Don't count WWE out. While NXT is considered to be the better wrestling show and AEW is the hot new thing in Grapple Town, WWE's SummerSlam proved that the company can still put on an outstanding show. The show had no bad matches, though one was saved that dubious only by the hot crowd, it flowed well and had a outstanding main event. Oh, and by the way, Seth Rollins is your new Universal Champion.
Maybe the biggest surprise of the night was Trish Stratus, whose return match against Charlotte Flair was a highlight. Elsewhere, Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston fought to a double countout, and Becky Lynch retained her Women's Championship in a hot opening match against Natalya.
And The Fiend. Oh boy. Bray Wyatt's in-ring re-debut as The Fiend was something that words can't sufficiently convey. Watch the gifs below, or better yet sign up to the WWE Network and check it out for yourself.
Us wrestling fans always give WWE a hard time -- and mostly they deserve it -- but credit where it's due. SummerSlam 2019 was fantastic. Read below for a full recap and match ratings, from the end of the show to the beginning.
Seth Rollins slays The Beast... again!
Boos for Rollins, cheers for Lesnar. Rollins' ribs are heavily taped, as per the beatings Lesnar gave him on the last two episodes of Raw.
Lesnar works Rollins over in the corner. Rollins superkicks Lesnar, briefly stunning him. Lesnar yanks Rollins for a German suplex, but Rollins flips out for a curbstomp. Two count. Lesnar rolls out. Rollins hits him with a flying knee, Lesnar rolls back in the ring. Lesnar attempts a second German, Rollins flips out and hits two superkicks. Rollins shoots for a second curbstomp, but Rollins catches him and hits an F5.
Lesnar is rocked and can't cover Rollins. Lesnar gets up, grabs Rollins by his rib tape and swings him around. Now it's time to go to suplex city. Three German suplexes. Rollins rolls out. Lesnar follows him for another suplex, this time on the floor. Lesnar goes for an F5 into the turnbuckle post, but Rollins counters and pushes Lesnar, head first, into the post. Then again. Rollins throws Lesnar into the ring. Springboard flying knee to Lesnar.
Rollins goes for another flying knee, Lesnar doges and throws Rollins with a release German suplex. Dueling chants for "suplex city!" and "burn it down!" Lesnar takes off his preposterously large gloves, slams Rollins into the corner and latches on a bear hug. Lesnar works him over and goes for a tackle into the turnbuckle, but Rollins dodges and Lesnar hits the post shoulder first.
Rollins dropkicks Lesnar off the apron and hits two suicide dives. He goes for a third but Lesnar catches him and rams him into the ring post. Absolute beast. Lesnar undresses the Spanish announce table, then eats a superkick from Rollins. Rollins hits a frogsplash on Lesnar, crashing both through the announce table.
Crowd is not heavily into Rollins, a far cry from his original reaction. He lands another frogsplash in the center of the ring and another curbstomp. Two count. He stomps the ground for a third. Crowd chants "burn it down" with him. Lesnar catches him for an F5, but Rollins lands on his feet. Superkick, curbstomp, 1, 2, 3. New champion.
Rating: 4.5 stars. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great intensity, Rollins is incredible, Lesnar worked hard and the crowd was super invested. As good a 15-minute match as you'll ever see.
The Fiend debuts
It's time to get freaky. Wyatt comes out with a remixed version of his old Live in Fear theme song. He's wearing the Fiend mask as a flashing spotlight follows him. He still has a lantern, but it's a severed head. If I was a child, I would be terrified. Finn Balor is about to get killed harder than Dolph Ziggler.
Crowd is not heavily into Rollins, a far cry from his original reaction. He lands another frogsplash in the center of the ring and another curbstomp. Two count. He stomps the ground for a third. Crowd chants "burn it down" with him. Lesnar catches him for an F5, but Rollins lands on his feet. Superkick, curbstomp, 1, 2, 3. New champion.
Rating: 4.5 stars. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great intensity, Rollins is incredible, Lesnar worked hard and the crowd was super invested. As good a 15-minute match as you'll ever see.
The Fiend debuts
It's time to get freaky. Wyatt comes out with a remixed version of his old Live in Fear theme song. He's wearing the Fiend mask as a flashing spotlight follows him. He still has a lantern, but it's a severed head. If I was a child, I would be terrified. Finn Balor is about to get killed harder than Dolph Ziggler.
Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton ends in double countout
Kingston comes out with the New Day throwing pancakes. One of his pancakes hits a woman who's on her phone. Good start. Split crowd for this match. As the two begin there are dueling "Kofi's stupid!" and "Randy sucks!" chants. Crowd is into it, but they're starting slow -- probably to ease the crowd into the match after the Stratus/Charlotte match.
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Kingston goes for a springboard attack but Orton pushes him to the outside. Orton takes the champ over to the announcer's tables and slams him about. They move back in the ring. A European uppercut from Orton sends them back outside. Orton tries to Irish whip Kingston into the steps, but Kingston jumps over them, runs back, jumps off them and strikes down Randall Keith Orton. Kingston attempts a cross body from the ring apron but Orton ducks. Orton slams Kingston on one of the announcer's tables.
Back in the ring, the dueling chants begin again. Orton goes for a superplex but Kingston fights him off and lands a tornado DDT from the top rope. Two count. The two stagger up and Kingston starts with strikes on Orton. Tom Phillips says we're in the fourth quarter, and Cory Graves says we're in overtime. That worries me, because it feels to me like we're just getting to third gear.
Kingston starts clapping for a trouble in paradise kick. Orton counters with a backbreaker. Orton starts clapping to taunt Kingston, and goes for a draping DDT. Kingston counters, though, and drops Orton to the outside. Huge trust fall on Orton. Back inside the ring, Kingston hits a frogsplash crossbody. Two count.
Kingston attempts offense in the corner, but Orton trumps him with a draping DDT. He sets up an RKO, but Kofi turns it into a backslide pin attempt. Kingston goes for a trouble in paradise, but Orton dodges. Kingston jumps from the turnbuckle and gets caught with an RKO. Before Orton can pin him, though, Kingston rolls outside. Kingston's kids are in the crowd. Orton begins to taunt them and Kingston, enraged, attacks Orton. Double countout finish. Crowd chants "bullshit."
After the match, Kingston dominates Orton with a Kendo stick and hits him with a trouble in paradise kick.
Rating: 3.25 stars. Nice match. Ended as it was on the cusp of getting great. Crowd hated the finish, though.
Rating: 3.25 stars. Nice match. Ended as it was on the cusp of getting great. Crowd hated the finish, though.
Charlotte Flair defeats Trish Stratus
The announcers are hyping this as a clash of two eras. This match is Rocky 6, essentially. Crowd is into Stratus, who's from Canada. They start the match by chanting the Canadian national anthem.
Stratus starts off with some acrobats, including a springboard hurricanrana, leading to a "you still got it!" chant. Charlotte gutwrenches Stratus but Stratus counters with an armdrag outside the ring. Stratus hits a wrecking ball dropkick to the outside. A woman in the crowd loudly proclaims to be "very Stratusfied." Flair pulls Stratus into the steel steps, then absolutely smashes her into the barricade.
Charlotte slaps a shoulder hold onto Stratus inside the ring. Charlotte hits a suplex. She goes for a backdrop, but Stratus counters with a crossbody. Nice. Charlotte isn't happy about it, and throws Stratus head-first into the ground. Everything Stratus does, she's doing well. But there's a lot of nothing going on, with Charlotte taunting a lot in between moves.
Stratus interrupts a taunt with a takedown and hits punches on the turnbuckle. Stratus flips over to the apron, where she eats a big boot from Charlotte. Stratus narrowly avoids being counted out. Charlotte attempts a moonsault but Stratus rolls out. Stratus torpedoes through the ropes for a reverse DDT. She starts chopping Charlotte, Flair style.
They end up on the turnbuckle, where Stratus goes for a hurricanrana. Charlotte looks to counter with a powerbomb, but Stratus shifts her weight at the last minute for the hurricanrana. It doesn't keep Flair down though, and Stratus gets clocked with another big boot. Now Charlotte begins working over Stratus' leg. Flair attempts a figure four, but is countered by Stratus. Stratus then locks Flair in a figure four, and then a figure eight, of her own. Charlotte gets the ropes, though.
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