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WWE SummerSlam 2020: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
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The WWE Championship Match at WWE SummerSlam 2020 was the most anticipated match heading into the event. The stellar buildup of both Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton made for a compelling feud. The WWE Champion has had a strong title reign in which he has performed expertly in and out of the ring. On the other hand, Orton returning to his "Legend Killer" ways has led to a career year that could stand up to any in his 20 years in the business. This made for one of the best-built championship matches for WWE SummerSlam in a long time.
Randy Orton taking out his mentor Ric Flair was definitely the highlight of this build. Orton telling Flair that he was a liability to his career cut deep, but the touching testimony of Flair was a tearjerker and made Orton's betrayal that much harder to watch. That angle ramped up the intensity and intrigue of this rivalry, but also was used in this WWE SummerSlam contest.
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This epic encounter was a well wrestled, classic WWE Championship match in every way. The work from both men made it seem as though either man could walk out of WWE SummerSlam with the gold. The sequences were smooth, the strikes were stiff and action peaked at the right time. McIntyre's use of the Figure Four Leg Lock was a beautiful callback to Orton's betrayal of Flair. Both men traded headbutts that cut open both competitors, adding further credence and elevating this encounter. The struggle between Orton and McIntyre made this captivating to watch unfold throughout its duration.
In the end, the finish was one that "you never saw coming" before WWE SummerSlam 2020. A lot of the story of this match was about the two men's finishing maneuvers. This was a rivalry of the RKO versus The Claymore. McIntyre avoided the RKO at every attempt, while Orton used his abilities to evade The Claymore. Randy would avoid a final attempt at The Claymore and go for one more RKO, only for Drew to reverse and surprise him with a backslide for the victory.
This was a superbly worked match by two consummate professionals. Orton and McIntyre delivered a stellar WWE title match that met every expectation set forth for it. This would have fit perfectly in the main event spot, but it still helped to make this WWE SummerSlam card worthy of praise.
Star Rating: ****1/4
