WWE SummerSlam Recap and Spoilers

It took 13 matches and six hours, but SummerSlam has finally ended. While we may have permanently damaged ourselves by abusing stimulants to keep pace, we have every result, every spoiler, every title change (there were plenty), and every reaction you need.

To prove we’ve been thorough, let’s begin with SummerSlam’s Pre-Show. Depending on your outlook, the Pre-Show is the perfect place to begin or end a career. Fortunately, tonight served as more of a catalyst for good things:

The Miz & Miztourage vs. The Hardys and Jason Jordan

This match existed solely to keep Jason Jordan on the WWE Universe’ mind. This was accomplished as Kurt Angle’s illegitimate child put on an Olympic display of suplexes.

However, after a Skull Crushing Finale, it was the Miz who pinned Jordan. This Miz fulfilled his own prophecy and the building blocks of a long term feud between Miz, Kurt Angle, and Jason Jordan are officially in place.

Winners: The Miz & Miztourage

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville

For the second time this week, Tozawa and Neville put on a fun display of wrestling. WWE made the right choice in giving Tozwawa the bigger win in front of a hot Boston crowd. However, it was Neville who won tonight after a Red Arrow.

Some people may not like the idea of them passing the Cruiserweight Championship back and forth, but WWE is doing their best to drum up excitement in 205 Live. They did that with Towzawa in Boston, but the belt is warmest when around Neville’s waist.

Winner: Neville

SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The New Day (c) vs. The Usos

This match was simply incredible. Our first upset of the night was full of inventive teamwork and brutal offense, that saw the Usos nearly superkick Big E to death. The Usos scored the pin after a double splash.

A hastily written recap will do this match no favors. If you missed it, go back and check it out. If you don’t have the WWE Network, this match is worth hitting up your sketchy cousin for his Network login so you can watch the Usos vs. The New Day in all their glory.

Winner: The Usos

Matches of Little Consequence

Big Cass vs. Big Show with Enzo Amore in a Shark Cage

If you’ve always wanted to see Enzo Amore oil himself in a rapid manner, then this match was you. If you say no to an Enzo fetish, this match did not offer much.

Big Cass gets a big win over Big Show. The end.

Winner: Big Cass

 

Randy Orton vs. Rusev

WWE stuck this right after the Big Cass/Big Show match and man, it was brief. 

After jumping Orton before the bell, Rusev took an early advantage. Once Orton got some separation, the bell rang. In the next instant, Orton hit an RKO. 1.2.3.

Hey at least they got their pay-per-view bonuses.

Winner: Randy Orton

Matches That Kind of Mattered

John Cena vs. Baron Corbin

This match’s motif was surprise. No, The Undertaker didn’t get involved, and nor did John Cena turn heel. But John Cena was SummerSlam’s curtain jerker.

When Cena’s music hit, the crowd hit an octave that only surprise can supply. It was weird to see the 16-time champion open such a big PPV, even further, his match with Corbin felt more like a house show tune-up than SummerSlam.

Cena would beat Corbin with zero to little drama — creating yet another eyebrow raising moment. Just a week ago, Corbin was one of WWE’s hottest youn acts. But in less than a week, Corbin finds himself relived of his MITB duties and losing all too easily to John Cena. 

Perhaps hard times are on the loom for the Lone Wolf.

Winner: John Cena 

 

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Natalya vs. Naomi (c) 

Unfortunately, WWE gave us little reason to care about this. The match itself was fine, but there was little at stake. That’s no slight against the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but to the creative team of WWE. They just sent two women out to have a wrestling match with no story or consequences established. An arbitrary match got an arbitrary reaction. 

In the end, Natalya won, which could have been a nice culmination to a story that wasn’t written. Instead the narrative belongs to change — as this is the was the third title change in the first two hours of SummerSlam.

Winner: Natalya

 

Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor (The Demon)

Finn Balor is 2-0 as The Demon in WWE. Bray Wyatt is 23-476 as Bray Wyatt in WWE. 

You may want to fact check that last statistic, but it certainly feels accurate. Balor had the Brooklyn crowd feeling giddy from the get go and his big SummerSlam win came as no surprise. 

This match’s result as never in question, but what’s next for Bray and Finn is of pressing matter. 

Winner: Finn Balor

 

Matches That Could Have Been Better But Served Their Purpose

RAW Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss (c)

Sasha Banks is your new RAW Women’s Champion. Just a few hours in and we can safely say 2017 SummerSlam will be remembered for the abundance of title changes. 

This match could have been so much more. It was still fun, but with the venom these gals have for one another, they deserved the opportunity to put on a classic. Perhaps this card was just too big.

Let’s hope there’s more installments to this feud.

Winner: Sasha Banks

 

 

Matches We’ll Remember

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (c) 

We finally got our crystallizing moment with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. While they made their pact on RAW, no fan was truly confident that their reunion was here to stay. 

Becoming Tag Team Champions at SummerSlam should ease that anxiety. 

Yet ANOTHER switch of titles! However this one is not debatable. Rollins and Ambrose should get a long run with the RAW belts.

Winner: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

US Championship Match: Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles (c) with Shane McMahon as Guest Referee

This match will be remembered for two things in particular:

1. AJ Styles was the first (but not only) Champion to keep his belt at SummerSlam

2. This is the match that gave us Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell.

To no one’s surprise, Shane McMahon is a bad referee. While he didn’t technically cost Owens his was, he certainly proved to be an impediment – one Owen will not forgive.

This match was fun to watch — but that’s what guys like Kevin Owens and AJ Styles do; put on good matches. 

Winner: AJ Styles

 

WWE Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal Champion (c)

Tonight, WWE chose Jinder Mahal. Not just as a temporary champion that could penetrate the India market, but as a main eventer. Where he’ll be in a year is anyone’s guess, but as far as tonight goes, Mahal is right at the top of WWE. 

Although he has beaten a future Hall of Famer in Randy Orton multiple times, few thought he’d get such a signature win at SummerSlam. 

Nakamura will be fine, we think. Although, we’ll admit to wincing once he took the pin, the Singh Brothers’ shenanigans will justify his rematch.

Winner: Jinder Mahal

 

 

WWE Universal Championship Match: Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c)

Man… 

…Man

This match was amazing. Perhaps Brock Lesnar has never been pushed this far in his WWE career. Lesnar was the focal point of the field’s collective offense from the get go. But none was more potent that Braun Strowman’s.

Strowman was the first person in WWE history to manhandle Brock Lesnar. The beating was so considerable, that Brock actually was sent backstage.

Lesnar would storm out and go toe-to-toe with Strowman – if the Wrestling Gods are good, they’ll give us that match one day. 

In the end Lesnar weathered the storm of his career. Amazing stuff. 

Winner: Brock Lesnar