5 biggest changes we saw in WWE between SummerSlam 2019 and 2020

It has been almost a year since WWE SummerSlam 2019 emanated from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Biggest Party of the Summer was a huge success, courtesy a string of main-event level bouts that wowed the WWE Universe.

SummerSlam 2019 was headlined by the Universal title match contested between Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar. Additionally, Becky Lynch defended her RAW Women's title against Natalya, while The Fiend made short work of Finn Balor, mere weeks after making his debut on WWE RAW.

A lot can change over the course of 12 months. WWE's landscape has undergone a drastic change since we witnessed SummerSlam last year. Superstars that were on top in 2019 are nowhere to be seen on WWE's weekly programming today, and wrestlers who were fan-favorites back then are bad guys now.

Let's take a look at the five biggest changes we saw in WWE between SummerSlam 2019 and 2020.

#5 Brock Lesnar isn't the top heel on the roster anymore

Brock Lesnar is hands down one of the most ruthless beings in the history of WWE. He was possibly the biggest heel on the WWE roster last year. Many fans were upset when he came out in the final moments of the Money In The Bank PPV and unhooked the briefcase, while the ones who had sacrificed their bodies for the entirety of the match helplessly watched him win the contest.

Lesnar went on to successfully cash in the briefcase on Seth Rollins, and finally lost it to The Beastslayer at SummerSlam. The Beast hasn't been seen since losing the WWE title to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36, and isn't scheduled for SummerSlam, but a surprise appearance could change all of that.

Now, Randy Orton is currently WWE's top heel now. His dastardly antics against Edge, Matt Hardy, and Ric Flair have proven that he has lost his mind and is hell-bent on taking the WWE title from Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam.

#4 Seth Rollins' character has taken a complete U-turn in WWE

Another WWE Superstar who has made a strong case for being the best heel in WWE right now is The Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins. Last year, Rollins was a babyface going into his SummerSlam 2019 match against Lesnar.

The crowd erupted in unison when he pinned Lesnar clean to capture the Universal title again. Soon after, the WWE Universe completely turned on him during his feud with The Fiend. Following Survivor Series, Rollins turned to the dark side again, and became a heel.

He went on to form his own faction with Murphy and AOP, and called himself The Monday Night Messiah. Over the past few weeks, Rollins' horrifying actions against Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik have proven that he is a strong contender for being the biggest heel on the WWE roster at the moment.

Rollins took out Mysterio's eye at WWE Extreme Rules, and delivered a vicious beating to Dominik on tonight's WWE RAW. It remains to be seen how Dominik fares against Rollins at SummerSlam.

#3 COVID-19 has affected WWE's plans

Back in 2019, when COVID-19 was yet to turn the world upside down, WWE held SummerSlam in front of a packed arena. By the time WrestleMania 36 arrived, the pandemic forced WWE to move all of its shows to the Performance Center, including The Grandest Stage Of Them All. Many among the WWE Universe thought that the crisis would die down by the time SummerSlam 2020 came around, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

There has been speculation going on over SummerSlam 2020's location for a while now. The location of The Biggest Party of the Summer is yet to be finalized, even though WWE's higher-ups have been doing everything in their power to find a location for the event that isn't the Performance Center.

The event is scheduled for August 23, 2020. Looking at the current COVID-19 stats, it seems highly unlikely that WWE will manage to host SummerSlam in front of an audience, even if they succeed in finding a new location for the show.

#2 Drew McIntyre wasn't even on the SummerSlam card last year

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has come a long way from last year's SummerSlam. He made his way to WWE RAW in 2018, and formed an alliance with Dolph Ziggler immediately.

McIntyre didn't do much of note for a few months, and finally got a chance to shine on the big stage when he met Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 35. Even though McIntyre lost the match, having a marquee match at The Show of Shows was a good sign for his character going forward.

Finally, McIntyre won the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and he did it in style. The WWE Universe were ecstatic when he eliminated Brock Lesnar moments after entering the ring, and the stage was set for a WrestleMania main event.

McIntyre went on to put down The Beast and win his first WWE title, and is going to face Randy Orton at SummerSlam, with the belt on the line. He is currently the face of the company, which is a major improvement over his status from a year ago.

#1 Becky Lynch's dream run as "The Man" in WWE has ended

Last year at SummerSlam, Becky Lynch continued her WWE RAW Women's title reign by defeating Natalya in her home country. Becky Lynch had won the belt in the first-ever Women's main event of WrestleMania, and put down several women in her quest to keep the belt on her shoulders on the road to SummerSlam. Lynch didn't stop after SummerSlam, and defeated several Superstars one after the other.

"The Man" defeated Shayna Baszler at WrestleMania 36 to retain her belt. After holding the belt for 398 days, Lynch vacated it on an episode of WWE RAW, when she revealed that she was pregnant. Lynch's exit changed the landscape of the Women's decision completely, with Asuka becoming the new Champion.

Lynch turned into one of the biggest stars of the modern era during her reign as WWE RAW Women's Champion. It is safe to say that she won't be coming back for a long time. The likes of Asuka, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, and Shayna Baszler will likely take the Women's division forward in the absence of Becky Lynch.