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The 37th annual WWE SummerSlam Premium Live Event was another big success for the company. Officials announced that the big event on August 3 drew almost 58,000 to Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, and set new SummerSlam records for gate, sponsorship, merchandise, and social media. A unique look at one of the key matches has finally been revealed.
Drew McIntyre defeated CM Punk in the fifth match on the SummerSlam 2024 card. This was Punk's return from injury, and his first televised singles match since his AEW exit and subsequent return to WWE in November 2023. Seth Rollins was the special guest referee for the 17-minute match, which was filled with controversy. The finish led to many blaming Punk for his own loss.
World Wrestling Entertainment debuted its new 'Referee Cam' at SummerSlam this year. The addition offers fans the view from a camera on the referee's ear. Rollins initially wore the camera during Punk vs. McIntyre but ended up taking it off. As seen below, footage from Rollins' Ref Cam POV has been released.
Punk, McIntyre, and Rollins have continued to feud on RAW coming out of SummerSlam. Bash in Berlin is rumored to feature a Strap Match between The Second City Saint and The Scottish Psychopath.
Why Seth Rollins removed WWE's referee cam
The move by WWE to introduce the new Ref Cam at The Biggest Party of the Summer earlier this month was praised by many for its innovation. A recent report from Fightful Select noted that the camera was first discussed to be used on NXT TV in early July.
The camera attached to the referee's ear was first seen during Rhea Ripley vs. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan at SummerSlam. Seth Rollins later wore the Ref Cam while serving as the special guest referee during CM Punk's loss to Drew McIntyre.
The Visionary took the camera off later in the bout, leading to some confusion. An update from Fightful Select noted that the battery pack for the camera kept falling off, so Rollins made the decision to just do away with the whole setup.
Officials reportedly considered that this mishap could be a possibility before the show, so there was no internal heat on Rollins. It remains to be seen how often WWE will use the camera, but it may be brought out for replays.
