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Slam summer placed a magnifying glass directly on the best and the worst in WWE, offering some important surprises while also making some extremely frustrating decisions.
Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar both made their return to WWE, adding a much-needed sizzle to the product a day after CM Punk’s debut for AEW, again changing the state of professional wrestling in 2021. WWE featured a very entertaining card at Slam summer, and it was carried through its main event, where Roman Reigns and John Cena combined for an exciting fight that captured Cena’s brilliance while also highlighting Reigns’ star power. Cena put out Reigns, who won the match cleanly, extending his dominant run as the Universal Champion. This was directly contrasted by the booking of SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, who lost in a squash match against Lynch.
Lynch’s return is spectacular news for WWE, but the way it happened was confusing. After eight months of making Belair a top star, seizing the opportunity to become an indispensable part of WWE’s success, she was defeated in 27 seconds by Lynch, who replaced Sasha Banks. This is the same type of treatment The Honky Tonk Man received against The Ultimate Warrior at the inauguration. Slam summer in 1988, and it’s hard to believe that Belair – a true star and both the present and future of WWE – was put into a similarly structured match.
WWE has yet to explain why Banks couldn’t perform last weekend at live events and again tonight at Slam summer, leading to even more questions. And despite the fantastic news that Lynch is back in a WWE ring, the way he was presented left a lot to be desired.
Photo Courtesy of WWE
Here are the results of Slam summer:
– Big E beat Baron Corbin in the pre-show
– RK-Bro defeated AJ Styles and Omos to win Raw tag team titles
– Alexa Bliss beat Eva Marie
– Damian Priest defeated Sheamus to win the United States Championship
– The Usos defeated Rey and Dominik Mysterio to retain the SmackDown tag titles
– Becky Lynch defeated Bianca Belair to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship
– Drew McIntyre defeated Jinder Mahal
– Charlotte Flair defeated Nikki ASH and Rhea Ripley to win Women’s Raw Championship
– Edge defeated Seth Rollins
– WWE Champion Bobby Lashley defeated Goldberg by referee save
– Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated John Cena
WWE has a long-term storytelling problem, too often choosing immediate reaction over building new stars. This was again exposed when Lynch took out Belair. The way he was presented made absolutely no sense. Belair won the Royal Rumble match, hosted a main event with Banks at WrestlingMania, and gave a reason to look Smack down every week. Why treat her after the fact when Lynch reappears? And if WWE had to call an audible because Banks was unable to wrestle, why do it that way? This is by no means a review of Lynch, who is a true star, but a direct shot at how this was delivered. Instead of pure celebration for Lynch (which would have happened if she had used that formula to defeat a heel), there is a mixed reaction after a short-sighted decision to make Belair such a quick job.
Another heartbreaking moment came during the Lashley-Goldberg game. Lashley’s dominance was highlighted, ultimately leading to a referee stoppage because Goldberg was unable to continue after his knee suffered too many penalties in match history. A much more effective finish would have been for Lashley to beat Goldberg by pinfall or submission. The aftermath saw Lashley continue his beating, until Goldberg’s teenage son came into the ring to help his father. Lashley introduced it as well, angering Goldberg even more – and apparently continuing that agenda. While there is certainly a place for Goldberg, 54, in WWE in 2021, just as there is a place for Sting, 62, in AEW, it shouldn’t be in a title match. global.
Slam summer has had its fair share of positives. Brock Lesnar has achieved WWE’s goal of sending the crowd home happy. He now replaces Cena as Reigns ‘star opponent, a very important program to continue to elevate Reigns’ stature as the best performer in the world.
Charlotte Flair made a statement during her triple threat match against Nikki ASH and Rhea Ripley. Flair reclaimed the women’s title from Raw, which WWE is calling her twelfth title reign, and it makes sense. She is part of an elite list of the most talented artists in the world. Ripley has yet to hit his stride as part of the Raw roster, and it might be better for her to part ways with Flair before seeing them continue their feud. Nikki used this race with the belt to establish herself as someone who belongs in the title image. This next stretch will be crucial for her, as she seeks to remain an important entity on Raw even without a belt.
Edge stepped out on an iconic entry that reminded him of his WWE debut in The Brood. His match against Seth Rollins was intense and physical, reminding us of how lucky we are to see Adam Copeland again in a wrestling ring. Rollins countering a spear with a pedigree was a memorable place, as was Edge flipping a Curb Stomp into an Edgecator. Edge won the match through a cross-submission, never allowing Rollins to kick his foot, showing the importance of this maneuver. It was a program where Edge and Rollins looked like world class professionals.
Surprisingly, WWE has done very little with Sheamus as the United States Champion, so the title change in Sheamus’ match with Damian Priest makes sense. This marks the start of Priest’s first WWE Championship run, and much-needed momentum after the final months of revenge with The Miz and John Morrison after their entertaining fight in April at WrestlingMania 37.
Other highlights include The Usos who successfully defended the SmackDown tag titles against The Mysterios. Even at 46, Rey Mysterio remains timeless in the ring. RK-Bro’s Randy Orton and Matt Riddle opened the show with an action-packed tag match. They beat AJ Styles and Omos, and the victory gives Riddle his first tag team title and second overall WWE title, as Orton has won gold for the 19th time. Hopefully this starts a transition in which Styles comes back into the world title image. And when it comes to transitions, Drew McIntyre could benefit greatly from a move to Smack down after defeating Jinder Mahal at Slam summer. McIntyre has run out of steam over the past few months, mostly due to the way he’s been featured on Raw, and a new home (and the potential to work with Roman Reigns again) would be rejuvenating.
Slam summer is a net positive. Cena is set to come out, and thus begins the re-emergence of Lesnar (who, unlike Cena, shouldn’t be working a series of house shows, despite being waiting for a big payday at the next show. from Saudi Arabia). This marks a turning point for WWE. With AEW gaining momentum every week, WWE must invest in its current product line with compelling new stories, avoiding the urge to repeat the same matches over and over again. But there is reason to be optimistic after Slam summer, which begins a vital step for the company.
More wrestling coverage:
• Preview and forecast for ‘NXT TakeOver 36’
• Former WWE Superstar CM Punk Debuts With AEW
• Tour of the ‘SummerSlam’ house, the latest example of Ric Flair seizing post-WWE opportunities
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