The 2015 SummerSlam was a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...

(PPV) and

livestreaming Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non- liv ...

event produced by WWE. It was the 28th annual

SummerSlam 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 th ...

and took place on August 23, 2015, at the

Barclays Center Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and would be the first of four consecutive SummerSlam events to take place at the arena. It was the first SummerSlam since

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

to be held outside of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

as its

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...

was the exclusive home for SummerSlam from 2009 to 2014. It was also the eighth SummerSlam to be held in the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. The

Izod Center Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...

was originally supposed to host SummerSlam, but due to its closure in April 2015, the event was relocated. It was also the first SummerSlam to be four hours in length, a length previously reserved only for WrestleMania. This was also the last SummerSlam held before the reintroduction of the

brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...

in July 2016. The event was the second night of what was billed as a "triple-header" at the Barclays Center, with NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn having taken place the previous night, and '' Raw'' the following night. Ten matches were contested at the event, with no match on the pre-show. In the main event,

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...

defeated

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...

in controversial fashion; Lesnar put The Undertaker in his

Kimura lock An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock tha ...

and the timekeeper rang the bell after seeing The Undertaker tap out, but since the referee did not see The Undertaker submit, the match continued. The confusion allowed The Undertaker to surprise Lesnar with a low blow before trapping him in the

Hell's Gate Hells Gate, Hell's Gate, Hell Gate or Hells Gates may refer to: Places Africa * Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya Antarctica * Hells Gate (Antarctica), Victoria Land * Hells Gate Moraine, Victoria Land Asia * Nyalam Town, Tibet * A location in N ...

submission hold, which caused Lesnar to pass out, giving The Undertaker the win.

Production

Background

is an annual

event produced every August by WWE since 1988. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is one of the promotion's original four

s (PPV), along with WrestleMania,

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...

, and

Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...

, referred to as the "Big Four". It has since become considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind WrestleMania. Announced on October 13, 2014, the 2015 event was the 28th SummerSlam and was scheduled to be held on August 23, 2015, at the

. In addition to airing on PPV, the event was available to livestream on the

WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, a division of TKO Group Holdings. The service relied on technology develo ...

. The

was originally supposed to host SummerSlam (which would have been the fourth SummerSlam held at this venue after the

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, and

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

events), but due to its closure in April 2015, the event was moved to the Barclays Center. Tickets went on sale on March 14 through

Ticketmaster Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Ente ...

. Additionally, WWE increased SummerSlam's length to four hours, a length previously reserved only for WrestleMania. The event was also scheduled as the second night of what WWE billed as a "triple-header" at the Barclays Center, with NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn having taken place the previous night, and '' Raw'' the following night.

Storylines

The event comprised 10 matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, ''Raw'' and '' SmackDown''. At WrestleMania XXX in 2014,

defeated

to end his undefeated WrestleMania streak. Four months later, Lesnar defeated

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...

to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but lost it the following year at

WrestleMania 31 WrestleMania 31 was a 2015 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 31st annual WrestleMania and took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's S ...

in his match against

Roman Reigns Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...

when

Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...

cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and won the championship. Lesnar received his rematch against Rollins at

Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...

, and was closing in on the win when The Undertaker returned and attacked Lesnar, causing Lesnar to win by disqualification, but not win the championship. The following night, a rematch between Lesnar and The Undertaker was scheduled for SummerSlam. This would be The Undertaker's first SummerSlam match since

, and his first pay-per-view match outside of WrestleMania since Bragging Rights in October 2010. Ryback won the Intercontinental Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at

Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...

. On the June 1 episode of ''Raw'', Ryback was scheduled to make his first title defense against

The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...

, but

Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...

attacked

, preventing the match from occurring, and confronted Ryback. At Money in the Bank, Big Show defeated Ryback by disqualification after Miz attacked him; therefore, Ryback retained the championship. On June 22, Ryback was scheduled to defend the title against Big Show and Miz in a triple threat match at Battleground, but after Ryback sustained an injury, the match was postponed and, on August 6, rescheduled for SummerSlam. At Money in the Bank,

Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023. Rotunda was a third-generati ...

attacked Roman Reigns during the Money in the Bank ladder match, preventing him from winning the match. At Battleground, Wyatt defeated Reigns after

Luke Harper Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler known as Brodie Lee. Huber performed under the ring name Luke Harper in WWE from 2012 to 2019, and as Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...

interfered and attacked Reigns, reuniting The Wyatt Family with Wyatt in the process. On the July 20 episode of ''Raw'', Dean Ambrose managed Reigns as he defeated Harper by disqualification. On the August 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Reigns challenged Wyatt to a tag team match at SummerSlam, with Reigns and Ambrose facing Wyatt and Harper, which Wyatt accepted. On the June 18 episode of ''SmackDown'', Alicia Fox allied with The Bella Twins ( Brie Bella and Divas Champion Nikki Bella) by helping Brie win her match against Paige, forming "Team Bella". On the July 13 episode of ''Raw'', Charlotte,

Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...

, and NXT Women's Champion

Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...

made their WWE debuts; Charlotte and Lynch allied with Paige, later naming their team "PCB", while Banks allied with Naomi and Tamina, naming their group " Team B.A.D.". At Battleground, Charlotte defeated Brie and Banks in a Triple Threat match. On August 10, it was announced that Team Bella, PCB, and Team B.A.D were scheduled to compete against each other in a Three-Team Elimination match at SummerSlam. At Battleground, The Prime Time Players ( Darren Young and Titus O'Neil defeated The New Day ( Big E and

Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...

) (with Xavier Woods) to retain the

WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...

. On the July 20 episode of ''Raw'', Los Matadores ( Diego and

Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, and former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa and Asia (like the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka). It is e ...

) defeated the Prime Time Players, after a distraction by the New Day. On the July 27 episode of ''Raw'', The Lucha Dragons ( Kalisto and Sin Cara) defeated Los Matadores. On the July 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores defeated The New Day and The Ascension ( Konnor and Viktor). On the August 3 episode of ''Raw'', The New Day and The Ascension defeated The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores in a rematch. On the August 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', The Prime Time Players teamed up with

Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Henry is a two-time Olympian (1992 and 19 ...

to defeat The New Day. On the August 10 episode of ''Raw'', The New Day defeated Los Matadores. The Prime Time Players were then scheduled to defend the championship against The New Day, Los Matadores, and The Lucha Dragons in a fatal four-way tag team match at SummerSlam. On the May 25 episode of ''Raw'', Stardust confronted special guest Stephen Amell while losing to Neville. On the July 13 episode of ''Raw'', Stardust defeated Neville. On the August 10 episode of ''Raw'', where Amell was again a special guest, Neville defeated King Barrett, but was then attacked by Stardust. Stardust then assaulted Amell, who entered the ring and attacked Stardust in return. Amell and Neville then persuaded

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...

backstage to make a tag team match at SummerSlam, with Amell and Neville facing Stardust and Barrett. On the July 20 episode of ''Raw'', United States Champion John Cena challenged WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins to a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, but Rollins refused. On the July 27 episode of ''Raw'', Cena again challenged Rollins, but The Authority instead forced him to defend the United States Championship against Rollins. Cena defeated Rollins, but sustained a broken nose during the match. On the August 3 episode of ''Raw'', Rollins challenged Cena to a "Winner Takes All" match at SummerSlam, for both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the United States Championship. On the August 11 episode of '' Tough Enough'', Cena accepted Rollins' challenge. On the June 18 episode of ''SmackDown'', Kevin Owens defeated Cesaro. On the June 29 episode of ''Raw'', Cesaro defeated United States Champion John Cena by disqualification after being attacked by Owens, therefore not winning the championship. On the July 20 episode of ''Raw'', Cesaro teamed up with Cena and

Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...

to defeat Owens, Rusev and Sheamus. On the July 23 episode of ''SmackDown'', Owens attacked Cesaro after his match against Seth Rollins. On the July 27 episode of ''Raw'', Cesaro attacked Owens after his match against Orton. On the July 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', after Owens attacked Cesaro during his rematch against Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Cesaro defeated Owens and Rollins in a tag team match. On the August 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', Cesaro was set to face Owens at SummerSlam. At Battleground, Randy Orton defeated Sheamus. On the July 20 episode of ''Raw'', Orton, John Cena and Cesaro defeated Sheamus, Kevin Owens and Rusev. On the July 27 episode of ''Raw'', Sheamus attacked Orton during his match against Owens. On the August 3 episode of ''Raw'', Orton, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns defeated Sheamus, Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper. On the August 10 episode of ''Raw'', Orton defeated WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins by disqualification after being attacked by Sheamus, therefore not winning the championship. Sheamus then attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on Rollins, but was stopped by Orton. On August 17, a match between Orton and Sheamus was scheduled for SummerSlam. On the May 18 episode of ''Raw'', Lana ended her association with Rusev and started a relationship with Dolph Ziggler, turning face in the process (storyline). After making numerous unsuccessful attempts to sway Lana from Ziggler, Rusev started a relationship with Summer Rae (storyline). On the July 6 episode of ''Raw'', Rusev attacked Ziggler, resulting in Ziggler sustaining a throat injury. On the August 17 episode of ''Raw'', Ziggler returned and attacked Rusev. The same night, Ziggler was set to wrestle Rusev at SummerSlam. On the August 17 episode of ''Raw'',

Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...

was announced as the special guest host for the event.

Event

Preliminary matches

In the first match, Randy Orton faced Sheamus. The match ended when Orton attempted an "RKO" on Sheamus, however, Sheamus countered and executed two "Brogue Kicks" on Orton to win the match. Next, The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston), The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara), and Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando) in a fatal four-way tag team match. The ending saw O'Neil executed the "Clash of the Titus" on Fernando but Big E pulled O'Neil out of the ring. Kingston pinned Fernando to win the titles. After that, Dolph Ziggler faced Rusev. In the climax, Rusev applied the "Accolade" on Ziggler but Lana attacked Summer Rae, distracting Rusev. Ziggler performed a Superkick on Rusev, knocking him onto a broadcast table. The match ended in a double countout. In the fourth match, Stephen Amell and Neville faced Stardust and King Barrett. Neville executed a "Red Arrow" on Barrett to win the match. The next match was a triple threat match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Big Show, The Miz, and defending champion Ryback. The end came when Big Show executed a "KO Punch" on Miz but Ryback knocked Big Show out of the ring with a Clothesline. Ryback pinned Miz to retain the title. In the sixth match, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose faced The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper). As Wyatt attempted "Sister Abigail" on Ambrose, Ambrose countered and executed "Dirty Deeds" on Wyatt. Reigns executed a Spear on Wyatt to win the match. Jon Stewart MFF 2016

The seventh match was a Winner Takes All match for both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE United States Championship between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and United States Champion John Cena. Cena executed an "Attitude Adjustment" on Rollins for a near-fall. Rollins executed an "Attitude Adjustment" on Cena for a near-fall. As Rollins attempted a "Pedigree," Cena countered and applied the Figure Four Leglock on Rollins. Rollins countered but Cena reached the ropes, forcing Rollins to break the hold. Cena executed a second "Attitude Adjustment", but in the process, Rollins inadvertently kicked the referee. Jon Stewart, the host of SummerSlam, ran to the ring with a chair, assumingly helping Cena but struck Cena with the chair. Rollins took advantage and executed a "Pedigree" on Cena on the chair. Rollins then pinned Cena to win the match. The next match was a three-team elimination match between The Bella Twins (Divas Champion Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, and Alicia Fox), Team B.A.D. (Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Tamina) and Team PCB (Paige, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch). Brie Bella eliminated Team BAD by pinning Tamina after a diving "Bella Buster". Lynch pinned Brie after a Pumphandle Uranage to win the match for Team PCB. After that, Kevin Owens faced Cesaro. Owens executed a Pop Up Powerbomb on Cesaro to win the match.

Main event

In the main event, Brock Lesnar (with

Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former executive, promoter, and commentator. He is signed to WWE as the on-screen manager of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, and is widely regard ...

) faced The Undertaker. During the match, The Undertaker attempted a Chokeslam on Lesnar but Lesnar countered the attempt and executed three German Suplexes. Lesnar executed an "F-5" through a broadcast table on The Undertaker. The Undertaker executed a Chokeslam and a "Tombstone Piledriver" on Lesnar for a near-fall. Lesnar applied a "Kimura lock" on The Undertaker but The Undertaker touched the ropes, forcing Lesnar to break the hold. The Undertaker performed a "Last Ride" on Lesnar for a near-fall. Lesnar executed two "F-5s" on The Undertaker, both for near-falls. In the climax of the match, The Undertaker applied "Hell's Gate" on Lesnar, who countered the move and put The Undertaker in another "Kimura Lock". At that time, the timekeeper rang the bell after seeing The Undertaker supposedly indicating submission; since the referee hadn't seen a submission and never stopped the match, the match continued. Thinking himself the winner, Lesnar released the hold. Whilst the referee argued with the timekeeper, The Undertaker surprised Lesnar with a low blow and applied "Hell's Gate" again; Lesnar refused to submit, giving The Undertaker the middle finger before passing out to give The Undertaker the win. After the match, Heyman rang the timekeeper's bell and declared Lesnar the winner.

Reception

The event received positive reviews, with much of the criticism going to the endings of the "Winner Take All" and the Undertaker/Brock Lesnar matches. Will Purett from ''Pro Wrestling Dot Net'' said the two main matches had bad endings. Purett was "infuriated by the finish in Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar" because "wrestling finishes in 2015 based on incompetent refereeing are bad ideas." Also, he criticized the idea of the Undertaker as the first man who defeated Lesnar in a singles match since WrestleMania 29, saying that "The Streak, ..was sacrificed for a retirement tour". Jason Powell of ''Pro Wrestling Dot Net'' praised the Cena vs. Rollins and the Undertaker vs. Lesnar, but likewise criticized both finishes. Benjamin Tucker of '' Pro Wrestling Torch'' attended in person both WWE SummerSlam and NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn (a day earlier in the same venue). He gave TakeOver a 9.0 score, noting that it was "met with near-universal praise", higher than SummerSlam, which rated 6.5 and "was met with ridicule and scorn by the night's end". Tucker criticized SummerSlam in comparison to TakeOver, saying that "the main show writing could learn something from NXT, not WCW 2000", because "NXT provided simple stories, but they were easy to follow and made the viewer root for the good guys to prevail", in addition to "no chicanery". Yet SummerSlam had convoluted stories, "confusingly-presented characters" and "terrible" swerves. Tucker also felt that none of the SummerSlam matches reached the level of the NXT Women's Championship match the night before, "but the main event was wrestled well, as was Owens-Cesaro, Sheamus-Orton, Rollins-Cena (the probable match of the night)".

Aftermath

After winning the WWE United States Championship and retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena, Seth Rollins was confronted and attacked on the following night's ''Raw'' by a returning Sting, who grabbed the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt, signaling a challenge for the title. The match was set for Night of Champions. Jon Stewart also revealed that he had interfered on behalf of Rollins in order to prevent Cena from tying

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...

's record of World championships, who Stewart is a huge fan of. Stewart was confronted by Flair, who told him that he doesn't mind having his record tied or broken by someone who he respects, and John Cena hit Stewart with an Attitude Adjustment before leaving. A rematch for the United States Championship was granted by The Authority as they stated that all championship titles will be on the line, forcing Rollins to defend both titles back-to-back at Night of Champions. Following the controversial loss to The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman called out The Undertaker for one last match that night but instead Bo Dallas appeared and attempted to convince Lesnar to start "Bo-lieving". Lesnar responded by delivering a number of German suplexes on Dallas, and ending the beatdown with an F-5 before leaving. At Night of Champions, a Hell in a Cell match to settle the feud between Lesnar and Undertaker was scheduled for

Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...

. After Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose's victory over The Wyatt Family, a rematch was booked the following night on ''Raw''. Midway through the match, a mysterious man (later revealed to be

Braun Strowman Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2013 to 2025, where he performed un ...

) interfered on behalf of The Wyatt Family. The new Wyatt Family challenged Reigns and Ambrose to a six-man tag match at Night of Champions. Reigns and Ambrose refused to reveal their partner until right before the match. On the following night's ''Raw'', The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston, with Xavier Woods) defeated The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara and Kalisto). After the match,

The Dudley Boyz The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley Brothers, Dudley family members, notably ...

(

Bubba Ray Dudley Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971), known by his ring name Bubba Ray Dudley (also spelled Buh-Buh Ray Dudley), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for being ...

and

D-Von Dudley Devon Hughes ( ; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 a ...

) made their return to WWE, performing a 3D on Woods through a table and confronting The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). The New Day would go on to retain their titles through 2015 and 2016. On December 13, 2016, The New Day's reigns reached 479 days, officially breaking the record set by

Demolition Demolition (also known as razing and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...

to become the longest single reign in WWE history. Five days later, at the pay-per-view Roadblock: End of the Line, they lost the titles to Cesaro and Sheamus. Kevin Owens started setting his sights on the WWE Intercontinental Championship, leading to a feud with champion Ryback. On the September 7 episode of ''Raw'', Owens interrupted Ryback's interview and then attacked him, costing him a lumberjack match against Seth Rollins on the September 10 episode of ''SmackDown'' while Owens was one of the Lumberjacks. On the September 14 episode of ''Raw'', Ryback was granted permission by The Authority to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Owens at Night of Champions. The 2015 SummerSlam was the last SummerSlam to occur before the reintroduction of the

in July 2016, which again split the roster between the Raw and SmackDown brands, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform. As such, another world championship was introduced. After the WWE World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to SmackDown and renamed to WWE Championship, the WWE Universal Championship was introduced for Raw with its inaugural champion crowned at the 2016 SummerSlam.

Results

Elimination match

Notes

References

External links

* {{WWEPPV, SummerSlam

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

2015 in New York City 2015 WWE Network events Jon Stewart Events in Brooklyn Professional wrestling shows in New York City 2015 WWE pay-per-view events August 2015 in the United States