WWE SummerSlam 2018: Live video highlights and results

The second-biggest card of the WWE year hits Brooklyn again, and we keep you informed on all the latest developments with live highlights and results.

It’s sad but true: The summer of 2018 is almost over. School and Labor Day are right around the corner, so there’s no disputing it. But at least WWE is set to send us out in the best possible way — or so we hope — with SummerSlam 2018, once again coming to us from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Brock Lesnar (finally) putting his Universal Championship on the line again against Roman Reigns figures to be the main event, and quite possibly the definitive end to their lengthy feud. Another highlight, especially with more casual WWE fans, is the first title shot for Ronda Rousey.

However, there are other matches on the card that figure to have a shot to steal the show for more hardcore pro wrestling aficionados. Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler for Ziggler’s Intercontinental Championship should be in that category, as should the title bout between WWE Champion AJ Styles and challenger Samoa Joe.

Terry Crews is in the video hype package that kicks off the show. He’s awesome, as usual, and one can only hope that the actual card continues with that same level of excitement.

Seth Rollins (challenger) vs. Dolph Ziggler (champion) – Intercontinental Championship Match

Perhaps a surprising choice to kick off the card, but we’ll take it. It’s definitely a distracting visual showdown as Rollins has mismatched boots and Ziggler has a fake title belt on his tights right below the waist.

Of course, Drew McIntyre tries to get involved, but that’s why Dean Ambrose was brought back, and he hasn’t lost his timing for assisting his brother.

A well-timed Stomp is enough for Rollins to keep Ziggler down for the count. Burn it down, indeed.

Winner … and new Intercontinental Champion … Seth Rollins by pinfall

The New Day (challengers) vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) – Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match

Is it bad news for the New Day that Xavier Woods is in this one? Do the Bludgeon Brothers miss their first names? Plenty of questions in this one.

Woods actually hits the move of the match by dropping an elbow from the top rope to the floor, so Rowan decides to grab a hammer and start, um, bludgeoning the New Day. DQ it is.

Winners: The New Day by DQ … but still Smackdown Tag Team Champions … The Bludgeon Brothers

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens – Owens gets Money in the Bank contract if he wins by any means

Well, there’s no real need to worry about the stipulation, as Owens takes a few bumps, superkicks Braun and sees the big man no-sell it, and then gets pinned with a running powerslam. Strowman hardly even broke a sweat so … cashing in later on tonight?

(Insert thinking face emoji here.)

Winner: Braun Strowman by pinfall

Charlotte Flair (challenger) vs. Becky Lynch (challenger) vs. Carmella (champion) – Smackdown Women’s Championship match

It should come as no surprise that part of Carmella’s strategy is to try and pit the two challengers against each other, and it works. For a bit.

The crowd gets into it when Carmella hits a suicide dive and Charlotte follows it with a twisting moonsault to the floor. Becky gets the Disarm Her locked in on the champ, but Flair comes from behind to hit the Natural Selection, which is enough to pin Lynch. The fans aren’t crazy about it, but the two friends hug afterward.

But urged on by the crowd, Becky attacks Charlotte a minute later, pummeling her with strikes and hurling her over one of the announce tables.

Winner by pinfall … and new Smackdown Women’s Champion … Charlotte Flair

Samoa Joe (challenger) vs. AJ Styles (champion) – WWE Championship Match

Joe starts this one out by saying hello to Styles’ wife, who is seated ringside with one of his daughters. Love the personal touch to this feud.

Surely, Styles can’t hit the Styles Clash on a guy Joe’s size, right? Well …

Then, as they say, things escalate quickly. Joe talks to AJ’s wife and says he’ll be her new daddy, and the champ snaps, tackling Joe through the barricade and laying into him with a steel chair. He gets DQed, of course, but keeps his gold. Wendy Styles asks him to stop and he leaves with his family. To be continued at Hell in a Cell, one would think.

Winner by DQ: Samoa Joe … but still WWE Champion … AJ Styles

The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan

Speaking of personal feuds, this one counts as well. It didn’t have quite as much time as others on this card to build up, but with their history, it doesn’t matter as much.

For someone who faced down serious injury not that long ago, Bryan takes some stiff bumps, including a nasty shot to the shin.

He also gets KOed by one big left hand. But wait! Was that something Maryse slipped to her husband that she had in her shirt? Something like, say, brass knuckles? Hmm …

Winner by pinfall: The Miz

Constable Baron Corbin vs. Finn Balor

Wait, the lights are out and the heartbeat sound is playing before Balor’s entrance. Could it be? Yes, The Demon has returned!

And it scares Corbin enough that he can’t even get a move in. This is a squash, pure and simple, but it makes sense in the context of this feud.

Winner by pinfall: “The Demon” Finn Balor

Jeff Hardy (challenger) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (champion) – United States Championship Match

It’s pretty funny seeing Hardy mocking Nakamura early on, and Hardy eating some strong style strikes is admirable at this point in his career.

That admiration only grows as Hardy goes for a Swanton Bomb with Nakamura on the apron only to see the champ move. Ouch.

Hardy loses and it looks like Randy Orton is going to feast on his bones. But then he just shakes his head and walks away. Okay then.

Winner by pinfall … and still United States Championship … Shinsuke Nakamura

Ronda Rousey (challenger) vs. Alexa Bliss (champion) – Raw Women’s Championship Match

Bliss doesn’t really want to mess with Rousey toe to toe, and we pretty quickly find out why. Her power is just too much for Bliss, and once she decides to stop beating up on the champ and decides to lock in the armbar, Alexa taps out with the quickness.

Winner by submission … and new Raw Women’s Champion … “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey

Roman Reigns (challenger) vs. Brock Lesnar (champion) – Universal Championship Match

Braun Strowman throws a monkey wrench in this one right off the bat, coming to the ring and flat out announcing that he would cash in his Money in the Bank contract when the match is over, regardless of who wins.

Reigns comes out on fire, hitting three Superman punches and three spears, but Lesnar catches him with a guillotine.

The champ also wanders outside the ring to hit Strowman with an F-5 and also beats Strowman with it, chucks it up to the stage and then uses a chair on the Monster Among Men as well.

Alas, Lesnar spent too much time messing with Braun, and when he returned to the ring, he ran right into a spear by Reigns. Cover, three count, Strowman too injured to cash in, show’s over. Strangely anticlimactic, but sometimes these things are.

Winner by pinfall … and new Universal Champion … Roman Reigns