WWE's "biggest party of the summer" has arrived. The 2018 edition of WWE SummerSlam is jam-packed with 13 matches set to take place Sunday night over nearly six hours live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. WWE has made quite a home for itself in Brooklyn over the last few years, and SummerSlam always features one of the company's best crowds of the year.
We may well see the Brock Lesnar-Roman Reigns feud finally resolve itself in the main event, and Ronda Rousey will be in her second title match since joining WWE looking to capture her first championship. The long-awaited clash between Daniel Bryan and The Miz will also be heavily featured on the show, and the return of Dean Ambrose could play a major role in the intercontinental title match.
CBS Sports will be with you the entire way Sunday night updating this story with the latest results, analysis, grades and highlights from the show. Stick with us all night long.
2018 WWE SummerSlam matches
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
2018 WWE SummerSlam live results, highlights
If you are unable to view the live updates below, please click here. Keep on scrolling for more detailed results and grades from each match after it concludes.
2018 WWE SummerSlam recap, grades
Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina Vega def. Rusev & Lana via pinfall (Kickoff Show): With a half-empty crowd still finding its way into the Barclays Center, this mixed tag team match felt like nothing more than house show filler variety. That's unfortunate considering the personalities in play and the fact that Rusev has gone from a WWE championship match to the curtain-jerker of the kickoff show in the span of a single pay-per-view. (Or that Almas may have co-authored the best match in NXT history in January against Johnny Gargano.) The match wasn't much to speak of with the finish coming after Almas distracted Lana and was slapped in the face for doing so. Vega instantly rolled her up from behind to steal the pin while her legs were draped on the ropes. Grade: C-
Cruiserweight Championship -- Cedric Alexander (c) def. Drew Gulak via pinfall to retain the title (Kickoff Show): It took a while for this slow, physical start to evolve into a traditional 205 Live-style match. Once it did, Alexander shined bright including a perfect tope con hilo to the floor. The finish came following a wild sequence that began with Gulak intercepting an Alexander springboard backflip by catching him into an ankle lock. Alexander then reversed it into a rollup pin attempt for two. Alexander then hit a standing Spanish fly out of nowhere for another two count. Gulak then rolled him up for a two count of his own until Alexander countered with one final rollup for the 1-2-3. Grade: C+
Raw Tag Team Championship -- The B-Team (c) def. The Revival via pinfall to retain the titles (Kickoff Show): The right place, right time booking continued for the unlikely tag champions as Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel scored another victory from the jaws of defeat. The Revival were dominant throughout and used a distraction in the opening seconds to hit a Shatter Machine as the referee had his back turned. The referee was distracted once again late in the match as Scott Dawson rolled up Axel. Dash Wilder then inadvertently pushed Dallas into the pin attempt, rolling Axel on top for the 1-2-3. Grade: C
Intercontinental Championship -- Seth Rollins def. Dolph Ziggler (c) via pinfall to win the title: The only shame in this match was that it took so long to heat up. But once the lengthy rest holds and gratuitous teases of Drew McIntyre interfering were finally over, Rollins and Ziggler were given the space to have the kind of spectacular match fans expected when the feud was first announced (and the exact opposite of what was given in their overbooked Extreme Rules match). Not only were the final minutes of this match absolutely electric and the perfect opener to a loaded show, the fans received the early reason to pop that they were hoping for with Rollins' victory.
Rollins delivered an incredible sequence midway through the match that brought the crowd to its feet when he followed Ziggler to the top rope and hit an insane reverse superplex before rolling through for a sidewalk slam but could somehow only get a two count. McIntyre took out Drew Ambrose outside the ring, which caused enough of a distraction for Ziggler to hit Rollins with a ZigZag but only earn a two. With Rollins bleeding from his forehead, the finish came after Ambrose rallied to hit a Dirty Deeds on McIntyre outside, giving Rollins the chance to land a superkick and The Stomp to pin Ziggler. Grade: B+
The Bella Twins show up: Backstage between matches, Nikki & Brie Bella were asked whether they would be participating at Evolution in October. Rather than answer, they put over all their other businesses and said they were excited to see Ronda Rousey to beat Alexa Bliss tonight. Not only that, they will be sitting ringside for it.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- New Day def. Bludgeon Brothers (c) via disqualification: There's nothing like a schmoz finish to take the air out of what had been a really good match. Late in the match, Xavier Woods and Big E on the verge of regaining the tag team titles as they set up Harper for their Up-Up-Down-Down finisher; Rowan knocked Woods off the top rope with a mallet and then took out Big E to force the DQ. Harper then appeared to be angry at Rowan for doing so until he grabbed the mallet and hit Big E one more time.
The crowd lustily booed the result, which brought an end to a high-energy match filled with a series of physical high spots. Woods hit a textbook tope con hilo outside onto Rowan before Big E followed by spearing Harper through the ropes and onto the floor. Rowan later lifted Woods up in a wheelbarrow position as Harper hit him with headbutts before adding a power bomb for a two count. But it was Woods who delivered the biggest spot of the match when Harper rolled out of the ring and Woods hit an elbow off the top rope and onto the floor. Grade: B-
Money in the Bank briefcase -- Braun Strowman (h) def. Kevin Owens via pinfall to retain: Donning a "KO in the Bank" T-shirt that will likely now become a collector's item, Owens' hope of stealing Strowman's MITB contract ended violently in a short and explosive squash match. Strowman opened with a pair of running splashes and a huge shoulder tackle into the barrier after Owens attempted to escape. Strowman then hit a chokeslam on the ramp and his running powerslam in the center of the ring to finish him. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns may have a "Monster in the Bank" to deal with in tonight's main event after all. Grade: C
SmackDown Women's Championship -- Charlotte Flair def. Becky Lynch (via pinfall) and Carmella (c) to win the title: Best friends no more. For as good as Flair's exciting victory was in the match, adding yet another title reign to her growing legacy, this will long be remembered for the impressive heel turn from the perennial babyface Lynch. After the former BFFs hugged at length in the center of the ring after the match, Lynch knocked her down with a right hand and followed with ground and pound. She then tossed Flair out of the ring, into the barrier wall and over the announce table as the crowd showered her with chants of "Yes," "Becky" and "you deserve it."
The match that preceded the big turn late was nearly as dramatic with Carmella diving into the ring countless times to keep her title reign alive and break up pin attempts. Flair hit the biggest move of the match when she followed Carmella's suicide dive onto Lynch by hitting a twisting moonsault onto both outside. Lynch twice came close to forcing Carmella to tap out with her Dis-Arm-Her in the closing moments of the match until Flair got a running start and hit Lynch with Natural Selection for the pin. Grade: B+
WWE Championship -- Samoa Joe def. AJ Styles (c) via disqualification: Somehow, this went on sixth-to-last on the show. Before the match even began, Joe grabbed the mic and pointed out Styles' wife and daughter in the audience, promising their dad would actually come home tonight; Styles responded that he was going to kick Joe's ask. The match started slow and plodding with Joe overpowering Styles and attempting to tire him out with rest holds. After Styles got in a little offense, Joe impressed by flying off the top rope and hitting a standing Styles with a thunderous leg drop. Styles sold an injured left knee shortly thereafter when lifting and planting the larger Joe stressed out the joint.
Styles dropped Joe with an exceedingly impressive Styles Clash and nearly got his three count, spare a split second, but Joe kicking out clearly bothered the champion. Next was a Pele kick that wounded Joe, but not enough for him to be unable to catch Styles mid-air and slam him to the canvas with one arm. Joe reversed a Calf Crusher by slamming Styles' head into the canvas and immediately sunk in the Coquina Clutch. When Styles was able to break free, Joe called for the Muscle Buster, but first kicked Styles off the top rope and then drove him head first into the steel steps, which cracked Styles' head open.
Joe then climbed atop the announce table and grabbed a microphone. "I made you a promise daddy was coming home. It looks like he's not, but I'll be your new daddy," he said. Styles, now bloodied and in a rage, responded by spearing Joe off the table and through the ringside barrier. He then picked up a steel chair and hit Joe over the back, forcing a DQ, before continuing to punish him with the weapon. Styles' wife and daughter watched on telling him to "stop, but Styles could not be contained until Fit Finaly ran down to ringside and grabbed the chair out of his hand. Styles walked over to his family and picked up his daughter, who said, "Daddy, you're bleeding." He apologized to her, grabbed his bloodied head and took his family off through the crowd to the backstage area. Though another schmoz finish is a tad infuriating, at least this one made sense and advanced a storyline between two of the top guys in the company. Grade: B+
Elias takes center stage: After cutting his typical promo, Elias attempted to play his guitar only to see the neck to snap off in his hands when he began to strum it. He responded by furiously kicking over his chair and chucking his guitar into the darkness.
The Miz reunites with The Miztourage: As The Miz walked backstage, he stumbled into The B-Team holding their Raw tag team titles. He put over taking down Daniel Bryan later in the show and suggested that the Dallas and Axel consider getting his bags and joining the after party for old time's sake. They declined, made a couple jokes and departed doing their new chant.
The Miz def. Daniel Bryan via pinfall: WWE built nice intensity for this match with a five-minute promo recapping the eight-year feud between these two. Early in the bout, Miz was in the middle of using Bryan's moves when Bryan caught him by the throat and hit him with a bevy of Yes! kicks. Miz mocked Bryan with some Yes! chants as he locked in the surfboard, but Bryan quickly escaped and showed Miz how it is done by repeating the move. Miz was eventually able to hang Bryan on the top rope and clothesline him off it to retake control and continue his trash talking. Running dropkicks by Bryan followed, and he took Miz out further by jumping from the apron to clothesline him on the outside and then hitting a belly-to-back suplex from the top rope. Bryan and Miz exchanged flurries of Yes! kicks, but Bryan no-sold Miz's attempts and prepared to take him out for good. They then traded attempted submission moves until Miz threw Bryan into the ring post via slingshot and hit the Skull-Crushing Finale but could only manage a two count.
With Maryse looking on from ringside, Miz mocked Bryan with Yes! chants. As Bryan hit more Yes! kicks on Miz outside the ring into the ring post, Miz dodged one and Bryan kicked the post directly. Miz capitalized by jumping back into the ring and locking the Figure-Four Leg Lock on Bryan, who eventually reversed it. Bryan beat Miz some more and locked in the Yes! Lock, but Miz eventually reached for the bottom rope. A flying knee from Bryan sent him into the ringside barrier, where he draped his arms over the ledge only to be handed brass knuckles by Maryse. As Bryan continued to attack, Miz caught him on an attempted dive with the brass knuckles, knocking Bryan out and covering him for the 1-2-3. There was no way this feud was going to end clean at SummerSlam, so the finish is acceptable considering Miz getting a clean win over Bryan would not have made much sense. Grade: B
Finn Balor def. Baron Corbin via pinfall: Balor shocked the crowd by appearing in his Demon paint with a Rolling Stones-like tongue on his chest. WWE added to the production values with an arena full of smoke and a swirling graphic of red and white smoke above the ring for the TV audience. The announcers also put over Balor huge. Balor dominated from the start with running dropkicks and slingblades both in and out of the ring. He hit a double stomp to the back of Corbin's head as the crowd chanted, "This is awesome!" and dropped him with the Coup de Grace for the super-fast 1-2-3 and squash win. While you can make the argument that the Demon was "unnecessary" for a non-title match against a Constable, there is no doubting how dominant Balor looked and how well booked the match was despite its short run time. So this grade is for the effort and the booking, not the match itself. Grade: B
Daniel Bryan sulks backstage: While putting ice on his head, Bryan was upset in the trainer's area. Brie Bella visited to console him, but Bryan was inconsolable, angry the way he lost to Miz and fuming that his entire comeback has been worthless because he lost the match. After tossing his ice and turning red, Bryan listened to Brie build him back up, saying that since was able to fight for his comeback so he can just as easily get over on Miz in the near future.
United States Championship -- Shinsuke Nakamura (c) def. Jeff Hardy via pinfall to retain the title: Nakamura's title defense received the glorified popcorn treatment before a pair of high-profile main event matches. Hardy popped the crowd early by mocking Nakamura's hand gestures and motioning him to "come on!" The match's brief storyline surrounded Hardy's daredevil ways coming back to haunt him as he missed a Swanton Bomb attempt off the top rope late and landed hard on his back -- on the ring apron. After rolling inside the ring, Nakamura landed his Kinsasha for the 1-2-3. Randy Orton's music then hit, but "The Viper" did noting more than walk to the ring and stare before returning backstage. Considering Matt Hardy's recent injuries and Jeff's perennial injury issues, it wouldn't be a surprise to see both brothers take an extended break. Grade: C+
Raw Women's Championship -- Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey: Live now.
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WWE SummerSlam 2018 Results: Live Updates, Results and Reaction
Brooklyn, New York
Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of WWE SummerSlam 2018. As one of the most important pay-per-views of the year, there is a lot of pressure on all the Superstars to perform well. The marquee matches will see Roman Reigns challenge Brock Lesnar for the universal title, Alexa Bliss defend the Raw Women's Championship against Ronda Rousey and AJ Styles will put the WWE title on the line against Samoa Joe. We will also see the grudge match between Daniel Bryan and The Miz. Keep it locked right here for live updates of all the action.
WWE SummerSlam 2018 is headlined by Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles for the WWE title on what is shaping up to be a pivotal pay-per-view for WWE.
The company, which has apparently been "well aware" that its product is struggling, has recently been plagued by historically poor viewership for both Raw, which generated its worst viewership ever last month, and SmackDown, which scored its lowest average audience of 2018 back in June. The good news is that WWE's viewership has trended back in the right direction since then, likely due to the intrigue surrounding Lesnar's future, the tremendous Miz vs. Bryan feud and Ronda Rousey's match with Alexa Bliss.
At least on paper, SummerSlam 2018 is shaping up to have one of the best non-WrestleMania cards in recent memory, and with WWE's TV viewership typically tending to skyrocket around SummerSlam time, WWE can regain some momentum for the post-SummerSlam season with a strong showing at SummerSlam itself. Especially as the fall TV competition begins to heat up thanks in large part to Monday Night Football, WWE needs to deliver the goods at a SummerSlam show that theoretically should set the stage for its biggest fall storylines.
Of course, the success of SummerSlam will, as always, depend upon the booking of the show, its match outcomes and what angles it sets in motion for September and beyond. Will WWE make the right choices this year? Here are five smart booking decisions WWE must make at SummerSlam 2018.
Samoa Joe Wins The WWE Title
AJ Styles has held the WWE Championship for nearly 300 days, his second lengthy world title reign after previously holding the title for 140 days from September 2016 to January 2017.
Thus, there's no shame in "The Phenomenal One" finally dropping the title at SummerSlam, especially to a tremendous all-around talent like Joe, who would benefit substantially from being the one to defeat the longest reigning WWE Champion since CM Punk in 2013. Perhaps the main reason why Styles even held the WWE title this long was to coincide with the reveal that he'd be the WWE 2K19 cover star, and now that the announcement is in the rearview mirror, it's time for SmackDown to move on to something else after Styles has been the face of the brand and its world champion for much of the last two years.
Styles is already firmly entrenched as a top star, one of WWE's highest paid wrestlers and perhaps its No. 2 merchandise mover, so he won't be hurt by losing to a star of the caliber of Samoa Joe. Although the booking hasn't always been perfect in regards to Joe, a former NXT Champion, there are plenty of signs that he is ready to be a consistent main eventer and top draw for SmackDown, from his merchandise sales to his YouTube viewership to his excellent promo skills to his history of main eventing a number of main roster PPVs despite a short run there.
Samoa Joe is believable as they come in terms of being a tough, no-nonsense heel, and with the right mix of in-ring abilities, charisma and promo skills, he's perhaps the best choice SmackDown has to dethrone Styles. That's certainly not a criticism of Styles, who has demonstrated over the last two and a half years that he is more than capable of carrying a brand. It's just that WWE is nearing the 300-day mark with Styles as champion, and it's around that time that a superstar's title reign can get quite stale, which is something WWE shouldn't risk with Styles.
Therefore, the company should move forward with Joe as champion, let him and Styles battle it out one more time at Hell in a Cell and then see what Joe can do as the show's top titleholder this fall.
The Miz Upsets Daniel Bryan In Cheap Fashion
There still is no definitive word on whether or not Daniel Bryan has re-signed with WWE, with some reports stating he has struck a new deal, others indicating that he hasn't and one stating that WWE is upset he hasn't inked a new deal yet.
Of course, the outcome of Bryan's match with The Miz at SummerSlam, the climax of one of WWE's best feuds this decade, will depend heavily upon whether or not Bryan has agreed to stay with the company. In fact, Wrestling Standard notes that Miz will win if Bryan is leaving while Bryan will win if he is staying:
The Miz is expected to be victorious. Additionally, there have been loose talks of Bryan defeating The Miz at SummerSlam, if Bryan was to sign a contract extension, and carrying on their feud with a final match at Hell In A Cell.
But regardless of whether Bryan ultimately chooses to stay or leave (and many signs are pointing to the former happening), he should lose at SummerSlam. Yes, the booking of Bryan hasn't exactly been spot on since Bryan returned to the ring at WrestleMania 34, but from a storytelling perspective, it makes more sense for WWE to continue his red hot feud with The Miz for as long as its sizzling, which means it shouldn't begin with a resounding win for Bryan.
The better option is for Miz to beat Bryan, preferably in cheap fashion (holding the tights, an assist from Maryse, etc.), because that will add another layer to the story of The Miz recently claiming that Bryan is no longer on his level. If Miz wins their SummerSlam bout, there will be some truth to that claim, but his victory will have come in a way that really makes fans despise him even more if that's how Bryan's last PPV bout ends while also doing the same if Bryan stays and their feud continues to September's Hell in a Cell.
The Miz is already a heat magnet, but WWE has a chance to send him to the next stratosphere of heel heat by having him topple Bryan, which will also have the added benefit of making Bryan an even more likable babyface if he stays with WWE, which he said just this week he's leaning toward doing.
Using Seth Rollins To Begin A Massive Push For Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre will be in the corner of Dolph Ziggler for his Intercontinental title match against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, and though that bout involves one of WWE's most prestigious titles and a red hot star in Rollins, it should be more about establishing McIntyre as WWE's "next big thing" than anything else.
In 2018, WWE has done a fantastic job of protecting Rollins, who has won virtually every major match he's had and has only lost in ways that still make him look good. Because of that, crowd reactions suggest Rollins is currently WWE's most popular star, while his impressive merchandise sales and strong YouTube viewership certainly support the notion that fans are gravitating toward him in a way like they never have in the past. An IC title win for Rollins would be a step back, however, so WWE should use this match as a way to move Rollins away from the IC title picture, continue his compelling reunion with Dean Ambrose and help ignite a massive push for McIntyre.
With Rollins recently setting records on Raw and becoming the first star to main event a PPV in an Intercontinental title match in two decades, it's clear WWE has big plans for him in the future, but because he currently doesn't figure into the Universal Championship picture, it would be wise of WWE to use him to elevate McIntyre at SummerSlam. Both Vince McMahon and Triple H have taken a keen interest in the portrayal and push of McIntyre, and McMahon reportedly wants to gradually establish McIntyre as a main eventer.
That's a smart path to take because we all saw how a rushed push for Jinder Mahal was rejected by fans, and that shouldn't happen with McIntyre, who is a much better overall talent than Mahal is. At the same time, Raw is clearly lacking on the heel side, and with the questionable booking of guys like Elias, Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin really hurting the perception of those stars in the eyes of fans, McIntyre is the one star with a relatively clean slate who could give the red brand the No. 1 villain it desperately needs.
Thus, McIntyre's rise to the top of the heel side on Raw should start at SummerSlam, when he'll take part in a major match with a high-profile star and may be involved in a big future match that should set him up for plenty of future success.
Ronda Rousey Becomes Raw Women's Champion
On the heels of Stephanie McMahon's blockbuster announcement that WWE will now soon host an all women's pay-per-view, Evolution, it only makes sense to put the Raw Women's Championship on Ronda Rousey.
At a time when WWE's female superstars are becoming big draws in their own rights, Rousey is easily the biggest. Perhaps the world's most famous female athlete and one of the biggest draws in UFC history, Rousey is someone WWE should continue to build around at a time when the spotlight on its women's division has never been brighter. That means she should defeat Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women's title at SummerSlam, when Raw typically has a much bigger viewing audience than it does throughout the rest of the year, other than at WrestleMania time.
Having Rousey defeat Bliss at SummerSlam is a surefire way for WWE to garner the mainstream media attention it so desperately craves, all while putting its top women's title around the waist of a tremendous in-ring performer and must-see attraction just before the first all female PPV in company history. With the previous Mae Young Classic drawing very well on the WWE Network and Triple H noting that the women's division often outdraws the men's division in terms of TV viewership, it is essentially a no-brainer for WWE to capitalize on the popularity of women's wrestling and to use Rousey as the vehicle to accomplish that goal.
While some diehard fans may not be thrilled with a "rookie" like Rousey winning a title just four months after having her first televised bout, that would be a smart, shrewd and sensible business move that would result in additional exposure for not just Rousey but WWE and the women's division as well.
Braun Strowman Leaves SummerSlam As Universal Champion
There is a handful of different options for the potential outcome of the Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.
Potentially, we could see one of four stars leave the PPV as champion (Lesnar, Reigns, Braun Strowman or Kevin Owens, if he manages to defeat Strowman and win the Money in the Bank briefcase earlier in the night), while the most discussed scenario is the possibility of a much talked about Strowman cash-in, with "The Monster Among Men" spoiling the party for whoever wins out of Lesnar and Reigns. Whether it's Reigns, Strowman or Owens, it seems likely that one of those three superstars will win the Universal Championship at SummerSlam, but Strowman is clearly the best option.
Given all the uncertainty regarding when Lesnar's contract actually expires, the inevitability of him returning to UFC soon for an early 2019 fight against Daniel Cormier and his virtually nonexistent effect on the WWE Network subscriber count or Raw TV viewership, it's safe to say that WWE can and should move on from him as Universal Champion. Raw, quite simply, needs a full-time Universal Champion, which is something it hasn't had for the last 18 months and has been detrimental to the red brand's product, which has struggled to create entertaining programming with an absentee Lesnar as its top titleholder.
Raw's biggest stars need something concrete worth fighting for, which is why Reigns, Strowman or even Owens (but preferably Strowman, whose popularity continues to soar) could presumably leave SummerSlam as the hero who was able to slay "The Beast." The problem with Reigns beating Lesnar, however, is that most fans don't want to see Reigns win the title, and if he does beat Lesnar and then fall victim to a Strowman cash-in, that's not going to help Reigns get more cheers from fans. If anything, the reverse is true because Reigns will be the de facto heel in a potential feud with Strowman.
WWE needs to help further establish Strowman as one of WWE's biggest stars, and having him cash in on "The Beast" would do that by ending Lesnar's reign of terror and potentially seting the stage for a number of intriguing post-SummerSlam stories involving Reigns and Strowman that could carry WWE this fall, when the two stars are advertised to headline a number of Raw live events against one another.
While the specifics of how this goes down aren't as important, what truly matters is simply that WWE does what is best for the Raw product at SummerSlam and ensures we don't go another several months waiting for Lesnar to defend his title and not being sure when he'll do it.
That means it's best for all parties involved if Lesnar defeats Reigns, only for Strowman to become WWE's biggest hero by ending Lesnar's disastrously long title reigns mere moments later.
Blake Oestriecher is an elementary school teacher by day and a sports writer by night. He’s a contributor to @ForbesSports, where he primarily covers WWE. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.
Share. Check out all the match results from WWE's biggest summertime shindig. Check out all the match results from WWE's biggest summertime shindig.
Welcome to WWE SummerSlam, where...skipping the two-hour Kickoff Show is considered self-care?
Look, it's long. It's a haul.
There are 13 matches. 14 if Elias actually gets in the ring with Bobby Lashley. There probably only needs to be six. And as usual, last night NXT put on a perfectly-executed, perfectly-timed TakeOver event that was concise and superb and probably soured all of us for the SummerSlam slog ahead. So lets make sure to hydrate. Maybe treat ourselves to our favorite food. Pacing is important. SummerSlam is a marathon, not a sprint.
What's your favorite SummerSlam moment? See if yours made our list!
20 Most Memorable SummerSlam Moments 10+ IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 OF 20 ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
Back at the inaugural SummerSlam, in 1988, Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man was so cool, cocky, and bad that he didn't even want to know the name of his secret challenger that night. He could beat anyone, you see. One manic run to the ring and approximately 30 seconds later, Ultimate Warrior had obliterated the champ and captured IC glory. 01 OF 20 ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
Back at the inaugural SummerSlam, in 1988, Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man was so cool, cocky, and bad that he didn't even want to know the name of his secret challenger that night. He could beat anyone, you see. One manic run to the ring and approximately 30 seconds later, Ultimate Warrior had obliterated the champ and captured IC glory. 20 Most Memorable SummerSlam Moments Download Image Captions ESC
I'll be live-tweeting all night over at @TheMattFowler, so you can follow me there if you're inclined. Bookmark this page however so you can follow along all night with results, reactions, .gifs and goofs. Keep it locked in and [holds hands Thelma & Louise style] let's meet oblivion together.
Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega
I wish more people were in the arena when this match hit, because - hell - I love mixed tag matches between color/costume-coordinated couples. But to be fair there are two title matches on the Kickoff Show (LOL!) and there should be more people on hand for them. Also, the "Rusev Day" phenomenon isn't quite what it was six months ago, so no need to go for broke here. Also, and this will be a recurring theme all night, most of the matches on the card this evening could have been saved for RAW or SmackDown, respectively.
So Team Rusev Day loses again - and without Aiden English's bumbling too! Just some good old fashioned feet on the ropes by Vega. This match was...fine. I understand that pre-show matches needn't exactly set the world on fire but you get the feeling that if this match had been booked for TakeOver it would have somehow been all types of amazing.
Man, I miss TakeOver. Yay! for Almas and Vega though.
Winners: Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak
Look, admittedly, I don't watch 205 Live. I don't have the time. @ me all you want.
Apparently though, the Barclays crowd doesn't watch it ether because they were - ahem - respectfully quiet during the Alexander/Gulak match.
Sure, they oooh'd a little bit for some hard slaps right at the end, but this one was just sort of flat from the get=go. Also, and this might just be a very "me" thing - did they say "Drew Gulak" over and over way to much? Like, they rarely just said "Drew" or "Gulak." It was always like "Drew Gulak this" and "Drew Gulak that." The name ceased to hold any meaning. It just became blaring gobbledygook.
Cedric won with a schoolboy type roll-up after a back and forth roll-off.
Winner, and still WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Cedric Alexander
Raw Tag Team Champions The B-Team vs. The Revival
I really wanted The Revival to win the RAW tag titles, but I had some reservations about them doing it on a Kickoff Show. Well, I guess I got my dark wish because apparently the Kickoff is no place for title changes (nor should it be, I suppose). Still, B-Team has to stop "escaping" with the titles due to Mr. Magoo style bungling. Enough now.
For a split second, I thought we'd get a summer squash out of this, as Revival took out Axel with a Shatter Machine right out of the gate and then worked on Dallas' leg. But B-Team's finisher seems to be "guy bumps into other guy who rolls and someone pins someone else" and that's been enough to keep them sitting atop the RAW tag team division. I probably should have skipped this pre-sizzle all together. It was all dumb and it should feel dumb.
Winners, and still RAW Tag Team Champions: The B-Team
Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
The actual finish-finish of this one was just okay - but to be fair Seth can't wear, basically, the Infinity Gauntly on his Stomp foot and then not get to snap, er, stomp his way to victory. It certainly trumped Ziggler's IC Title-As-A-Fanny-Pack tights.
The moments leading up to that finish were super hot however. The crowd really got loud for these two past the ten, minute mark. The match started a bit slow, and seemed to be an "every time things kicked up a notch Dean and Drew would get in each others' faces" affair, but then once the third act began it was all fire. The Reverse-Superplex into that...Emerald Flowsion type drop or whatever (I dunno) was amazing. This is a .gif of - um - not of that.
No Dean heel turn but a great match that built nicely and got the crowd pumped.
Winner, and new Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day
Hey! Actual bludgeoning by the Bludgeon Bros!
So here's the deal. New Day has to beat these two. I guess just...not yet. Because SmackDown has run out of tag teams for the Bludgies to beat. If New Day can't do it then there's no one. So I suppose they decided to stretch this feud out. Sadly. DQ finishes are never ideal. But at least the ogres got to use their weapons. That's something at least.
This was a sort of rushed Demolition Derby of a match, with some decent high moments that kept the crowd caffeinated, and it was never going to top New Day's two separate SmackDown matches - against The Bar and Sanity - they fought in to get here, and on an over-stuffed card with scads of superfluous matches, it was fine. It only feels slightly egregious because it had a non-finish and we ain't got time for that. Or, ugh, I guess we have all the time in the world for it.
Winners, by disqualification: New Day
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
What the actual f***?
So after Warrior beating Honky Tonk Man, this was probably the biggest squash in SummerSlam history. Even Cena got off a few moves against Brock during his mauling.
Braun came in, tackled Kevin a few times, chokeslammed him on the entrance aisle, and then powerslammed him for the 1-2-3. I mean, I'm all for cutting time out of SummerSlam's overhead, but...they have to have something up their sleeve for Kevin, right? He can't just go out like this. After two months of getting annihilated by Braun (I understand he "won" the cage match).
Anyhow, what does this do for Brock vs. Roman? A cash in tonight? After the match, during the match, or before the match? Does Braun just insert himself into the bout and make it a Triple Threat (giving fans someone to actually cheer)?
Good gravy.
Winner: Braun Strowman
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch
Nice work by all three!
Good pace (though there was a rest hold, not a submission hold, at one point - WTF?) and all I assumed, going in, was that Becky was going to leave upset. Whether that meant a Carmella win or a Charlotte win. Turns out, it meant a Charlotte win. Because Becky needed to...
...SNAP! With all the hullabaloo surrounding Sasha and Bayley and their frustrating will they?/won't they? (kiss? murder each other?) storyline, many of us forgot the rumors from right after WrestleMania regarding a Becky Lynch heel turn. This SummerSlam match bubbled it all back up and now...she's done it for reel. Attacked Charlotte right after what seemed to be an emotional embrace between friends. It went over great with the crowd. And I think it'll stick. Unlike the time Bayley did the same to Sasha.
Winner, and new SmackDown Women's Champion: Charlotte
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
First off, let's just step back and acknowledge how awesome it is to be getting AJ vs. Joe at SummerSlam. Regardless of the whole "Wendy Styles" (LOL, her took her husband's fake last name?) angle.
Now, let's pause and acknowledge how lame it is that the WWE Championship is happening 1/12th of the way through the SummerSlam card.
I guess NOW we know it's because we weren't getting a real finish. Joe, basically, f***ed up and took to the mic, when he thought he had AJ beaten and bleeding, to talk to Wendy and say he'd be her, or AJ's daughter's, or someone's, "new daddy." This caused AJ to lose it and attack Joe with a chair over and over.
All in all, it wasn't too bad considering. It's just that this match had a really solid build. It was sort of unlike the other matches so far in that it was really slow going for a while. And these two, with this crowd, could do that. Naturally, things accelerated toward the end. There was even a really nasty looking almost-botched Styles Clash. Ah yes. The chance of “actual death by Styles Clash” is still uncomfortably high.
Winner, as the result of a disqualification: Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
Haha, that was fun. Well worked match. Nice occasional split crowd too! More for Bryan, but there was some sturdy Miz support.
Maryse being at ringside with "behind a blanket" baby Monroe was always a tip off that Miz was going to win. As well as, well, Daniel Bryan's own disregard for whether or not he wins matches. We care way more about Daniel Bryan winning matches than he does. He's all about the bell-to-bell artistry. Even with foreshadowed shenanigans, Miz had this one coming. Also, Bryan sort of schooled Miz throughout the match and that also signaled a cheat on the horizon.
Maryse handed Miz a pair of brass knucks and all Miz had to do was wait for a suicide dive and - WHAM! The rest is Miztory. Now, does this loss for Bryan indicate that he's leaving? Has he not re-signed with WWE? It was rumored, weeks back, that if he didn't renew his contract that Miz was going over at SummerSlam. We'll have to see. Could Bryan be "All In" by next week?
Winner: The Miz
Finn Bálor vs. Constable Baron Corbin
Welp. Just when I thought I'd use Balor vs. Corbin to stretch and grab a drink or something, Finn goes and whips out the Demon King. To face the Applebees Bartender.
In the very least, it was a squash match, which it should have been given the Demon persona. I don't want Diabolical Darkness somehow going toe-to-toe with the guy who's dressed like he does street magic. So this was super quick and harmless. And a good way to dust off the Demon for a "Big Four" event.
Winner: "Demon King" Finn Balor
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy
Did you know the apron is the hardest part of the ring? IT'S UNFORGIVING.
Anyhow, this was the match I took a little break during. I am human. I need to be free sometimes (and be loved, just like everybody else does). So I really only caught the entrances and the final moments. Nakamura winning was a sure thing really so I didn't expect big things from this bout.
Jeff's missed Swanton onto the apron was pretty nasty. It sold his loss, while also further wrecking his spine. He...shouldn't be doing spots like this these days. I dunno. It's not like we're the ones talking him into these things. Or out of them. He's a grown-ass man. I just think it's unwise. That's my one cent.
And did Randy Orton just decide against that after-match attack? Good thing we always know what's on his mind because he's so good at emoting.
Winner, and still United States Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura
Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
