SummerSlam (2025)

Last updated

SummerSlam
SummerSlam 2025 poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Promotion WWE
Brand(s) Raw
SmackDown
DateAugust 2–3, 2025
City East Rutherford, New Jersey
Venue MetLife Stadium
SummerSlam chronology
 Previous
2024
Next 
2026

The 2025 SummerSlam, also promoted as SummerSlam: New Jersey, is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It will be the 38th annual SummerSlam and is scheduled to take place as a two-night event on August 2 and 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, marking the first SummerSlam to take place across two nights. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming, which will be the first SummerSlam to broadcast on Netflix, and will be held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions.

Contents

Production

Background

The event will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. MetLife Stadium 2022.jpg
The event will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

SummerSlam is an annual professional wrestling event traditionally held in August by WWE since 1988. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", [1] it is one of the promotion's five biggest events of the year, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, referred to as the "Big Five". [2] [3] Out of the five, it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind WrestleMania. [4] [5]

On September 26, 2024, WWE, in conjunction with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), announced the 38th SummerSlam, scheduled to be held across two nights on August 2 and 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. [6] This will be the first two-night SummerSlam, though WWE had previously announced that the event would expand to two nights beginning with the 2026 edition in Minneapolis. [7] Previously, only WrestleMania had been held as a two-night WWE event since 2020 (originally done as a precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic before becoming permanent in 2021). The event will feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. In addition to airing on traditional pay-per-view worldwide and via livestreaming on Peacock in the United States, [8] it will be the first SummerSlam to livestream on Netflix in most international markets, following the WWE Network's merger under the service in January. [9]

To help secure the event, NJSEA committed $7.125 million from New Jersey's allotment of federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), specifically from a fund intended provide aid to industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic including travel and tourism. NJSEA said it expected the event to generate $80 million in economic impact for the region. Bergen newspaper The Record reported that the $6.24 billion in total funds New Jersey received under the ARP had to be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent before the end of 2026, and noted there was "still money to be used". [10] [11]

Storylines

The card will include matches that result from scripted storylines. Results are predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands, while storylines are produced on WWE's weekly television programs, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown . [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

King and Queen of the Ring, formerly and still commonly known as simply King of the Ring, is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The event was established in 1993 and centers on the men's King of the Ring tournament, which had been established in 1985, and beginning in 2024, the women's Queen of the Ring tournament, which was established in 2021 and originally known as the Queen's Crown tournament.

WWE Backlash is a professional wrestling event that is produced by the American company WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is broadcast live and has been available through pay-per-view (PPV) since 1999 and via livestreaming since 2016. Since premiering in 1999, 19 events have been held, with its most recent 19th edition occurring at the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu in the Metropolis of Lyon, France on May 4, 2024. With the exception of the events held from 2016 to 2020, the concept of the show is based around the backlash of WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind their flagship event, WrestleMania. It is also considered one of the company's five biggest events of the year, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, referred to as the "Big Five". The event has been broadcast on pay-per-view (PPV) since the inaugural 1988 event and via livestreaming since the 2014 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE No Mercy</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

WWE No Mercy, also known as NXT No Mercy since 2023, is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The first No Mercy was held on May 16, 1999, in Manchester, England, and was the only No Mercy event produced in the United Kingdom. A second No Mercy was then held in October that year in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Beginning with this second event, No Mercy became the annual October pay-per-view (PPV) until 2008. The event was then discontinued and replaced by Hell in a Cell in 2009. After eight years, No Mercy was reinstated in October 2016. However, No Mercy was again discontinued after the September 2017 event, as WWE reduced the amount of yearly PPVs held after they had ended the production of brand-exclusive PPVs following WrestleMania 34 in 2018. In 2023, WWE again revived the event, this time for its developmental brand, NXT, in September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring (2002)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2002 King of the Ring was the 10th annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that featured the 16th King of the Ring tournament. It took place on June 23, 2002, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio and featured wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. It was the first King of the Ring PPV and tournament held under the WWE name after the promotion had been renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE the previous month. Although the tournament continued to be held periodically, this was the final King of the Ring event to be produced as a PPV until 2024. The King of the Ring's June PPV slot was replaced by Bad Blood in 2003. Another King of the Ring event was produced as a livestreaming event in 2015, but not on PPV, but it returned to PPV and livestreaming in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Elimination Chamber</span> Professional wrestling event series

WWE Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. It is available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and the livestreaming services, Peacock and the WWE Network. The event was established in 2010, replacing No Way Out as the annual February PPV. The concept of the event is that one or two main event matches are contested inside the Elimination Chamber, either with championships or future opportunities at championships at stake. The Elimination Chamber match itself had been created in 2002 and held at various other WWE pay-per-views before the establishment of the namesake event in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Money in the Bank</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

WWE Money in the Bank is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 2010 by the American company WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. The event is named after the Money in the Bank ladder match, a multi-person ladder match in which participants compete to obtain a briefcase that contains a contract for a championship match, which can be "cashed in" at a time and place of their choosing within the next year. The match originally only took place at WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, from 2005 to 2010, after which, the match concept was spun off into its own event beginning in July that year with the match no longer occurring at WrestleMania. In addition to airing on traditional pay-per-view (PPV) since the inaugural 2010 event, the event has been available via livestreaming since the 2014 event. It has since become recognized as one of the company's five biggest annual events of the year, along with the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, referred to as the "Big Five".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NXT TakeOver</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

NXT TakeOver was a series of periodic professional wrestling events produced by the American promotion WWE for its NXT brand division. The first TakeOver was simply titled TakeOver and was held in May 2014 as the brand's second major live event, after Arrival in February. TakeOver subsequently became the name for NXT's major events that were held several times a year. Beginning with the second event, TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, many events included a subtitle, which either revived old WWE event names or were named after the event's location, some of which occurred annually, but some of the later ones were simply titled by their installment number. A total of 36 TakeOver events were held from May 2014 to August 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Battleground</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

WWE Battleground, known as NXT Battleground since 2023, is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based promotion. The event was established in 2013 and was held annually until 2017 for WWE's main roster. It was then revived in 2023 as an annual event for the company's developmental brand, NXT.

WWE Fastlane was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. It is broadcast live and has been available through pay-per-view (PPV) and via livestreaming on the WWE Network since 2015 and Peacock since 2021. The event was established in 2015 and replaced Elimination Chamber in the February slot of WWE's pay-per-view calendar; Elimination Chamber was pushed back to May that year. Beginning in 2017, the event moved to March, which made it WWE's first non-WrestleMania PPV to be held in March. In 2023, the event took place in October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring (2015)</span> WWE Network event

The 2015 King of the Ring was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It was the 11th King of the Ring event and was held on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois. Unlike previous King of the Ring events, which aired on traditional pay-per-view (PPV) from 1993 to 2002, the 2015 event was livestreamed exclusively on WWE's online service, the WWE Network, which made it the first King of the Ring event to air on the platform, as well as the first dedicated King of the Ring event since 2002. The event featured the semifinals and finals of the 20th King of the Ring tournament, which was won by Bad News Barrett, who defeated Neville in the final and subsequently became known as King Barrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2022)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2022 SummerSlam was the 35th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, marking the first and only SummerSlam to not be held during the month of August. This was also the first WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event following the retirement of WWE owner Vince McMahon, who had served as chairman and chief executive officer of the company since 1982. McMahon announced his retirement on July 22, eight days before SummerSlam. However, he returned as Executive Chairman on January 10, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring tournament</span> Recurring professional wrestling tournament by WWE

The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Don Muraco. The prize for winning the tournament is being crowned the "King of the Ring"; some wrestlers have incorporated this into their character, such as adorning king's attire and acting and speaking with a regal attitude. On two occasions, the tournament has awarded an additional reward, that being for a world championship match. The tournament is also notable for beginning "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's rise to stardom after he won the 1996 tournament. The most recent 2024 tournament was won by Gunther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Payback (2020)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2020 Payback was the sixth Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on August 30, 2020, from the WWE ThunderDome, hosted at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the first Payback held since 2017 and the final until 2023. The theme of the event was wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania XL</span> 2024 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania XL was a 2024 professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It was the 40th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on April 6 and 7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This was the second WrestleMania to be held in both the city of Philadelphia and state of Pennsylvania, after WrestleMania XV in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 41</span> 2025 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 41, also promoted as WrestleMania Vegas, is an upcoming 2025 professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It will be the 41st annual WrestleMania and will take place as a two-night event on April 19 and 20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, marking the second WrestleMania to take place in the Las Vegas area, after WrestleMania IX in 1993, which was held at Caesars Palace. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and will feature wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This will be the first WrestleMania to livestream on Netflix in international markets, following the WWE Network's merger under the platform in January 2025. This will also be the first WrestleMania to be held during Easter weekend. The event will also feature John Cena's final WrestleMania match in his 23-year career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2025)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2025 Royal Rumble, also promoted as Royal Rumble: Indianapolis, is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It will be the 38th annual Royal Rumble and it will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, marking the first Royal Rumble to not take place during the month of January. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This will also be WWE's first PPV and livestreaming event to air on Netflix in most markets outside the US, following the WWE Network's move to the service in January 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2026)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2026 SummerSlam, also promoted as SummerSlam: Minneapolis, is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It will be the 39th annual SummerSlam and is scheduled to take place as a two-night event on August 1 and 2, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and will be held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This will be the first WWE stadium event held in Minneapolis and the second SummerSlam overall in the city, after the 1999 event, which took place at Target Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor Series: WarGames (2024)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2024 Survivor Series: WarGames is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by the American promotion WWE. It will be the 38th annual Survivor Series, the third annual specifically as "WarGames", and it will take place on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and will feature wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event will be based around the WarGames match, a team-based steel cage match where the roofless cage surrounds two rings placed side by side.

References

  1. Dee, Louie (May 17, 2006). "Let the Party Begin". WWE . Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  2. Hamilton, Ian. Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition. p. 160.
  3. News 3 Staff (August 22, 2021). "Las Vegas to host WWE's Money in the Bank in 2022". KSNV . Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. Paddock, Matty (August 21, 2017). "WWE SummerSlam results: Brock Lesnar and Jinder Mahal survive as Finn Balor defeats Bray Wyatt" . Independent.co.uk . Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. Crosby, Jack (August 19, 2018). "WWE SummerSlam 2018 matches, card, location, date, start time, predictions PPV rumors". CBSSports . Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  6. "New Jersey to host first-ever two-night SummerSlam in 2025". WWE. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  7. Lambert, Jeremy (May 23, 2024). "WWE SummerSlam 2026 Expands To Two Nights, To Be Held In Minnesota". Fightful. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  8. Lambert, Jeremy (September 26, 2024). "WWE SummerSlam 2025 To Be A Two-Night Event At MetLife Stadium". Fightful. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  9. Lowson, Thomas (January 25, 2024). "End of the WWE Network: Streaming Service to Be Absorbed By Netflix Next Year (Report)". SE Scoops. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. Sobko, Katie (October 7, 2024). "NJ just earmarked $7M in rescue plan funds for WWE SummerSlam. How much money is left?". The Record . Retrieved October 8, 2024 via NorthJersey.com.
  11. "New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority approves use of funds to host WWE SummerSlam". Sports Business Daily . October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  12. Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  13. "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE . Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.