League: WWE Sport: Wrestling Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Randy Orton returns at SummerSlam, costs Cody Rhodes title match against CM Punk

5 sources • 3 min read • Latest: Aug 2, 2026, 1:22 AM

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

Randy Orton returns at SummerSlam, costs Cody Rhodes title match against CM Punk

Summary

At WWE SummerSlam on August 1, 2026, Randy Orton made a surprise return, impacting the WWE Championship match between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. After a competitive bout, Orton delivered an RKO to Rhodes, allowing Punk to capitalize with a GTS for the win. This match showcased a highly anticipated clash between two stars, who had previously maintained a civil rivalry leading into the event. Following this incident, it remains to be seen how the dynamics will shift within WWE, particularly with Orton's unexpected return as a potential heel.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports Wrestling Inc Cageside Seats

Status Watch

•Randy Orton returned during the title match to attack Cody Rhodes.
•CM Punk retained the WWE Championship thanks to Orton's interference.
•Orton and Rhodes had confronted each other prior to SummerSlam.
•The match featured multiple near-falls and dramatic moments.
•Punk could face repercussions from the situation with Orton.

Latest Updates

1:22 AMYahoo Sports — WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 1 results: Randy Orton returns, Femi defeats Lesnar
12:42 AMWrestling Inc — Randy Orton Returns, Costs Cody Rhodes WWE Title Match Vs. CM Punk At SummerSlam 2026
12:32 AMYahoo Sports — WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results As Randy Orton Returns, Shafts Cody Rhodes
12:31 AMCageside Seats — WWE SummerSlam 2026 results: Randy Orton returns, costs Cody Rhodes WWE title against CM Punk
12:31 AMYahoo Sports — WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results As Randy Orton Returns To Help CM Punk Beat Cody Rhodes

What they're saying

"
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have spent the past couple months telling us all about how they’ve been such great friends for so many years but they’re going to put that aside for the sake of greatness. They both agreed — being WWE champion is more important than being friends with each other. So they got together at tonight’s (Sat., Aug. 1, 2026) SummerSlam premium live event at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the title on the line. This just one night after they finally had a big pull apart brawl on Friday Night SmackDown. There was chatter among the rumor mongers that something could be afoot, or at least hints of something. Well… RANDY ORTON IS BACK 😱😱😱 RKO TO CODY RHODES!!!! pic.twitter.com/3IK4QrUHSL — WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026 Sure enough, Randy Orton made his big return to WWE television, hitting the scene after a referee bump late in the match and hitting an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE to leave Rhodes laid out in the middle of the ring. Before that, they put together a classic Triple H epic style match, with lots of selling and plenty of should be finishes. Punk sold a bad knee for much of the encounter but he had enough in him to hit the GTS when it mattered. It’s worth pointing out that Punk had rolled out of the ring, and was never actually witness to Orton running in and putting Rhodes down for him. They made mention of as much on commentary too. We’ll see what happens with that from here. For now, though, Punk remains the WWE champion, friendship be damned. Get complete SummerSlam results and coverage of every match on the night on card by clicking here.
— Cageside Seatsby Geno Mrosko