Results, Recap, Review of WWE Summerslam 2017
Tonight was the 30th annual Summerslam and it had a lot to live up to after NXT Takeover the night before. On paper this card looked like it could be one of the best in Summerslam history. Could the 30th Summerslam live up to the hype? Before I answer that question here are the results of Summerslam:
-Preshow: The Miz, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas defeated The Hardy Boys and Jason Jordan
-Preshow: Neville defeated Akira Tozawa to become the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion
-Preshow: The Uso’s defeated The New Day to become the new Smackdown Tag Team Champions
-John Cena defeated Baron Corbin
-Natalya defeated Naomi to become the new WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion
-Big Cass defeated Big Show
-Randy Orton defeated Rusev
-Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss to become the new WWE Raw Women’s Champion
-Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to become the new WWE Raw Tag Team Champions
-AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens to retain the United States Championship
-Jinder Mahal defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship
-Brock Lesnar defeated Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman to retain the WWE Universal Championship
The preshow was a little disappointed in terms of the match order. I feel like the Cruiserweight Championship should have been first then the 6-man tag. I am sorry but there is no way in hell that The Hardy’s and The Miz should be the opener on a major pay-per-view. I was also disappointed that Neville won back the Cruiserweight Title so quickly. It really shows WWE’s lack of faith in the 205 Live Division and that no one other then Neville can carry the torch. The Smackdown Tag Team Championship was a main even worthy match and should have been on the main card. After this incredible match The Uso’s are now the four time tag team champions which is well deserved. I personally don’t like the Uso’s but you cannot deny that they have become the best tag team in the last decade. Before the excitement could begin they had a chaotic KFC commercial which ended with Shawn Michaels coming out to the ring dressed as Col. Sanders.
The opening match was John Cena taking on Baron Corbin in a match that got personal this past week when Cena cost Corbin the WWE Title. Cena seemed very confident that he would get through Corbin with no problem. Corbin looked great in this match but his backstage heat has given him the worst week of his career. I really hope that Corbin gets over this situation and get back to his main event push. He’s too talented and too deserving to be held back like he was this week. Speaking of someone who has been held back for the majority of her career is Natalya. Natalya has been the veteran of this Women’s Division for quite some time. I really felt going into this pay-per-view it should be her moment to have for all of her hard work. I am so happy that Nattie got her moment to shine. Like her family in the past she was in a highly contested WWE title match at Summerslam and was victorious.
Following an incredible title match we had the interesting rivalry between Big Cass and Big Show with Amore in a shark cage above the ring. I think there were bigger things planned for Cass but with Amore’s backstage heat those plans got put on hold. Unfortunately for Cass it’s guilty by association. Another rivalry that came together out of nowhere is Rusev and Randy Orton. Rusev is really at a crossroads in his career and this 10 second loss really hurt him. I don’t even know who Rusev pissed off backstage but that left me very perplexed. I also don’t know where Orton goes from here either. His career seems to be winding down and he doesn’t have anyone really to feud with. I have a feeling that after tonight Rusev will be asking for his release from the company. He’s been unhappy with where he’s at for awhile so it is really starting to add up.
The second women’s title match was just as good as the first. I was really surprised that Alexa lost to Sasha. Alexa has been on top of her game since coming to Raw and she’s been one of the best NXT call-ups in recent years. This is not the last of Alexa Bliss but it’s time for Banks to turn heel and feud with Bayley once and for all. I don’t know what crowd’s problem is with Bayley lately but it’s kind of annoying. She doesn’t have the personality to be a heel so quit trying to make her one. I am looking forward to more matches between Bliss and Banks because of their legitimate disliking for one another. When it comes to unique personalities there is no one more unique then Bray Wyatt. I am so glad this feud with Finn Balor finally happened. I had a feeling the Demon would be returning when this feud started and it did not disappoint. It was so great to see Balor with that dark personality again and I think it add a huge element to who he is. I am so happy to see Finn Balor back on the big stage and getting a victory in the building where his career was suddenly halted last year.
One of the matches that I was most intrigued about for Summerslam was Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose taking on Cesaro and Sheamus for the Tag Team Titles. My biggest fear is that if Cesaro and Sheamus lost the titles they would go back to being misused on the roster. I think this tag team has been the best thing has happened to both men. I absolutely loved that Cesaro went into the crowd and ripped the beach ball up. I love the fact he thinks fast like that in the ring. I have enjoyed watching this Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose story unfold. They both are lost in the shuffle due to all the big men being in the World Title picture. This has been an incredible last year for Cesaro and Sheamus and I hope this title loss is not the end for the two of them. I hope to see this feud continue for a long time. Speaking of great feuds, I have been absolutely loving the feud between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. For Summerslam you had the extra added element of Shane McMahon as the special guest referee. Owens and Styles always have great matches against each other but again Shane’s presence made it even better. I love the absolute tension that was in the ring with the two competitors and the referee. It made for a dynamic match and a great story that will lead to a confrontation between Owens and McMahon.
The double main events at Summerslam had an incredible amount of hype. First up was the WWE Championship between champion Jinder Mahal and challenger Shinsuke Nakamura. This had international flavor written all over it and that is very good for international business. The crowd was on fire for Nakamura and rightfully so. He has become one of the most beloved superstars in recent memory. Jinder Mahal is one of the better stories that’s happen in WWE. He along with former 3MB member Drew McIntyre have really turned their careers around. I was really surprised that Mahal went over on Nakamura that easily. I don’t get how you derail the momentum of Nakamura to continue the momentum of Mahal. Nakamura draws more money and does more for business, but it’s a simple case of WWE not doing good business when it matters. The Main Event of Summerslam was the Fatal Four-Way for the Universal Championship. It was champion Brock Lesnar taking on three fierce competitors in Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Samoa Joe. All four have a great case as to why the should have won the match and the rumors of Brock fighting in the UFC again made it more intriguing. This match was all out chaos and carnage with these four men. I was really shocked that Lesnar kept the title with how high the stock is of the other three men.
Summerslam was a really great show that did live up to the hype. I was really impressed with how everyone stepped up their game tonight. I was a little disappointed with some of the outcomes but hopefully in the end the right people will be put in the spotlight. If I am giving out rating I will give Summerslam an 8 out of 10 for match qualities and a few swerves along the way. The next Raw pay-per-view is September 24th which is No Mercy. For Smackdown their superstars will be competing inside Hell in a Cell. It was a great night of action in Brooklyn and tonight no one will be sleeping after that.
