WWE: SummerSlam 2020 Review

WWE: SummerSlam 2020 Review

August 23rd, 2020

1) Bayley (c) vs. Asuka - Smackdown Women’s Title Match 

Tuned in around half way into this so my analysis may not be too accurate. It seemed to be going pretty solid and then they do the whole distraction thing and Bayley gets the win with a roll up to retain. This sets up for even more fire for Asuka later in her match with Sasha. 

Match rating - **1/2

2) Street Profits (c) vs. Andrade & Angel Garza - Raw Tag Team Title Match 

This is actually a match I fantasy booked to happen at SummerSlam bc of how bad I wanted to see Andrade & Garza team up. So I was pretty excited to see it go down and it honestly rocked. Street Profits continue to impress and Andrade & Garza were great heels for them to work against. Good back and forth tag with several cool moves/moments. Streets Profits retain. 

Match rating - **3/4 

3) Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose - No Disqualification Loser Leaves WWE Match 

This was a very good blowoff for this feud. They had tables and chairs involved and delivered a pretty competitive match that I enjoyed way more than I expected. Deville loses and apparently is “leaving WWE” per the stipulation. 

Match rating - ***

4) Seth Rollins (w/ Buddy Murphy) vs. Dominick (w/ Rey Mysterio) - Street Fight 

Okay fuck yeah. The eye for an eye stuff was a mixed bag with great action and a story but a terrible stip. This however has had an awesome build and the street fight stipulation is perfect. It’s taken a lot for me to want to care about this in recent weeks, but as soon as the bell rang, they pulled me in. The action, the tidbits with Rey & Angie, the emotion - it all ruled. Dominick looked fantastic in his debut match and not out of place at all. Rollins nails Dom with a curb stomp while Rey is handcuffed to the ropes and forced to watch. 

Match rating - ***3/4 

5) Sasha Banks (c) vs. Asuka - Raw Women’s Title Match 

Wow this was fucking awesome. Asuka eats shit on a power bomb off the apron early that made me wince. The premise of Asuka losing earlier due to Sasha and this being her second match of the night made you want to see her win that much more on top of the normal face/heel dynamic. They really went all out here with some sick back and forth action that had me on the edge of my seat up to the finish with Asuka knocking Bayley off the apron, getting caught in a submission by Sasha only to overcome again and hit a badass reversal forcing Sasha to tap. Asuka is the new Raw Women’s Champion. 

Match rating - ****

6) Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton - WWE Championship Match 

I never expected to enjoy this or for it to turn out how it did but holy shit these two were stiff as heck and had me invested for the entire stretch. Drew has really settled into this main event role and feels like a perfect top of the card talent, not at all out of place in there with Orton, and honestly pulling the best Orton match (aside from the second Edge match) out of him in a good year or so. Orton and McIntyre seemingly both get cut the hard way from some stiff exchanges and it adds a lot to the match. Orton goes for the punt, McIntyre catches him in an insane power bomb. And they do a few finisher reversals before Drew catches Orton in a backslide for the pin. Great match. Drew is killing it as champion and with how this ended, I sense a rematch and I’m alllll for it. 

Match rating - ****1/4

7) Braun Strowman (c) vs. Bray Wyatt - WWE Universal Championship Match 

The trend of the night continues with this being shockingly solid. No dumb frills or gimmicks. Just a brawl between two bosses with personal issues. They brawl around ringside and backstage. Braun’s head gets skinned open and bleeds a little. They get back towards the ring and Braun rips the mat up with a box cutter exposing the wood. They trade moves on the wood before Wyatt puns Strowman after two sister abigails to win the title. 

Match rating - ***1/2 

Post match, ROMAN REIGNS attacks Bray Wyatt and Strowman both. Reigns wants his title back. Absolute shocker of a return considering the pandemic is still going on, but it was well done and with how solid of a show tonight was, I am a little stoked on the prospect of Bray’s title run and the return of Reigns - two things I never thought I would say in 2020. 

Kudos, WWE. You let your talents work a wrestling show with little to no excessive/over produced garbage and it was a super enjoyable watch. Let’s hope Raw continues the trend tomorrow with the debut of Keith Lee and the aftermath of SummerSlam!