WWE SUMMERSLAM

 Detroit

LOGAN PAUL vs. RICOCHET (18:00): Dave Meltzer noted recently on his show that the WWE is the hottest it’s been since 2001. That’s pretty crazy, considering they don’t really have a huge star like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, or The Rock. Roman Reigns is considered the big star these days, and The Bloodline storyline is supposedly the main catalyst for the WWE’s recent surge in popularity. Meltzer also noted that Dominick Mysterio and his various storylines have helped the WWE’s popularity. But is the WWE any good? Or, at least, better now than it has been in all those less popular years? Not really. I did think the Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns storyline was the best thing the WWE has done since The Summer of Punk way back in 2011. Sadly, the WWE didn’t have Zayn fulfill his quest, thus negating that storyline. Sami Zayn wasn’t even on this show, which tells you how much the WWE botched the ending to that story. This show filled up Detroit’s football field with around 50,000 fans. I suppose that means that nobody cared that Sami Zayn didn’t win the title…or Cody at Wrestlemania. Considering the huge crowd and this being the 2^nd biggest show of the year for WWE, I thought it was a little disappointing. There weren’t any great matches, although there were some good ones and it was entertaining throughout for the most part. The one reason I like AEW more than the WWE is because AEW has great matches. The last great match the WWE had was probably Gunther vs. Sheamus way back in September of last year. As for this opener, it was fun with a lot of high flying moves. This was put on first so Logan Paul could get a flight to Dallas to be there for his brother’s PPV boxing match against Nate Diaz. That fight went the ten round distance and Jake Paul won a decision. While Jake Paul did knock down Diaz once, Jake Paul didn’t exactly look like a great fighter or anything considering Diaz looked and acted like he not only didn’t want to be there, but he didn’t care. I was kind of hoping for at least one, big, crazy move in this match, considering they did that in both the Royal Rumble and in their Money in the Bank match. They tried a Spanish Fly from the apron and both were supposed to land on their feet but Ricochet kind of fell over. So this was a little sloppy, although Logan Paul is actually super athletic and a fun wrestler to watch. This wasn’t even spectacular or anything but one of the better matches on the show, plus the crowd was still awake and alert and thus into it. **1/2

CODY RHODES vs. BROCK LESNAR (17:29): The big Detroit crowd was not the greatest. Like most WWE audiences, they don’t care about the actual wrestling, but they’ll stand up when someone goes on the top rope and they’ll cheer for title changes or interference. They did cheer when Brock kept beating the shit out of Cody and tossing him out of the ring but Cody kept making the ten count at the last second. Considering Cody is supposed to be this big star and top wrestler and in line to win the title, why did they have Brock beat him up mercilessly for 99% of this match? They were kind of showing to the audience that Brock is better. Eventually Cody delivered his finisher three times and pinned Brock. Lamely, Brock raised Cody’s hand after the match even though Brock had been kicking his ass non-stop in heelish ways for the last three months. Brock even broke his arm at one point, even though a broken arm takes months to heel yet Cody is miraculously cured. I kind of wish they had done more of a 50/50 match to make Cody look better, but it was fairly dramatic and entertaining. Will Cody finally be the one to beat Roman for the title? Presumably in Philly next year at Wrestlemania? If so, why didn’t they just fucking do it this year? **1/2

BATTLE ROYAL (LA KNIGHT) (12:46): LA Knight is super over and I don’t understand why. I don’t watch Smackdown a lot, so I didn’t see his “rise” occur. I remember he was a heel in NXT, so I have no idea why fans are cheering him now and yelling his “yeah” catch phrase. I did watch him talk on this week’s Smackdown and he kind of talks in the Stone Cold, tough guy, anti-authority type of way. I guess fans enjoy that bit. Well LA Knight won this Battle Royal, although I’m not sure what the winner gets. LA Knight isn’t beating Roman Reigns, that’s for sure, although that would be hilarious if he did. The big story early was Omos was just destroying everyone and eventually they all teamed up to toss him out. Bronson Reed, Sheamus, AJ Styles, and Knight were the last ones left. Knight eliminated Sheamus to win. The final few minutes were good. **

SHAYNA BASZLER vs. RONDA ROUSEY (7:26): Ronda is apparently leaving the WWE so this might be the last time you see her. I don’t know if she’s gone for good or coming back later. It is strange how her popularity has plummeted. The WWE hasn’t given her much to do lately, anyway, besides put her in a forgettable tag team with Baszler. This was an MMA rules match, which means the crowd was a silent tomb. It was very boring, but also nobody cares about this feud. -No Stars-

GUNTHER vs. DREW McINTYRE (13:43): Everyone thought this would be a good match, probably because Gunther vs. Sheamus last year was great and Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre was good. This was too short and Gunther seemed to win too easily. I guess Drew’s “push” is over. They really should have given him the title at that gigantic Cardiff show last year. I still feel bad for all those Cardiff fans having to go home sad. Gunther is awesome, but his unbeatable run is getting pretty monotonous. Plus there’s very few wrestlers in the WWE that can have a great match with him, considering he’s a great wrestler and everyone else is an entertainer. Gunther should go to New Japan. Fuck, that’d be awesome. *1/2

SETH ROLLINS vs. FINN BALOR (18:27): This was a good match, although not having Finn win the title is such a bad decision. The WWE is really bad at ending storylines on a high note. Finn beat Seth at Summerslam years ago to become the first ever Universal champion. Finn injured his shoulder in that match and had to relinquish the title. He never got the title back…ever. Now these two are having a title match at Summerslam. The perfect ending would be to have Finn win the title he never got a chance to enjoy having. But no, the WWE writers are fucking morons, just ask Sami Zayn. Besides the bad ending, the match was actually pretty good. The crowd wasn’t into it until Damian Priest came out with his MITB briefcase and then eventually Dominick and Rhea Ripley showed up. They all interfered, although it backfired and Seth gave Finn a curb stomp on the briefcase to retain the title. Good match. I feel bad for Finn Balor. The WWE gave him that new, stupid name and now they’re fucking him over yet again. ***

BIANCA BELAIR vs. ASUKA vs. CHARLOTTE FLAIR (20:45)/ IYO SKY vs. BIANCA BELAIR (0:10): The crowd was either tired or just didn’t care about actual wrestling, because they were pretty quiet while all three were delivering wrestling holds and moves to one another back and forth in the center of the ring. They did a storyline in this where Bianca injured her knee going off the top rope and then being helped to the back. Of course she returned and climbed up the top rope to do a 450. Huh? I thought she was hurt? How is she even standing on the top rope? Bianca then won the title from Asuka, but Iyo Sky ran down and cashed in her MITB briefcase and won the title. Most people thought Charlotte was winning the title because the WWE wants her to get the record for title defenses. Iyo Sky is great and the crowds love her, but I doubt she’ll have a long run as champ. For whatever reason this match did not work. All three just didn’t really mesh well together. *1/2

ROMAN REIGNS vs. JEY USO (36:04): The big problem I had with this main event was the fact that Jey Uso was obviously not winning the title. At your 2^nd biggest show of the year, you kind of want to at least deliver a glimmer of hope that a title change will occur. And while this Bloodline storyline is the reason the WWE has surged in popularity, at this point if just feels like they’re beating a dead horse. If you remember, when Roman won the title in 2020, Jey was his enemy. They even had a Hell in a Cell match for the title in October 2020. Then Jey eventually joined Roman. So Jey was a babyface, then a heel, now he’s a babyface again. His brother, Jimmy Uso, interfered in this match and turned on Jey, costing him this match. So Jey was a heel and with Roman, then a babyface and against Roman, now a heel and with Roman. Jesus Christ. Aren’t people sick of all of this shit? They should have just had Zayn win the title by beating Roman. That was the perfect ending to The Bloodline storyline. Now it’s just going to go on forever and ever until Roman Reigns retires. They’re also teasing a Solo Sikoa babyface turn, because in this match Roman inadvertently speared him. Nobody wants to see a Solo vs. Roman match. They aren’t giving the title to Solo Sikoa, so why do that match? And it would be one thing if these matches were any good, but they’re not. Lately, these Bloodline matches have been way too long. The Uso’s are usually very entertaining as a tag team, but individually they’re not. I’m just so over this storyline. I’d have rather seen Zayn or Cody as champ successfully defending their title on this show. That would have been fantastic. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. Sigh. **