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While the return of Roman Reigns dominated the talk of the town, the WWE packed the summer with memorable moments. From other iconic returns to a tragic betrayal, here are the six best moments from the WWE's summer.
1. The Original Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, returns (SummerSlam)
During the main event of SummerSlam, Roman Reigns made his return. This was his first appearance after losing the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL. He speared the new Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa, costing him the match against Cody Rhodes.
In the buildup to SummerSlam, it felt inevitable that Reigns would return at some point during the WWE summer season. And yet, it sent chills down the spines of the WWE universe when his music hit.
His subsequent appearances on SmackDown proved Reigns' unmatched star power. And the new babyface Reigns has not even been fully unleashed yet. SummerSlam was the start of a new era for the Original Tribal Chief.
2. Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio's kiss of death (SummerSlam)
While Reigns closed the show, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley opened the 2024 SummerSlam PLE. This was Ripley's first match after relinquishing the Women's World Championship after WrestleMania XL.
While it appeared Dominik Mysterio was aligned with Ripley, he turned on his Mami at the end of the match. That was predictable, but the passionate tongue-filled kiss he shared with Morgan was not.
Ripley's shocked face as she sat curled in the corner represented how all WWE fans felt. This twist has launched Mysterio to a new level of being a heel.
As for Ripley, she reverted to being a babyface as a result of this turn. Hopefully, the Morgan and Ripley feud continues the hot streak it is on.
3. Rhea Ripley's return (RAW, July 8, 2024)
Speaking of Ripley, her July 8, 2024, return on RAW was unexpected. Right as Morgan and Mysterio were about to kiss, Ripley's music hit. They both looked like they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
As Ripley stormed to the ring, Morgan fled the scene. This happened before SummerSlam, setting Rhea and Mysterio up for awkward conversations. In her absence, Morgan and Mysterio had been teasing a romantic interest.
In her return, Ripley did not even have to incite violence. Her badass walk to the ring was enough to hype up the WWE fans.
4. Seth “Freakin” Rollins comes back from injury (RAW, June 17, 2024)
Given the way Morgan and Mysterio's story was being built, Ripley's return did feel imminent at the time. It was a matter of if not when. However, Seth “Freakin” Rollins returning to RAW for a program against then-World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest was a huge shock.
His long history of back and knee injuries implied Rollins would not be on WWE TV for a while after pulling double duty at WrestleMania XL. He competed in the main event of Night 1, teaming with Cody Rhodes to take on Roman Reigns and The Rock. Rollins then opened Night 2 in a World Heavyweight Championship match against Drew McIntyre.
When he returned on RAW, I remember thinking to myself there was no way he could be competing. Perhaps WWE brought him back in the summer as a red herring. But no — Rollins challenged Priest at Money in the Bank and competed against him just months after WrestleMania XL.
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Rollins has not been seen after serving as the special guest referee of CM Punk and McIntyre's SummerSlam match. He was written off of WWE TV after a brutal attack at the hands of Bronson Reed.
5. CM Punk, special guest referee (Clash at the Castle)
Speaking of special guest referees, CM Punk served as one in Drew McIntyre's match at Clash at the Castle. McIntyre was taking on Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship in his home country of Scotland at the PLE.
After the referee was knocked out of the equation, a new one slipped in to make the count when it looked like McIntyre had Priest beat (the crowd counted beyond 10). The referee stopped the count at two, revealing himself to be Punk.
What made the moment work was the framing. The cameras were on the same side as Punk when he slid into the frame. It was not until his red Nike sneakers were visible that it became clear who the referee was.
Someday, McIntyre will get his moment in front of his home country. But it did not happen at Clash at the Castle, thanks to Punk.
6. John Cena's retirement announcement (Money in the Bank)
All good things come to an end. With every passing week that John Cena is absent from WWE, it becomes clearer that he is winding down his in-ring career.
Cena announced his retirement from WWE at the Money in the Bank PLE. Luckily, fans will have a chance to see him on his retirement tour in 2025.
Still, this stung for fans of WWE's Ruthless Aggression era. Cena was the face of the WWE for almost two decades. With a growing Hollywood resume, it is clear why he is leaving the Attitude Adjustments behind.
This came months after Cena had a run in the fall of 2023. During the SAG-AFTRA strike, Cena came back for a brief stint throughout the fall.
He will embark on one more run in 2025 as a thank-you to his fans. At least WWE fans are aware that he is retiring. He just as easily could have decided to hang it up after a random match.
