The WWE Championship match at WWE SummerSlam was the first match in recent months that felt like a “big fight.” Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre have been the top stars of WWE RAW for months now. Heading into the match, it felt like the rare situation where neither man could afford to lose and both men needed to win. When the match went on as the penultimate bout, some fans groaned because it seemed like WWE would take the easy way out with a messy finish. Instead, the match ended with a pinfall, as McIntyre pinned Orton to earn one of the biggest wins of his career.
Orton was protected in defeat; McIntyre used a backslide pin to narrowly earn the victory. Orton has a natural excuse for a rematch next week at WWE Payback, as he could easily point out the unimpressive nature of the backslide pin for the win. McIntyre’s reign as WWE Champion has been a letdown; challengers like Dolph Ziggler have made McIntyre look weak by comparison, and the lack of live crowds have deprived McIntyre of the support face champions usually rely on. But by having McIntyre beat Orton, WWE at least erased any doubt as to whether they believe in the Scottish Psychopath as a main event player.
The conclusion to the Braun Strowman/Bray Wyatt trilogy of 2020 pay-per-view matches came in the main event of WWE SummerSlam. The creative for the match in recent weeks has been questionable, as Strowman has been a heel-like character and WWE has hinted at a romance between the monstrous Wyatt and Alexa Bliss. Going a traditional route by focusing on the monster movie-like class between Strowman and Wyatt wouldn’t have been inventive, but sometimes the most logical approach is the best one. A final showdown between the Fiend and the Monster Among Men didn’t require a lot of innovative writing, but WWE tried to add layers to it. The result was a convoluted story where it was hard to fully root for anyone.
The match itself didn’t live up to its Swamp Fight predecessor; it was an ordinary Falls Count Anywhere match that spilled into the backstage area. That’s something fans have seen several times this year alone. But here, the destination was more important than the journey. A clean victory for Wyatt was the right call, as there’s a lot more room to explore with Wyatt and other challengers on SmackDown. That’s especially true when you factor in the unforgettable ending to the show.
The Big Dog is back. Roman Reigns returned after Wyatt defeated Strowman. At first, it looked like Reigns had arrived to play the John Cena to Wyatt’s monster; he was there to save the day. But then Reigns attacked Strowman, trash talked him and said that Strowman couldn’t handle the responsibility of being the champion. Then, Reigns brutally attacked Strowman with a chair, grabbed the title and said, ‘This is mine.” The thrilling conclusion should energize the WWE Universe, whether you love Reigns or not. His absence has weakened WWE’s main event scene, so his return adds a major player back into the field.
Reigns’ actions lead to many compelling questions. Is he a heel now? Is he the leader of Retribution? Many fans online compared Reigns’ t-shirt, which had “Wreck everyone & leave,” printed on it, to Retribution’s actions. If this connection is correct, Reigns’ return not only helps WWE’s main event scene; it legitimizes Retribution, which has drawn a lot of criticism due to its lack of star power. Regardless, this week’s episode of SmackDown is the most must-see WWE show in recent memory.
The Three Count:
- It’s too soon to fully judge it, but the ThunderDome has been a disappointment. The set-up at the Performance Center wasn’t perfect, but at least there, the wrestlers were performing for actual people in the crowd rather than screens. It’s unsettling to see a whole wall of faces staring at you when you’re trying to watch a match; it feels like a nightmarish Zoom meeting. The crowd noise is a plus, as it’s a closer comparison to an actual audience.
- Hot take: Otis is one of the weakest Money in the Bank holders in recent memory. Maybe there’s something going on behind the scenes. But, on paper, Otis was been booked terribly since he won the briefcase. He only appeared on this show to celebrate with Rose when she defeated Deville.
- The Hurt Business has the potential to be a great stable. But MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin keep coming out on the losing side of things. Unless WWE rights the ship soon, they’ll wind up letting another promising group slip through their fingers.
On the whole, WWE SummerSlam fell short of what many fans expected. The main matches delivered, but they weren’t instant classics. Instead, they were fairly forgettable. In a few months, fans might look back fondly on this show if the stories featured on it (the dissension of the Golden Role Models, Reigns’ return, etc.) progress favorably. But Roman Reigns’ surprise appearance saved the show and could serve as a boon for WWE programming in the weeks to come.
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