Going into Summerslam weekend, I began to feel less and less excited. I knew that Takeover would be incredible, as it always is. I also knew (or thought, anyways) that Summerslam just could not compete with that. I dreaded Lesnar Vs Reigns number 1,000...and the inevitable Charlotte win. I dreaded the whole night. But as I always do, I watched anyways.
The pre show was as it always is. I have nothing else to say about that except that I feel bad for the Cruiserweights. Those men deserve way better than they get. And I definitely wish they got to be on the main cards more often. They're incredible talents. Summerslam kicked off with Ziggler and Rollins. To say their bout "stole the show" would be an understatement, honestly. Every single time those two men step into the ring, they go above and beyond to perform. Putting them in there together is wrestling gold! So we were off to a good start. I remained hopeful, but skeptical.
As for the ladies, we got two brand new champions. Though I am neither thrilled nor upset about it, I accept it. Both wins were inevitable and I could see them coming from ten thousand miles away. In time maybe this will grow on me. Maybe not. But I choose not to complain too much. I was surprised (and pleased) to see that Carmella really stepped up her in-ring game. She put on a genuinely entertaining performance. I wasn't as pleased with Charlotte's many botches, though. Becky was just Becky. I prayed for that heel turn. I am super excited to see it play out in the coming weeks!
Some of the other matches we mostly uneventful. Shinsuke retained (surprisingly with no Orton interference). The Demon finally made an appearance after all this time and that place came unglued! He dominated Corbin. Strowman beat Owens so fast that you definitely would miss it if you blinked. I was looking something important up during their entrances. The next thing I know, the match was already over. Daniel and Miz had a fairly short match as well. It wasn't anything we didn't expect, but it may have laid the groundwork for a possible mixed match coming up. Summerslam also saw no tag titles switching hands.
Now to talk about Joe and AJ Styles. I felt from the very beginning that this match should have been the main event. To me, the WWE title is 100 times more prestigious. Their feud was more interesting to me, too. I assure you, I am saying this as a fan of Roman Reigns (and a slight Lesner fan). These two have spent the better part of the last 15 years or so touring the world and bringing down houses together. They're also phenomenal talents (pun intended). The match itself was stellar. The storytelling had me at the end of my seat. I am really hoping this goes on longer and we get to see Joe really take on that sinister role.
So at this point, I was beginning to breath a little. Summerslam had been pretty great. I just knew I was about to have my night turn around, though. I was ready to be disappointed. That's not entirely what happened. Brock and Roman actually put on a decent match. It was the best one they've had yet and I never really felt bored with it. Strowman confronted both men saying he'd cash in after the match was over. He pointed out how so many in the past have taken the cowards way out and swore he wouldn't do that. If history tells us anything, it's that out of the few men that have cashed in fairly, almost all of them have lost. I am so glad Strowman never got his chance. Now understand that I'm not saying I don't prefer him as the champion. I absolutely do. I just like that he didn't cash in on Roman. We all know he wouldn't have walked out the champ. Vince wouldn't have allowed it. And from the looks of Raw, it might be a while before he does cash in lol
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Summerslam. I actually think I may like it more than this year's Wresltmenia. It was that much better. For once, I wasn't bored or annoyed by a crowd. Most of the outcomes were predictable but they threw in little things to throw us off a bit (or spice them up). None of the matches felt like they were dragging on, either. The future looks bright for the WWE. I really hope it continues to soar! It feels good to see WWE put on a good main roster show again!
I give Summerslam 4 out of 5 stars!