Last night was World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) biggest party of the summer, Summerslam, and it was coming to the WWE Universe live from the Thunderdome. I was lucky enough to be a virtual fan in the Thunderdome, and witness the second biggest pay-per-view of the year.
The card included:
· Bayley vs Asuka for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
· The Street Profits vs Angel Garza and Andrade for the Raw Tag Team Championships
· Mandy Rose vs Sonya Deville in a no disqualification, loser leaves WWE match
· Seth Rollins vs Dominik Mysterio in a street fight
· Sasha Banks vs Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship
· Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
· The Fiend vs Braun Strowman in a falls count anywhere match for the Universal
Championship
This was quite the loaded card, so we can only wonder if it delivered? We can now take a look at the main takeaways of the show.
Mandy Rose gives Sonya Deville the boot
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville had been the best of friends for years, but in the past few months, they became bitter enemies. Their goal was to destroy one another, and they knew only one of them was set for stardom.
So, they both decided to put their WWE careers on the line in a no disqualification match at Summerslam. The match was not amazing, but it was vicious, and the hatred between them showed.
It ended up being Rose knocking off Deville after hitting The Bed of Roses and then a bicycle knee. This victory means Sonya Deville must leave the WWE, but I am left asking is this really the last we have seen of Deville?
Dominik Mysterio is a superstar
In a street fight against Seth Rollins, WWE legend Rey Mysterio’s son Dominik would make his WWE debut. This match definitely overcame my expectations, and Dominik has a true future as a WWE superstar.
He showed a lot of similarities to his father, and he worked very nicely with Seth Rollins. Rollins must also get some praise as he was able to work with young raw talent and put on a fantastic bout.
Seeing Dominik hit a 619 and frog splash left me with a feeling of nostalgia, and it showed we are entering the next generation of wrestling. Rollins did end up coming out on top and that was expected, but I am excited for the future of Dominik.
I do expect that we will not see another Dominik match for some time, so he can get some further training. However, in five years I expect to see Dominik Mysterio on a poster for Wrestlemania.
Sasha Banks’ curse continues
Sasha Banks is a five-time Raw Women’s Championship, and in those title reigns, she does not have one single successful title defence. That continued at Summerslam, in the first defence of her fifth reign she was defeated by Asuka for the gold.
Banks is such a talented wrestler and it disappoints me that she has never gotten the proper title reign she deserves. It showed how talented she is because this bout with Asuka stole the show and was the match of the night.
Both superstars showed their true talent, and I have never been disappointed by a Banks and Asuka match. With the outcome of this match, I have two main takeaways from this result.
Asuka needs to have a long run with the title, and get through all of her competition and be a believable champion. Sasha Banks now needs to turn on Bayley, so we can get the long-awaited Banks-Bayley feud on the main roster.
Wonky finish in the WWE title match
In the co-main event, it was WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, defending his title against the Legend Killer, Randy Orton. I was so excited for this match, and I was expecting a fantastic match from these stars.
The match itself was not bad, but it did not live up to the hype whatsoever. There were a few good spots in the matchup, but that was all forgotten when it came to the horrible finish.
Orton would duck a Claymore kick from Drew and go for an RKO, but McIntyre blocked and rolled Orton up for the win. I cannot wrap my head around having your match for the biggest belt in the company ending in a roll-up.
The reason for this was clearly so they can run the match back at Payback next Sunday, but this was Summerslam, your second biggest pay-per-view of the year. You need good title matches on this show, and if the head writer of Raw, Bruce Prichard, thought this was good booking, maybe it is time to give up writing and go back to being Brother Love.
OH, BASK IN HIS GLORY
Right before the main event, there was the huge announcement that former NXT Champion, Keith Lee, is being called up to the main roster. Tomorrow night he will be making his Monday Night Raw debut, and even more of the WWE Universe can now bask in his glory!
The Fiend gets his title back
The main event of Summerslam was the Universal Champion, Braun Strowman, defending his title against The Fiend. This match was quite boring and a big let-down, but the right person won.
After hitting two Sister Abigails on the exposed hardwood in the ring, The Fiend pinned Strowman to reclaim his Universal Championship. This was the smart booking decision because Strowman was a horrible champion, and The Fiend’s character is gold.
I thought this was the point where The Fiend rebuilds his character and is back on top. However, what happened next made me think The Fiend may just be a transitional champion.
The Big Dog has returned to his yard
As The Fiend was celebrating winning his second Universal Championship, he was hit by a powerful spear from the returning Big Dog, Roman Reigns. Reigns has been absent since March, and Smackdown has not felt right without the biggest star in the company.
Reigns came out with a vengeance spearing both The Fiend and Strowman and then hitting them with multiple chair shots. He was showing a new vicious side, and it seemed like he was a heel, which is something the fans have wanted forever.
If Reigns is now a heel and he is there to be a true powerhouse that enjoys beating up his opponent, I have high hopes for him. After he speared The Fiend for a second time, he lifted up the Universal Championship sending a message to the champion.
So, even though The Fiend just won the title, I think his title reign may be very short-lived. This is quite disappointing, and WWE is really burying The Fiend’s character for a second time now.
Which makes this very bitter-sweet, I love both Reigns and The Fiend, and it seems like one’s success means the other’s downfall. We will see how WWE books this now, and how Reigns fits into Smackdown on his return.
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