Randy Orton came through the crowd and ended it.
CM Punk retained the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of SummerSlam Night 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium, but Cody Rhodes was the one left staring at the lights. Orton returned without warning, hit Rhodes with the RKO, and Punk followed with the Go To Sleep for the pin.
The finish arrived out of chaos. Rhodes went for a Cody Cutter and wiped out the referee instead. Moments earlier Punk had gone through the announce table after Rhodes moved out of the way of a top rope elbow drop.
Punk’s left knee carried the match. He tweaked it early, then again minutes later, and Rhodes went after it without mercy. He locked in the Figure Four and left the champion writhing. Punk escaped, went to the Anaconda Vise twice and lost it to the ropes both times.
The crowd turned on Rhodes as he worked the leg over, booing an aggression they had last seen from him against Orton at WrestleMania 42.
The irony landed hours later. Rhodes told Cathy Kelley on the pre-show that his issue with Punk was nothing like the betrayals he took from John Cena, Kevin Owens and Orton, insisting this one was just competition.
Orton had not been on television since losing to Rhodes in the WrestleMania 42 Night 1 main event. The Wrestling Observer reported this week that he was expected back within days and that a return only made sense if it put him opposite Rhodes or Punk.
Punk goes to 1-0 as champion. He won the title from Sami Zayn on July 6 in Chicago, three months after Roman Reigns took the World Heavyweight Championship off him at WrestleMania 42.
