Add as a preferred source on Google WWE held the first night of SummerSlam yesterday, Aug. 1, live from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The event carried the responsibility of delivering a better show than WrestleMania 42, the heavily criticized two-night major event from April. At least based on Night 1, it accomplished that goal.
Below, I will review and grade all six matches from last night, taking both the wrestlers’ performances and the overall storylines into account.
The Bella Twins (Brie and Nikki) and Paige (Winners) vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid)
Starting with the Six-Woman Tag Team Match, this was the low point of Night 1.
Neither Paige nor The Bella Twins have the agility or pace they had years ago, when they became top stars in WWE, and that even affected Fatal Influence, a trio with a promising future in the company. Brie Bella’s shoulder injury also limited her involvement late in the match, which hurt the finished product even more.
From a storyline standpoint, Brie and Nikki’s heel turn on Paige, despite being widely expected, worked well after an otherwise uneventful match. The only question is whether Brie’s injury will disrupt the feud, at least in the short term.
Grade: C
Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, and Royce Keys (Winners) vs. The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu, Jey, and Jimmy Uso)
Moving on to the men’s six-man tag, there was more action here. The match layout delivered the expected intensity and violence while keeping the outcome in doubt because either team had a legitimate path to victory.
Solo Sikoa, who has plenty of momentum in WWE, stole the show. He mimicked Jey Uso’s taunt and then played the key role in setting up Knight’s BFT on his cousin for the win.
The feud between The Bloodline and Solo Sikoa should continue over the coming weeks, with Sikoa now backed by two major allies in Knight and Royce Keys. I still believe the Roman Reigns-led stable will drive a wedge between the opposing trio.
Grade: C
Gunther (Winner) vs. Nick Aldis
Here, despite the slower pace, Nick Aldis returning to the ring after three years with Gunther as his opponent was worth the price of admission by itself.
Like many others, I was especially eager to see Aldis’ performance at SummerSlam, largely because I knew Gunther would help make the match better than it otherwise would have been. That is exactly what happened. Gunther sold all of Aldis’ offense well, while Aldis’ fighting spirit became the lasting image for everyone inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
From here, Aldis, now reinstated by Triple H as SmackDown General Manager, should return to his executive duties, while Gunther resumes his pursuit of the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Grade: B
Liv Morgan (Winner) vs. IYO SKY
At long last, Liv Morgan defended the Women’s World Championship on a televised show. That alone is a major win, believe me.
The match was a rematch of the Queen of the Ring final and featured the two biggest stars in WWE’s women’s division right now, at least in my opinion, with Rhea Ripley still sidelined by injury.
The match was far more intense and had far more twists and turns than their meeting in Saudi Arabia. As expected, The Judgment Day interfered, but thankfully, the group did not factor into the finish. With more time, Morgan and SKY would have taken the match even further, but they still delivered one of the best performances of the night by a wide margin.
The feud appears to be over because, despite the earlier interference, Morgan ultimately pinned SKY clean.
Grade: B+
CM Punk (Winner) vs. Cody Rhodes
The highly anticipated Undisputed WWE Championship match between Punk and Rhodes did not fully deliver what many fans expected.
I believe Punk, like The Bella Twins and Paige mentioned at the start of this review, is no longer the performer he was in 2012, when he routinely delivered great matches. Still, he proved that he can work a high-intensity match despite his limitations and slower pace.
As for Rhodes, Randy Orton’s return removes him from the title picture entirely. Personally, I would have preferred a heel turn from The American Nightmare by a mile, even knowing that is impossible right now. Instead, Orton is back to make his life a living hell.
It is important to point out that the Minneapolis crowd played a crucial role. Even though much of the match moved at a slow pace, the fans bought into the stakes of the rivalry, making those flaws irrelevant.
Grade: B
Oba Femi (Winner) vs. Brock Lesnar
To be completely honest, Lesnar and Femi’s performances are the last thing I will grade in the Hell in a Cell Match because what was at stake was much bigger than that.
Femi’s win was expected, but it was not handled the way their WrestleMania 42 match was. Lesnar had a real chance to win and punished The Ruler relentlessly. In my view, a win presented this way elevates Femi far more than the “shocking surprise” we got at Allegiant Stadium in April.
Lesnar’s tributes to The Undertaker, inside the structure where they had their final match together in 2015, added even more to the atmosphere surrounding the match.
After the match, Lesnar passed the torch to Femi and made it clear that his retirement is near. The Nigerian, meanwhile, should become one of WWE’s leading stars moving forward.
Grade: B+
Event verdict
To close out this first Wrestling Noticias review, I can say that while the tag matches were the low points of the night, which was hardly a surprise, the other matches delivered enough within their respective goals, even without any five-star-level performances.
It is good to see that WWE can still deliver a strong major event. I hope the product maintains this momentum on Night 2.
Grade: B