By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE SummerSlam Hits
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship: While the match closed the show on a high note, I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as the masses. I never bought into the possibility of Rollins winning, so the near falls didn’t feel all that suspenseful. I’m beyond over The Shield backstory, so it was good to see them finally put that to rest. Despite my issues with the match, they had the live crowd with them every step of the way. Reigns and Rollins brawled all over the building and made this a show-closing spectacle.
Kevin Owens vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor in a four-way to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship: I avoided all spoilers for this event. And while I was more than satisfied when Nick Aldis added Gunther to the match, I was thrilled when Kevin Owens was introduced as the fourth man. I’ve seen some fans complain about Owens being thrown right into a No. 1 contender’s match after being sidelined for a year. I’m not saying those fans are wrong, but we’ve also seen big names in boxing and UFC get major opportunities after long layoffs, so it’s not unheard of in sports. I didn’t have a problem with it and was just happy to see Owens back after major neck surgery. I like that it plays right into paranoid Sami feeling like the company is out to get him, and the way Zayn’s jaw dropped when Owens came out was perfect. Owens winning the match was just the icing on the cake, as I’m very intrigued to hear how he and CM Punk approach their verbal exchanges.
Chelsea Green vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend in a five-way ladder match to become the Interim WWE Women’s Champion: Was it a great ladder match? No. In fact, night one was a better show from an in-ring standpoint, and yet I enjoyed night two more overall. The match outcomes on night one felt highly predictable, and it was a pretty straightforward show. So while I enjoyed night one, I found night two more entertaining due to the surprises of Owens and Gunther being added to the No. 1 contender’s match, Baron Corbin’s upset win, and Green becoming the Interim WWE Women’s Champion. I don’t want surprises just for the sake of surprises, but these all worked for me. Green is one of the funnest characters in WWE, so it was nice to see her win a major championship. I don’t know how long she’ll actually hold the title (see how quickly Sami Zayn lost the WWE Championship after his feel-good win), but it was a cool moment. Stratton deserves credit for pulling off some of the biggest spots in the match. The spot where Green tipped the ladder over that Stratton was on, causing Stratton to fall to ringside was great, and Jade, Flair, and Legend hung in there and broke her fall. I wonder if that moment will be the impetus for Stratton turning on Green. Stratton is much better as a heel, and perhaps they will pull the trigger on a turn now that she’s worked as a babyface in her home state at SummerSlam.
Penta vs. Chad Gable for the Intercontinental Title: Fun while it lasted. This match needed more than the eleven minutes it was given. They did a good job with what they were given, but just about the time it felt like the match was going to get interesting, Penta tapped out. But I give them credit for continuing to reestablish the ankle lock as an actual submission hold and not something that every wrestler rolls out of. The real fun was seeing how much this win meant to Gable. He was legitimately emotional, and it was really nice to see him have this big moment in front of friends and family (I love that his young son wore matching gear). The post-match scene was perfect… until the damn root beer mascot showed up. I can’t believe they didn’t work the mascot into another match.
Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin for the U.S. Championship: A soft Hit. The match quality was nothing special. I’m sure I’m in the minority on this one, but I don’t mind Corbin getting the upset win. He’s a talented guy who was saddled with some terrible gimmicks. Perhaps this win is a step toward showing fans that he’s a more serious character and an in-ring threat. Trick still has major upside and one loss isn’t going to change that. Lil Yachty was a fun addition when Trick was a heel. He’s just not as good of a fit with babyface Trick. I thought he might end up turning on Trick by helping Carmelo Hayes beat him for the title at some point, but creative had other ideas. Barring a creative twist, it feels like it’s time for Yachty to move on. He had some good moments, but he’s not adding much to Trick’s babyface act. The thing I disliked most about the match is how incompetent it made the referee look by missing so many things that everyone else in the building saw.
WWE SummerSlam Misses
Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio in a “Human Monies on a Pole” match: A Miss for this viewer, but the live crowd clearly had fun with it. I get a kick out of Danhausen’s promo at times, but I’m not so crazy about some of the silly skits he’s taken part in. More than anything, I hope Dom can move on and start to be rebuilt to mean as much on Raw as he does in AAA. On a positive note, El Torito, er, Toritohausen is always impressive.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time since 1997. He hosts the weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Be the first to comment