Brunson Receives Custom WWE Belt as Towns Chokeslams 2 Wrestlers at MSG

Q: Will Karl-Anthony Towns' shocking chokeslam lead to an official celebrity match at WWE SummerSlam?

Probably not, at least based on what is publicly known now. Towns’ chokeslam at Saturday Night’s Main Event was a major crowd-pleasing cameo and fit neatly into WWE’s Knicks-themed Danhausen storyline at Madison Square Garden. It also extended Danhausen’s feud with The Judgment Day and capitalized on Towns’ real-life popularity after the Knicks’ title run. But there is no official indication from WWE that the spot is leading to a sanctioned SummerSlam match. The strongest evidence is the current SummerSlam card. The confirmed lineup for Aug. 1-2 does not include Towns, and no announced match ties him directly to Danhausen or The Judgment Day. Reports around the event also note that while more matches could still be added, there is no specific news linking Towns to an in-ring bout. That does not rule out another appearance. WWE has recently used Knicks players in high-profile segments, including Jalen Brunson’s involvement at the same event, showing the company is willing to blend celebrity and local sports momentum into storylines. Towns’ physical angle with JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio gives WWE a ready-made hook if it wants to revisit the feud. For now, the safest reading is that Towns’ chokeslam was a one-night celebrity payoff rather than the start of an official SummerSlam program. Unless WWE announces an added tag match or special attraction in the coming days, his role looks more like a memorable cameo than a booked match.

3 articles · Updated · Newsday · Jul 19

Jalen Brunson closed WWE Saturday Night's Main Event at Madison Square Garden with Roman Reigns, then accepted a custom World Heavyweight Championship belt in the ring.
Karl-Anthony Towns made the night's other Knicks cameo, emerging from a cloning machine to help Danhausen and chokeslam both JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio.
Brunson, wearing a brace on his left wrist, also helped Reigns fend off Seth Rollins and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton before the post-show celebration with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The crossover appearance extended WWE's salute to the reigning NBA champion Knicks, with Madison Square Garden crowding around Brunson as the face of the title run.