WWE SummerSlam (August 2017)

Original Airdate: August 20, 2017

From Brooklyn, New York; Your Hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and John Bradshaw Layfield

Opening Match: John Cena v Baron Corbin: Cena plays games with him to start, messing with Corbin's head, and making him look like a total loser in general. John works a headlock, but Baron powers out, and puts Cena down with a series of knees. Corbin with a clothesline for two, and a vertical suplex connects, as this match struggles to get off the ground. Slam gets two, and an overhead wristlock/crossface combo wears Cena down. Cena escapes, and throws a dropkick, then starts mounting his usual comeback into the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Corbin dodges. Corbin delivers a chokeslam backbreaker for two, but a superplex attempt is blocked, and Cena comes at him with a tornado DDT to set up the Shuffle. AA looks to finish, but Baron counters to the Deep Six for two, and he hammers Cena with mounted punches. Cena just kind of ignores all of that, however, and he hits the AA at 10:13. Total burial of Corbin here, as Cena shrugged him off, and made him look like a total goof. DUD

WWE Smackdown Women's Title Match: Naomi v Natalya: Natalya walks right up and slugs her at the bell, runs into a headscissors, and Naomi slaps her challenger across the chops. Nattie bails, so Naomi chases after her with a flying somersault neckbreaker off of the steps, which gets two on the way back inside. Naomi tries a roundhouse kick, but Nattie snaps her knee across the rope to block, then sends her flying into the post with a catapult on the apron. The popularization of moves performed on the apron is one of my favorite things to come out of modern wrestling. Back in, Natalya works the champion over, and a snap suplex gets two, as Carmella watches from backstage, clutching her Money in the Bank case. Nattie with another well executed snap suplex for two, but a third one is countered with a small package for two, so Nattie levels her with a clothesline for two. Sitout scoop slam piledriver gets two, so Natalya works an abdominal stretch, then hits a discus clothesline for two. Superplex, but Naomi escapes, and brings her challenger down off the ropes with a Russian legsweep for two. That one sounds better on paper than it ended up being. Naomi with a headscissor facebuster for two, but Nattie fights off a series of kicks, and hits a dropkick for two. Naomi keeps coming with a slingshot legdrop for two, and a sunset flip is worth two. She holds onto the cradle to try for the FTG, but Nattie counters to the Sharpshooter, so Naomi powers out by slamming Nattie's head into the turnbuckles. She goes for the split-legged moonsault, but Natalya lifts her knees, and another Sharpshooter finishes at 11:01. Hmm, I didn't think they were high enough on Natalya to give her a title run at this stage. Not that she doesn't deserve one. * ¾

Big Show v Big Cass: Enzo Amore is suspended above the ring in a shark cage for this. The announcers note that this isn't the first time that Show has been in a match with someone suspended in a shark cage - facing Mankind, with Triple H locked in one, back in 1999. Holy shit, that's staggering. I mean, there are full on adults who were still fetus' back then, and Show is still wrestling. Like, Cass and Amore were in frickin' middle school in 1999, and now they're working with him on pay per view. Show dominates to start, but his bad hand slows him down. He still manages a punch for two, but Cass is able to target the hand long enough to turn the tide. He works on that, but Show still manages to get the Chokeslam for two, and Cass bails. Cass bashes the hand into the post when Show goes after him, so Enzo starts stripping down to his underwear, and he lubes himself up with oil - escaping the cage, and hopping down into the ring. Unfortunately for him, his escape was hardly stealth, and Cass simply kills him with a big boot as soon as he's on the mat. Show gets the same treatment, but it only gets two. Cass goes back to the well again, and punctuates it with an elbowdrop this time for the pin at 10:27. Shitty match, and Enzo's entire involvement was just totally pointless. ¼*

Randy Orton v Rusev: Rusev runs in before his entrance to jump Orton, and he beats him down on the outside - running Randy into the post, and slamming him into the barricade with a fallaway slam. Inside to officially start the match, but Rusev misses a charge, and eats the RKO at 0:11. Um, okay then. We're over an hour into this show, and it has all been junk thus far. But, at least I've had time to spot celebrities in the crowd. So far, looks like we've got Jeff Ross, Michael Che, Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin out there. Too bad Gorilla Monsoon isn't around to not recognize Culkin again. DUD

WWE RAW Women's Title Match: Alexa Bliss v Sasha Banks: Bliss is arrogant at the bell, and it doesn't take long to break down into a slugfest - Alexa winning. That sparks more arrogance from the champion, so Sasha throws a dropkick to send her out to the apron, but gets her throat snapped across the rope while going after her. Alexa with a flying bodypress for two, and Sasha rolls through for two. You don't usually see someone rolling through AFTER a two count, that was unique. Bliss cuts her off with a clothesline, and she stomps a mud hole in the corner, then delivers a facebuster for two. Alexa is so frickin' cute, that even though she's a phenomenal heel, it's hard to see her as dangerous. Chinlock wears Sasha down for two, and a 2^nd rope flying double-kneedrop sets up a standing moonsault for two. Ropechoke gets two, so Bliss works a headvice, but Banks counters with a schoolgirl for two. Bliss cuts her off with a clothesline for two, and the dirty looks she's shooting the referee on every near fall are just masterful. Alexa hammers away in the corner, but a choke backfires when Sasha whiplashes her off the middle rope, then shines her wizard. Sasha mounts a comeback, and a sling blade gets her two. Alexa fires back with a kneeling facebuster for two, but Banks blocks the sunset bomb by whiplashing her into the turnbuckles, then drives into her with a pair of double-kneesmashes for two. Lungblower transitions into the Bank Statement, but Alexa has the ropes, and she immediately bails to the outside from there. It's incredible how much Bliss has improved this year. Sasha follows out, so Alexa tugs at the ring skirt - pulling the carpet out from underneath the challenger, with Banks taking a bump to the floor. Bliss heads in to take the countout victory, but Sasha beats the count. Alexa is ready by immediately pouncing on the arm Sasha landed on out there, and a single-arm DDT does some damage. Twisted Bliss looks to finish, but Sasha gets a shoulder up at two! Alexa can't believe it, and throws a tantrum, but by the time she goes back after the arm, Banks is able to apply the Statement! Bliss rips at the arm to escape, but Sasha slaps it back on as Alexa goes for a cover, and we have a new champion at 13:17. Much better than the Great Balls of Fire match. I'm actually surprised they took the belt off of Alexa, since she had a great groove going. Good match here, with Alexa's brilliant character work and psychology making up for her still developing execution. ***

Bray Wyatt v Finn Balor: Balor attacks with fists to start, knocking Wyatt to the outside. Finn follows for a jumping forearm out there, then back inside for a snapmare to set up a seated dropkick. Bray bails, so Balor dives with a somersault tope suicida, but ends up taking a vertical suplex on the floor while trying to bring it back into the ring. Bray hammers him in the corner on the way back in, and a modified shoulderbreaker gets two. Wyatt works a chinlock to wear Balor down, but Sister Abigail is blocked, and Finn buys time with a double-stomp. Pele kick follows, and a pair of axehandles sends Bray to the outside for a baseball slide. Balor dives off the apron with a double-stomp to the back of Wyatt's head, but Bray shakes him off on the way back in. Abigail, but Balor counters with a sling blade, so Bray nails him with a big boot, followed by a uranage for two. Senton splash gets two, but a trip to the middle rope ends in Balor kicking him down, and hitting an inverted DDT for two. Bray bails, so Finn chases after him with a running dropkick, then back inside for another one - only for Wyatt to block with a clothesline for two. He tries to play some mind games, but Balor ignores him with a sling blade, and a corner dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace at 10:39. Solid match here, with both guys working hard, and not overstaying their welcome. ** ½

WWE RAW Tag Team Title Match: Cesaro and Sheamus v Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins: Both teams feel each other out to start, until the challengers start doubling up on Cesaro. That draws Sheamus in, but the challengers clean house, and the champs regroup on the outside. Seth dives after both with a tope, but gets caught, and slammed on the floor for his troubles, while Ambrose eats a Brogue Kick. Inside, Cesaro hits Seth with the dead lift gutwrench suplex, and Sheamus tags in for a kneedrop. The champs cut the ring in half on Rollins, but Seth escapes a sleeper from Cesaro, and manages a 2^nd rope flying somersault neckbreaker. Unfortunately for him, Dean is still selling the Brogue Kick on the outside, and he has no one to tag out to. That allows Sheamus to grab him with a suplex-slam, and the champs go back to work. Cesaro makes a hilarious pit stop to run into the crowd and destroy a beach ball that's been flying around and distracting the crowd, and he's back just in time to help keep Rollins leashed. That was pretty awesome, and the crowd popped big for it. How are they not pushing this guy to the moon? Dean gets annoyed at the double teaming, and dives with a flying axehandle onto both champions, allowing Rollins to make the tag! Ambrose comes in hot, and hits Sheamus with a plancha, followed by a backslide on Cesaro for two. Swinging neckbreaker on Cesaro sets up a dive, but Sheamus looks to cut it off, so Seth comes back in with a flying clothesline on the redhead. The challengers dump them both to the outside for stereo topes, then take Cesaro in for a bearhug/sling blade combo for two! They go for the kill, but Sheamus pulls Rollins out, allowing Cesaro to nail Ambrose with an uppercut. Neutralizer, but Dean blocks, and a slugfest ends in Ambrose hitting the rebound clothesline, as the referee restores order. Sheamus tags, but gets vertical superplexed while trying to come in from the top, and Seth punctuates Dean's move with a flying frogsplash for two! They go for a tandem powerbomb, but Cesaro comes in to put a stop to it, and Sheamus capitalizes with a tilt-a-whirl slam on Ambrose for two. Tag to Cesaro, and he comes off the top with a flying bodypress, but Dean rolls through for two. Dirty Deeds, but Cesaro counters with a giant swing into the sharpshooter! Dean tries to hold on long enough for Seth to save, but Sheamus takes him out on the floor, and Ambrose is all alone! He manages to inch toward the ropes, so Cesaro cuts him off with a crippler crossface, followed by a powerbomb/flying clothesline combo with Sheamus for two! Tandem crucifix powerbomb gets two when Seth saves, but the champs quickly get rid of him. They go back to pounding Ambrose, but Seth brings Cesaro off the top with a rana to stop another tandem move, then superkicks Sheamus into the Dirty Deeds at 18:36! Took a little while to find its voice, but it got pretty awesome once it did, with cool tandem combos, and lots of action. *** ¼

WWE United States Title Match: AJ Styles v Kevin Owens: Shane McMahon acts as the special guest referee for this one. Shane gets tested right away, having to get in between a brawl before the bell even sounds, and physically restraining both combatants. They spill right to the outside once the bell sounds, where AJ controls a brawl, and he hits a dropkick on the way back in. Backbreaker and a kneedrop follow, but Kevin clobbers him with a clothesline during an exchange in the corner, and the Cannonball gets him two. Short-clothesline sets up a senton splash for two, and Owens works a chinlock. Sitout reverse matslam gets two, but AJ fires back with a wheelbarrow facebuster. Styles Clash, but Owens backdrops his way out of it, and hits a superkick. Pop-Up Powerbomb, but AJ counters with a fireman's neckbreaker for two. He goes up, so Kevin shoves Shane into the ropes to crotch him, then tries bringing the champion down with a Samoan drop off the top, but Styles counters with a sunset bomb! Springboard 450 splash, so Kevin uses Shane as a human shield, and McMahon gets the worst of it. That allows Owens to drop Styles with the Pop-Up Powerbomb, but it only gets two. AJ tries the Calf Crusher, but Owens escapes, bumping Shane in the process. God, leave poor Shane alone. He's already beet red and sweating profusely here. AJ gets the hold on, and Owens is tapping out, but there's no referee. Styles gets pissed, allowing Owens a schoolboy for two, but another Cannonball is blocked with a forearm, and AJ vertical suplexes his challenger into the turnbuckles. He takes Kevin up for a rana off the top, but Owens blocks, and brings AJ down with a muscle buster for two! Slugfest ends in Styles throwing the pele kick, but Kevin dodges, and hits a superkick. Pop-Up Powerbomb, but AJ holds onto the ropes to block, and the Clash gets two. Phenomenal Forearm, but Kevin gets out of the way, and the Pop-Up Powerbomb is worth two. Owens, however, thinks it was three, and he's already celebrating. Shane has the unenviable task of sharing the bad news with him, which allows AJ to sneak up with a schoolboy for two. Pele kick sets up another try at the Phenomenal Forearm, and he sticks the landing this time, then hits the Clash to retain at 17:32. Unlike most series of matches, the returns only seem to diminish with these two. ***

WWE Title Match: Jinder Mahal v Shinsuke Nakamura: As with the first couple of years of the original brand split, I've never understood why they opt to make the established and historically significant WWE Title the B-show belt. Feeling out process to start, with Nakamura annoying him, and dumping the champion to the outside to frustrate him. I get it - Nakamura annoys and frustrates me as well. Mahal comes back in, but runs into a leg lariat, as we check in with the Indian and Japanese broadcast teams to get their reactions to this. I'd hate to live in any country where my representative was either of these idiots. The Singh Brothers distract Nakamura to allow Mahal a sneak attack, and he pounds his challenger down, and applies a cobra clutch. Backelbow and a series of elbowsmashes set up a chinlock, but Nakamura escapes, and here come the kicks. And the knees. Can't forget the knees. Triangle choke is applied, but Jinder is quickly in the ropes to force a break, so Nakamura hits a sitout gourdbuster. Charge misses, allowing Mahal a schoolboy for two, and a high knee gets two. Cobra clutch again, but Nakamura blocks with a kick, so Jinder charges - only to miss, and hit the post. Nakamura capitalizes with (you guessed it) more kicks, but the Singh's get involved to save their man - allowing Mahal to hit the Cobra Slam to retain at 11:23. Really boring. DUD

Main Event: WWE Universal Title Fatal Four-Way Match: Brock Lesnar v Roman Reigns v Braun Strowman v Samoa Joe: Brock overhead suplexes Joe to send him to the outside, where Reigns is already posting Strowman, leaving them to show down. Lesnar quickly hits Roman with a German suplex, so Joe tries to sneak attack, but Brock is ready with a German on him as well. In comes Strowman, but the other two come in before we can find out if Lesnar can suplex him as well. They quickly clean house so they can have their showdown properly, and the crowd is buying into it, big. Strowman tosses Lesnar around and clotheslines his ass over the top, but then turns around, and gets blasted with a clothesline from Reigns. Meanwhile, Joe has grabbed Brock in the Coquina Clutch on the outside, so Roman hops out, and spears Lesnar through the barricade! Joe grabs Reigns for a uranage on an announce table, but gets taken out by Strowman before he can follow-up, and Braun puts Brock through a table with a running powerslam! Man, this has been all action thus far! Strowman rolls Joe in to finish, but Roman dives at him with a Drive-By before he can, allowing Joe time to recover to nail Reigns with a tope! Braun responds by chucking a fucking OFFICE CHAIR (the swivel kind!) at Samoan Swat Team 2.0, then decides to drop Lesnar through another table with another running powerslam. Damn, this boy came to play tonight. Not satisfied, he decides to lift the remaining announce table, and then slams THAT down on Lesnar as well! This is just awesome! That's enough to get the champion stretchered out, and the match grinds to a halt so we can follow that. Okay, with that out of the way, Braun can get back to wreaking havoc, and he doesn't disappoint - grabbing the steps, and bashing anything that moves. He decides to focus on Reigns, and rolls him into the ring, but the Big Dog manages to kick the middle rope to crotch Strowman, then whacks him with the steps a few times. He manages to knock Braun out of the ring, but it takes a lot out of him, and Joe is able to sneak up with a schoolboy for two. Senton splash gets two, but Roman blocks a uranage, and drops him like a Samoan for two. Fitting. Superman Punch, but Joe blocks with a kick, and he slaps on the Clutch - only for Strowman to come in with a double chokeslam! That gets two on Reigns, and we see that poor Braun is bleeding out of his EAR from the abuse with the steps earlier. He looks to finish up, but suddenly Brock decides to march back down the aisle, and he spears the big monster down! Clothesline sends him over the top, and a hopped up Lesnar starts German suplexing stuff. He fails to get Braun through one, so he tries the kimura instead, but Roman saves with a Superman to knock Strowman out of the ring. Spear on Lesnar gets two, but a second try is cut off by Joe with the Clutch! Strowman saves by dropkicking them both, and a front-powerslam on Joe gets two when Lesnar pulls the referee out to interrupt the count! Roman hustles out for a Superman on Brock, and one on Strowman is worth two. Spear, but Braun counters with a big boot, and a running powerslam looks to finish, but Lesnar breaks the count at two. He tries an F5 on Strowman, but gets countered to the front-powerslam, so Reigns comes in with a spear to stop the effort. That sends Braun to the outside, allowing Lesnar to try the F5 on Reigns, but he blocks. Joe dumps Roman to the outside before he can follow-up, however, and he grabs Lesnar in the Clutch! Brock counters with an escape into the F5, but Reigns slides in the save at two! Superman on Lesnar rocks Brock's world, as does a second. He won't stay down, so Roman throws a third, but the spear is countered with the F5 at 20:50! Now THAT'S a main event! **** ½

BUExperience: Hey, you know how I said that the TakeOver card from the night before was ‘everything I loved about wrestling?’ Yeah, this is the exact opposite of that. Way too much filler, too long, shitty booking – lots of negatives here. Luckily, not all bad, especially the blistering main event. The first hour is brutal though, and you can safely skip everything before the RAW Women’s title match (which basically cuts this down to a standard three hour pay per view), and make sure you save room for the main event.

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