6 Downs and 10 Ups from SummerSlam
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.