SummerSlam 2022 Review

Saturday, July 31st, 2022
Nissan Stadium
Nashville, Tennessee

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After being forced to listen to some country music, we get a cool look at the stadium that looks impressive for a SummerSlam. I am a huge fan of SummerSlam. I started my fandom with SummerSlam and I often think it ends up being the best show of the year. I'm not sure how I feel about it being in July, particularly the year I decided to take a vacation that week. I've only heard good things about this one, so I'm hoping I agree.

Raw Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

I guess I should mention that this is the first major show without Vince McMahon in charge of the company. I would love to have access to the meetings that happened after he stepped down, just to see all of what changed and what stayed the course. Anyway, Lynch takes control to start things off by workig on the arm of Bianca. Bianca catches Becky and drops her sort of awkwardly, face-first. They spill outside and Becky is able to pull her arm into the barricade and hits a guillotine leg drop. Becky goes for another leg drop inside the ring a few minutes later, but Bianca catches her and slams her down. That was a clever counter. We get a series of counters outside the ring that leads to a Bianca suplex. Things start to heat up and Bianca hits a KOD on the outside. Becky barely beats the count. She counters out of a KOD, but ends up getting hit with a spinebuster. Bianca climbs up top, but Becky gets there and pulls her down by her hair and hitting the Manhandle Slam. Bianca is able to kick out and then Bianca goes for some quick pinfall attempts. Becky tries to hit a Manhandle Slam from the second rope, but Bianca counters with a Spanish Fly. She hits the KOD and gets the decisive victory. This one just didn't have the flow of some of their previous matches. It was of course still very good, just far from their best. After the match, Becky's right arm is injured and she reaches out with her left hand. Bianca accepts and they embrace. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

Out comes Bayley to a pretty big reaction. She's then followed out by a returning Dakota Kai and then Io Shirai. They eventually enter the ring and Becky comes to join in defense of Bianca. They back down and head to the back. 

Now they are forcing me to listen to Kid Rock. 

Miz vs. Logan Paul

Ciampa and Miz is such an odd pairing. I also don't understand how Logan Paul is supposed to be a babyface. We get an opening segment designed to show off Paul's skills and he hits a moonsault off the apron to the floor. Miz is able to hit a Codebreaker and Ciampa gets in a cheap shot for good measure. Paul comes back with the It Kicks and slaps on the Figure Four, the two moves that Miz stole from other people. Paul hits a top rope crossbody and a standing moonsault for a 2 count. Ciampa is then ejected by the referee. He of course argues the decision and then AJ Styles' music hits and attacks him from the crowd. He brawls with him through the crowd and Paul hits a Phenomenal Forearm for a 2 count. Paul kindly cleans off the announce table and hits a top rope Frog Splash through the table. Maryse distracts Paul, but he ducks Miz's attempt and hits the Skull Crushing Finale for the victory. This was all about making Paul look like a million bucks and the company man, Miz, does it again. Paul clearly has a bright future in the ring. The match itself was really all about Paul, so it didn't really have a solid flow, but it was entertaining. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

We then get an ad featuring the Maximum Male Models. At least this one makes sense. 

United States Championship Match
Theory vs. Bobby Lashley

I really enjoyed the match these two had at the last show. It will be interesting to see if Theory's push continues with Triple H and Stephanie in charge. If anything, maybe he'll have a first name again. Lashley gets fireworks for his entrance. Theory attacks Lashley from behind with the briefcase before the bell rings. It does him know good, as Lashley just destroys him anyway. Theory tries to leave with his briefcase, but Lashley is there to continue the beating. Theory is able to leap a Spear attempt, but Lashley blocks a Theory attempt at offense and slaps on the Hurt Lock for the decisive victory. This feels like Vince McMahon booking, so we'll see where Theory goes from here. The match was basically a squash match. 

Match Rating: *

No Disqualification Match
Judgment Day vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio

As you would expect, this one gets started right away. Judgment Day dominates Dominik, who has kind of been floundering on the roster. Rey gets the hot tag and does what he does. The crowd already feels tired at this point. He uses a chair on both opponents, but when he sets up Priest for the 619, Balor blind tags and nails Rey with a clothesline. Judgment Day takes control back and then the lights go out. Out comes Edge with flames and stairs. I'm still not really sure why he's not in the faction he created like 2 months ago. He hits a Spear on both Priest and Balor and has woken up the crowd. He sets up Balor for a 619 and he gets a double one, leading to a Mysterio victory. This was all about the return of Edge. The match itself was more like a TV match.

Match Rating: **3/4

Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee

Corbin is greeted by a chorus up in the concourse mocking him before McAfee makes his way out. McAfee hits a superkick to start things off and a leaping hurricanrana from the turnbuckle. It truly is pretty amazing how good some of the non-wrestlers really are. Look at how much work went into Lawrence Taylor putting on a good match. Now it's just like everyone that goes in there is able to put on an entertaining match. Corbin fights back and hits a Deep Six. McAfee does the leap up to the top rope and hits a superplex for a 2 count. I am a little surprised that McAfee doesn't have better ring gear. McAfee goes up top, almost falls, but then hits a senton to Corbin standing on the floor. He goes up top again, leaps over Corbin and we end up with the referee down. McAfee kicks him below the belt, hits a weak Panama Sunrise and picks up the victory. This was definitely the worst match of McAfee's short career. 

Match Rating: **

They show highlights of Drew McIntyre beating Sheamus to become the #1 contender at Clash At The Castle. He comes out, panders to the crowd and basically just kills a few minutes.

They now bring out Jeff Jarrett as the guest referee. Why would you have him come out to his boring music instead of "With My Baby Tonight"?

Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match
Street Profits vs. Usos

The Street Profits get some Tennessee Titan cheerleaders for their entrance. Things start off pretty slowly until Ford is able to get on offense and then hits a nice Blockbuster. Dawkins hits a leaping senton over the top rope on both Usos. I'm not really quite sure why Jarrett is the referee in this match. The Profits hit a cool pounce into a German suplex. The Usos fight back and hit some superkicks. They hit the double splash, but Ford is able to break up the pin attempt. Jarrett catches a superkick from the Usos and it allows Ford to hit a Frog Splash, but Jey kicks out at 2. Ford kind of loses his cool at Jarrett, even though it was a fair count. Ford runs into a double superkick and gets thrown into the crowd. Dawkins then gets hit with a double superkick and back in the ring they go. The Usos hit the 1D and that is all. That was kind of a flat finish to a match that never kicked into second gear. It wasn't bad, but just nothing special overall. 

Match Rating: ***

They show Kid Rock in the crowd. They are just trying to torture me. Out comes Riddle, who is not medically cleared and he calls out Seth Rollins. Rollins answers the call and they start brawling with officials trying to break them up. Rollins is able to hit the Stomp in the middle of the ring and the crowd sings his entrance music. That was pretty brief. 

SmackDown Women's Championship Match
Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan

Rousey is able to catch Liv with a running knee early on and I don't expect this one to be very long. We get kind of an awkward submission spot that turns into Liv putting on the Rings Of Saturn. Rousey is able to put on the arm bar in the center of the ring, but Liv is able to get her foot to the bottom rope. Ronda is able to slap on the arm bar again and Liv gets to the rope again. They have a trainer check on Liv and after telling her to leave, Ronda slaps on the arm bar again. Liv pushes Ronda's shoulders down and gets the pin while she taps out at the same time. The referee calls it a victory for Liv, but when they show the replay, she tapped out at 2. Rousey attacks her from behind and puts the arm bar on again. Rousey then attacks the ref and puts the arm bar on him. This whole thing just didn't work. It's unfortunate, but they just had zero chemistry and were set up to fail with the way it was booked. This was just a total bummer of a match.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Last Man Standing Match For The Undisputed Universal Championship
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Apparently this is Lesnar's 9th SummerSlam main event. After his fireworks and on his way down to the ring, Lesnar puts on some flannel and gets on a tractor. He drives it to the ring and then stands on it above the ring. Lesnar introduces himself and then leaps on Reigns with a Lou Thesz Press during his intro. It's time for suplexes and we spill out into the crowd. Lesnar pulls out a table, but then Paul Heyman distracts Lesnar and Reigns hits a Samoan Drop through the table. Reigns hits two Superman punches and a Spear, but Lesnar is back up at 8. Brock counters a Spear with a F5, which Reigns counters and Lesnar throws him out of the ring. He then throws Reigns through a piece of a table in a spot that looks like it hurt. Lesnar goes back to the tractor, but then leaves to hit Reigns with the steps. Lesnar tosses Reigns into the front of the tractor and dumps him in the ring. Lesnar hits a F5, but Reigns is up. Lesnar goes for another one, but Reigns gets him in the Guillotine. Lesnar bounces out and puts on one of his own. Reigns gets back to his feet before the count and Lesnar goes back to the tractor. This time he starts ramming the ring with it and then lifts up the corner of the ring with Reigns in it. I can honestly say this is something I expected to see. Out come the Usos, but Lesnar suplexes both of them. Heyman then comes and hands Lesnar the titles and tells him to leave Reigns alone. Lesnar then gives Heyman a F5 through the table, allowing Reigns to hit him with a Spear. Both men are down and out comes Theory. He hits Reigns in th ehead with the briefcase, but Lesnar hits him with a F5. The Usos hit a sort of double superkick and Lesnar is down again. Lesnar is up at 9, but gets hit with another Spear, but he's up again. Reigns starts destroying Lesnar with the briefcase and Michael Cole is losing it when Lesnar is up again. Reigns hits him with the title belt to the head and again Lesnar is standing. Reigns hits him in the head again and now he and the Usos are burying Lesnar with pieces of the table and other parts of the ring set up. This time he can't get up and Reigns retains. Outside of the tractor stuff, this was pretty much a standard big man no DQ match. The tractor spot will make you remember it forever, but it wasn't enough to make this a classic or anything. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

This was a pretty middle of the road show here. It probably was more fun for those in attendance, but there just seemed to be a lot of matches that didn't gel tonight. It wasn't a bad show by any means, just not one that I would go out of my way to watch again. 

Overall Rating: 60%