SummerSlam (2025)

The 2025 SummerSlam, also promoted as SummerSlam: New Jersey, was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual SummerSlam and took place as a two-night event on Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brands. Rapper Cardi B served as the hostess of the event. This marked the first SummerSlam to take place across two nights, which was previously only reserved for WrestleMania since 2020. This was the first SummerSlam to broadcast on Netflix in most international markets after the WWE Network merged under the platform in January 2025 in those areas. This was the third WWE event to be held at MetLife Stadium, after WrestleMania 29 and WrestleMania 35 in 2013 and 2019, respectively. This was the fourth SummerSlam to take place in East Rutherford after the 1989, 1997, and 2007 events. The event also featured John Cena's last match at a SummerSlam due to his retirement from professional wrestling at the end of 2025. The card comprised a total of 13 matches, with seven on the first night (including an impromptu match) and six on the second. In the main event of Night 1, CM Punk defeated Gunther to win Raw's World Heavyweight Championship, after which, Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Punk to win the title. In other prominent matches, Tiffany Stratton defeated Jade Cargill to retain SmackDown's WWE Women's Championship and in the opening bout, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso defeated Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. In the main event on Night 2, Cody Rhodes defeated John Cena in a Street Fight to win SmackDown's Undisputed WWE Championship. In other prominent matches, Dominik Mysterio defeated AJ Styles to retain Raw's WWE Intercontinental Championship, The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy) won a Six-Pack Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to retain SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Championship, and in the opening bout, Naomi defeated Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky in a triple threat match to retain Raw's Women's World Championship. The second night of the event was notable for the surprise return of Brock Lesnar, who had been on hiatus from WWE since the 2023 edition of SummerSlam. The event received mostly positive reviews, with the main events of both nights being universally acclaimed, whilst the first night's opening tag team match, the TLC match, the Women's World Championship match, the Women's Intercontinental Championship match, and Jelly Roll's performance during his bout garnered widespread praise. Criticism was levied towards the return of Lesnar amidst his involvement in the Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal.