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Kevin’s Random Reviews: WWE SummerSlam 2013
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...WWE SummerSlam 2013
August 18th, 2013 | Staples Center in Los Angeles, California | Attendance: 17,739
SummerSlam is typically the second biggest show of the year for the WWE but it felt like the most important of 2013 to me. Daniel Bryan was chosen to main event against John Cena due to a huge surge in popularity, while Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk had all the makings of a dream match. One odd thing about this show was the lack of the Shield (outside of the Kickoff Show), considering they were the best thing about 2013. This was twenty-sixth SummerSlam event.
For this review, I decided to also check out the Kickoff match.
WWE United States Championship: Rob Van Dam def. Dean Ambrose (c) via disqualification in 13:38
Though the fans were still filing in, they were crazy loud for this. Ambrose controlled early on the mat, with strikes and by talking smack. While Dean got in his usual stuff, there were loud dueling chants. RVD fought back with an array of kicks and went for the Five Star Frog Splash but the Shield theme hit. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns came down through the crowd as Dean took a breather outside. Before they reached the ring, Mark Henry and Big Show arrived to even the odds. There was a Kickoff Show commercial break and the guys were back to the match. RVD hit his guardrail leg drop before they traded stuff inside. RVD nailed Rolling Thunder and the Five Star Frog Splash but in came Reigns with a spear for the DQ. Not much from this match thought it was helped by the loudest Kickoff show crowd I can recall. More than a few dead spots and a lame finish hurt things. **¼
Onto the main card, before any intro or pyro goes off, the host of SummerSlam, the Miz came out. He did nothing of note in this time period but would be in the Intercontinental Title match the following three years. He hyped the two main events but was interrupted by Fandango and Summer Rae. Summer looked magnificent. They just danced around him before Miz threw it to the intro video. This didn’t do much except give the crowd a chance to Fandango.
The opening video package was great, plugging the show’s big matches in the style of grindhouse films. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL are on commentary. Total Divas’ Jojo sung the national anthem.
Ring of Fire Match: Bray Wyatt w/ The Wyatt Family def. Kane in 7:48
This has the look of an Inferno match, but you don’t have to set your opponent on fire. It’s just there to keep the Wyatt Family out. It’s the first main roster match for Bray. Kane started in control but Bray turned things around and pounded on him. They had a firefighter at ringside, just in case. Bray called for some help and Harper got a kendo stick. The fire shot up to block him and it caught fire. Harper dropped it and the flame went out but the firefighter still put it out. Rowan used it to put out the flames but took too long and they were back up. Kane hit three chokeslams, yet never tried to pin Bray. The Wyatts put out the flames with a blanket and climb over. The numbers game was too much for Kane. The fans chanted for Undertaker like that guy worked SummerSlam in this era. Bray won with Sister Abigail. Nothing match. The stuff they did was dull and Bray needing so much help didn’t bode well for him. He wouldn’t get his first big legitimate win until beating Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble. The fire visual was cool at least. *
The Wyatts carried Kane out after dropping the steel steps on his head. It would’ve looked cool, except they clearly used the open part of the steel steps so you could see nothing hit Kane.
The Kickoff panel of douche Josh Matthews (Renee Young is a ridiculously huge improvement over him), Booker T, Shawn Michaels and Vickie Guerrero. They talk about what just went down.
Cody Rhodes def. Damien Sandow in 6:39
The former Team Rhodes Scholars split after Cody had a spectacular performance in the Money in the Bank match, only for Sandow to sneak in and win the briefcase. Sandow held serve in the early stages. Cody went for Cross Rhodes from out of nowhere, but Sandow countered and hit the Russian leg sweep into the Elbow of Disdain for two. Sandow tried a strange submission that didn’t last long. Cody went all Samoa Joe and used a muscle buster for two. After avoiding one Disaster Kick, Sandow was hit with the next for a strong near fall. Sandow got two on a rollup and was frustrated. Cody slipped out of a slam and won with Cross Rhodes. The crowd was more into this than I remember. They worked at a quick pace for the short time and brought the right amount of aggression for the feud. ***
A video package that gave a special look at Christian’s career was shown.
World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto Del Rio (c) def. Christian in 12:28
Del Rio came in with a black eye from a Killswitch. I remember loving this match live and I don’t think I’ve seen it since. They traded early strikes until Christian sent Del Rio outside. The crowd was firmly behind him as he chased the champion. Inside, Del Rio nailed a sick sounding step up enziguri, which left Christian in the tree of woe position, leading to another loud kick. Del Rio went to work on the shoulder to set up his finisher. Though in trouble, Christian showed resilience and found openings. The fans ate up Christian’s offense and near falls. Del Rio had him scouted, countering his springboard attempt into a backstabber. Each time Del Rio thought he had things in control, Christian found ways to fight back. He hit a second rope rana for a close near fall. Del Rio had the spear attempt scouted too and stopped it with a dropkick for two. Del Rio still couldn’t keep Christian down with the kick that won him the title. The fans erupted as Christian followed a rollup up with a spear. His shoulder was too hurt though, so he couldn’t make the cover. While he held his arm in pain, Del Rio latched on and won with the Cross Armbreaker. Yup, I still love that match. Easily the best World Title defense of Del Rio’s career and only bested by Del Rio’s title win at Payback. They told a great story, Christian played the resilient babyface expertly and the crowd was way into this. Christian’s selling was spot on and everything they did was smart. They made fans believe Christian had a chance. ****
The lovely Renee Young interviewed Alberto Del Rio, who said he was doing everything for his Mexican people.
Miz interviewed Maria Menounos, who won with Natalya against Brie Bella and Eva Marie during Axxess. Fandango and hot Summer interrupted, so Miz and Menounos danced against them. Their dance got boos, while Fandango got a pop.
Natalya w/ The Funkadactyls def. Brie Bella w/ Eva Marie and Nikki Bella in 5:18
Otherwise known as the Total Divas showcase. Natalya had the power advantage, so Brie used her quickness. They traded slaps and Nattie went for the Sharpshooter but Brie reached the ropes. Her scurrying looked bad. The fans took a collective dump on this by chanting for commentators. Brie’s friends got involved, allowing her to take control. Natalya applied the Sharpshooter but Brie countered by rolling forward and sending her into the corner. The Funkadactyls stopped Eva and Nikki outside and took them out. Nattie hit an Alabama slam and won with the Sharpshooter. Nothing match, though I’ll admit you could see Brie was improving somewhat. *¾
Backstage, Ryback bullied a catering worker.
No Disqualifications: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman def. CM Punk in 25:14
Up to this point in his WWE return, Brock lost to Cena (in an excellent match) and had a shit feud with Triple H that spawned three matches. They began with a slugfest and Brock was too much. Brock beat his ass with strikes and knees. Punk used Brock’s arrogance against him and got in some knees that send him outside before following with a suicide dive. The crowd was rebid for Punk. Punk countered Brock, sending him into the ring post and hit clotheslines off the top and the announce table. He got distracted by Heyman and Lesnar took back over. Brock tossed Punk over the table and hit a belly to belly outside. He and Heyman belittled Punk in between the onslaught. Punk got in some hope spots, but Brock always had an answer due to his power. Out of desperation, Punk bit Brock. Several knees followed until Brock avoided one and tried the F5. Punk got free and took him down with a high kick before getting two on the diving elbow. They avoided each other’s finish and when Punk tried the GTS again, Brock countered into the Kimura. The fans bought it as the finish but Punk reversed it into an armbar and triangle choke. Brock slammed him to break it but Punk held on. Now the fans believed this was the end. Brock finally broke it with a powerbomb. Brock goes all Eddie Guerrero with the Three Amigos for a near fall. He got a chair, Punk dove on him and Brock used it to partially block the attack. Punk used the chair as an equalizer and stopped Brock from using it with a low blow. He got another near fall with a flying chair elbow. Punk wailed on Brock with the chair until Heyman took it from him. Brock tried the F5 but Punk grabbed Heyman to block. That allowed Punk to hit the GTS but Heyman broke up the count. Heyman’s reaction to realizing he was alone with Punk was perfect. Punk chased him, only to walk right into an F5 attempt. Punk countered into a tornado DDT in an awesome moment for another near fall. Punk slapped on the anaconda vise and Heyman brought a chair in. Punk broke the hold and hit Heyman before putting the submission on him. Brock MURDERED him with a chair shot. A lifeless Punk took an F5 onto a steel chair for the finish. They told the David vs. Goliath story so well and had the kind of match Brock needed. He looked like a monster, while Punk was a great underdog babyface. His offense and comeback all made sense. This was stellar and the best Brock match ever. Honestly, it’s in the discussion for greatest SummerSlam match of all time. ****¾
Some clips of a fan who won some contest from Doritos or something. He got splashed by Mark Henry, met Superstars and received ringside seats.
Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn def. WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee and Big E Langston in 6:44
Man, talk about getting the death slot. Why not put Brie/Natalya here? The Dolph/Kaitlyn pairing is great if you recall their short lived affair during NXT season three. Langston and Ziggler opened things. Langston overshot on a spinning splash though it showed how athletic he is. AJ and Kaitlyn got work where Kaitlyn started hot but AJ turned it around with a spin kick. She held serve and talked smack until running into a spear. The girls spilled outside as the men were legal again. Kaitlyn nailed a brutal spear outside. Ziggler escaped the Big Ending and won with the Zig Zag. Fine for what it was. The crowd didn’t react to much other than some AJ antics though. **
Miz tried doing host work but was again cut off by Fandango so he laid him out. The panel then talked about the show, with Shawn Michaels thanking Punk and Lesnar for their performance.
The video package for the main event was great. Lots of focus on how Vince didn’t want Daniel Bryan as champion but Triple H was okay with it.
WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan def. John Cena (c) in 26:52
Triple H is the special referee. Cena had the big elbow pad due to his injury. It literally looked like he had a baseball in there. They traded mat work as Cena used his power for an upper hand. Despite this, he couldn’t break Bryan’s bridge, which led to a monkey flip. Bryan went for the Yes Lock and Cena had to scamper outside. After powering out of a surfboard attempt, it was Cena’s turn to try his finish. Bryan got free but was launched off the apron into the announce table. Cena took over and busted out a powerbomb. Nikki and Brie discussed that on Total Divas because Bryan’s balls were in Cena’s face. Seriously. As Bryan fought back, the crowd came unglued. He hit the running elbow and went into the yes kicks. Cena ducked the final one and it’s FIVE MOVES OF DOOM time. Bryan avoided the five knuckle shuffle at first but still got hit with it. He escaped the AA and nailed a missile dropkick for two. Bryan’s kicks are targeted at the elbow. He countered the STF into one of his own (correctly applied). Cena powered out but took some suplexes and got put in the Yes Lock. Again, Cena got free, but Bryan transitioned to another submission. He was relentless. Cena survived and hit the AA for two. They fought up top, where Bryan hit the rare release superplex. It’s brilliant because he avoided the bump by staying in tree of woe position. A diving headbutt got two and now, Cena must resort to drawing Bryan in for a forearm. The diving Fameasser looked the best it ever has for another near fall. They fought up top again and Cena caught a super rana. He nearly dropped Bryan on his head from the second rope before using a rear naked choke. From his wars with Samoa Joe, Bryan knows how to get free, turning it into the Yes Lock for a huge ovation. Cena reached the ropes, so Bryan went into a dropkick frenzy until Cena nearly decapitated him with a clothesline. They slugged it out before trading slaps. Bryan won out, backing Cena into the corner. Bryan counted another AA before trying a cross body. Cena caught him for the AA again, but had it countered into a small package for two. A kick to the head dropped Cena. Bryan chanted “YES” with the fans and debuted the awesome running knee to win the title. Fantastic pro wrestling. Major props to Cena for that performance with his injury. They had a great, old school title match with no shenanigans. The near falls were built up so well and the crowd was into everything. Cena overpowered Bryan throughout, but the challenger had him so well scouted and finally delivered the one blow that was enough to cleanly beat the top guy in the business. One of the best matches in either man’s career, especially when you add in the emotion. ****½
John Cena shook Daniel Bryan’s hand and left him to celebrate with confetti and pyro. Randy Orton, Mr. Money in the Bank, came out and held the briefcase up. Triple H turned Bryan around and Pedigreed him, opening the door for Orton to cash in.
WWE Championship: Randy Orton def. Daniel Bryan (c) in 0:08
Orton came in and got the easy pin. NR
