Opinion: The biggest winners and losers of SummerSlam 2019

2019's edition of SummerSlam lived up to its hype as an underwhelming show, but, to WWE's credit, there weren't any catastrophic booking decisions that would seriously undermine the quality of the programming for the coming fall season. Performing well is crucial now, as SmackDown's move to Fox and All Elite Wrestling's premier on TNT are imminent.

How well did SummerSlam do in setting up the WWE landscape with big changes to the wrestling landscape on the way? Who got the most and least out of the festivities? Let's take a closer look.

Losers: The Cruiserweights

This should have been one of the hardest hitting matches on the SummerSlam card and, for a while, it looked like it would be that way. Unfortunately, it ended abruptly, and the lack of crowd response really hurt it. It didn't get the time that it needed to truly shine and given the apathy from the crowd, WWE might not entirely be blameworthy for that.

For years now, 205 Live has struggled to gain traction in front of main roster audiences, even when it was at its peak in quality last year. At this point, it might be a better idea to bring the division under the fold of NXT. These guys would get more time and appreciation at Full Sail and in front of TakeOver audiences.

Winner: Buddy Murphy

Speaking of 205 Live, its former champion made the most of the opportunity given to him in his first singles match on the main roster, impressing us with his normally explosive moves. The match with Apollo Crews ended in a no contest, however, as Rowan interfered and brutalized the former Cruiserweight champion, warning him to keep his name out of his mouth.

This looks like it could be the start of a significant angle for Murphy, one which sees him involved with the likes of Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. The follow up is crucial, but that would be a huge step.