WWE Nails the Moment as Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Goes off the Rails
WWE SummerSlam stood firm on Saturday night in the face of big expectations that the company shakeup would mean major changes.
The Biggest Party of the Summer walked a memorable balance as a transitional sort of event creatively—and it sure doesn't hurt that Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar exceeded expectations in the main event.
It was fair to wonder what a Triple H-led SummerSlam might look like. Some of it was business as usual with things like tag standard tag matches and little in the way of surprises. There wasn't a stunning appearance by someone like The Rock and Theory only got to tease a cash-in of his Money in the Bank briefcase.
But one could almost feel the care thrown behind certain creative decisions. On the same night, for instance, Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey both appeared to turn, the former to assist Bianca Belair against a returning Bayley and the latter into a more natural heel role.
Rousey's latest loss was certainly memorable, to say the least. WWE had seemingly booked itself into a corner by fully capitalizing on Liv Morgan with the briefcase cash-in and win against someone so much stronger than her. But Morgan, while rightfully looking overmatched, got crafty and stole a win, retaining her title anyway.
Maybe that sort of suave booking was already in the cards, but it's reasonable to tip the hat toward the new era as a sign of things to come. Ditto for more fantastic performances by Pat McAfee and especially Logan Paul, who flashed signs of a guy who just might have main event-level talent in his win over The Miz.
And then there was the main event itself.
Yes, some of the spots were huge. But there was a welcome attention to detail. Theory saw his cash-in attempt thwarted, which keeps the briefcase on a heel who will only keep improving. Lesnar got a little extra revenge on Paul Heyman by sending him through a table—and Heyman even audibly described Reigns as his "meal ticket" during the match, perhaps hinting at a future betrayal.
But yes, the spots. Lesnar in the tractor. Lesnar destroying the ring with the tractor. Lesnar dumping Reigns out of it. Lesnar dropping an Uso brother on his head outside. Heyman going through a table. Everyone needing to pile as much debris on Lesnar as possible just to get the 10-count.
The main event's final 10 minutes devolved into the sort of carnage WWE doesn't throw out often. It was, frankly, very Attitude Era-ish, which might just be a hint of things to come after those rumblings of Raw moving to a TV-14 rating.
Not only that, but this was also the sort of match fans would expect to see from two downright modern legends who, tier list-wise, are grossly more powerful than the rest of the roster. That said, their WrestleMania match recently just worked through the same old tired spots and didn't take risks like this is what made that main event the biggest disappointment of the two-night show.
No such problem here. While it would have been nice to see this feud have those sorts of bouts all the time, it's only fitting that they pulled this off in what is supposedly their final meeting. From a booking standpoint, in terms of perceived power levels, the fact that Reigns needed so much help to finally keep Lesnar down is a pretty good readjustment if he's off to just face the normal members of the roster again.
Rest assured that's one match they will constantly show up-and-comers at the performance center and writers in brainstorming sessions. It's the shining example of how a gimmick or weapons-based match should believably be done, the polar opposite of something memorable for the wrong reasons like that horrific Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend debacle.
This isn't to say there aren't problems. WWE could still simply be stringing the Reigns unified run along while hoping The Rock can do the next 'Mania, especially now that he's roughly a month away from being champion for two years.
Based on history, fans have every right to remain skeptical on things like Morgan keeping her streak going. And it's worth wondering if the long hours of weekly programming can keep this level of quality or if this was a one-off that benefited from already-built angles and feuds.
Still, it's hard not to feel like the careful navigation of what might have been unreasonable fan expectations going into Saturday night is a sign of things to come. And Reigns-Lesnar ending on a high note with some of the most iconic imagery (the decimated ring) of the modern era, plus those well-seeded story beats and hints of almost more mature content to programming, sure helps.
As a whole, outside of the main event, SummerSlam might not go down as the most memorable or be viewed in hindsight as the major turning point or the new Triple H era. But it was one heck of a way to start snowballing momentum in the right direction as two wrestling Mount Rushmore candidates put on a classic to end the show.
Becky Lynch Rips Ronda Rousey; WWE Rumors on Brock Lesnar Walkout and Edge's Return
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Lynch Talks Trash on Rousey
Ahead of her Raw Women's Championship match against Bianca Belair at SummerSlam on Saturday, Becky Lynch had some strong words for another championship contender.
Appearing on ESPN's Courtside Club podcast (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Lynch expressed her belief that Rousey has regressed since returning from maternity leave earlier this year:
"I think [Rousey] doesn't respect [the wrestling business] as much as she should. I mean, she's gone off on tangents disrespecting the sport that I've given my life to, that I love, that I obsess about. Both of us have come back from having a child, and one has come back better than ever, and one has not.
"I'm the one who's come back better than ever, and I think that you need that respect for this business, that obsession for this business to be able to do that. I don’t think that she puts as much work in, she doesn't put as much work in as I do, and it shows."
Lynch was out for more than a year on maternity leave before returning one year ago at SummerSlam and beating Belair for the SmackDown women's title in 26 seconds.
Big Time Becks went on to have an entertaining reign as a top heel before dropping the Raw women's title to Belair at WrestleMania. Now, she will try to take the championship back in what may be the final installment of her rivalry with The EST.
Meanwhile, Rousey was gone from WWE for nearly three years before making a surprise return in the 2022 women's Royal Rumble and winning the match.
Until then, Rousey hadn't wrestled since competing in the main event of WrestleMania 35 against Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
Rousey eventually beat Charlotte for the SmackDown women's title, but she lost it at Money in the Bank when Liv Morgan successfully cashed in her Money in the Bank contract. Rousey will have her rematch against Morgan on Saturday at SummerSlam.
Given their history together, there has been plenty of speculation regarding an eventual singles match between Lynch and Rousey, perhaps at next year's WrestleMania.
Becky's trash talk may very well be her way of setting the stage for that clash.
Reported Details on Lesnar Walking Out on SmackDown
Brock Lesnar reportedly didn't return to TD Garden in Boston until last week's episode of SmackDown was already in progress after allegedly walking out before the show.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan), Lesnar left the arena as soon as Vince McMahon announced he was retiring as WWE's CEO, chairman and head of creative, and rumors of Lesnar's departure surfaced soon after.
Meltzer noted that Lesnar returned to the arena more than seven hours later at 8:30 p.m. ET after WWE officials remained in touch with him and "made a deal with him" to return.
It was also reported by Meltzer that it is unclear what led to Lesnar returning, as it could have been a creative change or an offer of more money.
While it is likely that only a small handful of people within WWE's inner circle know what truly happened with Lesnar, the reality is that he was present for his part of the show, which occurred after the main event.
The Beast Incarnate stormed the ring and decimated Theory with the Money in the Bank briefcase, much to the delight of the live crowd, who seemingly didn't expect Lesnar to be there.
Meltzer reported that WWE was making alternate plans for SummerSlam in case Lesnar didn't come back, but all signs point to his WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns being on.
In what is being billed as their last match against each other, Lesnar will look to beat Reigns in a Last Man Standing match to become WWE's undisputed world champion.
Edge Return Plans Reportedly Changed
WWE reportedly reversed course on its plans to have WWE Hall of Famer Edge return earlier this week on Raw.
According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, there had been plans in place for Edge to appear on Monday's Raw along with his wife and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.
Those plans were reportedly nixed when McMahon stepped down as head of creative and was replaced by Triple H.
Raw seemingly would have been a logical time for Edge to return after being out for nearly two months since his former stable, The Judgment Day, faced Rey and Dominik Mysterio in a tag team match at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The show was also a celebration of Rey's 20-year anniversary with WWE, but it was spoiled when The Judgment Day attacked him and Dominik later in the night.
Johnson noted that original plans also called for Edge and Phoenix to appear at SummerSlam, although it is now uncertain if that will happen.
The Judgment Day and The Mysterios are having a rematch at SummerSlam on Saturday, this time with a no disqualification stipulation.
That would seem to suggest that Rhea Ripley will be heavily involved in the match, so it would be logical for Edge and Phoenix to show up in order to help out The Mysterios.
If that happens, it could set the stage for a mixed tag team match further down the line, perhaps at Clash at the Castle in September.
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Updated 2022 WWE SummerSlam Match Card Ahead of PPV
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will write the latest chapter in their longstanding rivalry when they compete in a Last Man Standing match to headline the 2022 SummerSlam card Saturday night at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Reigns and Lesnar battling for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship is one of five title matches scheduled for SummerSlam, which is one of the four marquee pay-per-view events on the WWE calendar alongside the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and Survivor Series.
Along with the potential for some high-profile title changes, other attractions on the card include former NFL punter and current SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee returning to the ring after an impressive debut at WrestleMania and YouTube star Logan Paul looking to exact some revenge on The Miz.
Let's check out the complete card ahead of Saturday's show, which will be broadcast on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally. That's followed by a closer look at what's on tap for the company's first major event since the retirement of longtime chairman Vince McMahon.
2022 SummerSlam Match Card
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Becky Lynch
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Theory
- Undisputed Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. The Street Profits with Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee
- No Disqualification Tag Team Match: The Mysterios vs. The Judgment Day
- Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin
- Logan Paul vs. The Miz
Event Preview
Reigns and Lesnar first faced off at WrestleMania 31 in 2015 when their clash for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to make it a triple-threat match and ultimately won the title.
Since then, Saturday's championship combatants have been involved in the same match on 10 other occasions, including a few Royal Rumble appearances, according to the Internet Wrestling Database. They've faced off head-to-head five times.
Reigns noted Tuesday on NBC's Today Show (h/t Dakota Cohen of Wrestling Inc.) he's hopeful the SummerSlam matchup brings an end to their seven-year rivalry.
"I hope it's the last time," he said. "It's brutal being in the ring with Brock. He's a big old country boy and he's got such a great, legitimate background."
The Last Man Standing stipulation adds to the potential neither Superstar leaves Nashville with WWE's top title, though. Theory, this year's Money in the Bank contract holder, has loomed large over the latest Reigns vs. Lesnar storyline.
It's possible he cashes in the contract after a grueling brawl in the main event. The chances it happens increase further if he doesn't win the U.S. title back from Lashley earlier in the show.
Both women's championship showdowns have Match of the Night potential, with four of the biggest names in wrestling helping headline the card.
Belair has been nothing short of phenomenal since winning the 2021 women's Royal Rumble, and she deserves an extended title reign after winning the Raw belt from Lynch at WrestleMania. It wouldn't be a surprise if the result leaves the door open for a continuation of their feud, though.
Morgan has emerged as a fan favorite since cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase the same night she won it in early July. Beating Rousey clean would go along way in establishing her as a top-of-the-card Superstar moving forward, but that's not a guarantee since WWE has mostly protected the aura of the UFC legend.
It may be time for The Usos, part of the dominant Bloodline faction with Reigns, to relinquish the tag belts to The Street Profits. If they do, it would be the first sign a title change could also be on the horizon in the main event.
Montez Ford, one half of The Street Profits alongside Angelo Dawkins, told Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari they are ready to stand atop the tag team world.
"That's what makes this match so big. We have done it all. We have won the NXT Tag Team Championships. We won the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships, but we have not become the undisputed tag team champions," Ford said. "And as much as those accolades and everything we've done so far is so precious and sound beautiful, there's still one thing that we have left to accomplish."
WWE always likes to add a bit of extra mainstream appeal to its major events, which is why Paul and McAfee are on the card and have featured prominently during the build up.
Paul teamed with The Miz to defeat The Mysterios at WrestleMania in April, but The Miz turned on the YouTuber after the match to set the stage for this encounter. Paul proceeded to sign a contract with WWE in June, suggesting more involvement in the months ahead.
McAfee, who also hosts a popular daily talk show in addition to his WWE work, was a smash hit at Mania when he defeated Theory before getting involved in a segment that included Mr. McMahon and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. He's a strong bet to beat Happy Corbin, and it'll be interesting to see how much in-ring development he's made over the past four months.
Finally, one match removed from the card was Seth Rollins vs. Riddle, which WWE announced was because of an injury to Riddle. It appears that's part of a storyline, though.
Fightful Select reported (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats) the decision was based on "creative adjustments" and not a legitimate injury to Riddle.
The kayfabe nature of the situation was furthered by a Twitter exchange between Rollins and Triple H:
So it seems possible WWE is setting the stage for a notable return, perhaps Randy Orton or even Bray Wyatt, to restore Rollins to the SummerSlam card.
That would bolster an already strong set of matches set for Saturday night.
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