Alberto Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Title at SummerSlam.
Cena stunned by Punk, Orton overcomes Christian
Alberto Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Title at SummerSlam.
Having each earned the right to call themselves WWE Champion, John Cena and a returning CM Punk clashed in the main event at The Biggest Event of the Summer in a bid to become the undisputed bearer of the WWE Title.
However, all eyes were fixed on Alberto Del Rio when SummerSlam went off the air as The Mexican successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank opportunity, to fulfil his destiny of becoming WWE Champion.
After a series of near-falls in the main event clash, CM Punk nailed The leader of the Cenation with a second GTS manoeuvre to pick up the pinfall victory - even though Cena's foot was clearly on the bottom rope.
Apparently not noticing that Cena had broken the hold by reaching the ropes, special referee Triple H counted to three.
Hasty
As The Second City Saviour celebrated the victory, Kevin Nash shocked fans when he emerged from the crowd and levelled Punk with a thunderous Jackknife Powerbomb before making a hasty exit.
As Triple H sought an explanation from Nash, Punk lay helpless in the middle of the ring as Alberto Del Rio seized his destiny by successfully cashing in his briefcase on the weary Undisputed WWE Champion.
After nailing Punk with a devastating kick to the skull, Del Rio pinned his shoulders to the canvas, to capture the WWE title.
Del Rio's triumph is the latest success in what has been an incredible year for The Mexican Aristocrat, whose previous accomplishments included winning the first-ever 40-Man Royal Rumble Match in January and besting seven other Superstars in last month's Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Randy Orton defeated Christian in the penultimate match of the night to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Before the bout got underway, however, fans were stunned to see Edge walk into the sold-out Staples Center to be in Christian's corner for his hugely anticipated showdown against Orton.
Surprise
However, after the 11-time World Champion received a standing ovation from the fans, a bigger surprise was in-store when Edge started berating his lifelong friend for how he won the World Title.
After knocking Christian's path to the top, Edge vowed to be Christian's friend until the day he dies, but then shockingly walked out him, forcing him to fend for himself.
It was then The Viper pulled out all the stops to win a thrilling No Holds Barred contest. After both Superstars inflicted pain and suffering on each other with an array of weapons at their disposal, it was a blistering RKO from Orton to Christian directly onto a set steel ring steps that ended the match.
Also at SummerSlam, Mark Henry came out on top with a count-out victory over Sheamus. The World's Strongest Man continued on his path of destruction when he launched his weary opponent through the ringside barricade, causing it to collapse completely.
Elsewhere, Wade Barrett triumphed over SmackDown Money In The Bank winner Daniel Bryan whilst Divas Champion Kelly Kelly pulled off one of the shocks of the night when she defeated The Glamazon Beth Phoenix to keep her grip on the butterfly-emblazoned title.
Coming Up
You can see repeats of WWE SummerSlam all this week on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743). Order this event now using your Sky remote control.
Don't miss Monday Night Raw as Alberto Del Rio will put his WWE Title on the line against hometown favourite Rey Mysterio. Raw comes to you live from San Diego, California at 2am on Sky Sports HD3.