If you’re wondering where my review for SummerSlam Saturday is, you can stop looking. That’s not what I typically do here.
Instead, I’ll direct you to our regular event recapper Marcus Benjamin, who does a phenomenal job of blending insight, pop culture, and music into his reviews. If you haven’t already, check out his write-ups for both nights of SummerSlam here and here.
But after SummerSlam Sunday, I’m compelled to talk to you about what I saw. And what I saw was an imperfectly perfect show that
I enjoyed more than my breakdown might suggest.
To those of you joining me on this ride, thank you.
Preface
I watched both nights of SummerSlam live at the AMC 18 in San Diego’s Fashion Valley. The atmosphere was lively, the audience was friendly, and the children in attendance were adorable as they cheered on their favorites.
Kevin Owens def. Finn Bálor, Gunther, and Sami Zayn
Grade: A
The opener was supposed to be Sami Zayn and Finn Bálor meeting one-on-one to determine the No. 1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Of everything this weekend, I was looking forward to this the most.
Then SmackDown GM Nick Aldis appeared and added Gunther to the match, which sent both me and Sami Zayn over the edge.
Then, Aldis introduced one more competitor to make it a Fatal 4-Way: Kevin Owens.
Auditorium 5 came unglued, just as much as fans did inside Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium. Fans in Minnesota were crying, as was my wife. That’s how hard the moment hit.
The best part was Zayn’s reaction. He went from animated anger to frozen in disbelief as his old friend returned after a year and a half away from the ring following neck surgery. Zayn’s reaction was priceless and arguably made him the MVP of the night.
Overall, this was excellent. A swerve from Aldis, followed by another, more crowd-pleasing swerve from the GM, and a win for Owens as his comeback begins.
Welcome back, KO.
Baron Corbin def. Trick Williams to win the United States title
Grade: B
Late in the match, I could hear Corbin calling for Williams’ hype man Yachty to hit him with his stick before Yachty ended up going through a table. Williams lost his focus, then his title after Corbin blasted him with the belt followed by an End of Days.
I appreciate that Williams and Yachty are friends, and that Yachty is a genuine pro wrestling fan. But his presence takes away from Williams. What made Trick special was his work as a solo act, not part of a comedy duo.
As for Corbin, he looked great. He seemed more serious and aggressive than at any point in his previous run in WWE. Corbin always struck me as both underrated and underappreciated. I don’t know if this is a full resurgence, but it’s a well-earned honor for a guy who kept grinding after he was released by WWE almost two years ago.
Chelsea Green def. Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and Lash Legend — Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match
Grade: B+ (up from a B-, thanks to Green and the response from fans)
I loathe ladder matches. They’re glorified stunt shows that unnecessarily endanger the health and well-being of the wrestlers, all for some “Holy shit” moment that fans will have forgotten by the next match.
Sadly, to have a shot at having a memorable match, the risks must be insane.
Which brings me to Charlotte Flair.
As she was dangling midair, her opponents yanked her straight down, barely catching her. Immediately, I had flashbacks to Starrcade 1986, when Jim Cornette fell off a 20-foot scaffold and came crashing to the mat feet-first, blowing out his knee.
I feared the same would happen to Flair, who continues to wear a knee brace as a result of an injury in 2023 that caused her to miss more than a year of action. Thankfully, she wasn’t injured. But I was really disappointed to see her in that position.
However, Chelsea Green emerging as the Interim Women’s Champion quickly became the biggest feel-good moment of the night, somehow eclipsing KO’s return. Fans in Minnesota and the AMC were wildly cheering for her. The response melted my heart, and I couldn’t help but smile as she proudly held the title over her head.
Danhausen def. Dominik Mysterio — Human Monies on a Pole Match
Grade: C (Average, satisfactory)
Minus JD McDonagh going King Kong Bundy on the Minihausens, I did not enjoy this, so I won’t spend a lot of time on it. In short, I like Danhausen, but he’s quickly becoming the Poochie of WWE.
Presumably, this ended Danhausen’s feud with Judgment Day, and everyone can move on. If the goal was to create a lighthearted moment and a happy ending for the comedic demon, mission accomplished.
Chad Gable def. Penta to win the Intercontinental Championship
Grade: B
Michael Cole took a moment before the match to recall some of the greatest Intercontinental title matches in SummerSlam history. One of the matches he mentioned was Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992.
Doing that set my expectations for this one. It was good, not great, and certainly nowhere near Bulldog and Bret.
Still, both men worked hard. Penta did a Mexican Destroyer on the ring apron, but he took the worst of the move, landing on his back. At least he protected Gable, who completed his redemption, submitting Penta to win the Intercontinental Championship. The post-match scene with Gable celebrating with his family capped a happy ending, despite some soulless product placement.
Roman Reigns def. Seth Rollins to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Grade: B+
My wife loved this match. Seeing the early feedback from readers, a good number enjoyed this match. My colleague Geno Mrosko called it a 5-star main event.
While I thought it was really good, there were a couple of issues that grated on me like popcorn husk.
It began when Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins brawled through the crowd. As the announcers explained, referee Shawn Bennett was giving them extra leeway, given their history and what was at stake.
Understood. Like Game 7 of the NBA Finals, where the officials mostly let the players decide the game rather than call every infraction, this made sense to me.
However, as Rollins and Reigns duked it out through the crowd, Bennett remained in the ring instead of following the action.
Now, I could let that go. But after giving them so much leeway, he began to count them out later in the match when they brawled near ringside.
Where’s the consistency?
Some will say I’m being hypercritical. However, this is the kind of thing that takes me out of a match, kind of like seeing a Starbucks cup in Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 4, to be exact).
I also didn’t like the finish, with Rollins clutching his ribs, both men staring at each other before Reigns roared, flexed, then hit a spear.
That just doesn’t happen in a real fight. Rollins’ arms worked; he could’ve swatted at Reigns. His legs worked, so he could’ve kicked Reigns — or he simply could’ve moved out of the way.
I’d rather Rollins had been getting up and turned into a spear than sit through all this melodrama.
That said, the emotion of this match was off the charts. Reigns’ animosity toward Rollins was as palpable as Rollins’ smarmy disposition. They put each other through tables, hit hard, and blasted one another with the other man’s signature moves.
I especially loved the tributes to Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley in AEW), during and after the match. He’s as much a part of their story, even if he left WWE seven years ago. That touched me.
Late, Reigns had a choice to make: blast Rollins in the back with a chair, the way Rollins did to him in 2014 to break up The Shield, or focus, put his emotions aside, and win straight up.
Reigns chose the latter, and it paid off in a long overdue victory for my Tribal Chief. As the OTC’s most ardent supporter, I stood and applauded his performance (Rollins’, too), while rejoicing in Reigns’ redemption.
While I was ultimately entertained, I couldn’t shake the contradiction in officiating, even as my wife, readers, and Geno showered it with praise.
Final Grade: A+
Were I to add up these grades, I’d imagine SummerSlam Sunday would be in the B range. But my final grade is an A+.
I came into this night with low expectations, especially after a dreadful build to Reigns and Rollins. But once the action started, I was into this from start to finish. Each match made me feel something, enough to pour almost 1,700 words onto the page.
That’s impact.
Unlike SummerSlam Saturday, where I liked the show but left feeling empty, Sunday’s show resonated with me because of the emotions, not the moves. I’m hopeful and curious to see where WWE goes next as summer turns to fall, and what awaits my Tribal Chief now that he got a monkey off his back.
SummerSlam Sunday was worth every penny, including the $14 I spent at concessions for just two drinks (a bottled water and medium soda, if you must know).
More than a letter grade, that alone should speak volumes for how happy I was as the Mrs. and I left the AMC despite me continuing to gripe about referee Bennett.
