0 out of 3
Credit: WWE.com
“You’ll never see it coming,” WWE promised ahead of SundaySlam’s pay-per-view.
But what was “it?”
Maybe a major title change in one of six championships on a stacked match card? Maybe it was a shocking conclusion to the increasingly psychological battle between Braun Strowman and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt? Could it have been an appearance by the Chaotic Retribution?
The question hovered over the proceedings of the night like a dark cloud, threatening to rain on The Biggest Party of the Summer.
What was the answer and how could it affect the WWE Universe’s progress?
Find out with this review of Sunday’s extravaganza.
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The match ticket for the 33rd annual SummerSlam is as follows:
-
WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton
- Universal Championship: Braun Strowman vs. “The Enemy” Bray Wyatt
- Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Sasha Banks
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SmackDown Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Bayley
- United Championship: Apollo Crews vs. MVP
- Raw Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits Vs. Andrade and Angel Garza
- Street Fighting: Dominik Mysterio Vs. Seth Rollins
- No disqualification, Loser Leaves WWE game: Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville
Asuka has shown some extraordinary in-ring chemistry with both Bayley and Sasha Banks. If those games are allowed to be what they can be, and those in power can resist the urge to overbook them like they did at last month’s Horror Show at Extreme Rules, then do not be surprised if the event of this year is defined by the two matches.
The action starts at 7pm on WWE Network and traditional pay-per-view outlets.
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Credit: WWE.com
The in-ring party of the night began on the Kickoff Show, calling her ‘last hurray’ by long-time on-screen personality Renee Young, with a defense of the United States Championship by Apollo Crews against MVP. The prize draw, the culmination of two months of feuding, was Crews ‘chance to prove to The Hurt Business’ mouthpiece that he made the right choice by going it alone.
MVP ruled for a while before the match was deepened to the arena. A dramatic near count-out led to a comeback of Crews.
A little later, MVP tried for the Playmaker, but Crews escaped and delivered the toss powerbomb for the successful title defense.
After the game, Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley hit the ring, but Crews escaped a beatdown, his title reigning intact.
Result
Crews defeated MVP
Class
C
Analyze
This was not as good as their first game a few weeks back on Raw.
Both men really once hit her groove and there was not much in the way of a story to talk about. Winning crews was also never really in doubt.
The match that was demoted for the Kickoff Show, despite being relatively high-profile on Monday night, also hurt its overall effect.
Hopefully, both Crews and The Hurt Business can resume their runes tomorrow on Raw, as this felt like a step down from what they have accomplished in the weeks leading up to the show.
3 out of 3
Credit: WWE.com
After some extraordinary promos that were appropriate at The Biggest Party of the Summer, Asuka made her way to the square circle for tonight’s opening game, a SmackDown Women’s Championship Match against Bayley.
The Empress of the morning started hot against the role model, looking for an explanation and when that did not work, she focused on both the lower extremities and right arm. A DDT from the stairs and to the arena floor continued the challenger’s early attack.
A springboard stunner by Bayley let the tide turn in her favor and scored as the first by-fall of the game. The champion dropped Asuka down with a Bayley-to-Belly, but the challenger shot her shoulder off the mat in two, all the way to the hook and the disbelief of the hook.
Asuka mounted a comeback, accelerating the pace and building momentum. She delivered the running hip attack, but Bayley stepped out on two. The fight moved to the ring screen, where Bayley slammed Asuka’s knee into the center frame and set out to straighten the now injured joint.
Asuka fights back with a Codebreaker for another two-count. Bayley replied, grabbing her opponent in the middle of the flight and putting on a knee. Asuka made it to her knees.
A little later, Bayley capitalized on a momentary distraction by Sasha Banks and rolled Asuka up for the win.
After the match, Banks Asuka immediately jumped in and joined Bayley in her battle to the mat. All in the name of gaining a competitive advantage over The Empress ahead of their Raw Women’s Championship defense later in the broadcast.
Result
Bayley defeated Asuka
Class
B +
Analyze
This was another strong entry in a long line of matches between Asuka and The Golden Role Models.
Asuka and Bayley have great chemistry in-ring, dating all the way back to their days in NXT, and the song shown here. There was a place like two that were clunky, sure, but the competitors cut a frenetic pace and grabbed their time with a ton of spots.
Banks attacking Asuka and continuing to imitate is exactly the story they had to tell after the game and sets up chapter two of this program later in the night.
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