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WWE SummerSlam 2018 was much better than Extreme Rules, Backlash, and WrestleMania of this year.
SummerSlam suffered the same issues from a PPV being too long, but it wasn't front-loaded the way the previous Pay-Per-Views were. There was a consistent pace and lots of matches delivered. However, like most WWE PPVs, it wasn't perfect. This Pay-Per-View had left a lot to be desired (at least according to my opinion)
What was good about it and what was bad? Let's take a look.
Downs...
#1 B-Team Wins......Again.....
The fact that the B-Team has the RAW Tag Team Championships shows the state of the RAW's Tag Team Division. They are just a comedy-act. They are fun but they don't need a long run. Now was the time to pull the trigger on The Revival. The Revival is one of the best tag teams WWE has. They are capable of having great matches. But WWE never pulls the trigger on them. Look back at a fantastic match between the Undisputed Era and Mustache Mountain.....and then groan...
#2 Dean Ambrose is still a face
Look, this may be just my opinion, but this was a perfect opportunity to have Ambrose turn heel. He looked like he was no longer going to play games anymore, can play a great heel, and remaining a babyface would just mean Rollins and Reigns would eclipse him. It was great to see Seth Rollins win the Intercontinental Championship again. However, losing to Dolph and having a program with Ambrose would feel refreshing and interesting. Seth Rollins winning back the belt could just mean that the feud between Ziggler and Rollins is going to continue.
#3 Randy Orton
You would think that Randy Orton would play a role in Jeff Hardy losing the match against Shinsuke Nakamura or at least deliver a post-match beatdown. But he didn't do anything. He walked to the ring........and then walked back.....probably to remind us that he was there...
#4 Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens
Let's all take a moment of silence for Kevin Owen's credibility...........Okay then. After weeks of playing up the stipulation that Strowman could lose his Money In The Bank briefcase in any capacity, The Monster Among Men pinned the FORMER UNIVERSAL CHAMPION in 2 minutes. This entire rivalry should have ended with Owens getting his payback on Strowman after months of being bullied by him for no reason. Or at least put up a better fight. It's hard believing that Kevin Owens was once a Universal Champion when he loses like this
We get it. Strowman is an unstoppable monster. Which is why Kevin Owens should have won the briefcase. The briefcase doesn't suit Strowman's character. He is much better off chasing the belt instead of trying to find opportunities to cash in his briefcase. Finding opportunities fits Owen's character more than it fits Strowman's character.
#5 Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
This match is a joke. It consisted of nothing but three Superman punches, three German suplexes, two guillotines (and two slams to escape) and four spears. Any other offence was waged on Brawn Strowman (more on that later). The match was awful, with fans chanting "You both suck" at them. But hey, at least it was short.
#6 The Ending
If this is how WWE was going to end Brock Lesnar's 16-month Universal title reign, then why didn't they pull the trigger sooner? It was not only predictable but it made their WrestleMania 34 match meaningless and a waste of time. WWE had so many guys who could have taken the belt off Brock Lesnar (Like Lashley). Strowman could have walked out of the Barclays Center as the Universal Champion. Hell, Roman Reigns could have turned heel and have Paul Heyman align with him. That would have been a much better conclusion than what we got. This rivalry just feels like a complete waste of time that should have ended at WrestleMania 34.
Speaking of Braun Strowman, he looked like a loser for a guy who was booked as an invincible monster for 2 years. He was hit with an F-5, the briefcase, and then the chair and then that was it. They bait-and-switched on a MITB cash-in from one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster and closed with one of the most despised babyfaces victorious.
Ups!
#1 Almas and Vega vs Rusev and Lana
The match is not anything special but it is still a positive. Their chemistry was better than expected, the match was fun, and it had a hot crowd. It made sense for Rusev and Lana to lose because not only can they afford a loss, but it also makes sense to continue the struggle for Rusev Day.
#2 The Cruiserweight Championship match
205 Live is basically the wrestling show to go to for consistently solid wrestling (besides NXT). Although the match between Alexander vs Gulak wasn't good enough to get the crowd invested, the story-telling and action made for a damn fine wrestling match. There were some great counters like Cedric Alexander turning Gulak's pinning combination into one of his own to win the match. The way the match ended suggests that the feud is not over, which will be a very good thing for 205 Live product
#3 Intercontinental Championship match
A wrestling PPV always need a great opener to make the fans look forward to the rest of the show. This match did exactly that. Although it started slow and struggled to get the fans invested, the match got way more interesting and got the crowd to get invested in the match once both guys turned it up a notch. It was cool to see Seth Rollins doing a inverted superplex from the top rope and then follow it with a deadlift paroxysm.
Although I wish we could have seen Dean turn heel, it was still great to see him do his job perfectly and keep Drew Mcintyre at bay. Both the Lunatic Fringe and the Scottish Psychopath played their roles well and felt important.
#4 SmackDown Tag Team Championship
If it weren't for the finish, the match between the New Day and Bludgeon Brothers would have been spectacular. It still exceeded expectations and wasn't just a squash. Some people would complain about the finish, but the Bludgeon Brothers finally found a real threat and were unsure of how to handle it. This was a great story that was told and set up an even better rematch
#5 The SmackDown Women's Championship match
This match was better than expected. Not only both Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair were guiding the fast-paced action with a series of near falls and submission holds, Carmella also did better than expected. To see her do a suicide dive was a treat.
Although Charlotte won the Women's Championship and she remained a babyface when she shouldn't have, it was great to finally see Becky Lynch reach her breaking point. She had a good reason to turn heel and the role of a villain might give her an edge she needs.
Although, it would be better to see Becky show shades of grey than be a 'full-on heel'. She can remain a babyface, but hate Charlotte and care about winning the SmackDown Women's Championship
#6 The WWE Championship match
A WWE Championship has never main evented a PPV since Fastlane of this year. I wish we had a SmackDown exclusive Pay-Per-View. At least that could ensure the WWE Championship is one of the top belts. Anyway, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe had a solid wrestling match that could have been better if we got an actual finish. Although the finish could set up not only a better rematch but a bitter battle it needs to be in Hell In A Cell.
#7 Daniel Bryan vs The Miz
Daniel Bryan and The Miz stole the show. The storytelling was awesome, the exchanges were top notch, and it continues the best feud of the main roster. Bryan's "dangerous wrestling style'' put him in a risk and ''the smart, safe wrestler'' made him pay dearly for it. To see Daniel Bryan finally get his hands on The Miz was satisfying and it makes us want him to get his revenge even more
That might be just me, but Daniel Bryan doubting himself after the match and wondering if his comeback was a bust after all, only for Brie Bella to remind him who he is and what makes him great was heart-warming. Go out of your way to watch this match
#8 Demon Balor has returned
For a good while, we’ve had to endure Baron Corbin making size jokes at Finn Balor’s expense, despite Balor being a world-class wrestler and Corbin being a world-class underachieving choke artist. It all seemed to be building to a head, but their match at SummerSlam wasn’t anything anyone was really looking forward to.
Enter The Demon.
Demon Balor than proceeded to make quick work of Baron Corbin, showing that the size doesn't matter and a great way to cap off an otherwise boring feud. Now that the Universal Champion is on a full-timer, can Balor finally get his rematch?
#9 Ronda Rousey makes Alexa Bliss pay
Ronda Rousey squashing Alexa Bliss was a satisfying conclusion to their rivalry. Alexa Bliss is great. However, as a heel, you need to get what you deserve. That never happened against Nia Jax. Here, she got wrecked and tapped out to an armor
Fun murder. Hopefully, Alexa Bliss stays out of the title picture for a while
#10 A Universal Champion who is a full-timer
Brock Lesnar is the worst Universal Champion till date. This shows why WWE should never put a belt on a part-timer. Even though there were much better choices and conclusions to the rivalry between The Big Dog and Beast Incarnate, at least the top belt of RAW is on the hands of a guy who is always on RAW. Hopefully, WWE never puts a belt on a part-timer again.
