5 biggest changes WWE has seen since SummerSlam 2018

Rollins has taken Reigns' spot
Rollins has taken Reigns' spot

On August 11, 2019, WWE SummerSlam will emanate from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 32nd edition of The Biggest Party of the Summer is shaping up to be a must-watch show. SummerSlam is widely recognized as WWE's 2nd biggest PPV of the year, after WrestleMania.

As we are witnessing a string of storylines moving forward to have their eventual payoff at SummerSlam, let's not discount the fact that how drastically WWE's landscape has changed over the course of a single year. A year ago at SummerSlam 2018, things were way different than what we have at the moment. In the list below, we will take a look at 5 major changes WWE has seen since last year's SummerSlam.

Also read: WWE reportedly interested in top NJPW star


#5 Bray Wyatt's ascension

The Fiend
The Fiend

The Eater of Worlds didn't do much last year. He formed an alliance with his nemesis Matt Hardy at WrestleMania 34 and helped him win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Soon after, they won the Raw Tag Team titles by defeating The Bar, but lost the same around 3 months later to The B-Team. Hardy then took time off to deal with his injuries, and Wyatt wasn't even featured on the SummerSlam card.

A year later, now Wyatt has made his big return to WWE, donning the sinister persona of The Fiend. Several months worth of Firefly Funhouse segments have finally resulted in Wyatt's much-anticipated return, and it seems like this character is something that would help him revive his career.

Wyatt will face Finn Balor at SummerSlam and a win over Balor would be the exact thing he needs to make a major impact and put the main roster on notice. Wyatt's new character has tons of potential, but will only work if WWE doesn't repeat the same mistakes that were made with his old persona.

#4 The character transformations of The Miz and Kevin Owens

The Miz as a babyface
The Miz as a babyface

Last year, Kevin Owens and The Miz were two of the most dastardly heels on the WWE roster. At SummerSlam 2018, while Owens lost a match to Braun Strowman, with Strowman's Money In The Bank contract on the line, The Miz used a pair of brass knuckles to put down his longtime rival Daniel Bryan.

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Now, The Miz is one of the biggest babyfaces on Monday Night Raw and is set to face Dolph Ziggler after the latter superkicked Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels on a recent SmackDown Live episode. Owens is also a full-fledged babyface and is being pushed by WWE as this generation's Stone Cold Steve Austin, complete with the Stunner. Owens will face Shane McMahon with the stipulation calling Owens' quitting his job if he loses the match. It's always interesting to recall how hated current babyfaces were not a long while ago, with The Miz and Owens being the biggest examples of the same.

#3 Kofi Kingston didn't even wrestle last year

Kingston wins the WWE title
Kingston wins the WWE title

No one in their right mind would have predicted last year that Kofi Kingston would be defending his WWE title against Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2019!

The New Day member was not even on the SummerSlam 2018 card! At WrestleMania 34, The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Live Tag Team titles. SummerSlam 2018 saw the behemoths defending the titles against The New Day, with Kofi Kingston on their side. A win via disqualification made sure The New Day wouldn't walk out with the titles.

Also read: 5 Superstars who succeeded in both WWE and WCW

At this point, Kofi Kingston has held the WWE title for over 4 months, and is being heavily protected by WWE. He has reignited his 2009 rivalry against Randy Orton and will defend the title against The Apex Predator. Win or lose, Kofi's rise to the top since last year's SummerSlam is a feat that has been matched by few.

#2 Roman Reigns is nowhere near the title picture now

Reigns narrowly escapes
Reigns narrowly escapes

After pursuing the Universal title for a long while, Roman Reigns finally managed to dethrone Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2018 to win the title. Reigns had failed to win the title at WrestleMania 34. This time though, he succeeded in putting Lesnar down by hitting a thunderous Spear on The Beast and ending his title reign at 504 days.

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It seems like WWE has finally put their focus on building up stars other than Reigns. The Big Dog, although currently a part of a major "mystery attacker" storyline, is out of the title picture and is a part of the blue brand. Reports are stating that Reigns will face Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, and it's certainly refreshing to see him away from the main event, after he dominated the title picture for years on end.

#1 Becky Lynch rules the Women's division after turning heel a year ago

The Man
The Man

At SummerSlam 2018, Becky Lynch lost a Triple Threat Match for the SmackDown Live Women's title, also featuring Carmella and Charlotte Flair. After the match, Lynch turned heel on Flair and thus kicked off one of the greatest success stories in WWE history.

Also read: 5 moments that prove SummerSlam is Brock Lesnar's yard

The fans were behind Becky more than ever, and there wasn't the slightest chance that they would boo her despite the heel turn. She soon embraced the persona of "The Man", a ruthless anti-hero character.

This change propelled her to the top of WWE, and she went on to win the headline match of WrestleMania 35, in a history-making moment. Lynch still reigns over the Women's division, will face Natalya at SummerSlam with the Raw Women's title on the line, and her dream run seems far from being over.