PWI Weekly for August 10, 2026

ON A RECENT EDITION of the PWI Podcast, Al Castle, Brian R. Solomon, and Jason McVeigh discussed their favorite Summerslam shows. After some reminiscing, they cited the 1990, 1991, and 1992 events, respectively.

With no disrespect intended toward our crusty staffers, the glory days of the event aren’t limited to the ’90s. The 2026 SummerSlam offered up a darn fine addition to the brand’s storied lineage. In this edition of the PWI Weekly, we’re bringing you some of the bits that we enjoyed the most.

Coming out of SummerSlam in Minnesota, the bulk of online conversations about the best match seemed to favor the showdown between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. While the men’s World heavyweight title tussle was undoubtedly a good one, we wanted to give our plaudits to the women who kicked off the weekend.

Having your match go on first can be a difficult position for any wrestler on any card. There is an expectation to set the tone for everything that follows. On night one of SummerSlam, Liv Morgan and Iyo Sky didn’t just rise to the occasion; they arguably set the bar a little too high. Indeed, the Women’s World title bout was a tough act to follow for the remainder of the weekend.

Replete with high-risk moves, stiff strikes, and buckets of intensity, Morgan and Sky wrestled like they had a point to prove. If the point was that two women can open a two-night supercard with a genuine Match of the Year contender, consider it made.

When Chad Gable first donned the mask of El Grande Americano, few observers (if any) would have predicted that it would eventually lead to a career-defining moment in his hometown of Minneapolis. While Gable is sans mask since losing it to the other Americano, the journey he undertook as the character undoubtedly brought him to where he is today.

During his time in Lucha Libre AAA, Gable connected with audiences in a whole new way. At the same time, he proved he could take any situation and make it work. While always a stellar in-ring competitor, the dedication and resilience the Minnesotan has shown over the last few years now seems to have been rewarded by WWE power players. After dethroning Penta at SummerSlam to become the new Intercontinental champion, Gable celebrated an emotional victory with his family.

She’s been derided as “just” a comedy character. Even some of her bosses have viewed her as more of a supporting player. After SummerSlam, however, Chelsea Green can now also be called WWE Women’s champion.

Don’t let that “Interim” tag fool you. In the absence of Rhea Ripley, Green stands alone as the top woman on Smackdown. After winning the five-woman ladder match to crown a new champion, Green proved that sometimes the proverbial bridesmaid gets the chance to be the bride. Even sweeter for the Canadian: The live Minnesota crowd was solidly behind her throughout the match, despite the presence of local gal Tiffany Stratton in the competitive field.

Some people have a knack for making a genuine connection. Green has been doing that for some time. We’re glad she’s getting her just rewards after a lengthy career of hard work and determination.

Longtime viewers of TNA or the National Wrestling Alliance need no reminder of the abilities of Nick Aldis. A former World champion in both promotions, Aldis had quite the decorated career before he ever donned those snug suits as General Manager of Smackdown. Judging by his performance against Gunther at SummerSlam, the battling Brit lost little of his wrestling talent while away from active competition.

Despite admitting that he “blew up” minutes into the contest, Aldis had nothing to be ashamed of—even in a losing effort. For now, it seems that he will return to his post as Smackdown GM. But plenty of people are already calling for Aldis to get more opportunities in a WWE ring. (Maybe to the strains of Oasis once again?)

Far be it from us to say that JD McDonagh deserved this beatdown he received from the Minihausens, but some people definitely felt that way. The Irishman’s constant interference in the match between his Judgment Day running mate Dominik Mysterio and Danhausen became a little much for any fan of sportsmanship. Luckily, the Minihausens were able to dish out their special brand of revenge.