Opinion: SummerSlam used to be so much more than what it is today
WWE used to treat the organisation with a comparable level of regard and conviction to that which stood for WrestleMania. But after a doff of the cap to the bad-to-the-bone fan, here we are - SummerSlam is nothing as exciting as it once used to be.
SummerSlam 2013 saw the genuine rise of Daniel Bryan as a bona fide main event star, in an awesome meeting with John Cena. On the same show, CM Punk took Brock Lesnar as far as possible in a 25-minute No Disqualification match.
12 months later the WWE conveyed perhaps its most stunning match design ever by booking the Beast - Brock Lesnar - to treat John Cena like Barry Horowitz. Matching Cena with complementing rivals like Seth Rollins and AJ Styles in resulting years, while quickly brightening the Demon Finn Bálor, SummerSlam was a truly triumphant and euphoric occasion for fans to enjoy.
But now, not so much
In contrast, this year's installment of SummerSlam appears weak, especially being the company's second or third best pay-per-view of the timetable year. Here, WWE has booked three rematches, where for the most part it exhibits crisp matches to keep up with the brand's unbelievable heritage.
Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler will wrestle again in a feud that has dragged for quite some time now without any significant development. Braun Strowman needs to recover his win from Kevin Owens, requiring their second sequential PPV match.
Braun wouldn't be worried, if not for rumours suggesting he will lose to Owens. The match is but a senseless portrayal of power over being beaten up by a monster.
And afterwards, obviously, we arrive at the most boring, long-running bout up at Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns. It has become tireless now. It's likewise Einstein's meaning of madness: attempting a similar thing under the desire for an alternate outcome.
The outcome will not change, either. Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar IV is occurring in New York City, home to the most impassioned WWE fans across the world. They will take an enormous booing everywhere on this, on the off-chance they try significantly to watch this specific match, which is unlikely to say the least. Inflatable cheers will find their way into the Barclays Center, and the group will play with them as their chants prompt.
The match is certainly going to be one, where the outcome is already established. Rumours surrounding Lesnar's potential return to the UFC show it's not difficult to envisage Reigns as the new WWE Champion - regardless of fan discontent. It's been almost two years since Brock became the champion with seemingly limited competition, if any at all.