and although Cody got to the ropes, that didn’t mean anything in a street fight. They went to the ringside area, where Cena took a bump over the timekeeper’s booth and then he nailed Cody with a microphone before hitting a Canadian Destroyer on the outside of the ring. Then he got on the announce table and hit an AA on Cody through the other table.
Cody was able to nail a Crossroads, but Cena kicked out of the pin. They continued as John Cena nailed a legdrop from the top rope and an AA for a very close two count of his own. Then Cena got the Slim Jim table from underneath the ring before he set it up, but Cody knocked the table down before the two started brawling all over the floor of MetLife Stadium.
Eventually, the two disappeared under the SummerSlam stage only to have Cena rise up using Cody’s entrance elevator with Rhodes on his shoulder. Then he delivered a massive AA on the stage before carrying Rhodes to the ring. Suddenly, Cody sent Cena through a table on the turnbuckle and nailed a Crossroads for a near fall to prove that he wasn’t finished.
Cody loosened the bottom rope, and he grabbed the giant screw before whacking Cena with it twice. Suddenly, Cena wrapped Cody up with another STFU, but he used the ropes to choke Cody. Then Rhodes wrestled John around and used the rope as a weapon in a submission hold. Cena went for another AA, but Cody hit three Crossroads in a row before John kicked out. Fans chanted “Super Cena” as Cody went to retrieve the title belt.
Rhodes missed with the belt shot, and he ate two AAs before getting placed on the top rope to take one from the top rope. At that point, John Cena pinned Cody for another near fall. Cena got another Slim Jim table from underneath the ring at that point, and he slid it in. They returned to the top rope after that, but Cody fought out of an AA attempt to nail a top rope Cody Cutter through the table. Then Codysaluted Cena before nailing another Crossroads for the pin to become Undisputed WWE Champion once again.
Only time will tell how SummerSlam 2025 will be thought of in the future. At this point, the internet is still buzzing from the result of Sunday’s biggest party of the summer.
What’s your take on how WWE booked SummerSlam? Do you believe that Triple H could have done better? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
