4 WWE Stars Buried by Triple H’s Booking on SummerSlam 2025 Night 1

Night One of SummerSlam 2025 saw some surprising outcomes. Four stars faced major creative setbacks.

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Randy Orton sidelined in celebrity-driven tag match

The Viper was expected to shine at SummerSlam 2025, but the spotlight mostly stayed off him. He teamed up with country music artist Jelly Roll to face Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. Despite the unique pairing, Orton didn’t get the kind of match he’s known for.

Most of the action centered around Jelly Roll’s surprise resilience and involvement, which peaked when he returned after a brutal table spot. But the real blow came when Jelly Roll, not Orton, was the legal man during the final stretch.

He took the pin after Logan Paul landed a Frog Splash. While Orton didn’t get pinned, the creative booking robbed him of any real momentum. At this stage in his career, every match counts, and this wasn’t one to remember.

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Jade Cargill unexpectedly halted by Tiffany Stratton

Jade Cargill looked all set to conquer the WWE Women’s Championship after steamrolling through the competition. Her win over Asuka in the Queen of the Ring Final was no fluke, and most expected her to walk out of SummerSlam 2025 as champion.

However, her clash with Tiffany Stratton was surprisingly short, and despite hitting her finisher, Jaded, Cargill couldn’t keep Stratton down. A rope break saved Tiffy, and a reversal from the top rope allowed her to nail The Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.

Cargill losing clean, despite a big push leading into the match, felt abrupt. And with Naomi cashing in her Money in the Bank contract earlier in the night on a different champion, Jade is now left directionless, further from title than she’s been in months.

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Gunther’s dominance shattered again in title loss

Gunther defended his World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk in the main event of Night One. While the match delivered in intensity, the end result was another dent in The Ring General’s aura. A brutal fall onto the commentary desk busted him open and made it easier for Punk to land not one, but two GTS finishers to end Gunther’s reign.

Punk’s win wasn’t entirely clean, but it was enough to make Gunther look beatable. WWE had protected champions during previous cash-ins, like Naomi’s, by avoiding clear defeats. But here, Gunther took the pin.

It was his second major loss this year, after tapping out to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. WWE could have booked Seth Rollins’ cash-in earlier to protect both stars, but instead, Gunther looked like the lesser man once again.

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Karrion Kross defeated physically and philosophically

Karrion Kross had been trying to push Sami Zayn toward darkness for weeks. Using brutal attacks and psychological warfare, he wanted Zayn to admit that his violent side is real, and necessary. But the match proved to be another roadblock.

Zayn not only won clean with a Helluva Kick, but also rejected the steel pipe during the match, tossing away Kross’s symbol of control and darkness.

Kross has been doing strong work on TV for months, but WWE didn’t give him the follow-through. With his contract reportedly nearing its end, this could be one of the last major matches for The Herald of Doomsday, and it ended with his ideology, and character, getting no closure.