After a hard-fought battle against Finn Balor at WWE SummerSlam in Detroit, Michigan, Seth Rollins walked away still holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The action-packed match involved interference from Balor’s fellow The Judgment Day member Damien Priest, who currently holds the Money in the Bank briefcase. Near the end of the bout, Priest slid the briefcase into the ring while the referee was distracted, ostensibly trying to help Balor. However, it was Rollins who used the moment to his advantage. Hitting Balor with a curb stomp onto the Money in the Bank briefcase, Rollins was able to secure the win.
With his victory tonight, Rollins has now successfully defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship four times on television, and considerably more if you count live events and dark matches. With Balor out of the way, it remains to be seen who steps up next to challenge Rollins for his championship, but it’s very possible that we’ll learn more come Monday’s WWE Raw.
Balor previously challenged Rollins for the title at Money in the Bank last month, but, like tonight, the group’s leader lost due to a miscommunication with Priest. Because of that, it seems likely that trouble could be brewing within the ranks of The Judgment Day. Based on Priest’s actions and body language tonight, it’s possible the Money in the Bank holder is already questioning his loyalty to Balor. Some type of conflict between the two seems almost inevitable, but what side will Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio come down on?
Earlier in the evening, SummerSlam saw Cody Rhodes defeat Brock Lesnar in their third match-up, a Logan Paul victory over Ricochet, Shayna Baszler choking Ronda Rousey out with a Kirifuda Clutch, and more. Following Rollins vs. Balor, Bianca Belair captured the WWE Women’s Championship in a Triple Threat against Charlotte Flair and former champion Asuka. However, Belair lost the title when IYO SKY cashed in her Money in the Bank contract, becoming the new WWE Women’s Champion.