Night 1 of WWE SummerSlam 2026 is officially in the books, with many talking points coming from the first night of action.

Five out of the six matches were won via pinfall, and many familiar faces made appearances throughout the evening, including a surprise return of a true legend.

Randy Orton showed up unexpectedly during the Cody Rhodes and CM Punk fight, costing the former the match and the title in the process. The Viper’s RKO on Rhodes helped Punk reclaim his gold following a truly epic 30-minute encounter.

However, Rhodes and Punk were not the main event of the evening. That honour went to Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell in their third and final contest.

In the end, it was Femi who took the win in a savage fight, which ended when he hit a Fall From Grace on The Beast Incarnate, who had already utilised numerous signature moves, but to no avail. The win put the Nigerian 2-1 up in their three-fight series, with yesterday’s clash being the longest and most hard-fought of them all.

Rhodes and Punk’s match, meanwhile, was the fifth of the night and the penultimate one of the evening despite it holding a lot of weight. Punk is the current Undisputed WWE Champion and his win last night meant he retained this title.

Two broken commentary tables, a Randy Orton return, and a referee takeout made for an exciting fight and, for many fans, this was the true main event of the evening, but WWE did not see it as this. Whatever fight closes the show is ultimately the main event, and that fell to Lesnar and Femi inside the demonic structure.

CM Punk Comments on Not Main Eventing Night 1

After the completion of Night 1, the media scrum featured a conversation with Punk about his opinions on not closing the event, and he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

He said: “Of course I had feelings about that, but I’m not one of these guys who has it in their contract that I have to end the show.

Screenshot via Netflix

Punk’s answer was posted to social media and has since been seen by many. One comment on the X post read: “Classic Punk… always making sure the spotlight somehow circles back to Punk. Saying ‘I’m ALWAYS the main event’ is exactly the kind of line that makes people roll their eyes!!”

Alejandro Garnacho has already made an impression after making his Aston Villa debut in a 3-1 victory against an Indonesia XI on Saturday night.

Emiliano Buendia, Ross Barkley and Brian Madjo scored the goals as fans got a first look at Garnacho in Unai Emery’s side. He has a point to prove this season after being let go by Manchester United and Chelsea in the space of 12 months.

The Argentina international now has a chance to stake his claim in the Villans’ starting XI after missing out on a place at the 2026 World Cup. But how did he get on during his first appearance?

Alejandro Garnacho’s Highlights Get Fans Talking

REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

If all goes to plan, the 22-year-old could move to Villa Park permanently after joining on an initial loan from Chelsea, with a conditional obligation to buy clause. However, Garnacho doesn’t appear to be off to the best start.

Footage of every action he made in the game has emerged online, and one glaring issue has been pointed out by many football fans. Watch his highlights below.

The main criticism of his debut performance is the ‘safe’ nature of his play. The ex-Man Utd youth product often chose to turn backwards or pass sideways, rather than directly going at his full-back one-on-one.

It’s a part of modern football that many supporters have grown tired of, but Garnacho used to confidently back himself to dribble forward and create problems. It could be a case of low confidence after a difficult couple of years.

Fans were quick to give their thoughts on social media. One supporter said: “What exactly was fire about the performance? Passing the ball back 90 percent of the time.”

Another pointed out his constant backwards passing: “Even if he is ahead of his FB, he still stops and passes it backwards,” while one more X user stated: “I am supposed to be seeing something aside from those useless back passes he repeatedly made in the game? Bro isn’t gonna get better anytime soon.”

“Can’t beat his man, always passes back, can’t take a shot,” was the verdict of one fan. Garnacho was even accused of being ‘lazy’ in his slow play, as one supporter said: “Looks like he is slowing play down? And is a bit lazy? Not direct?”

Despite the criticism, Garnacho claimed he was delighted to be back on the pitch enjoying his football. He took to Instagram to post a picture from the game, along with the caption: “First start after 3 months. Happy to be enjoying football again. 1% every day.”

Liverpool could further strengthen their defence and are firmly in the mix to sign one of the Premier League’s most highly-regarded defenders.

The Reds signed young French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in January for £60 million and he officially arrived at Anfield earlier this summer. He has replaced Ibrahima Konate, who joined Real Madrid after his contract expired.

Jacquet is tipped for a bright future at just 20 years of age and looks likely to partner Virgil van Dijk in Andoni Iraola’s defence. But the Merseyside outfit seems intent on adding a more experienced defender to their squad.

Liverpool Eyeing Aston Villa’s Konsa

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Liverpool are reportedly targeting Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and while he isn’t pushing for an exit, he is open to leaving Villa Park. That’s according to CaughtOffside, who claim that Arsenal are also chasing the England defender following an impressive World Cup campaign.

Konsa has been vital for Unai Emery over the years and helped the Villans win the Europa League last season. He appeared 48 times across competitions, putting in many eye-catching performances.

Villa are believed to value Konsa at £60 million, a fee that Mikel Arteta’s champions are unlikely to meet. There’s no word on whether Iraola’s Reds are willing to pay that amount, although they could be enticed by his versatility and experience.

The 28-year-old, dubbed “one of the best defenders in English football”, can play at right-back if required, a role he occasionally took on during the World Cup. He has two years left on his contract but given Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have left Villa Park, Emery may be eager to keep another of his high-profile stars.

Konsa May Be Ideal For Iraola

David Butler / IMAGN Images via Reuters

Konsa could be an excellent addition to Iraola’s squad and might be a perfect partner for Van Dijk. Liverpool have yet to find success replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold since he left for Madrid last summer.

Bringing the “excellent” Englishman to Anfield could help address that issue, as he can move to right-back while Jacquet partners Van Dijk. Iraola will want plenty of options ahead of his first campaign, which includes competing in the UEFA Champions League.

The main sticking point is Villa’s asking price, as a £60m fee might be beyond what the Reds are willing to pay. They may also have to see off competition from Arsenal, whom he is said to be “interested” in joining.