WWE Summerslam 2016 Review 08/21/2016

Hello Misfits! The highly anticipated Summerslam event was this past Sunday and its time to review the event to see if it lived up to the hype. The dream matches between Styles/Cena and Lesnar/Orton take place. The first ever Universal Champion is crowned. Ziggler gets his big opportunity against Ambrose’s WWE Champion and much, much more. I went into this with really high expectations, but the real question here is did Summerslam live up to my expectations or not?

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Summerslam comes to us from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, NY.

American Alpha, The Hype Bros & The Usos def. Breezango, The Ascension & The Vaudevillians
in 14:32 via pinfall
This was similar to the match they had on Smackdown. Its’ weird because the kickoff matches have commercials during them even though they are on the WWE Network. Each team got their stuff in but in the end. It only took like four minutes before the match broke down in an all out brawl but back from the “commercial break” everything was back in order. The first half was a complete struggle, with everyone working the house show formula of just getting stuff in and then relying on the fast paces “cool moves everyone knows” to try and save it down the stretch. American Alpha set up the babyface team for the win, but the Usos stole the pin. I think this is all slowly hinting that The Usos’ may be turning heel and the tag team tournament finals are most likely going to American Alpha and The Usos. The match was overall average with a finish that was well done and set things for the future.
Rating – **

Sami Zayn & Neville def. The Dudley Boyz
in 7:55 via pinfall
The Dudleys returned last year the night after Summerslam and that seems like a long time ago. It really shows how fast time flies by. Personally, I think this match was put together for the kickoff to get everyone on the show. This was a back and fourth match that started with Neville and Zayn in charge early on until The Dudleyz worked the heat on Neville. Zayn got the hot tag and he worked on Devon with all his momentum. Bubba made the save and then tagged in to change the pace. The Dudleyz scored with the double team neck breaker and Neville had to make the save. Soon enough there was miscommunication between the Dudleyz again and it was followed by the helluva kick from Zayn and red arrow from Neville for the finish. It almost appeared as if they are working towards an angle between the Dudley Boyz. This was a better tag match then the opening tag match but still your basic formula with a layer tension between the Dudleys.
Rating – **1/4

Match 1 of the Best out of Seven Series
Sheamus def. Cesaro
in 14:10 via pinfall
I seriously question why this was on the kick off and not on the main show in maybe exchanging with 6 women tag from Smackdown. As much as I care about the Smackdown Women’s division, these two need to start this best out of seven series with people caring and having them on the kick off, which most people don’t watch all the time doesn’t really translate that they want us to care that much. I’m a big Cesaro fan but not that big of Sheamus fan and I’ll even admit that these two put on great matches against each other. The finish came whenhe big swing followed, into the sharp shooter but Sheamus got the ropes. Sheamus then countered the brogue kick into a sharp shooter, but Sheamus poked him in the eyes, posted him and then hit the brogue for the win. Sheamus takes a 1-0 lead in the series. This was an awesome back and forth encounter as I expected it would be. I don’t know if I want to watch these two wrestle each other 7 times but I’m sure all 7 matches will be just as good if it gets to that. If some of the matches have cheating or unique finishes the series will be a bit more interesting. This was the best match of the kick off for sure.
Rating – ***

– The main show kicks off with a video package hyping up the show and the usual epic pyro.

Jeri-Ko def. Enzo & Cass
in 12:08 via pinfall
The shows kicks off with Enzo and Cass making their entrance which kept the crowd’s adrenaline alive immediatly after the intro. There is something about their music, that the moment you hear the first couple of seconds, it can get you excited. Enzo cuts a badass promo about Brooklyn and New York where at the same time he pays tributes to the like of Biggie, Frank Sinatra and Jay-Z. Jericho and Owens came out to great crowd reactions as well. Jericho and Owens attacked Big Cass and Enzo before the bell trying to isolate Enzo and get rid of Big Cass factor. The match was good and of course most of the beating was taking by Enzo, which makes complete sense. There were obviously some funny moments from Jericho and Owens. There was a point Owens was mocking Enzo’s little shuffle on the apron and I legit laughed out loud. The finish came when Owens tossed Enzo into a pop up code breaker for the win. The code breaker looked a little off but it was still a pretty cool tag team finish for Owens and Jericho. The match was good, with most of the time spent on JeriKo working the heat on Enzo and Enzo trying to fight back. Cass’s hot tag come back was great in the end Enzo and Cass lose in their home state and I can only predict this rivalry continues. The decision for Enzo and Cass to lose is very questionable considering the reaction they got.
Rating – **1/2

– Foley, Shane and Bryan all met with Jon Stewart backstage. Stewart ran down Stephanie a bit, and she was right behind him, ready to put him in his place. New Day then arrived recruiting Stewart for some help with something tonight. Foley and Shane ate some BootyOs, while Stephanie claimed she’s really misunderstood.

Women’s Championship
Charlotte def. Sasha Banks
in 13:51 via pinfall
The match anticpated Women’s Championship rematch between Charlotte and Sasha Banks cam early in the show to my surprise. They both had awesome looking new gear for this match. Charlotte’s new robe looked badass and my favourite one yet to date. Sasha Banks had attire that matched the championship and this really cool jacket to go with it. Charlotte tried to stall a bit at the beginning but once the match started going, it didnt stop. There was spot early on when Charlotte had Sasha on the top rope and almost looked like she was going to sidewalk slam or do something to her but just dropped her. The way Sasha landed looked real painful and I’m pretty sure thats not what they had planned. This match went back and forth with some near falls until Charlotte countered a Bank Statement into a pin. Charlotte once again became the Women’s Championship. The match was really good, but it did not capture the same magic their match at Raw captured. They worked really hard to make this match memorable, but there were a fair amount of sloppy spots during this match. There were times where things bordered on being overly reckless, abandoning the successful style they worked on Raw when Sasha won the title. I’m always so worried Sasha’s well being when she takes bumps. There are times when she’s selling or hitting a highspot where it looks like she’s about to really hurt herself and being one of my favourite female wrestlers, I don’t want to see her get hurt. Charlotte is now a two time Women’s Champion by beating Sasha only weeks after she won the belt. I could only imagine that its going to put more heat on second generation heel.
Rating – ***1/2

– We head backstage for more Doc and Karl talking testicles bullshit.  AJ Styles shows up and they do the whole “beat up John Cena” schtick. Finn Balor appears and walked away from the three former Bullet Club members, not giving them the too sweet handshake they wanted.

Intercontinental Championship
The Miz w/ Maryse (C) def. Apollo Crews
in 5:45 via pinfall
First things first, Maryse looked great. Now onto this Intercontinental Championship match itself. Miz worked the first half of the match and Apollo worked the second only for Apollo to get caught with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz retained his IC title and that was that. I really want Apollo to succeed and I think he would make a great IC champion, but he has no actual direction. There was also very little build up to this match and there was not much given to these to the weeks leading up to Summerslam for them to create a good story. It only makes sense for The Miz to retain because Apollo hasn’t really figured out who he is on the main roster yet. Plus, The Miz has been on a roll this year. This match was a decent TV match but for an event like Summerslam, it is forgettable.
Rating – *1/2

AJ Styles def. John Cena
in 23:10 via pinfall
This was another one of those matches that was highly anticipated as it was AJ Styles vs John Cena at Summerslam and this time The Club would not be involved. I don’t remember the last time AJ Styles had a bad match and his chemistry with Cena is great.They are basically telling the story of the first match here, but this time it is Cena staying a step ahead of Styles now that he knows what he’s getting into. The match was back and forth, filled with near falls and false finishes. This match was moving fast with every move and spot being meaningful. Ten minutes in and this match already felt like a MOTY candidate.  This was definitely one of those matches that had you at the edge of your seat because you didnt know who was going to win and you had your favourite to win. For example, I really was rooting for Styles to win. There was dope spot where Styles turned a super AA of the top rope into a hurricurana. However Cena does hit the super AA later in the match which Styles still kicks out of. The finish came when Cena went for the AA again, but Styles then hit the styles clash and rolled to the apron. Styles connected with the phenomenal forearm and Cena is done. This was an incredible match with the right finish and man winning and the match hitting the climax at the right time. Xena didn’t need this win but Styles did, and now Styles is a made man. Styles beat Cena clean and all by himself, therefore shutting up all the naysayers. This was better than their previous match and certainly a MOTY candidate. I’ll say it now too, this was the best match on the entire show. Following the match Cena sat in the ring upset and disappointed in himself. He took off his “Never Give Up” wristband, placed it on the mat and left the ring. I suppose he’s taking time off to tape his new show for FOX and Styles rides the momentum he’s gained from this victory.
Rating – ****1/2

WWE Tag Team Championship
Anderson & Gallows def. The New Day
in 09:09 via DQ
Jon Stewart came out and discussed last year and what not. He then did the introduction for the New Day. Gallows and Anderson came out still rocking their stupid doctor lab coats and stuff. The build up for this match was pretty crappy but attitude era-ish so many may disagree. Originally the testicles segment was funny but they built the whole match around that. The New day was in control early, but the tides changed into Anderson and Gallows with the offence and the entire match broke down. There was magic killer on the floor and the match seemed like it was going towards crowning new tag team champions. Untill, Jon FUCKING Stewart got involved yet again at a match at Summerslam. This guy is putting in the work to be a future WWE Hall of Famer I tell ya. He was in there for what felt like forever without getting touched., Gallows and Anderson threatened to slam his balls off of the post. Then Big E returned to make the save, leading to the DQ finish as he beat the hell out of Gallows and Anderson. This entire match went from being decent at best to a complete waste of time. Raw worthy at best.
Rating – **

WWE Championship
Dean Ambrose (C) def. Dolph Ziggler
in 9:04 via pinfall
It bothered me that this match was placed at this part of the show. I get they book the shows where the main events aren’t all going on back to back but I just want Smackdown to get more respect and equality to the Raw brand this time around with the draft. I guess I should be happy that this match didnt open the show. The build up for this match was way better than the build ups for the other main events. However, the crowd was just dead at this point of the show and I think its just because how long they have already been sitting there. I can relate because there was a point at Wrestlemania, which I attended live, where I felt drained from sitting there for hours. It took some time to regain that energy. I felt this match fell during that drained period. The match was good but wasnt great but I honestly think it could have been because of the crowd. These guys were putting on a great show but it was just hard to be invested in it.Ziggler cut off Ambrose as he went up top, they fought and Ambrose sent Ziggler to the mat but Ziggler ran back up and went for the x-factor but Ambrose landed on his feet, hit the dirty deeds and picked up the win. They worked hard and the match was good, but no one cared. I think they waited too long to give Ziggler the shot, because while the build was excellent, no one eve bought into Ziggler winning because he’s been presented as damaged goods for too long. I could only imagine that if they allowed Ziggler to win, if that would have turned things around for him. If I had to book Ziggler from here forward, I’d slowly have him turn heel and because obsessed with winning the championship.
Rating – **1/2

6 Woman Tag
Nikki Bella, Natalya & Alexa Bliss def. Becky Lynch, Naomi & Carmella
in 11:07 via pinfall
Following the announcement that Eva Marie was suspended due to failing the Wellness Policy, it was highly speculated on social media if this match was going to be 2-on-3, changed in any way or if there was going to be a new surprise partner for Natalya and Alexa Bliss. I loved how they did the Eva Marie entrance gimmick, but said she was out due to stress from fans and is on vacation. This was a funny and intelligent way to explain her absence without discussing the suspension. This is when Nikki Bella made her grand return and the fan reaction for her was actually quite amazing. I was glad to see Nikki back and happy she’s on the Smackdown brand, because the brand needed more star power. Whether you love her or hate her, Nikki has improved so much in the past two years and is a star. The match was good and everyone got their stuff in. The crowd actually cared when Nikki tagged in. Nikki and Becky were the two most over women in this match. The match broke down and the heels posted Naomi. It came down to Nikki and Carmella, Nikki killed her with the forearm or elbow and hit a TKO for the win. I dig the new finisher as she had to stop doing the Rack Attack because it was messing with her neck. The match was good from a technical standpoint and better than most would have expected. However, the crowd still seemed drain and only Nikki and Becky were able to get them to react to anything. I have nothing but hope for Smackdown and their Women’s division.
Rating – **

Universal Championship
Finn Balor def. Seth Rollins
in 19:24 via pinfall
Stephanie and Foley are in the ring and they finally show the design for the new Universal Championship. Red is my favourite colour but don’t get me wrong, this title gave me negative reaction right off the bat. I don’t know if it was because it looked like red liquorice or made by Nakamura’s pants or if its because the design of the belt was totally unoriginal. I think if the belt had the red in but a black strap, I wouldn’t have minded that much but I’m sure this belt will grow on me. The name is what I think I am going to struggle with for the longest. Rollins came out first in new special Summerslam attire similar to last year. Rollins is good at making big events feel special with his unique attire alterations for the shows. Talking about making an event feel special, its always special when Balor dawns the Demon paint. This was another one of those dream matches for hardcore wrestling fans. This match was really good. It was a very back and fourth match, also filled with near falls and false finishes. Although, I was certain that Balor was winning because they wouldn’t devalue the “Demon” gimmick that early, there were times I thought Rollins had it in the bag. I do recommend this match to anyone who is a fan of either guy or just loves quality fast pace wrestling. The finish came when Rollins connects with the superplex off the top rope and he rolls it into a pedigree but Balor escapes. Balor follows this up by hitting a pair of shotgun dropkicks and hits the double  foot stomp aka the Coup de Grace off the top rope for the victory. Finn Balor is your first ever Universal Champion, and I feel like this really symbolizes the New Era of Raw.
Rating – ***3/4

United States Championship
Rusev w/ Lana vs. Roman Reigns
is No Contest
Lana was out first to introduce Rusev. Instead of getting an actual match we just got a brawl between Reigns and Rusev. I dont know if they were running short on time or if this is what they intially had planned the whole time for the show. Rusev was dominating but Roman wasnt going to stay down. The Big Dog turns things around by attacking Rusev with a chair. The interesting part was when Roman already had Rusev down he continued to assault him with the chair. It almost felt like we were beginning to get a darker Roman Reigns with heel characteristics. The contest never started because officials deemed that Rusev was unfit to continue. Im sure this was because they messed up the timing of the show somewhere but we’ll have to wait and see what comes from this.

Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman def. Randy Orton
in 11:45 via TKO
It was finally time for the main event between the Viper and The Beast. This was a match I was looking forward to since Lesnar returned in 2012. Lesnar and Heyman were out first to a great ovation, and followed my Randy Orton who also had a great ovation. The match was your typical “suplex city” beat down by Lesnar. Lesnar was in charge most of the match and to be honest Im getting tired of these Lesnar matches where he dominates his oppnenent, with mainly using Suplex’s. I enjoyed it at first, but its just been going on for so long. I miss the days when Lesnar actually used to try to put on a good match, but now it just feels like he doesnt even try. I think it hit me after Wrestlemania, which I attened live and the Ambrose match just ended out of nowhere. I had high expectations for that match to tell a good story and it just fell flat. I felt the same way with this match. Yes, it told a story and Orton got some offence in with two RKO’s (one on the announce table), his signature DDT from the ropes and nearly a punt but that was it. Following that Orton kicked out of an F-5, which frusterared Lesnar. Lesnar just lost his patience, took off his gloves and brutally assaulted Orton until the ref called to end the match awarding Lesnar with a TKO victory. Orton was busted open by one of Lesnars elbow and was bleeding A LOT. I mean there was a puddle on blood on the mat. It had us veiwers wondering if this finish was a work or a shoot. I dont think it neceissarly made Orton look weak, instead it made it look like Orton annoyed Lesnar enough by not staying down that Lesnar lost his cool. However, its all about your personal perspetive on how you saw the finish that will allow to know how felt about it, I was expecting more and I was expecting a clean finish, mainly for the main event of Summerslam but instead the show ended in controversial fashion. Shane came out to check on Orton following the match, only to get hit with a F-5 from Lesnar as well, as Heyman begged Lesnar to stop. I dont know if theyre working towards a Lesnar/Orton rematch or a Shane/Lesnar match but either way, I hope to see something different from a Lesnar match the next time around. Overall, the hype for the match and the story itself made the match memorable and the talk among wrestling fans worldwide. Im sick of these styles of Lesnar matches but it wasnt bad, atleast not as bad as his match with Ambrose. Plus, I really got exicted when Orton set up for the punt. I really want to see Lesnar get punted in the head. I’m still a Lesnar fan, but at least that would have been different then the usual suplex fest.
Rating – ***1/2

Final Thoughts
These six hour shows are too much. I love pro wrestling but it is way too much. The show always drags at points, which leaves the crowd drained for a period of time. The WWE can’t seem to ever book these right either. They also make odd decision and place matches in strange places. It happened at Mania and again here. I had high expectations going into this show after I saw the final card, but it didnt live up to those expectations. It was good but not as good as I thought it was going to be. There were some gems tho, such as Styles/Cena and Balor/Rollins. The main event will always be a memorable moment. The first half of the show started off strong but the second half lost me at times. Once again, I think its because it’s because it’s a 6 hour show. I hope the Raw and Smackdown exclusive PPV’s won’t be as long and only the big four will be which would help a lot. I wouldn’t say this was the best Summerslam of all time, but it might be in the top ten. I’d recommend watching it but don’t go into it with super high expectations.
Final Rating – 7/10