By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE SummerSlam Hits
Seth Rollins cashes in the Money in the Bank contract: Whether you saw it coming or not, it was a cool moment when Rollins walked on the stage looking like Tucker from There’s Something About Mary and then teased leaving, only to drop his crutches and remove his leg brace before heading to the ring. Some of us sensed coming out of Saturday Night’s Main Event that there was something fishy about the Rollins’ knee injury, but I’m happy the creative team held firm and moved ahead with this cash-in plan rather than save it for another time in hopes of providing a misdirect. As much as we all like to be surprised by pro wrestling, in some cases, it can be just as satisfying if you think you know where a storyline is heading and then you see it play out that way. Losing the championship in this fashion gives CM Punk’s character a reason to be angry, which typically leads to his best mic work. Meanwhile, Gunther will reportedly be taking some time off, but I’m anxious to see how his character responds to his loss to Punk once he returns.
Gunther vs. CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship: A very good main event. The slow pace suggested they were going long, and it also worked for the story they told, with Gunther methodically dominating Punk throughout most of the match. I loved the way Punk’s demeanor changed once he saw Gunther bleeding heavily following the table spot. Punk winning the match was a minor surprise to me, if only because Rollins said he wouldn’t let Punk become world champion, so I thought he might cash in before that could happen.
Roman Reigns and Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed: This match got the show off to a strong start. It was crazy to watch Reigns perform the big dive over the top rope and almost completely overshoot Breakker and Reed, only to essentially perform a somersault when he landed on the floor to avoid injury. The finish of Jey pinning Reed pleased the live crowd, yet it was the least interesting of the potential finish combinations. Despite my issues with the outcome, everyone involved worked hard, and this was my second favorite match of the night. Here’s hoping that whatever Breakker did to his leg isn’t serious.
Jelly Roll and Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul: This was good by celebrity match standards. Jelly Roll was in the ring a lot longer than I anticipated, and he did a decent job of selling for the heels. It was cool to see a big celebrity come in and take the pin, which broke from the usual formula of celebrities going over. Paul Levesque isn’t the only one in WWE who is gushing over the hard work that Jelly Roll put in. So regardless of how you feel about his music or celebrities wrestling in general, it’s admirable that he took his involvement seriously and had enough respect to take the loss.
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs. Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles: A soft Hit for a quality match with a title change that felt rushed. They have something with Bliss and Flair, but it felt like it would have meant more had the company built to them winning the titles after a good chase rather than on their first try. Will Rodriguez and Perez stick together and attempt to regain the tag titles, or will this be the end of the makeshift team, given that they are no longer bonded by being tag team champions?
WWE SummerSlam Misses
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross: I was surprised when this match made the SummerSlam cut over Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black or the Sheamus vs. Rusev rubber match. This felt like a television match. Zayn going over was no surprise, yet it was also an uneventful outcome. Zayn winning would seem to suggest that the feud is over, but Kross didn’t say he was wrong about Zayn per the match stipulations, so one can only assume that there’s at least something more to come on this week’s television.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship: A minor Miss for a brief match. Stratton beating Jade clean in seven minutes should have felt like a bigger win for Stratton than it did. I am curious to see where Jade goes from here now that she took this clean loss. For that matter, it will be interesting to see who Stratton’s next challenger will be.
Seth dropping the crutches and turning around would have been a great moment if he were a babyface, which as you have pointed out before, he isn’t but still acts like he is.
I hear you and I wish he worked harder to get heat, but he could have kicked a baby on his way to the ring and the reaction would have been the same. The fans love MITB cash-ins.