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WWE may not always have the best weekly shows, but their pay-per-views always deliver. SummerSlam was a really good show, and as long as it was, I did not feel tired watching it.
Overall, I'd have to say that if WWE continues to carry the momentum they've accrued from SummerSlam, we could see a massive increase in ratings. SummerSlam had good matches and good storytelling in equal doses, and I quite liked it, because of this reason.
So, without wasting any more of your valuable time, here is the best and worst of SummerSlam. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts about the show.
Do you think that the increase in quality was a response to AEW All Out, coming very soon indeed?
#1 Best: The legends impress
Trish Stratus came back to Canada and put on one of the best matches that the women's division has seen in quite some time. I would even go so far as to say that it was better than both the women's title matches on the show, even though Becky Lynch vs. Natalya had some pretty cool moments too. Ember Moon and Bayley were fine, but it had no heat at all.
But the night belonged to Goldberg, whom Ziggler put over in a very big way. Ziggler even called Goldberg back to the ring after losing his match and had Goldberg deliver two devastating spears. There is nobody in sports entertainment that can make a spear look as devastating as Goldberg does.
With this match, Goldberg has erased the bad memories that came to be associated with him following his match with The Undertaker. It will be interesting to see who he is paired up against next...
#1 Worst: Not furthering the Roman Reigns angle
It is baffling indeed when the second biggest show of the year does not feature the hottest angle of the year 2019. Everyone has been buzzing about the attacks on Roman Reigns and the fact that Rowan was revealed as the man who orchestrated the said attacks.
I know that the Kickoff show had Erick Rowan come out to attack Buddy Murphy during his match with Apollo Crews. That was the only little glimpse we saw of this angle.
Personally, I would have loved to see Roman Reigns on the show hunting for Rowan to bring hell and chaos in the backstage area. It is just strange that he would be completely off the show when everyone wanted to see what happens next with this storyline.
It is to WWE's credit though, that they've gotten us so very invested in a storyline after ages.
#2 Best: The debut of The Fiend
This was something that everyone in the arena was waiting for, and at least in my eyes, it did not disappoint at all. Bray Wyatt's alter-ego, The Fiend, arrived with a brand new rendition of a familiar tune, wearing a very sadistic mask. I think that the mandible claw is a very nice addition to the arsenal, and this was the highlight of the night.
It is very hard to get crowds invested in a supernatural character in the year 2019. Finn Balor was a great opponent for Wyatt, and he allowed himself to be destroyed during the match. The crowd chanted- 'that was awesome', long after the match was done.
Is Bray Wyatt on course to become the hottest character that the company has seen in quite some time now? I do think that if he is pushed right, he very well could.
#2 Worst: A promo without passion
A lot of WWE Superstars of the past do not fare well in the scripted promo environment of today, unfortunately. Trish Status was great in the ring this week and looks better than ever, but the promo she cut during WWE SummerSlam 2019 was really bad. It almost felt like she was reading the lines off a teleprompter, instead of speaking them.
Stratus was never really The Rock on the microphone, but she used to be a very confident speaker back in the WWE Attitude Era. She is just as good in the ring as she used to be, but her mic skills have drastically become significantly worse.
I love that she had her moment in the spotlight at SummerSlam, with 'this is awesome' chants and a rousing ovation after her loss. But then again, the promo was so mechanically delivered, it remains a black mark.
#3 Best: Seth Rollins wins clean
Defeating Brock Lesnar is no easy feat. Very few people have done it and if you're booked in such a spot, it means that you've earned the respect of the boss, who believes in you.
Seth Rollins does have a victory against Lesnar to his name but back then, he needed a low blow to beat The Beast. At SummerSlam, he scored a pinfall victory over Brock Lesnar in a match that actually went on for quite a long time, if you consider other Lesnar matches.
Rollins had lost a lot of momentum in the previous weeks, especially after he looked like a total chump, coming out to confront Lesnar with an injury and getting badly beaten up in the whole process. The fact that he scored a clean win over Lesnar does a lot to rebuild him, I feel.
He's finally WWE's very top guy at long last!
#3 Worst: The WWE Championship match ends oddly
Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton went on far too early. For the WWE Championship to go on so early was not the right thing, I felt.
But my main grouse with the match was how it ended. Both men were outside the ring resulting in a double count-out and the match was called off, possibly to extend the feud.
The audience was clearly not happy with this, and they let their displeasure be heard with jeers galore. This was sadly one of the low points of the show from a match which wasn't particularly bad, but because of the way it ended, it'll not make it to the 'Best' column.
I just wonder if the right decision, for now, is to extend this feud because it just seems like Kevin Owens is the hottest babyface in the company and he should end up becoming the next WWE Champion, to make the title relevant once again.
#4 Best/Worst: Edge returning on the Kickoff show
Edge had to retire at the peak of his career due to unfortunate injuries. He would return at SummerSlam, on the Kickoff show, to take Elias out with a brutal looking spear. It was a great moment for the fans in attendance because Edge is a true Canadian icon.
I'm just a little surprised that the surprise appearance happened on the Kickoff show and not the main show because I know that a lot of WWE fans choose to skip it. I get the rationale behind it, having Edge on the Kickoff would get people to subscribe to the Network.
But at the same time, I wonder why WWE couldn't just do it on the main show instead. Especially since there was no real surprise at all, in the main show.
To me, this was certainly the highlight of the WWE SummerSlam 2019 Kickoff Show.
