SummerSlam is here and we are in the land of country music, the Music City of America, Nashville, Tennessee. This year it truly feels like summer with the event taking place in an outside stadium. Yes, last year they also went outside and there is something to be said about the company mixing it up like this and moving out of the Barclays Center.
This is the first Summerslam of the Helmsley/McMahon-Levesque/Khan era and time will tell on what that means for the company as a whole. Today will officially be known as day one, with the retirement of Vince McMahon and a new chairwoman, Co-CEOs, and creative changes happening, this is a very exciting time for WWE.
WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match | Becky Lynch Vs Bianca Belair
The third installment in their year-long rivalry will culminate here in Nashville, Tennessee with Belair in front of a hometown crowd, coming from down the road in Knoxville. This is such a great opening match and a great choice to get the crowd excited. It is hard-hitting and full of everything you love about both performers. This match shows why these two women are some of the top performers in the company and Bianca Belair deserves her top spot.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 4.75
Bayley’s music hits and she is finally back after a year away from the ring. We are finally getting to rehash Belair vs Bayley. Now an even bigger surprise is here in the form of Dakota Kai, who was released from her contract this year, and just when you think the surprises are over Io Shirai’s music hits. Yes, this new era should be great for the women of WWE.
Logan Paul Vs The Miz
Now for a fun match between The Miz and Logan Paul who exceeded all expectations in his tag match at WrestleMania 38. I wasn’t lying when I said fun but it is so much more, from The Miz and his team of Maryse and Ciampa to Logan Paul’s athleticism and lack of ring time creates a truly compelling battle. This feels like a career renaissance for The Miz and one of his best in a while.
Amongst all of this Ciampa is asked to leave and makes the decision to just sit on a chair. AJ Styles’s music hits and he attacks Ciampa possibly setting up a match between the two at a later date. The idea of that makes me very excited. Then before we know it Logan Paul has put The Miz across the announce table and delivered a perfect frog splash, some interference from Maryse insures Paul hits the Miz with his own finisher and picks up the win.
Winner: Logan Paul
Rating: 5
United States Championship Match | Theory Vs Bobby Lashley
This SummerSlam crowd hates Theory and they get louder when he attacks Lashley with the MITB briefcase. This match is slow and boring and kinda a letdown after the last two matches, Lashley does look incredible here but he deserves so much more.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Rating: 2.5
No Disqualification Tag Team Match | The Judgment Day Vs The Mysterios
This is a great match as well, The Judgment Day is one of my favorite things going in WWE right now. I have no idea who is the leader currently but I feel it should be Rhea Ripley. She is doing great outside of the ring as a support system while this is the most exciting Finn Balor has felt since his second run in NXT as one of the best and biggest heels. Priest also feels reinvigorated and it makes so much sense for him to be even more ruthless with this group.
The match is fun and fast-paced, Edge does return here at SummerSlam but I don’t think it felt quite right. Maybe the visual wasn’t quite right or maybe it felt cheap that he helped the Mysterios win. Hopefully, we will get Edge Vs Finn Balor at Clash At The Castel.
Winner: The Mysterios
Rating: 3.5
Happy Corbin Vs Pat McAfee
This feud has been a war of words between the former Indianapolis Colts players, while Corbin was only on the practice squad McAfee was their Punter for eight years making it to the All-Star game. As Happy Corbin made his entrance at SummerSlam a choir appeared singing “Dumbass Corbin” which is obviously a way for McAfee to get in his opponent’s head. McAfee is determined to show his WrestleMania match wasn’t just a fluke, hitting a superkick and then a hurricanrana.
This whole match was just lots of fun, Corbin looked great as did McAfee. The finish to the match was spectacular sports entertainment malarkey. If you need a good pick me up this match is for you.
Winner: Pat McAfee
Rating: 4
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match | Special Guest Referee. Jeff Jarrett | The Usos Vs The Street Profits
The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders come out to support the Street Profits, who are sporting the colors of the home team. SummerSlam is in the home of the Titans after all. 376 days, that’s how long The Usos have been Tag Team Champions but is tonight their time to lose the belts?
Having Jeff Jarrett involved really enhances this match and adds another layer to it. The Profits and Usos have battled on and off for a long time now and every match is different from the last and just as good. This match might just be the best so far. It’s hard-hitting, it’s high flying and it’s intense, with both teams giving it everything they have.
Winner: The Usos
Rating: 4.75
Matt Riddle enters from the crowd informing us that he isn’t medically cleared to compete at SummerSlam. That doesn’t stop him from calling out Seth Rollins, resulting in a huge brawl before Rollins hits him, yet again, with a curb stomp.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match | Ronda Rousey Vs Liv Morgan
Ronda Rousey starts off “strong” but hopefully, this won’t be a terrible squash match for the women at SummerSlam. Liv Morgan deserves the world and needs to retain her championship with a clean win. This match isn’t great, it’s as if both are trying to lead the match, Rousey is sloppy whereas Morgan can do better. We have seen her do better and this match wasn’t worthy of her at all.
Winner: Liv Morgan
Rating: 1
The finish of the match was strange, Liv apparently tapped yet you only saw it on the replay. The match was awful and Ronda feeds into what her haters say, that she is spoiled and throws tantrums. With this set up it makes Morgan look weak and we have to probably endure more 1 star, and that’s being kind, Rousey matches.
SummerSlam Main Event | Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match | Last Man Standing | Roman Reigns Vs Brock Lesner
Cowboy Brock Lesner is my favorite version of the man and he is having the best time on his tractor during his entrance to the main event of SummerSlam. The match starts with Lesner leaping from the tractor and attacking Reigns, fighting on the outside of the ring before heading into the crowd. The last man standing stipulation allows for a good amount of breathing between all the action and that is something Lesner and Reigns are really good at. This match is good and a perfect way to end their mammoth feud.
Lesner uses the tractor to lift the ring causing Reigns to topple from the ring. Soon enough The Usos are out trying to help their cousin. Lesner puts Paul Haymann through the announce table and then out comes Theory, who tries to cash in, but is thwarted by Lesner. They have thrown everything at this main event and it deserves it. Roman Reigns then proceeds to beat both Theory and Lesner with the Money In the Bank briefcase. A huge shoutout needs to go to Micheal Cole who is at his absolute best during this match.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: 4.75
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