The other main event featured wrestlers from the Raw brand, in which Batista defeated John Cena in a standard wrestling match.

In a standard match from SmackDown, WWE Champion Triple H defeated challenger The Great Khali to retain his title.

Another was a standard match involving wrestlers the Raw brand, where World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated challenger John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) to retain his title.

SummerSlam is an annual pay-per-view (PPV) produced every August by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) since 1988.

Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer",[2] it is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series, referred to as the "Big Four".

The two would finally face each other in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at One Night Stand for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.

[8] On the July 18 episode of SmackDown, Edge and General Manager Vickie Guerrero held their scripted wedding reception.

On the July 25 episode of SmackDown, a Battle Royal was held, where the winner would receive a WWE Championship match against Triple H at SummerSlam.

Khali won the match, which also involved The Big Show, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP).

On the July 21 edition of Raw, Batista faced CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship in a rematch from The Great American Bash.

Another main feud on the Raw brand was between John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship.

On the July 22 episode of ECW on Syfy, Hardy won the right to face Henry at SummerSlam after winning a Fatal Four-Way match against Finlay, The Miz and John Morrison.

[12] Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, The Big Show defeated Bam Neely, who was accompanied by Chavo Guerrero Jr., in a dark match.

[1] The second match of the evening was a "Winners Take All" intergender tag team match with the WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and the WWE Women's Champion Mickie James defending their titles against Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix.

[1] The pay-per-view continued with Shawn Michaels coming out to the ring with his wife Rebecca to announce that after consulting his doctors and his family, he had decided to, in storyline, "retire" from professional wrestling due to all the injuries he had suffered throughout his career.

Jericho left the ring, as Michaels and WWE medical trainers attended to Rebecca, who appeared to have a legitimate swollen lip.

After dominating the majority of the match, JBL was defeated after a GTS (Go To Sleep) from Punk, resulting in the champion retaining the title.

The champion was attacked early in the match by a double-handed chokeslam from Great Khali – a move normally used as a finisher.

After paying tribute to his former mentor, Ric Flair, by using his chop block and figure four leglock submission hold, Batista attempted to end the match but was trapped in the STFU.

Towards the end of the match, Cena successfully countered a powerslam attempt into a fireman's carry, and executed the FU to Batista for a near-fall.

[14] The Raw brand's main event, John Cena versus Batista, was less well received and was rated a 6.5 out of 10 stars.

The last rivalry in the Ruthless Aggression Era, being the feud with Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, would go on until November 10, 2008.

With Edge written out of action, The Undertaker's rivalry with him was re-focused towards one with the remaining members of La Familia.