Lovell’s WWE SummerSlam 2021 Review

Quick note: If you haven’t read my column on CM Punk’s AEW debut, here’s the link. I also discussed more thoughts on Punk in a new episode of the 411 on Wrestling podcast. As always, thanks for reading and listening. Let’s get to SummerSlam!

KICKOFF SHOW

Big E vs. Baron Corbin

Corbin looking for handouts from the crowd on his way down the aisle is a man committed to his gimmick. Meanwhile, Big E being slotted on the pre-show is either because they have nothing for the reigning Money in the Bank holder and future world champion to do, or it’s to make you forget about the possibility of him cashing in on the main show. Corbin takes control after some early offense from Big E, though Corbin’s attention is on making sure no one stole the briefcase. It’s all the poor guy has, so you can’t blame him. Big E goes to the submission, but Corbin counters to the Deep Six for a near fall. I mean it’s not like they haven’t beaten the MITB holder before! Business picks up as Corbin goes get the briefcase and tries to escape, so Big E shoulder blocks him into the barricade. Big E with a spear to Corbin to the outside, then the Big Ending does the trick to give Big E the win at 6:27.

Blake’s Take: Thankfully, Big E won what was a solid match. Does he cash in later on? I’d hold off on it, but we’ll see. As for Corbin, he heads back to try to steal to-go food from catering. **1/2

MAIN CARD

– The opening video package is all about poker chips and opportunity. Bring back RAW Roulette!

Randy Orton and Riddle vs. (c) AJ Styles and Omos – WWE RAW Tag Team Titles

Las Vegas loves them some RKBro. And given this is the opener, I think they’re gonna love them some RKBro as the new champions. Styles is PISSED early on, so he decides to tag in Omos. Not gonna lie, I think he gets taller every week. He just toys with Riddle before slamming him to the mat. Riddle thinks a sleeper hold may take down the giant, but it doesn’t. Good teamwork from Omos and Styles to get an early near fall. Riddle fights back and leaps for the hot tag, but Styles jumps back in to thwart the attempt. That only works for a second, as Orton gets the tag, and we get 73 camera cuts in 30 seconds. Jk, it was light compared to most. Orton knocks Omos off the apron and plants Styles with the DDT, but Omos pulls Styles out and choke slams Riddle on the apron. Ouch. Styles then showed one why he’s still one of the best in the world. That is, until Orton quickly counters and hits a RKO outta nowhere to give us new champs at 7:02.

Blake’s Take: I’m a sucker for the RKO outta nowhere. Just when you think Orton’s back is against the wall, he pulls out the RKO to save the day. Decent enough opener, and once again, the crowd is all-in on this Orton and Riddle team. Give them want they want, and they did. Now, without the titles, what’s next for Styles and Omos? I have nothing against Omos, but I’d love for Styles to transition back into a top singles title challenger role. **3/4

Eva Marie (w/Doudrop) vs. Alexa Bliss

Well, this should be something. Let’s see how long it takes for the Bray Wyatt chants to start. Eva shows an aggressive side before attacking Lilly in the corner. Not Alexa, Lilly. And then Eva slaps Alexa with Lilly. So, because one never likes to get hit with a stuffed animal, Alexa loses her shit. Alexa misses a Twisted Bliss, and that allows Eva to get two near falls. From there, Alexa regains control and gets the pin at 3:51.

Blake’s Take: It was short and there to set up the post-match angle, I guess? *1/2

– After the match, Doudrop announces Eva as the loser and then plays it up even more by walking away with the robe.

– MARIO LOPEZ is in the fucking house. Five stars. Orton says RKBro is back, and Riddle has a surprise for Orton on RAW. Hopefully it’s a contract for Mario Lopez.

Damian Priest vs. (c) Sheamus – United States Title

I’d be surprised if this isn’t a good match. We get some mat work and hard shots early on from both men. That is until, Priest flies over the top and lands awkwardly on his back. He got a little of Sheamus too. Sheamus, as a good heel and chiropractor should, works on Priest’s back. The best part comes as Sheamus flexes mid-back stretch. Good shit, pal. Sheamus stays on the attack for quite a while until a tornado DDT from Priest changed the tide. Priest connects off the top, but Sheamus quickly regains the advantage and works to the Alabama slam for a near fall. Sheamus taunts Priest delivers a VICIOUS headbutt, then goes to the Brogue Kick but Priest counters for a sit-out choke slam that gets two. Sheamus clocks Priest with a knee to the jaw but Priest kicks out at two. Great sequence there. Sheamus locks in the submission, but Priest rips off the face mask and here we go. Priest hits the at 13:50 and we’ve got a new US Champion.

Blake’s Take: Good things happen when you give two good workers plenty of time to do their thing. The psychology worked after Priest’s hard fall on his back. While I know WWE’s track record with secondary titles has been up and down, this felt like a big moment for Priest. They likely got the reaction they wanted from the crowd when the referee counted three, and I have no doubt we’ll get a series of rematches between these two, but if it mirrors this, I’ll take it. ***

– Dominik Mysterio apologizes to Rey Mysterio and Rey gives his some words of wisdom.

Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio vs. (c) The Usos – SmackDown Tag Team Titles

It’s wild to think that Dominik made his WWE PPV debut a year ago. He celebrates by flying early in the match, and it’s a fast start for the challengers. Three amigos from Dominik gets an Eddie chant going, but the Usos eventually start working over Dominik. He tries to fight back, but Jey delivers an uppercut that nearly sends Pat McAfee into an orgasmic state. The onslaught continues, but Dominik manages to make the hot tag to Rey, and he gets a near fall on Jimmy. Rey is still so damn good at what he does. I guess that also involves him taking a super kick to the face from Jimmy. He planted him with that one. Jey hits the splash off the top for a two count. Here comes the Mysterios, and Rey connects with the 619 and goes for the frog splash, but Jimmy counters with the knee. Superkick sandwich from the Usos, then the double team on Rey gets the job done at 10:44 to retain the titles.

Blake’s Take: I never really expected a title change here since they continue to play up the Bloodline having all the gold. But though the result felt predictable, it was a well-worked match that once again proved Rey can still go. The Usos continue to be good heels. ***

– Tiffany Haddish with Priest. He discusses his title victory.

– Rick Boogs plays King Nakamura to the ring, and while it led to nothing, I approve since it means we got McAfee losing his mind on the announce table. He’s a national treasure.

– We get a video recap of the events leading to Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks.

– Greg Hamilton announces Banks is unable to compete, so it’s gonna be Belair vs. Carmella. Yeah, we’ll see about that. Belair gets the mic and she’s not happy, but she’ll beat Carmella’s ass anyways. HERE COMES THE MAN. Becky Lynch is back! Hell yeah. Becky sends Carmella to the outside and throws her into the steel steps. Becky gets the mic and challenges Belair, who accepts.

Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair – SmackDown Women’s Title

And away we go. Becky hits the Manhandle Slam and wins the title in 20 seconds in an absolute squash.

Blake’s Take: I have no idea if will be the popular or unpopular opinion, but I wasn’t a fan of the route WWE went in with this whole deal. However, I’ll at least try to reserve judgment until we get the follow-up, which will undoubtedly center around Belair being caught off guard by a surprise opponent who happens to be one of the top women’s stars in WWE history. That story could work. But I feel the bigger problem is having a year and a half to come up with something for Becky’s highly-anticipated return, and seemingly out of necessity, you bring her back to squash your lovable babyface champion. This wasn’t The Ultimate Warrior defeating The Honky Tonk Man. People weren’t clamoring for Belair to lose. Was Becky the only option? From a star power standpoint, yes. But would a talent like Toni Storm, who has not been on WWE TV since July after being called up to the main roster, have benefited more from going toe-to-toe with a dominant champion before ultimately falling short? That gives you a chance to make a new star. On the flip side, I get the line of thinking that in a card change situation, you want to deliver something as big or better than the original match. Becky was the only option in that scenario. I thought WWE may decide to make it a triple threat with Carmella to save the big Becky/Belair singles match, and I guess in a sense, they did that by doing the squash. Maybe we get Becky/Belair II at WrestleMania 38 with Belair winning, and the match could be good enough to overcome what felt like a short-sighted decision build around shock value. But as always, it’s how the story builds to get there that’ll decide whether this move was the right one. To me though, both women come out of this with a lot less momentum than they had before.

– We get an Olympic celebration for Gable Steveson and Tamyra Mensah-Stock.

Jinder Mahal vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre is the aggressor right off the bat, as he should be. Jinder with a hard slam to McIntyre, but that seems to only piss him off. McIntyre in complete control from that point on, and he hits the Claymore for what was essentially an easy victory at 4:37.

Blake’s Take: This was pretty much a squash for McIntyre, and while the result works fine, why not do this on RAW and give the former WWE Champion a bigger match on the second-biggest show of the year? Surely there was a better creative option for McIntyre here. **

Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley vs. (c) Nikki A.S.H. – RAW Women’s Title

The crowd has seemed deflated since the Becky/Belair stuff, and it’s probably hard to blame them. This match will look to continue the trend of “WWE can still deliver good PPV matches despite the build.” A lot of good action in the early going, and they are at least getting the crowd back into it, so give credit where it is due. Ripley with an awesome display of power with a double German suplex, then a missile dropkick to Charlotte gets a near fall. Nikki with a great cross body off the top onto Charlotte and Ripley in another fun spot. We get a little double team action from Nikki and Ripley, but Charlotte reverses it into a double DDT. And then comes Charlotte diving onto Nikki and Ripley on the outside. That was both awesome and scary at the same time since Nikki got her face smashed against the barricade. Ripley takes control in the ring, but Charlotte goes to the Figure Four until Nikki dives from the top to break it up. The counters continue, and again, they have officially got the crowd invested. Nikki goes for the cross body, but Charlotte reverses and locks in the Figure Four and Nikki is forced to tap.

Blake’s Take: Let’s be honest, this was always going to be the eventual result, whether it was at SummerSlam or another PPV. WWE has built Nikki up as a lucky babyface who’s barely found a way to hold onto her title, so having her lose it in this manner is no surprise. I know Charlotte has her critics, but she knows how to work the crowd and rise to the occasion in big matches. Both were desperately needed in this spot given the lackluster nature of the show up to this point. However, Charlotte is champion again, and that’s probably going to make some people unhappy. ***1/4

– We get a video package for the events leading up to Edge vs. Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins vs. Edge

BROOD EDGE comes out before Metalingus hits, so that was a nice treat. These two are gonna destroy each other and it’s gonna be glorious. That’s evident a few minutes in as Rollins starts bouncing Edge’s head off the steel steps. Rollins continues with a methodical approach and just works over Edge, hitting a frog splash for a near fall. We get a PRECARIOUS situation up top, and Edge hits a spinning neckbreaker on Rollins as both men hit hard on the mat. Near fall from Edge again, and Edge goes up top but gets chased by Rollins, who hits the suplex and Falcon Arrow combination for two. Tremendous stuff from Rollins right there. Rollins goes for the Curb Stomp, but Edge goes to the Glam Slam and we get another near fall. These two can work folks. In what was probably not a fun moment for Edge’s neck, Rollins hangs his neck over the ropes before missing another stomp attempt. Edge then SPEARS ROLLINS THROUGH THE ROPES TO THE OUTSIDE. Edge is a legend. Spear attempt from Edge, but now it’s Rollins who counters with a Pedigree for two. What a counter. Corscrkee moonsault attempt from Rollins but Edge hits the spear only to have Rollins kick out at two and three quarters. TERRIFIC stuff. Rollins goes back to work on the neck which makes complete sense at this point, but Edge reverses another Curb Stomp account. Edge brings back his old submission, but Rollins rolls up for two. Edge to the crossface and Rollins pries out until Edge absolutely destroys Rollins’ head on the mat. Edge back to the crossface and Rollins has no choice but to tap at 21:14.

Blake’s Take: I loved this match. We’ve seen situations in the past where blood feuds don’t quite hit the level of intensity they need to in the big match, but this gave you exactly what you wanted. They went balls to the wall from the opening bell and told a great story both with their moves and mannerisms. Edge has still got it, and no matter what you think of Rollins’ character direction, he’s a tremendous worker in the ring. I’m intrigued by what’s next for both. ****1/4

– There was a water-squirting segment with The Miz, John Morrison, and Xavier Woods. It was sports entertainment.

Goldberg vs. (c) Bobby Lashley – WWE Title

This should be quick. Goldberg with a diving shoulder tackle, then he bodyslams Lashley. Another slam from Goldberg and the crowd is booing him out of the building. Not ideal. Lashley with a display of strength, then Goldberg throws Lashley off the top. More boos for Goldberg and we get huge cheers for MVP pulling Lashley out of the ring. Goldberg spears Lashley on the outside. MVP with some shenanigans as he hits Goldberg with a cane, leading to Lashley slamming Goldberg. Some hellacious elbows from Goldberg to Lashley’s head, and Lashley goes at him with full force. Goldberg favoring his knee, but Lashley doesn’t care as he ramps Goldberg into the ring post. Then he does it again. The referee checks on Goldberg and he can’t stand up, so the match is called at 7:05. After the match, Lashley destroys Goldberg’s knee with a chair, so Gage comes running into make the save. Lashley uses the Hurt Lock on Gage and he’s out cold. MVP grabs a mic and says Lashley didn’t know it was Gage, and Goldberg realizes what’s happened and crawls over as the heels (aka babyfaces) make their exit.

Blake’s Take: Well, we’re getting a rematch between these two, and if they want to make Goldberg the babyface, it better be in Saudi Arabia. Lashley used his most dominant move on the man’s son and still got cheered for it. I’ll never be a fan of a non-finish in a WWE title match on the second biggest show of the year, especially when it sets up a post-match angle that gives you the opposite of the reaction you thought it would. **

– Hype for Roman Reigns vs. John Cena.

John Cena vs. (c) Roman Reigns – Universal Title

This feels big, so they’ve got that going for them. Reigns is a true gem mocking the crowd. The way he’s played the crowds since their return has been fun to watch. Reigns in complete control as he continues to take it to Cena, which includes throwing him into the steps. Those things are getting some work on this show. Then he grabs the title and POSES ON THE STEPS. Give the man all the belts. Cena with a pin attempt before an AA attempt, but Reigns counters. Reigns then looks into the camera and apologizes to movie execs for what he’s doing to Cena. The man is on another level. Sleeper from Reigns, but Cena fights back until Reigns goes for the guillotine. Cena fights out but gets a Superman punch for his efforts. Reigns’ spear attempt gets countered into the AA from Cena, but it only gets two and a half. Cena with the STF, and Reigns gets to the ropes. The action goes outside, and Cena hits the AA on Reigns through the table. Michael Cole is losing his shit folks. Cena rolls Reigns in but he kicks out again. Cena up top, but Reigns counters into a powerbomb and we get another near fall. More counters, and Reigns hits the Superman punch for two. Reigns with another spear attempt, and Cena moves to send Reigns hard into the post. Cena with the AA on Reigns off the second rope but Reigns kicks out! Not gonna lie, I thought Cena was winning it there. Cena mocks Reigns and goes for a spear, but Reigns battles back and regains the advantage. Reigns hits the spear and pins Cena to retain at 23:03.

– BROCK LESNAR’s music hits, and The Beast is back and as jacked as ever. He goes face to face with Reigns before Reigns exits as Paul Heyman is an absolute mess.

Blake’s Take: Let’s start with the match. It was excellent, and I greatly enjoyed it. The psychology, built around Reigns throwing Cena around like a rag doll (not Lilly) before Cena threw every single thing he had at Reigns to capture his elusive 17th world title, was simply superb. Reigns’ mannerisms are on another level right now, and I thought how he played off Cena’s every move was just fantastic stuff. Brock’s return? It felt cool in the moment due to the emotional response of a big surprise, and my guess is we go from Roman and Cena, to Roman and Brock, to Roman and Rock. If Reigns beats all three of them, then whoever eventually beats Reigns will be a made man. Of course, there will also be backlash with Brock’s return since it’s another example of Vince going back to what he knows. At least this time the babyface/heel dynamic is flipped, so perhaps that’ll give it a fresh feeling. And Brock’s return was a genuine surprise, so I can at least appreciate one of those in what is an often predictable WWE landscape. Just like with Becky though, how it plays out from here will tell the story of whether it winds up being a success. ****1/4

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7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

What a show to try to rate. I loved the main event and Edge vs. Rollins, and most of the undercard was perfectly fine. But I'm still not sure about how they handled Becky's return, and the WWE title match left a lot to be desired, even if the expectations weren't exactly high to start. As always, how WWE books things from this point forward will determine whether the bold move with Becky and the surprise with Brock pays off down the road.