Roman Reigns disappeared from WWE TV simply days earlier than WrestleMania 36, because the coronavirus pandemic and the chance hooked up to it led Reigns, who twice battled leukemia and had new child twins at residence, to withdraw from his scheduled Common championship match towards Goldberg.
4 months later at SummerSlam, Reigns reentered the image in a serious method.
After “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt leveled reigning Common champion Braun Strowman with a Uranage and a pair of Sister Abigails on uncovered wooden planks to win the title, Reigns got here charging from off display and leveled Wyatt with a spear. Then he did the identical to Strowman exterior of the ring. He added one other to Wyatt for good measure.
Reigns held the Common title aloft as the printed went off the air, and it is protected to say {that a} main shift is underway.
The Reigns reveal was the end result of a robust SummerSlam outing altogether for WWE, with every match seemingly hitting its candy spot and a pay-per-view broadcast that lasted nearly precisely three hours and by no means appeared to pull.
Asuka reclaimed her Uncooked girls’s title, and troubles are actually in movement for the Golden Position Fashions. Drew McIntyre pulled a quick one on Randy Orton and laid the groundwork for extra battle to return. Dominik Mysterio exceeded all expectations in his debut match towards Seth Rollins.
You may by no means see it coming. #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/potOMXGs9S
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) August 24, 2020
And in the long run, Strowman and Wyatt battered one another contained in the ring, exterior the ring and backstage. There have been toolboxes concerned, and a field cutter. The problems hooked up to a seemingly invincible Wyatt (besides towards Goldberg), who absorbed the perfect Strowman needed to provide and stored pushing ahead, nonetheless linger, though Reigns has been positioned as a possible kryptonite.
So whether or not this implies a triple menace match, or Strowman retreating into additional anger and paranoia whereas Reigns challenges Wyatt, there’s definitive intrigue hooked up to what occurs subsequent on SmackDown.
WWE championship: Drew McIntyre (c) def. Randy Orton
Sportsbooks typically provide long-shot bets with large odds which can be just about unattainable to hit, and it is protected to say that for those who may’ve discovered someplace to wager that no Claymores and no RKOs would join through the WWE championship match between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton, you would be amassing a tidy sum after their SummerSlam conflict.
The match was as bodily as promised, although, and almost each different signature transfer discovered its goal alongside the best way. However every time a Claymore or an RKO was tried, Orton or McIntyre did simply sufficient to slide out of the best way.
Orton picked aside McIntyre piece by piece, tossing him round ringside and stomping McIntyre into submission as soon as between the ropes. McIntyre landed high-impact suplexes, tosses and powerbombs with reckless abandon. Each males bled.
The 2 battered one another with strikes, and it was tough to find out who had the sting and who would emerge victorious. McIntyre hit a Future Shock DDT, good for a two-count, however one other Claymore effort missed and Orton related together with his signature powerslam.
Headbutts, clotheslines and a hangman’s DDT set McIntyre up in a inclined place for Orton’s RKO, however as McIntyre struggled mightily to push himself up, Orton modified course and lined up a punt kick.
McIntyre caught Orton flying at him and hit a powerbomb as a substitute. McIntyre went into his personal histrionics as he lined up a Claymore, and this time went as far as to fly immediately over Orton’s head together with his miss. Orton appeared to line up the RKO completely, however McIntyre maneuvered Orton right into a backslide pin try and did simply sufficient to tug out the victory with finesse.
What’s subsequent: With no ending strikes hitting in both route, it is protected to say there’s much more to return between Orton and McIntyre. It may occur as quickly as Payback, however do not be shocked if it stretches out a lot farther than that.
Uncooked girls’s championship: Asuka def. Sasha Banks (c)
Sasha Banks and Bayley helped each other out consistently on the way to claiming the Raw and SmackDown women’s championships, as well as the women’s tag team titles. But it always seemed as though Banks went a little bit further out of her way to help Bayley out than when Bayley returned the favor.
That played out at SummerSlam, when Banks and Bayley both faced the same late-match scenario and reacted differently. While Banks absorbed a flying hip attack from Asuka earlier in the night to allow Bayley the opportunity to pin Asuka, Bayley dodged out of the way (and still ate a forearm for her troubles) and couldn’t stop Banks from falling into the Asuka lock and losing the Raw women’s championship.
The match between Banks and Asuka was stellar from front to back. Both women threw caution to the wind from the outset, throwing their own bodies and their opponent’s around with little regard for the consequences. Banks hit a sunset flip powerbomb from the apron to the floor. Asuka countered with a DDT while on the middle rope, facing out, which looked devastating.
With each and every counter the intensity ratcheted up until both women struggled back and forth to lock in their devastating finishing submissions. Banks seemingly had it locked up on two occasions, only for Asuka to pull a transition from out of nowhere. Even when Bayley climbed up to the apron and refused to absorb the hip attack, the distraction seemed to feed into a clean Banks Statement attempt, only for Asuka to flip it over and force Banks to tap out.
What’s next: Banks has won the Raw women’s title five times and successfully defended it zero times. I have to imagine that’s going to come up. Banks and Bayley will defend their women’s tag team titles at Payback, against a team yet to be determined or announced, and it’s quite likely that the road from here on out will be bumpier. Asuka seems destined for a clash with Shayna Baszler or Nia Jax after regaining the Raw women’s championship.
Street fight: Seth Rollins def. Dominik Mysterio
In terms of WWE debuts, you couldn’t ask for better than what Dominik Mysterio delivered against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.
He ultimately lost the match, but Dominik’s performance in the ring and the story that his match with Rollins told from beginning to end overdelivered on all fronts.
Emotions were running high from the moment Dominik’s music hit. His entrance theme was a variation on Rey’s, as was his entrance gear. Rollins adopted a mocking tone and approach from the beginning, even going so far as to mock Rey with his own entrance gear, which was inspired by Rey’s Halloween Havoc 1997 attire.
Rollins mocked Dominik and didn’t show him an ounce of respect until Dominik hit deep arm drags from several different angles. Then Rollins moved into a phase of pure anger, taking it out on Dominik for having the gall to try.
.@35_Dominik…superb efficiency in your DEBUT match at #SummerSlam. #RESPECT https://t.co/jWYydKAVtz
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 24, 2020
However Dominik fought again at each flip. He tripped Rollins right into a chair as he dodged a stomp, reversed a buckle bomb try right into a head scissors and even hit a picture-perfect spinning DDT. He took nearly as good as he gave it as effectively, making Rollins’ superplex/falcon arrow mixture look as crisp as ever.
Dominik had robust offense of his personal, countering some high rope acrobatics by hitting a facet Russian leg sweep utilizing a kendo stick from the center rope by a desk, adopted by a frog splash (a tribute to Eddie Guerrero). Each he and Rollins obtained in additional than their fair proportion of kendo stick pictures alongside the best way as effectively.
Rey refused to become involved all through the match, whilst Murphy slid increasingly devastating weapons in for Rollins to make use of, however broke as soon as Murphy tried to blind Dominik utilizing the metal ring steps.
Rollins as soon as once more wrested management of the match away, although, and finally handcuffed Rey to the underside rope to forestall any intrusions. When Rey’s spouse and Dominik’s mom, Angie, walked to the highest of the ramp, Dominik had sufficient left to take out each Rollins and Murphy. A modified 619 by the underside rope and a standard model set Dominik up for one more frog splash.
Rollins obtained his knees up, although, and dragged Dominik simply out of attain of Rey to mock him. With a stomp, Rollins lastly completed the match off.
What’s subsequent: With a pay-per-view fittingly referred to as “Payback” subsequent Sunday, a tag match looks as if a becoming method to comply with this match.
Loser leaves WWE (No DQ): Mandy Rose def. Sonya Deville
Longtime mates Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose have been battling since WrestleMania season as their friendship turned to rivalry.
And with a victory at SummerSlam, Rose formally despatched Deville away of their “loser leaves WWE” match on Sunday.
What was initially purported to be a hair vs. hair match modified on Friday to this no-DQ format with even larger stakes. And whereas it could have been a becoming, definitive payoff to their story, it is nearly definitely no coincidence that the stipulation was modified after the scary incident Deville (and Rose, her house guest), went through at Deville’s home during the week. To be able to pull off a match of any kind given the circumstances was admirable, but it felt appropriately vicious and fit with the theme of where the rivalry had been. Chairs and tables appeared briefly, but it boiled down to pure, unyielding violence from both sides. Rose hit three running knees, the Bed of Roses double-underhook facebuster, and a fourth knee to pin Deville.
…. goodbye
— Daddy Deville (@SonyaDevilleWWE) August 24, 2020
What’s subsequent: Hopefully, if Deville needs to proceed her WWE profession down the road, she will be able to. As for Rose, she was greeted postmatch by Otis, and the pair celebrated. Whereas them being tied collectively is not an issue, hopefully Rose is not lowered to mere sidekick to no matter Otis does going ahead as Mr. Cash within the Financial institution.
Uncooked tag staff championships: The Avenue Earnings (c) def. Andrade & Angel Garza
The Avenue Earnings have been entangled with Zelina Vega and her contingent for many of 2020, however the victory for Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins at SummerSlam may simply be the clear break the Uncooked tag staff champions must lastly transfer ahead.
It may be the accelerant that leads the spiral of Andrade and Angel Garza to cross the purpose of no return.
Ford and Dawkins had been in a much better temper each earlier than and after the match, beginning with two explosions of crimson solo cups (large and small) throughout their entrance, in addition to a supportive Kevin Owens on commentary, full with a Avenue Earnings shirt and crimson clip-on tie.
For Ford, regardless of some spectacular acrobatics, the early celebration was short-lived. After a flipping dive excessive rope was caught by Garza and Andrade on the skin and became a powerbomb, Ford spent a lot of the match taking injury.
When Dawkins lastly tagged in he ran everybody down till Andrade nailed a again elbow. Dawkins managed to land an enormous spear to Andrade, leaving each males down. Vega finally concerned herself within the match by stepping onto the apron, and when Garza superkicked Ford, Ford bumped Vega off the apron. Andrade went to take care of Vega, and when Garza misplaced maintain of a wing clipper try, he was a sitting duck for a spinebuster and a rotating frog splash, costing the staff the match.
.@MontezFordWWE goes WAY 🆙… however will get SLAMMED ⬇️ by @AngelGarzaWwe & @AndradeCienWWE with the #WWERaw #TagTeamTitles on the road at #SummerSlam! @AngeloDawkins pic.twitter.com/dTy7vLM9yZ
— WWE (@WWE) August 23, 2020
What’s subsequent: The Avenue Earnings towards any staff on Uncooked that is not Garza & Andrade or the Viking Raiders, please. And whereas I might like to see Andrade and Garza patch it up, it looks as if they’re on a path to destruction and a return to singles motion.
SmackDown girls’s championship: Bayley (c) def. Asuka
As she has for most of the 317 days (and counting) Bayley has spent as SmackDown girls’s champion, Sasha Banks was there when Bayley wanted her most at SummerSlam.
Within the opening match of the principle present, Banks spared Bayley the brunt of Asuka’s flying hip assault and triggered sufficient disruption to permit Bayley to roll Asuka up for a pinfall victory.
Bayley had some large offense on provide all through the match, together with a artistic flying cutter to Asuka as Asuka was draped over the center rope, and a Bayley-to-Stomach that netted solely a two rely. Asuka gave it again with hip assaults, face busters and a very violent launch German suplex. Each girls countered the opposite’s high rope assaults with submission makes an attempt.
Just a little insurance coverage for The BO💲💲#SummerSlam @SashaBanksWWE @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/UexYTFGqYd
— WWE SummerSlam (@SummerSlam) August 23, 2020
However as anticipated, Banks performed an outsize position within the end. After Asuka kicked Banks by the underside rope whereas breaking a submission try on Bayley, Banks obtained increasingly brazen along with her makes an attempt to interrupt the match. She tried to brush Asuka’s legs out from beneath her, after which prevented Bayley from taking crucial injury — inflicting sufficient of an interruption to value Asuka the match.
What’s subsequent: With a postmatch double-cradle powerbomb, Banks and Bayley dealt slightly further injury to Asuka forward of her Uncooked girls’s title match towards Banks later within the evening. After Banks as soon as once more supplied a serving to hand to Bayley, will Bayley return the favor?
United States championship: Apollo Crews (c) def. MVP
The story between Apollo Crews and MVP has stretched on for months, for a wide range of causes, and each match and conflict alongside the best way has been aggressive, a minimum of to some extent.
However with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin pressured to avoid ringside, Crews made a decisive assertion with a transparent, indeniable victory over MVP to retain america championship.
MVP entered the WWE Thunderdome to a brand new mixture of his music, however that was about the one notable second for him at SummerSlam. As soon as Crews took management of the match by unleashing a prolonged flurry of assaults within the nook, a spinebuster and a standing moonsault primed him for the end. With a toss powerbomb, Crews secured the victory.
.@WWEApollo takes flight!! 👀 #USTitle #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/qNQRIE1whB
— WWE (@WWE) August 23, 2020
What’s subsequent: With Lashley and Benjamin crashing the ring and lacking out on retaliation towards Crews, count on The Damage Enterprise to extend their numbers — fairly presumably from the quartet of Crews, Ricochet, Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander, with whom they have been battling on Uncooked.