Title changes, Demons, surprises, and the dawn of a new era, SummerSlam twenty eighteen was an interesting and entertaining event leaving fans with plenty to discuss!
Burn it DOWN
The opening contest to this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay per view was simply excellent. With Dolph Ziggler defending the Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins once again this was always sure to be a match to tune into, however, with Drew McIntyre and a returning Dean Ambrose at ringside this match was made even more must see. The two stars have obviously competed in previous fantastic bouts that have gone down as year highlights, however, the in-ring work we saw from these two standout stars on Sunday night was miles ahead of what we had seen previously. Raising the bar even higher Ziggler and Rollins had everyone up on their feet and the Barclays Centre louder than ever before. A true OMG moment came from the reverse superplex off the very top rope (as in, Dolph flipped backwards), rolled through into a sitout Curtain Call which genuinely left everyone watching wide mouthed and speechless.
The end result was fitting and made perfect sense with Rollins walking out the brand-new champion. Throughout the match, many noted Ambrose modifications made to his mannerisms and characteristics which does further indicate a heel turn but personally, I liked that it didn’t happen last night, and a real story has now been set. Ziggler and Rollins worked amazing in the ring while Ambrose and McIntyre played their parts perfectly also!
Everything Samoa Joe Did
One of the most personal and intense matches of the night most certainly came from the WWE championship bout. With Samoa Joe directly attacking AJ Styles personally and addressing his family, this match became an even bigger standout thanks to the added actions from Joe throughout. From taking to the mic to taunting the champ, Joe pushed the phenomenal one to his limits both mentally and physically and while the DQ ending wasn’t technically to everyone’s liking the sheer wrestling excellence kept the WWE universe completely entertained with the added bonus of Samoa Joe cementing himself as one of the best and most convincing heels on the roster today.
Disappointing Endings
Two matches that grabbed the attention of fans for not so many great reasons were the SmackDown Live tag team match and the one on one bout between Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman. With many worrying Owens squash match was yet another sign of a bad run for the former Universal Champion it sure did get everyone talking however, I personally believe Owens will bounce back perfectly fine and the loss won’t be something he negatively effects from. The exact same thing can be said for the tag team match where the DQ end has allowed more story to build and more attention added to the champions.
Becky Lynch Turns on Charlotte Flair
The tensions between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair were rising throughout the build-up to the SummerSlam pay per view. It was evident this triple threat match for the SmackDown Live Women’s championship was massively important to the Lass kicker and key in building her momentum back up, however, Charlotte standing in her way was an obstacle Lynch could have done without and after the Flair scored the huge victory this Sunday to become a seven-time women’s champion, Lynch finally snapped, turning on her “best friend” and leaving a sold-out crowd cheering her name. The turn was predictable yet well done and very satisfying. The move was needed for Becky at this stage of her career and the timing was simply perfect.
Daniel Bryan vs The Miz
By far one of the best told stories in recent WWE memory, Daniel Bryan vs The Miz one to grab the attention of many. Another standout in-ring performance from the Miz this was yet another night where the A-Lister proved to be more than a good talker. The chemistry between these two superstars was undeniable, the storytelling was some of the best of the night and the decision to have the Miz walk out the victor was one that enables this feud to progress and provide more must-see content. The involvement of Maryse and the general layout of this match was so well done leaving fans satisfied, invested, and very much entertained.
A New Era on Monday Night RAW
The men and women of Monday Night RAW had a lot to follow after both the SmackDown Live Women’s and the WWE Championship match both delivered massively and while the RAW matches were not as long they both had endings that will now change the landscape of Monday nights greatly. Now, neither the RAW Women’s or the Universal Championship had a surprise ending, both bouts ended in predictable fashion but predictability does not always mean bad and in this case that was the situation. Rousey walking out as the new RAW Women’s champion has switched things up massively in the division with now a far different feel being added. Its now we can expect higher competition, interesting rivals for the champion, and a type of dominant title holder we haven’t had in the division for a very long time! This was exactly the change needed!
While not everyone was all too happy to see Roman Reigns walk out of SummerSlam the Universal champion I have to say that the decision to do so sits far better with me than if they had decided to keep it on Lesnar. Reigns as the new champion ensure a true fighting champion will work as part of Monday Night RAW. It’s now we will see the title more which effectively means greater opportunities for the guys who really are there every week. It may not be everyone’s favourite move but Reigns as champion right now can only do better things for the RAW product and the superstars on the roster
And that was SummerSlam twenty eighteen. The weekend as a whole was a special, entertaining, and memorable one which left the feel of a dawn of a new era in the WWE, but what did you think of the biggest party of the Summer?
All pics courtesy of WWE.com