Best and Worst Booking Decisions of WWE SummerSlam 2022 Results

SummerSlam 2022 was the first pay-per-view under the Triple H regime of WWE Creative, marking a new era for the company. It was imperative this went over well, as it would set the tone for how fans could be excited for what's to come or cast doubts on the company's future.

Thankfully, it was an energetic thrill virtually from start to finish with a few interesting twists and turns along the way done not just for the shock factor, but also to put smiles on everyone's faces. Not everything was perfect, but given the way things have been for so long, that is still a massive step forward.

The dust hasn't fully settled, but let's rewind and look back on what transpired and break down those booking decisions that made SummerSlam what it was.

• Bianca Belair defeated Becky Lynch by pinfall to retain the Raw Women's Championship.
• Logan Paul defeated The Miz by pinfall.
• Bobby Lashley defeated Theory by submission to retain the United States Championship.
• No Disqualification Tag Team Match: Dominik and Rey Mysterio defeated The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Balor by pinfall.
• Pat McAfee defeated Happy Corbin by pinfall.
• The Usos defeated The Street Profits by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
• Liv Morgan defeated Ronda Rousey by pinfall to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship.
• Last Man Standing Match: Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

By and large, this event was fun from start to finish. There really isn't much to complain about or call out as being a major flaw.

However, not everything can be perfect, so there are still some nitpicks that can be mentioned as minor issues, at least.

Here are the handful of small flubs that could have been better:

• The No Disqualification tag team match hinged on Edge's return, which was spoiled through those vignettes leading up to this, rendering it not as exciting by the time he came out.
• Montez Ford being so upset with Jeff Jarrett not counting a pinfall faster that it led to Angelo Dawkins being able to get pinned was shoddy execution. It is all seemingly leading to The Street Profits splitting, which may even be a mistake, too. 
• Liv Morgan wasn't feasibly going to beat Ronda Rousey in any decisive fashion, but it is still a shame to see her so clearly outmatched that she's fighting to survive the entire time. It really emphasizes how she only won the title by a fluke and seems like a paper champion who doesn't deserve the title. This will be especially true if she just drops the title to Rousey at Clash at the Castle and it was nothing but a stall.
  
• If Riddle was able to take a stomp from Seth Rollins, why was the match cut from the card just days prior? We'll have to see, but that quick segment certainly wasn't as entertaining as their match would have been.

Based on their previous matches, it wasn't a question of whether or not Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch could have a great match. That was an obvious yes.

But the potential finish and what would come out of it was still up in the air. WWE could have gone with a downer, had Belair lose and belittled her title run.

Instead, after a great contest, Big Time Becks shook The EST of WWE's hand, gave her a hug and is set for a refresh with a babyface turn.

Even better, following this was the return of Bayley, who hasn't performed in front of a live crowd since the start of the pandemic. Then, Dakota Kai made her return after being released from WWE in April and has finally been called up to the main roster along with Io Shirai—or, as she's now been renamed, Iyo Sky.

A great match followed by four surprises in a face turn, two returns from injury and a re-signing, with main roster call-ups, the start of a faction and a newfound allegiance between Lynch and Belair all breathes new life into the women's division.

There are now so many more feuds worth looking forward to and this was a great way to start off the show to immediately tell fans the way Triple H will do things is not the same as how Vince McMahon was steering the ship.

Some could argue it is a problem when an outsider beats a WWE Superstar, as it can make the regular wrestlers look bad. However, when you see how athletic Logan Paul was and compare that to how much of a weasel The Miz has always been, this was the right call.

The Miz underestimated Paul. In typical fashion, his ego got in the way of his success, as The Miz has proved many times that if his head is straight, he can achieve great things, but he is often too wrapped up in himself to spite his talents.

Paul came in with the need for revenge. If he had lost, it would have put a damper on his momentum, only for The Miz to be able to say he doesn't belong. This needed to be a segment that proved Paul has staying power so his other feuds after this storyline have some traction.

Booking Paul to win with The Miz's finisher was an interesting slap in the face to further rile up The A-Lister. Considering how Paul doesn't have a designated signature maneuver yet to win with instead, beating The Miz at his own game like that made the win even sweeter.

Sometimes, it isn't so much a big surprise or a series of shocking moments that is worth applause, but just a logical outcome with no nonsense to muddy the waters.

Theory has been feuding with virtually half the roster. His attention wasn't on the United States Championship and if he's going to be an effective Mr. Money in the Bank, he can't hold and defend that title, splitting the difference.

Bobby Lashley, meanwhile, can give more prestige to the belt now that he's held the world title twice. It can be a focal point for him that keeps him busy and eventually allows him to put over a new star whenever it is time for him to drop the title.

This match was short and sweet. Lashley's the bigger Superstar with more experience and Theory wouldn't have wanted to get too beaten up and risk his cash-in, so it makes sense for him to have tapped out so fast when caught in The Hurt Lock.

Now, these two can move on to something else. This was simple but effective.

Like the Paul vs. The Miz situation, one could argue that the regular performers should take priority over the guest performers, but when you have a jerk of a character like The Miz or Happy Corbin against an athletic and enthusiastic competitor like Paul and Pat McAfee, that changes the dynamic.

McAfee was also going into his match as the babyface looking for some payback. The hero getting the ultimate victory is the easy story to tell because it works most of the time and fans enjoy seeing someone like Corbin lose.

A standout booking decision that made this win even better was the finish itself.

The previous night on SmackDown, Corbin had nailed McAfee between the legs with a low blow. McAfee was able to do the same to Corbin here while the referee was distracted, evening the score.

Considering McAfee's career as a punter, his kick should be even more effective than most, and this was a more than realistic means for Corbin to be down for a solid pin.

Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns have long overstayed their welcome after feuding for seven years, but if this was truly the last time they are going to fight, they sure ended it with a bang.

This Last Man Standing match was everything it needed to be. Both suffered power moves in this brutal brawl, throwing each other through tables and truly trying to put the other down for the count, rather than being bogged down in technical wrestling, as that wouldn't have made sense in this environment.

The tractor spot was a show-stealer. That footage of Lesnar flipping half the ring up into the air will be used in video packages for years to come and was arguably the most memorable part of the night.

Theory's cash-in was handled well, as the bell didn't ring, meaning the briefcase is still in play, but he did still made a splash.

Using the title belts as weapons, having Paul Heyman take an F-5 through the commentary table and having The Tribal Chief retain by having to stack everything up on top of Lesnar, including himself, made sure all the boxes were checked and both Superstars looked strong.

Wrestling purists can call other matches better in terms of in-ring maneuvers, but this will arguably go down as the best WWE "spectacle-style" main event of the year so far.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.