{"id":220548,"date":"2026-08-07T12:19:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T17:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=220548"},"modified":"2026-08-07T12:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T17:19:02","slug":"wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-summerslam-edition-femi-grabs-the-torch-yachty-sinks-trick-ko-triumphs-punked-out-green-gets-lucky-dominik-diminished","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/08\/07\/wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-summerslam-edition-femi-grabs-the-torch-yachty-sinks-trick-ko-triumphs-punked-out-green-gets-lucky-dominik-diminished\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE RISING STARS &#038; FADING STARS \u2013 SummerSlam Edition: Femi Grabs the Torch, Yachty Sinks Trick, KO Triumphs, Punked Out, Green Gets Lucky, Dominik Diminished"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1861894986\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>It\u2019s impossible to overstate the importance of SummerSlam booking and presentation.<\/p>\n<p>A great SummerSlam performance can create a superstar overnight &#8211; consider Ultimate Warrior crushing the Honkey Tonk Man in 30 seconds or Bret Hart defeating &#8220;Mr. Perfect&#8221; Curt Hennig.<\/p>\n<p>A disastrous one can derail a wrestler\u2019s career &#8211; consider Lex Luger failing to capture the WWE Title from Yokozuna, Mabel losing to Diesel in a wretched main event.<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s SummerSlam featured thrilling highs and miserable lows, which will have a powerful impact on booking opportunities going forward for those involved.<\/p>\n<p>As ever, I\u2019ll give you the good news first.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>SummerSlam Rising Star: Oba Femi<\/h3>\n<p>Now THAT is how WWE creates a star.<\/p>\n<p>Oba didn\u2019t just need a win. He needed a star-making moment \u2014 and Hell in the Cell delivered.<\/p>\n<p>Brock Lesnar threw everything he had at Femi, from Suplex City to multiple F5\u2019s. The Beast even stripped the canvas off the ring to tombstone The Ruler on the wooden ringboards.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-336326869\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>And none of it mattered.<\/p>\n<p>Oba came back strong, hit the Fall From Grace, and became the first man to defeat Lesnar in Hell in a Cell. Afterwards, Brock raised Oba&#8217;s hand, calling him the future.<\/p>\n<p>Lesnar couldn\u2019t have put over Femi more strongly than he did.<\/p>\n<p>The question is no longer whether Femi belongs in the title picture. It\u2019s how long WWE can justify keeping him out of it.<\/p>\n<h3>Runner-up: Kevin Owens<\/h3>\n<p>KO\u2019s surprise return made the Undisputed WWE Championship number one contender\u2019s match into a four-way. Fans in attendance were as ecstatic as Sami Zayn was stunned.<\/p>\n<p>The best friends shared a brief hug before laying into one another. KO dominated the brief match before pinning Sami to become number one contender.<\/p>\n<p>The surprise return followed by the immediate victory has become a WWE trope. It also remains one of their most reliable booking formulas.<\/p>\n<p>KO\u2019s win took advantage of an audience which was overjoyed to see him return and therefore particularly invested in him. KO wasn\u2019t simply reintroduced \u2014 he was immediately reestablished as a main-event player on SmackDown.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2817450847\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>It remains to be seen what role KO will ultimately play. He was framed as a babyface, which capitalized on fans\u2019 immediate enthusiasm, but this could change if SmackDown has greater need of a heel. Owens has proven himself able to fill either role equally well.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, one of WWE\u2019s top stars has returned from an injury that threatened to end his career, after a 17-month hiatus. A changed landscape and a fresh collection of dream matchups await.<\/p>\n<p>Wrestling fandom will be watching intently as he challenges CM Punk on the mic and in the ring.<\/p>\n<h3>Second Runner-up: Chelsea Green<\/h3>\n<p>Nobody saw this coming.<\/p>\n<p>Lovable loser Chelsea Green seemed the least credible challenger to win Sunday\u2019s five-way ladder match to become the Interim WWE Women\u2019s Champion.<\/p>\n<p>To the surprise and delight of the U.S. Bank Stadium, win she did, capturing her first (interim) world championship.<\/p>\n<p>In the ring, Green has been consistently presented as hapless. Her ineptitude is such a part of her character that it would be odd to see her rise to the occasion by showing the skills needed to compete at a top level.<\/p>\n<p>It seems more likely that Green\u2019s championship run will be defined by good fortune rather than dominance, that she defeats more credible opponents through sheer happenstance, just as she won the title.<\/p>\n<p>Green\u2019s status as interim champion places her on a collision course with Rhea Ripley. This would appear to be an unfortunate pairing, as fans would feel conflicted between their loyalties to two beloved figures.<\/p>\n<p>A better possibility may be for Green to drop the Women&#8217;s Interim Title to a heel before Ripley\u2019s return. Given how Green is portrayed, a short title reign would be more believable.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, Green\u2019s wonderfully entertaining character work will have a brighter spotlight on SmackDown as she becomes, if briefly, the focus of its women\u2019s division.<\/p>\n<p>Fans are in for a treat.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wwe-raw-post-show-8-3-keller-white-discuss-roman-s-clear-heel-turn-tonight-and-why-he-s-still-not-actually-a-heel-plus-fatu-bron-oba--73423126\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cwade keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE RAW POST-SHOW (8\/3): Keller &amp; White discuss Roman's clear heel turn tonight and why he's still not actually a heel, plus Fatu, Bron-Oba\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=73423126&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>SummerSlam Fading Star: Lil Yachty<\/h3>\n<p>Lil Yachty is a suboptimal pairing with Trick Williams. A fan favorite like Trick would not typically be matched with an obnoxious manager like Yachty, who would fit better alongside a heel. Yachty partially compensated for this mismatch with his celebrity status and his genuine chemistry with Trick.<\/p>\n<p>At SummerSlam, Yachty became a liability twice over: in storyline and in execution.<\/p>\n<p>His cold open introduction of Trick was unintelligible. He became an unwelcome distraction during the matchup by confronting Corbin and threatening him with a kendo stick. A babyface star like Trick should not need help from his manager to get unfair advantage in a match.<\/p>\n<p>Later in the match, Yachty was apparently out of position, leading to Corbin breaking character to yell \u201cYachty, come on.\u201d Corbin prompted Yachty to return to the ring to hit him with the kendo stick. The spot looked exactly as ridiculous as it reads \u2014 and it sucked whatever energy remained out of the match.<\/p>\n<p>Yachty would later provide an excuse for Trick to lose the US Title, when he was sent through a table at ringside, distracting his friend and allowing Corbin to finish him off.<\/p>\n<p>This pairing is not working, in storyline or in reality. Yachty has been a major reason Trick hasn\u2019t fulfilled his promise as Smackdown\u2019s hottest young star.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s hoping this title loss will lead to a dissolution of their partnership, and a new direction for the former champion.<\/p>\n<h3>First Runner-Up: CM Punk<\/h3>\n<p>Punk\u2019s title defense against Cody Rhodes may have been the most highly anticipated match of the weekend. For months, fans had waited to see the two biggest babyfaces of WWE\u2019s new era collide. We couldn\u2019t wait to find out who is \u201cthe Best in the World\u201d at a major premium live event.<\/p>\n<p>We were led to believe this would be an epic matchup with a definitive finish.<\/p>\n<p>What we got disappointed on both counts.<\/p>\n<p>First, the finish. Randy Orton\u2019s involvement, landing an RKO on an exhausted Cody, completely invalidated the results of the match. We didn\u2019t find out who was the best. We didn\u2019t even find out who was better on that night. Fans were cheated out of the promised result of one of the most important matches of the summer.<\/p>\n<p>Just as frustrating was the match itself. Cody and Punk were barely able to pull off a good match, let alone a classic. From my perspective, Punk\u2019s conditioning is to blame. He became exhausted early into a 25-minute match and lacked the vigor to make his offense or selling realistic. He could not maneuver himself correctly in the CrossRhodes and instead just fell on top of Cody, making the critically important maneuver look completely ineffective.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to telling a compelling story on the mic, Punk is truly great. However, he has lost the ability to do so in the ring, at over the course of an extended match. Punk can still play a star, but he can no longer play a top athlete for 25 minutes. He needs to get himself in better shape or keep his matches short.<\/p>\n<h3>Second Runner-Up: Dominik Mysterio<\/h3>\n<p>I believe that Dominik\u2019s success has come from his lack of ability. Fans resentment of an apparently talentless nepo baby is what created such enormous heat and ironically made him a star.<\/p>\n<p>Dating women who seemed out of his league, cheating at every opportunity, and winning titles from those with far greater appeal and credibility kept that fan resentment high. Mysterio has been able to make fans desperately want to see him lose, and love watching him get what he deserves.<\/p>\n<p>In short, his booking has taken perfect advantage of the situation and kept Dominik hot.<\/p>\n<p>Until now.<\/p>\n<p>Playing the fool to the likes of Danhausen defines Mysterio down and undercuts his potential as a top star. We can only see Dom humiliated so often before we lose interest.<\/p>\n<p>To Dom\u2019s credit, he played his role straight, avoiding the slapstick hamming it up that Miz and Kit Wilson displayed when in the same position. Dominik didn\u2019t oversell his frustration in a way that would have made a bad situation worse.<\/p>\n<p>Like those before him, Dominik is in a worse position than he was before feuding with Danhausen. WWE Creative should be more careful before putting other wrestlers with potential in such a position.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (8\/3) - WWE Raw w\/Keller &amp; White\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XpmI0voW16w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2863821072\"><div id=\"pwtor-2707137166\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>It\u2019s impossible to overstate the importance of SummerSlam booking and presentation. A great SummerSlam performance can create a superstar overnight &#8211; consider Ultimate Warrior crushing the Honkey Tonk Man in 30 seconds or Bret Hart <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/08\/07\/wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-summerslam-edition-femi-grabs-the-torch-yachty-sinks-trick-ko-triumphs-punked-out-green-gets-lucky-dominik-diminished\/\" title=\"WWE RISING STARS &#038; FADING STARS \u2013 SummerSlam Edition: Femi Grabs the Torch, Yachty Sinks Trick, KO Triumphs, Punked Out, Green Gets Lucky, Dominik Diminished\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,4309,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-rising-star-fading-star","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/OwensKevinWK_3x2_600.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220548"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":220549,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220548\/revisions\/220549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}