How WWE SummerSlam 2018 succeeded at storytelling

#1 The Beast, The Monster & The Big Dog: The Main-Event

Roman Reigns is your new Universal Champion

Firstly, Brock Lesnar not appearing on WWE shows was a formality. Then, Brock Lesnar not appearing on WWE shows became a real problem.

Then, after everything, the WWE decided to turn 'Brock Lesnar not appearing on WWE shows' into an angle. An angle which resulted in one of Paul Heyman's best onscreen performances of all time. A part of Lesnar's gimmick, that to some extent pushed the audience support more in Roman's favor.

The people were going to witness a potential train-wreck in the making. So what changed? Well, how about sending Braun Strowman out for a change? The presence of the Monster Among Men kept everybody on their toes.

Adding to that, the buildup towards this match also kept the audience hypothesizing that Mr. Heyman was going to turn on Brock Lesnar at the very last second.

These additional factors, or layers, helped the WWE in achieving the most simple & the most clear-cut goal that they wanted to accomplish since the beginning of this year, that is, to make Roman Reigns your new Universal Champion.

That is what people were expecting, and that is what they got--except for that these additional factors looming around in the background which kept everyone occupied in the situation. Before you know it, Roman Reigns is your new Universal Champion, & nobody really got the time to hijack the entire show.

So, when you look at it: WWE SummerSlam 2018 had some really good, contrasting moments that managed to overshadow some underwhelming sequences.

All in all, WWE SummerSlam 2018 wasn't just about the matches. It was about storytelling too (and a pretty damn good Pay-Per-View at that).