WWE SummerSlam PPV Results: 8-19-18
(2) THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) vs. THE NEW DAY (Xavier Woods & Big E w/Kofi Kingston) – WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship match
Harper grounded Xavier early and landed a dropkick, then tagged in Rowan. They both knocked Big E off the ring apron and then went after him at ringside. Rowan slammed Harper onto Big E, then went back to the ring and threw Xavier to the floor. They pulled the ringside stairs base out and then Rowan tried to slam Xavier on them. Xavier fought out. Harper went for a powerbomb of Xavier, but Xavier fought out of it and knocked Harper onto the steps. Xavier tagged Big E, who delivered some belly-to-belly suplexes to both Rowan and Harper.
Back in the ring Big E delivered another slam to Harper, then he swiveled over him and landed his running splash. He clapped and encouraged fans to chant “New… Day Rocks!” Harper countered with a sitout slam for a two count. Big E sidestepped a charging Rowan and sent him into the ringpost. Xavier then flip-dove over the top rope onto Rowan at ringside. Harper, though, then slammed Xavier to the mat. Big E dove through the ropes and speared Harper off the ring apron. Rowan then leaped off the ring apron and crossbody pressed Big E to the floor. Back ih the ring they double-teamed Big E with the crucifix bomb. Xavier broke up the pin attempt. Xavier delivered enzuigiris to both Bludgeons, but then countered with a double-team move including several Harper headbutts and then a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Graves wondered why Xavier would want to kick out. Coach said it’s the prestige of being a tag team champion that drives them. Big E delivered a Big Ending to Rowan in retaliation for Rowan attacking Kofi.
Harper set up a move on the ring apron, but he milked the moment for an abnormally long time as the ref scolded him. Big E punched his way out of it and then one-arm slammed him off the ring apron onto Xavier’s knees on the floor. That was awkward. Back in the ring Big E tagged in Xavier. Rowan rolled out of the ring. Xavier turned and dove onto him at ringside instead. The crowd saw it coming and cheered him on. He landed a flying elbow droplet but sold an elbow injury afterward. Big E crawled over and helped Xavier back in the ring. Xavier immediately tagged Big E, who lifted Harper onto his shoulders. Xavier set up a top rope move, but Rowan hit Xavier with his mallet. The ref DQ’d the Bludgeons.
WINNERS: New Day in 10:00 via DQ so the Bludgeons retained the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. (**1/2)
A bit clunky at times as the Bludgeons aspired to have a New Day type of match with lots of complicated big spots. Too much took place outside the ring. This was a good occasion to just pull back and tell a more traditional story with power moves by the Bludgeons and spirited comebacks by New Day. Instead, they just took on too much and it turned into a spotfest.
(3) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. KEVIN OWENS – Braun’s Money in the Bank contract at stake
Strowman charged and splashed Owens at the start twice. Owens rolled to the floor. Strowman charged at him and checked him hard into the boards. Coach said some little kids in the front row better pay attention. Strowman hit another shoulder check and then threw him back into the ring. Owens bailed out. When Strowman pursued him, KO kicked him. Strowman no-sold it and chokeslammed KO on the ramp. Back in the ring Strowman landed a running powerslam and scored a decisive three count. Cole pointed out that Owens got in one kick. Graves said it was among the most one-sided matches in Summerslam history.
WINNER: Strowman in 2:00. (N/R)
That’s the type of match that makes you think Owens is going to be suspended or cut tomorrow or that at the very least he upset someone behind the scenes. That really damaged Owens more than it helped Strowman. I think even Strowman fans are disappointed that there wasn’t more to this as Owens didn’t even have a chance to try to goad Strowman into something that would backfire. This might explain why they dropped almost all hype for the special stip on Raw this past week. I suppose in a best cast scenario for KO fans, this is to set up Paul Heyman becoming an advocate for Owens and helping him turn his career around, but I wouldn’t hold out hope that. This isn’t the type of loss that precedes a big push.
(4) CARMELLA vs. CHARLOTTE FLAIR vs. BECKY LYNCH – WWE Smackdown Women’s Title match
No question that during formal ring introductions Becky was more cheered than Charlotte. Carmella got all boos. Phillips said Carmella’s claim of having home field advantage was just proved wrong. Carmella moonwalked as soon as the bell rang. She took a shot at Becky as she was about to shake hands with Charlotte, but Charlotte attacked her. Carmella caught Charlotte with a boot. Charlotte fell to the floor giving Becky and Carmella a chance to battle one-on-one. Becky missed with a legdrop. Charlotte broke up a pin attempt by Carmella on Becky. Carmella slapped the back of Becky’s head then rolled out of the way. Becky turned and accused Charlotte of slapping her. Carmella shoved Charlotte into Becky and then schoolgirled Charlotte for a two count. Becky went back to yelling at Charlotte. Charlotte explained she didn’t. Becky tossed Carmella out of the ring and then Charlotte kicked her to the floor. Graves called Carmella’s strategy “genius.” Carmella grabbed Charlotte’s leg, and then Becky rolled up Charlotte for a two count. Charlotte came back with a leverage pin attempt. Becky hit two arm drags and applied an armbar. Charlotte escaped and leveraged Becky’s shoulders down for a two count.
Carmella yanked Charlotte off the ring apron and shoved her into the ringpost. Becky dove at Carmella, who moved and then threw Becky into the ringside steps. Graves asked Saxton if he’s beginning to believe in Carmella. Carmella strutted at ringside with Charlotte and Becky both down. Carmella settled into a chinlock mid-ring a minute later. Becky snuck in and schoolgirled Carmella for a two count. Carmella fired back with a dropkick and screeched, “I’m the champion!” Carmella rubbed Becky’s face into the mat and slapped her. Becky rolled up Carmella, but Carmella rolled through for a two count. Charlotte went for a boot on Carmella, but Carmella moved and she kicked Becky. Carmella smiled off to the side. Charlotte took it to Carmella and then kipped to little crowd response. She set up a figure-four, but Carmella kicked her off. Becky then gave Charlotte a running knee to the chin. She quickly leaped off the top rope with a dropkick to both Charlotte and Carmella. Becky clotheslined Charlotte twice and hit a leaping wheel kick to the chest. She played to the crowd and got some cheers. She tackled Carmella, signaled for the title belt, and then delivered a Becksploder suplex. Becky climbed to the top rope, but Carmella knocked Becky off balance. Carmella yanked Becky to the mat and scored a two count.
Becky went for another Becksploder, but Carmella blocked it. Charlotte speared both of them and scored two count on Carmella Then she covered Becky and scored a two count. Carmella threw Charlotte face-first into the turnbuckle. Everyone paused for a moment. Charlotte reversed Carmella’s attempt to head scissors her off the top rope and face planted her. She applied a camel clutch and then shifted into a figure-four. Becky climbed to the top rope and leaped onto Charlotte with a legdrop for a near fall, broken up by Carmella. Carmella dove through the ropes onto Becky at ringside a minute later. That drew some applause. Charlotte climbed to the top rope and hit a corkscrew moonsault which, as usual, barely grazed anyone yet them bumped anyway. Carmella and Becky had to stand in position awkwardly long as Charlotte set it up and delivered. Charlotte went for a Natural Selection, but apologized before doing it. Becky countered into a Disarmher. The fans cheered. Carmella broke it up. Becky threw Carmella out of the ring. Then she blocked a Charlotte knee and delivered a urinage for a two count. Carmella broke it up.
Becky went for Carmella’s arm, but Carmella shoved her into the corner and then used the ropes for leverage to try to score a pin. Carmella superkicked Becky for a two count, broken up by Charlotte. Carmella kicked Charlotte out of the ring. Carmella kicked Becky, but Becky quickly countered with a Disarmher. Carmella crawled over to grab the bottom rope to force a break. Becky hit a Becksploder again and applied the armbar mid-ring. Charlotte broke it up with a Natural Selection for the win. Charlotte smiled, but also had some mixed emotions. Carmella sobbed at ringside.
WINNER: Charlotte to capture the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship. (***)
Good match. No real complaints other than Charlotte should retire the moonsault. It was pretty heavy on a third person breaking up what the other two were doing, but that’s logical given the triple threat situation. The tension between Becky and Charlotte built to the post-match angle…
-Afterward, Charlotte’s music stopped and Becky stood up. Fans chanted “Becky! Becky!” Becky hugged Charlotte. Charlotte looked relieved and spoke some words privately to her. They hugged a second time and cried some more. Boos from the fans this time. Then she slapped Charlotte the crowd popped. becky attacked Charlotte aggressively and kicked her to the floor. Saxton said he gets the frustration, but was this the right reaction. Becky held up the title belt and the crowd popped big and chanted her name again. She threw Charlotte into the ringside barricade and then over the announce table. Fans chanted “You Deserve It!” as Becky left. The crowd booed the camera zooming in on Charlotte crying behind the announce desk. Graves said Charlotte isn’t at fault, but he understands where Becky is coming from a little bit. Phillips said two years of frustration manifested. Graves said Becky doesn’t want to live in the queens shadow anymore.
It’s amazing to think the intent of this angle was to position Becky as a heel and Charlotte as the babyface. They’re going to have a major uphill battle and it’s going to be embarrassing for WWE and unfair to Charlotte if the booking tries to frame Becky as the heel here.
(5) A.J. STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE – WWE Title match
Joe came out first. Then Styles. The showed the wife and daughter of Styles in the crowd. As the ring announcer began, Joe took the mic and said, “No, no, no, I’d like to make a very special introduction.” He said joining them tonight from Gainesville, Ga. is Wendy and Annie, his wife and daughter. He said, “Don’t you worry, Annie, daddy’s coming home tonight.” Styles was fuming. He said his family is here and they came for one reason, to see him kick his ass. Phillips said there’s no way Styles is at neutral emotionally. Styles circled Joe as the match began rather than charging at him. It felt off-tone for him to begin with a collar-and-elbow instead of exploding at him with a barrage of punches. Dueling chants o f “A.J. Styles/Let’s Go Joe” rang out. Styles locked on a side headlock. That’s what men do when someone brings their family into a personal situation? A side headlock? I get they’re likely pacing themselves for a long match, but emotionally it just felt off for Styles. Styles leapfrogged Joe and then landed a dropkick. Styles slidekicked Joe under the bottom rope. Styles charged at Joe with a knee, but Joe blocked it and then kicked Styles’s leg out from under him.
Back in the ring Joe methodically took it to Styles with kicks. He settled into a side headlock. Styles stood and escaped and hit Joe with a right. Then he slingshot forearmed Joe at ringside. Both were down and slow to get up. Joe knocked Styles down as he tried too crawl back into the ring. Joe then went for a dive through the ropes, but Styles kicked him out of mid-air. Styles then threw rapid-fire strikes and clotheslined Joe and followed up with a flying forearm. He let out a yell and fired up the crowd. He dove at Joe in the corner, but Joe shoved him into the corner. Styles caught him with an elbow. Styles moonsault inverted DDT’d Joe to the mat for a near fall. Styles set up a Styles Clash, but Joe escaped. Styles put Joe on the top rope, then stood on the top rope. Joe headbutted Styles off the top rope and then leaped with a flying knee for a near fall. Styles went for a leapfrog, but Joe turned it into an inverted atomic drop and then a senton for a two count. Styles surprised Joe with a slam attempt, but his knee gave out. Both were down and slow to get up. Styles stood, but his leg buckled. Styles set up a Sales Clash, but Joe escaped again. Styles instead went for a springboard Phenomenal Forearm, but Joe avoided it and landed a snap powerslam for a two count. Both were slow to get up.
Back up, Joe threw some forearms. Styles countered with a crucifix. Joe rolled through, but ate a kick. Styles then delivered a Styles Clash on Joe for a believable near fall that fans counted along to. Both again were slow to get up. Styles fired at Joe with a barrage of punches. Joe fired back. Styles caught him with a Pele kick. Joe caught Styles mid-air with a urinage. Styles came back with an ankle lock, but Joe fought out of it by ramming Styles’s head against the mat one rand over and then applied a sleeper. Joe kicked Styles off the top rope with a roundkick. He stood on the announce table and said he’ll be Annie’s new daddy. Saxton said Joe is a sick man. A bloodies Styles exploded and speared Joe off announce desk. About time. Styles kicked away at Joe in the time keepers area. He threw aside some production crew and bashed Joe with a chair. The ref called for the DQ.
WINNER: Joe via DQ in 23:00 so Styles retained the WWE Title. (****)
-After the match producers Adam Pearce and Fit Finlay came out and tried to calm Styles. Styles hit Joe with a chair shot again. Styles walked over to check on his wife and then hold his daughter.
Very good match. I didn’t like Styles approaching it like a standard battle at the start with a collar-and-elbow hook-up and a side headlock. It picked into an intense fight that felt personal the longer it lasted. The finish is fine for the first match between them in what is presumably a series.