With the brand split coming into play right before Battleground, Summerslam was the first true pay-per-view of this new split, and it was on WWE to provide a quality showcase of both brands. Instead, they over-hyped and under-delivered, leaving fans baffled and in some cases, furious by the time the show went off the air.
Enzo and Cass continue to be one of WWE's hottest acts, and they had a decent opener with Jeri-KO. I don't mind Owens and Jericho going over here, as it cements them as a top heel act. After Sasha Banks shocked the world, winning the Women's Title post-Battleground, many expected her to rise to the top of the women's division. That was not the case here, as she held the belt for a mere 27 days, dropping to Charlotte. Both women nearly killed themselves in the process, but ultimately delivered an enjoyable, intense contest. The IC Title got the bathroom-break treatment....there's nothing like creating a new star by having him job in five minutes. Moving on.
AJ Styles and John Cena were sent out to try and save the show, and save it they did. I read so much hype about yesterday's NXT matches, but this was the best match I watched all weekend, and one of my favorite matches of all time. These two combined fantastic action, incredible levels of overness and also mixed in excellent story-telling- Cena trying to stay on top and Styles trying to cement his legacy. I wouldn't mind a third match between these two; the only complaint I had was the lack of any stipulation, as there were no stipulation bouts on the card.
Unfortunately, AJ's buddies in The Club couldn't follow up his performance. The tag title match wasn't given enough time to be enjoyable or any real interesting story. Jon Stewart's involvement was questionable to say the least, and I thought we had moved on from non-finishes on pay-per-views. Smackdown made a good show of itself, as a good but not great bout between Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler was followed up with a surprisingly good six-woman tag. Ambrose and Ziggler were dragged down with the death spot on the card- factor in a lack of chemistry with both guys and Ambrose phoning in his performance, and the bout under-delivered. All six women worked hard to win over the crowd, and the returning Nikki Bella getting the win was the right decision. Almost everyone involved is over in some way or another, so despite not getting a singles match, Smackdown's women's division shone.
Finn Balor and Seth Rollins put together a very enjoyable match, though the match was brought down by a Brooklyn crowd that couldn't give a sh**. I know you hate the belt, let's move on. If this is how you react when you're given a dream match-up, I'm kind of surprised you were ever given a pay-per-view. One of the most pathetic acts I've ever seen in my life, and I give massive props to Rollins and Balor for winning over the crowd in the end. Then the WWE gave us a turd(almost literally, hi Lana!), throwing out a match I though could've been great. Talk about ruining goodwill. There was a main event, I believe, through from the amount of time they were given, you would've been forgiven for not noticing. If you're going to bill a match as 15 years in the making, at least give us a finish.
4/10
A promising event that took a nose dive after Styles-Cena, this Summerslam will be regarded as what could have been. This should have been the night of the coronation of Finn Balor, the rejuvenation of the mid card and the ascension of the women's division. Instead, we got a red piece of plastic and a bitter taste in our mouths. The Biggest Party of the Summer my a**.
Enzo and Cass continue to be one of WWE's hottest acts, and they had a decent opener with Jeri-KO. I don't mind Owens and Jericho going over here, as it cements them as a top heel act. After Sasha Banks shocked the world, winning the Women's Title post-Battleground, many expected her to rise to the top of the women's division. That was not the case here, as she held the belt for a mere 27 days, dropping to Charlotte. Both women nearly killed themselves in the process, but ultimately delivered an enjoyable, intense contest. The IC Title got the bathroom-break treatment....there's nothing like creating a new star by having him job in five minutes. Moving on.
AJ Styles and John Cena were sent out to try and save the show, and save it they did. I read so much hype about yesterday's NXT matches, but this was the best match I watched all weekend, and one of my favorite matches of all time. These two combined fantastic action, incredible levels of overness and also mixed in excellent story-telling- Cena trying to stay on top and Styles trying to cement his legacy. I wouldn't mind a third match between these two; the only complaint I had was the lack of any stipulation, as there were no stipulation bouts on the card.
Unfortunately, AJ's buddies in The Club couldn't follow up his performance. The tag title match wasn't given enough time to be enjoyable or any real interesting story. Jon Stewart's involvement was questionable to say the least, and I thought we had moved on from non-finishes on pay-per-views. Smackdown made a good show of itself, as a good but not great bout between Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler was followed up with a surprisingly good six-woman tag. Ambrose and Ziggler were dragged down with the death spot on the card- factor in a lack of chemistry with both guys and Ambrose phoning in his performance, and the bout under-delivered. All six women worked hard to win over the crowd, and the returning Nikki Bella getting the win was the right decision. Almost everyone involved is over in some way or another, so despite not getting a singles match, Smackdown's women's division shone.
Finn Balor and Seth Rollins put together a very enjoyable match, though the match was brought down by a Brooklyn crowd that couldn't give a sh**. I know you hate the belt, let's move on. If this is how you react when you're given a dream match-up, I'm kind of surprised you were ever given a pay-per-view. One of the most pathetic acts I've ever seen in my life, and I give massive props to Rollins and Balor for winning over the crowd in the end. Then the WWE gave us a turd(almost literally, hi Lana!), throwing out a match I though could've been great. Talk about ruining goodwill. There was a main event, I believe, through from the amount of time they were given, you would've been forgiven for not noticing. If you're going to bill a match as 15 years in the making, at least give us a finish.
4/10
A promising event that took a nose dive after Styles-Cena, this Summerslam will be regarded as what could have been. This should have been the night of the coronation of Finn Balor, the rejuvenation of the mid card and the ascension of the women's division. Instead, we got a red piece of plastic and a bitter taste in our mouths. The Biggest Party of the Summer my a**.
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