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WWE SummerSlam 2021 delivered a night of fun action, with the superstars stepping up when they had to. The company promoted this event on the same level as WrestleMania. It took place from a sold-out Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in front of 51,326 fans and had a massive card filled with headline encounters.
From top to bottom, the SummerSlam 2021 lineup had a little something for everyone. Titles were on the line, personal differences were settled, and significant returns occurred. However, there were a few questionable booking decisions, as has become commonplace for fans.
With the biggest party of the summer finally in the books, it is an ideal time to highlight the highs and the lows of what was an insane evening from the biggest promotion in the business. In this article, let's look back on the five biggest takeaways from WWE SummerSlam 2021.
#5 No one does huge stadium shows quite like the WWE (WWE SummerSlam 2021)
WWE SummerSlam 2021 was the first pay-per-view outside of WrestleMania in a stadium since SummerSlam 1992 at Wembley Stadium. The Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was a beautiful location that added gravitas to the evening's event, with everything feeling more enormous than usual.
Everything from the opening bell to the shots of the mass audience made the event feel a lot bigger post the ThunderDome era. WWE has always delivered bombastic stadium shows with lights, visuals, and grand entrances, and Summerslam 2021 was no different. The entranceway was unique and allowed for simple yet effective introductions for the superstars throughout the night.
The highlight of all the entrances had to be Edge's Brood throwback ahead of his bout with Seth Rollins. The fire engulfed around him, and then the smooth transition into his usual theme song was so well done and felt like an unforgettable moment. The ringwork looked just as impressive with so many fans in the crowd. It gave the feeling that WWE was indeed a hot promotion.
The Las Vegas crowd was vocal for the entire night and added a lot to this event. They reacted positively to title changes and surprise returns, making the superstars feel that much bigger. SummerSlam 2021 was just further proof that when WWE is fully committed to presenting a significant event, no one does it quite like them.
#4 Edge and Seth Rollins steal the show (WWE SummerSlam 2021)
Heading into WWE Summerslam 2021, Seth Rollins and Edge had arguably the best buildup coming into the pay-per-view. The two performers cut excellent promos and had good angles to help build anticipation for this dream match.
This was a bout that any competitor could win, and it lived up to it's expectation. The pre-match festivities helped give this the big fight feel, with Seth Rollins coming out in new gear, while Edge had an inspired Brood throwback entrance that was one for the ages. The crowd was hot for what would be the match of the night st SummerSlam 2021.
The action had a nice pace to it and built to the more significant spots of the match. There were fun counters to both men's signature offense. Seth Rollins brought his A-game with facial expressions and his expert in-ring work. Edge threw in new things like a swinging neck breaker from the top rope, a very cool spear to Rollins from the apron to the floor, and an ode to his wife Beth Phoenix with the Glam Slam.
Rollins repeatedly went for the Stomp, but Edge kept evading and countering. He put on an Edge-cator submission for a nicely teased finish. Seth countered, but Edge put on a crossface and then slammed Rollins' head into the mat. He then reapplied the crossface with a choke for the submission victory. The match of the night at SummerSlam in 2021 was a truly outstanding encounter.
#3 The Man is back! Yay! (WWE SummerSlam 2021)
There had been intense speculation about huge surprises taking place at WWE Summerslam 2021. After AEW Rampage - The First Dance and the return of CM Punk, many fans expected more shock returns than usual for WWE to get the spotlight back on them. The first major return to pay-per-view was none other than "The Man" Becky Lynch.
Becky Lynch is arguably the most popular and biggest female superstar in all of WWE. The former RAW Women's Champion relinquished her title in May of 2020 following her announcement that she was pregnant. After the birth of her first child, the WWE Universe anticipated her return at some point. After multiple rumours that it would happen at WrestleMania 37 and Money in the Bank, it finally happened at SummerSlam.
The Allegiant Stadium crowd erupted with a massive pop for The Man. It was indeed a great moment, with the joy of Becky Lynch pouring out as she entered the ring. Becky's connection with the fans propelled her to superstardom when she wasn't the first choice of WWE.
Becky Lynch's return creates a lot of interesting scenarios. Although it would have been remarkable for The Man to go after the title she never lost on Raw, her arrival at SummerSlam 2021 set the stage for her jump to the SmackDown brand. With a completely different roster of talent for Becky to compete with, it should be intriguing. However, this wasn't a perfect moment in any sense at all as her match with Belair received criticism due to its duration.
#2 Poor Bianca! (WWE SummerSlam 2021)
One of the headline matches for WWE Summerslam 2021 was Bianca Belair defending the SmackDown Women's Championship against Sasha Banks. Following their classic WrestleMania 37 main event, the WWE Universe wanted to see this rematch and watch the two ladies match the excellence they achieved on the grandest stage of them all.
Last weekend, both Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks were pulled from WWE house shows, which led to rumors that their match at SummerSlam 2021 would be canceled. Belair showed up on this week's SmackDown, but Banks was conspicuous with her absence. Raj Giri of WrestlingInc reported that Sasha Banks was off the SummerSlam card.
WWE didn't publicize this and instead kept promoting a match that they never planned on delivering. Following Bianca Belair's entrance, it was announced that Banks wouldn't compete on the night. Carmella was introduced as her replacement, but that was a red herring and a misdirect. Becky Lynch's music hit to mark the return of The Man.
After Lynch attacked Carmella, the Las Vegas crowd was heavily behind the idea of Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch. However, they delivered a match with two moves. Becky Lynch defeated Bianca Belair to win the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Fans were still cheering on Becky following the contest, but it was a head-scratching decision. WWE has devoted much of this year on building Bianca Belair as a future star, and they squandered it all in seconds to put over an established star. No one minds Becky Lynch winning the title, but how WWE reached this undermined everything they did to push Belair before Summerslam 2021.
#1 WWE can finally deliver a highly anticipated Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar showdown (WWE SummerSlam 2021)
After the disjointed booking of Becky Lynch's return at SummerSlam 2021, the show needed the main event to deliver and another colossal surprise to take attention away from that blunder. Roman Reigns and John Cena put on a masterful performance in their high-profile showdown.
Reigns and Cena were the names on the marquee, and fans expected one of the ages. Since the end of the Attitude Era, the two biggest superstars of their generations put on a WWE-style main event with big moves, their signature arsenals, announce tables being broken, and false finishes that captivated the crowd. The fans got into this one, and bit on the near falls superbly.
After all the big spots that everyone expected, Roman Reigns hit a barrage of Superman Punches. He followed with one emphatic spear to pin John Cena and retain his WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2021. It looked as if the show would close with Roman standing tall, but Brock Lesnar's music hit marked the return of the Beast Incarnate.
Brock didn't return to confront just anyone, however. After well over a year off of WWE television, the former Universal Champion made his triumphant return at Summerslam to confront Reigns. The two have a long history, dating back to WrestleMania 31, where they faced each other in the main event.
Brock Lesnar has always been the biggest obstacle ahead of Roman Reigns to overcome on his path to the top of WWE. At SummerSlam 2018, three years earlier, Reigns finally defeated Lesnar to win the Universal Championship. However, a lot has changed since then.
Roman Reigns came to his own in the past year and delivered the best character work of his career as The Tribal Chief and The Head of the Table. The two also share a common manager in Paul Heyman, which should lead to an interesting story. Heyman sold Brock's return perfectly with a look of dread and apprehension, with his most famous client coming back to confront his newest.
WWE has been trying to deliver a highly anticipated matchup between Lesnar and Reigns for well over six years. For much of that time, fans rebelled against it and even loudly booed the encounter at the WrestleMania 34 main event three years ago.
With Roman at the peak and Brock returning as a babyface at SummerSlam, the company can finally produce the battle they always wanted all along. That's why Brock Lesnar's return and teased feud with Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the biggest takeaway from SummerSlam 2021.
