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SummerSlam was a memorable night for WWE fans. New Champions were crowned, memories were made and new Superstars were created. As another SummerSlam enters the history books, we take a look back at the 'Biggest Event of the Summer'.
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#1 Andrade 'Cien' Almas & Zelina Vega def. Rusev & Lana via pinfall (Kickoff Show)
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Grade: C-
It is sad that Rusev has gone from challenging for the WWE Championship to the kickoff show in the span of one pay-per-view. Almas will also not like being the curtain-curbed after coming off an impressive run as NXT Champion.
There is not much to say about this match. The two men played the roles that they had been given. By now we all know that Lana is not the greatest wrestler in the world. But Zelina Vega did manage to carry her through a watchable bout before getting the pin using the ropes. That probably means that this rivalry is going to continue.
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#2 Cruiserweight Championship - Cedric Alexander (c) def. Drew Gulak via pinfall (Kickoff Show)
Grade: C
The match started slow before picking up pace that is synonymous with 205 Live. The end sequence was crazy, with a plethora of near falls one after the other. But considering the two talents in the ring, so much more was expected from this contest.
#3 Raw Tag Team Championship - The B-Team def. The Revival via pinfall (Kickoff Show)
Grade: C-
The B-Team continued their run as Tag Team Champions with a win over The Revival. But it is their booking that makes it hard for anyone to take the team seriously. At SummerSlam, they were again booked as the weak comedy tag team that keeps on winning by virtue of being at the right place at the right time.
#4 Intercontinental Championship - Seth Rollins def. Dolph Ziggler (c) via pinfall to win the title
Grade: B
This was a good back and forth contest with Rollins coming out on top to regain his Intercontinental Championship from Ziggler. But it is hard not to feel disappointed considering how good these two guys are. The match could have been so much better than it was.
The expectant heel turn from Dean Ambrose also did not come as he instead helped Rollins win the title.
#5 SmackDown Tag Team Championship- New Day def. Bludgeon Brothers (c) via DQ
Grade: B-
This had been a very good match before the disqualification finish. The crowd reaction to the result shows that the finish was as unpopular with the live crowd as it will be to the pay-per-view audience. The good news is that this rivalry is probably going to continue and judging by the match that they put on here, nobody should be complaining about the two teams going at it again.
#6 Money in the Bank briefcase - Braun Strowman (h) def. Kevin Owens via pinfall to retain his Money in the Bank briefcase
Grade: C
During the build up to this match, there was genuine belief that Kevin Owens could end up winning this match. The Money in the Bank concept works so much better with a heel like Owens than with a monster like Strowman.
But all this fears were laid to rest on Sunday, with quick win for Strowman in what turned out to be a glorified squash match.
#7 SmackDown Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair def. Becky Lynch and Carmella (c) via pinfall to win the title
Grade: B+
WWE did a great job bytelling Becky Lynch's story of redemption going into Summerslam. It felt like the 'Irish Lashkicker' would once again climb the top of the SmackDown women's division after floundering in mid card hell for the past few years. But it was not to be as Charlotte Flair ended up winning the championship.
This led to Becky's heel turn after the match as she ruthlessly attacked her former best friend. It was quite an impressive turn from Lynch after spending her whole run on the main roster as a babyface. Surprisingly, she received one of the biggest cheers of the night for finally joining the dark side.
#8 WWE Championship - Samoa Joe def. AJ Styles (c) via DQ
Grade: B+
While we had to witness another DQ finish to a high profile match, this time it at least made storyline sense. The two are sure to continue their rivalry from here on and knowing the history between the two, they are sure to have some great matches. While a good match in itself, the screwy finish actually adds to the match this time instead of taking away.
On a side note, the fact that this match was not anywhere near the main event spot is laughable.
#9 The Miz def. Daniel Bryan via pinfall
Grade: B+
The match that was eight years in the making ended with controversy as The Miz used a pair of brass knuckles to get the pinfall victory over Bryan. Although not the most popular choice, it was the correct decision in the long run in order to keep this feud going on.
A Daniel Bryan win would not have made sense as they he would not have any odds to overcome in the underdog role. On the other hand, The Miz winning clean would not be true to his character either. WWE masterfully booked the finish of this match to retain the interest in the upcoming matches between the two.
#10 Finn Balor def. Baron Corbin via pinfall.
Grade: B
It is crazy how strongly Finn Balor's 'Demon King' alter ego is booked considering that the man loses every alternate week on Raw without the face paint on. Nobody had any expectations from this bout but WWE managed to spring a surprise by having Balor come out in his 'Demon King' attire. Let's hope that Balor is going to move on to bigger and better things as this feud with Corbin comes to an end.
#11 United States Championship - Shinsuke Nakamura (c) def. Jeff Hardy via pinfall
Grade: C
Hopefully this is end to this underwhelming feud between two of WWE's most popular superstars. It is starting to seem like the years of daredevil stunts have taken a toll on Hardy's body as he is no longer the wrestler that he once was. Nakamura also was not at his best but managed to walk out with his Championship in tow.
#12 Raw Women's Championship - Ronda Rousey def. Alexa Bliss (c) via submission to win the title
Grade: C+
In just her fourth match in a wrestling ring, Ronda Rousey managed to win the Raw Women's Championship from Alexa Bliss. While that was result most people would have expected, WWE ruined their chance of throwing the fans a curve ball and have Bliss retain. This was the perfect opportunity for a Nia Jax or Natalya heel turn, but that was not to be.
The match itself was a glorified squash as the former 5-time Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss, was made to look completely incompetent in front of Rousey. It will be interesting to see how the company books the former UFC Champion going forward.
#13 WWE Universal Championship - Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar (c) via pinfall to win the title
Grade: C
The highlight of this match was Braun Strowman coming out before the opening bell and declaring that he would be cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at the end of the bout. That should tell everything you need to know about the match itself.
It was the same old finisher fest that the two men have put on in past incarnations of the contest. The fact that we did not even get the cash in that we were promised at the beginning should just add to the bizarre feud that the two men have have had over the past three years.
Fortunately, it seems like this is the last chapter of this rivalry and the WWE Universe can move on to more interesting and meaningful things.
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