Here’s my final thoughts on WWE Raw and SmackDown Live’s Summerslam 2017!
Neville vs. Akira Tozawa (c) (with Titus O’Neil) (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
Reactions: This was a solid Cruiserweight matchup between two very capable competitors. Tozawa is a living, breathing firecracker who’s matches tend to always be high energy. Neville arrived with revenge on his mind and that was easy to see during this championship rematch. Tozawa got most of the offense here, but Neville’s in-ring smarts got the better of the high-octane member of Titus’ stable. Decent match with an unexpected (and for me, disheartening) result.
Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
The New Day (Big E and/or Xavier Woods and/or Kofi Kingston) (c) vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
Reactions: This might be the first time in Kickoff Show history where the crowd was caught chanting “THIS IS AWESOME!” And I have to agree with everyone who yelled that inside the Barclays Center. Both these teams have incredible chemistry with each other, which was evident during their excellent Battleground match. They put on another amazing performance here that felt a bit fresher thanks to some innovative tag team moves from Woods and Big E. The Usos shocked me and the live crowd with something just as cool (I legit hopped off my couch when Woods got thrown to the outside and then destroyed with a Samoan Drop). This match was built up efficiently and by the time it got into the middle portion, the crowd began losing their minds (and so did I). Big E’s destruction via a double Superkick/Superfly Splash and the shocking result makes this one of the standout matches from this year’s summerSlam. Can we get a 2-out-of-3 Falls rematch next?
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) and Jason Jordan vs. The Miz and The Miztourage (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas) (with Maryse) (6-Man Tag Team Match)
Reactions: Doesn’t get anymore basic than this. This was a disappointingly bland 6-man tag team match that lacked any crowd interest since most of the arena was still empty. Nothing remarkable happened here. It was what it was. The Miz got a win over Jordan, which sets up a future IC Championship feud between the two at least.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Cesaro and Sheamus (c) vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
Reactions: I’m always down to watch a slow burning tag team match. This was the purest definition of that sort of instance. Ambrose and Rollins were the strange bedfellows who that title wouldn’t have applied to back in 2014. Cesaro and Sheamus stood united and worked together perfectly as they took advantage of Rollins near the match’s early portions. When Ambrose got his chance to run wild, this match kicked into a higher gear. His comeback sequences tend to do that, and with Rollins by his side, that moment’s excitement became magnified. The double Suicide Dive and fresh tag team maneuvers from the former Shield brothers were awesome along with Cesaro and Sheamus’ impressive moveset. The closing moments saw Cesaro and Sheamus pull out everything from their bag of finishing moves, but Rollins’ insane Frankensteiner helped turned the tide for his team. That wild ending and the rest of the this match all equaled up to a fine performance.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
Reactions: Corbin hasn’t impressed me much with his main roster performances. But I had a feeling he’d go that much harder and show some better potential against WWE’s #1 guy. And that’s exactly what happened here. Corbin put in a ton of work and made himself look better than he’s ever been. Cena gelled pretty well with the big man as Corbin used his powerful offense to match up with Cena’s slickness. Corbin looked like the world beater he’s promoted to be and he pulled out his best moves. But Cena still ended up on the winning end of this fun opening match. While it was a bit too short for my tastes, I still got a kick out of Corbin’s coming out party. But in more important news…CENA FINALLY ENDED HIS SUMMERSLAM LOSING STREAK!
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
“The Demon” Finn Bálor vs. Bray Wyatt
Reactions: THE DEMON KING HAS RETURNED! REJOICE! His entrance was as awe inspiring as I figured it would be. As for the match itself, it was a pretty solid contest that was made a bit more interesting thanks to the mind games being played. Bray and Finn pulled out all their creepiest poses in an attempt to thwart the other’s psychological warfare. Finn was more motivated than he usually is here as he never slowed down during this fun affair. Bray looked strong at certain points and even looked like he’d be on the winning end of this grudge match. But Finn just seemed to be 10 steps ahead of Bray on this evening. I enjoyed this and got way more enjoyment than I thought I would out of Finn’s demonic antics.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Big Cass vs. Big Show (Enzo Amore Will be Suspended Above the Ring in a Shark Cage)
Reactions: Man…this was pretty painful to watch. And it was pretty excruciating to listen to Enzo yell at the top of his lungs all the while. When the best part of this match is Enzo using baby oil to slip through his floating prison, you know there’s problems. Cass wins, so there you have it.
Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Reactions: Welp…I guess those “RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!” memes are gonna become a thing again. I had high hopes for Rusev here. I figured he’d get some of his steam back with a triumphant win over Orton. It even looked to be in the cards for the “Bulgarian Brute” as he tore into Orton during his entrance. But sadly, I was completely off with my prediction. Orton took Rusev out in mere seconds after the bell rang with an RKO. I’m kinda cool with this because we got an unexpected SummerSam moment to bear witness to. But it still pains me to see Rusev treated this way…
Rating: WHOA! Then ugh…
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship Match with Shane McMahon as the Special Guest Referee)
Reactions: Up until this match, all the title holders were forced to relinquish their championships after losing. Styles broke that trend by being the first person to not fail at his title defense. But it looked like he was on the verge of losing his US Championship to Owens at several points. The added drama of Shane McMahon playing the role of special guest referee made this bout such a nail biter. Shane did a great job of adding doubt to his calls on pinfalls and submissions. Styles and Owens always put on an impressive showing, but this encounter was filled with more drama thanks to Shane’s presence. Styles and Owens went back and forth in a match that kept the streak of good matches at this show alive. Owens’ verbal attacks on Shane were hilarious, by the way (YOU FELL OFF A BUILDING!). Styles needed a Phenomenal Elbow AND a Styles Clash to finally finish Owens, so at least Owens looked strong in defeat. I’m guessing Owens vs. Shane will now happen at some point (Hell in a Cell?). Nevertheless, this was a good title defense from Styles.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Jinder Mahal (c) (with Sunil Singh and Samir Singh) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship)
Reactions: Mahal’s championship defenses never seem to go above decent. They tend to stay within the meh to decent range. I figured Nakamura would be the first man to get an even more worthwhile match out of Mahal, but that didn’t come to be. When Nakamura was in control, the match came alive. But as always, Mahal’s moments of domination left a lot to be desired. To the surprise of no one, Mahal’s boys repeatedly interfered and caused Nakamura to lose focus. Those old school heel tactics are starting to grow a bit stale after seeing Mahal on top for so long. This wasn’t horrible or anything. Just…underwhelming.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks (WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Reactions: While this match moved at a more tepid pace than SD Live’s ladies contest, it was still just as good. The crowd seems to have turned on Banks (plus it seems like their love for Bayley has dissipated, too). Bliss got a lot of love from the live crowd, but all their excitement died down as this match unfolded. Even with the tepid fan response, I still found some enjoyment from this title match. Bliss dominated at points and played her character role well, while Banks played the face-in-peril role as it should be and pulled off some slick counters. Bliss’ use of the ring apron skirt proved to be a pretty funny moment to watch unfold. Banks ended up being the one to finally ending Bliss’ title reign, which was a cool moment to see. Good match here. The live crowd probably doesn’t have the same opinion I do, though…
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Naomi (c) vs. Natalya (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship)
Reactions: First things first, let me apologize to both ladies for underestimating their talent. What we got here was a surprisingly good title bout that showed just how impressive these ladies can be against each other. Naomi’s lackluster reign may have been a bore, but at least she put on an impressive performance during her final title defense. Natalya dialed up the meter on her heel tactics and looked all the more badass when she had the match under control. Naomi’s flashy comeback added more fuel to the match and kept things interesting all the while. Natalya’s Sharpshooter granted her ownership over the SD Live Women’s Championship after participating in a bout I initially doubted.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman (Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Universal Championship)
Reactions: You know those Kaiju battles that are still all the rage? WWE gave us one tonight. Four of the most dangerous behemoths in the company gave us one of the most entertaining opening moments of a match…EVER! This was filled with balls-to-the-wall action, especially when Strowman manhandled Lesnar. This was one of those rare times where Lesnar got beaten and beaten badly. Strowman was already a star, but now he’s even more credible since he was the one that got medical personnel to take Lesnar out on a stretcher. Joe and Reigns had their jaw dropping moments too and helped lend more great action to an explosive main event. The middle portion was fun, but Lesnar’s return sent this match into overdrive. Multiple Running Powerslam’s, F5’s, Superman Punches and Kokina Clutches were doled out as the crowd lost their shi…minds. The final F5 given to Reigns ended one of the best SummerSlam matches and one of the better contests of 2017.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Match of the Night
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman!
Final Verdict
SummerSlam 2017 was a tale of two shows – one half that featured matches that were expected to be awesome. And another half that featured matches that ranged from completely forgettable to pleasantly surprising. The New Day vs. The Usos almost took MOTN honors until Raw’s monsters battled in the main event. Both women’s matches were solid, Styles vs. Owens was filled with drama (the good kind), Cena had a solid bout with Corbin, Finn outwitted Bray and the former Shield brothers became tag team champs. The rest of the show wasn’t much to speak of, though. Overall, the Barclays Center was treated to a pretty good show filled with title changes and shocking conclusions.
Final Score: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
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