Becky Lynch (c) vs. Natalya – Submission match for the Raw Women’s Championship

Background: On the July 15 episode of Raw, Naomi, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, and wild card guest Carmella competed in a fatal four-way elimination match to determine the number one contender against Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. Natalya won by last eliminating Bliss. After Lynch’s match on the July 29 episode, Natalya applied the Sharpshooter on Lynch and later suggested a submission match, which was made official the following week.

Previous PPV matches: These two girls have battled once on pay per view before and it was Natalya that beat Becky at Battleground 2016.

Summerslam Record: Becky is 1-2 at Summerslam, Natalya is 3-0.

Match: The match starts with the two girls exchanging slaps. Becky hits a Bex-ploder early and looks for a dis-arm her early but Natalya blocks it. The fights goes to the outside where Natalya launches Becky into the barricade. Natalya then continues to dominate and even locks a sharpshooter on from the top turnbuckle! Becky fights out of that and lays into Natalya on the outside. Lynch locks on a sharpshooter of her own and the Toronto crowd do not approve. Natalya fights out of that one. Natalya then locks on a dis-arm her but Becky rolls out of it. Natalya locks on a sharpshooter in the middle of the ring but Becky manages to crawl out of the ring. Lynch then locks on the dis-arm her and Natalya taps out!

Result: Becky Lynch retains the Raw Women’s Championship by submission.

Review: A great way to kick off the show. I really enjoyed this one and it helped that the crowd were really into it too. Becky Lynch wins and continues her great title run. Natalya doesn’t get her moment in Toronto. I doubt this feud will continue, it felt like Natalya got her show because of where Summerslam was held. Becky Lynch is over as hell right now, I can see her holding onto the title for a while.

Rating: 7.5/10

Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler

Background: On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels’ appearance on “Miz TV” was interrupted by Dolph Ziggler, who insulted Michaels. The Miz intervened but was pulled back by Michaels. Ziggler then attempted to punch Michaels, but accidentally struck Miz instead and then superkicked Michaels. The following week, a match between Miz and Ziggler was scheduled for SummerSlam, however, during the contract signing on the August 5 episode of Raw, Miz revealed that their match would actually take place on the following Raw and that Ziggler would fight someone else at SummerSlam. Ziggler presumed that this referred to Michaels but instead, WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg (whom Ziggler disparaged in his promos against Michaels) appeared and was revealed as Ziggler’s opponent.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

Summerslam Record: Dolph Ziggler has won 2, drawn 2 and lost 4, Goldberg is 0-1.

Match: Dolph gets on the mic before the match and big himself up as the best thing that has ever happened to pro wrestling. This feels like a big match for Ziggler. This could be short. Ziggler hits a superkick out of nowhere, dropping him for a one count. Ziggler then hits another superkick and gets another one count. Goldberg hits a spear out of nowhere, follows it up with a jackhammer and that’s enough for the three.

Result: Goldberg wins by pinfall.

Review: This was as short as I thought it would be. Two superkicks, a spear and a jackhammer. Goldberg wins and Dolph gets a good rub. A decent payday for Ziggler.

Rating: N/A

AJ Styles (c) vs. Ricochet – United States Championship match

Background: At Extreme Rules, AJ Styles defeated Ricochet to win the United States Championship thanks to help from his O.C. teammates, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. On the July 29 episode of Raw, Ricochet won a gauntlet match, to earn a rematch for the title at SummerSlam.

Previous PPV matches: AJ Styles previously beat Ricochet at Extreme Rules.

Summerslam Record: AJ Styles is 2-1, Ricochet wrestles at Summerslam for the first time.

Match: AJ Styles is accompanied by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. It’s a fast paced start to the match as you’d expect but it’s not long before AJ Styles takes control. Ricochet hits a really nice one-legged springboard clothesline. AJ works the left leg of Ricochet and is pretty vicious with it. It’s a pretty back and forth match but AJ has more extended runs in control. AJ locks on the calf crusher and pulls back but Ricochet fights his way out of it and locks on an anaconda vice but Styles breaks it. Ricochet has to fight off Anderson and Gallows, he hits them with a moonsault to the outside and then heads to the top but AJ crotches him. Ricochet fights off Styles but then has to deal with Anderson before looking for a phoenix splash but AJ catches him and hits a Styles clash for the three!

Result: AJ Styles wins by pinfall.

Review: This was a good match from these two. There was some great offence from both men but Gallows and Anderson made the difference. It wasn’t the cleanest of victories but it took picture perfect timing at the end for AJ to catch Ricochet and hit the Styles clash. I wouldn’t be too surprised if Ricochet found a tag team partner to go after Gallows and Anderson leaving AJ to move onto something else.

Rating: 7.5/10

Bayley (c) vs. Ember Moon – Smackdown Women’s Championship match

Background: On the July 16 episode of SmackDown, after SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a tag team match in which Moon scored the pin, Bayley selected Moon as the number one contender for her title at SummerSlam.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two girls.

Summerslam Record: Both girls make their Summerslam debut tonight.

Match: Bayley gets a few boo’s as she is announced. Ember Moon brings a fast pace to the match and it’s a back and forth start. Bayley hits a big time running knee to the face which looked stiff. Bayley is getting a mixed reaction from the crowd. Ember hits a top rope hurricanrana and then a dominator into a facebuster for a near fall. The crowd are a little dead for this one, I get the impression they don’t care for it. Moon counters a Bayley to belly and then hits a poserbomb for a near fall. Ember goes to the top but Bayley hits her with a Bayley to belly for the three.

Result: Bayley wins by pinfall.

Review: Something did not click here and the crowd were not buying it. Ember Moon started the match really well, showing off her agility but as the match went on it struggled a little. Bayley has really lost the crowd, could she do the unthinkable and turn heel? A predictable win tonight for the Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Rating: 3.75/10

Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon

Background: During the summer of 2019, Kevin Owens became furious with Shane McMahon due to the latter taking up more and more screen time each week from other wrestlers and exerting even more authority, which was in contradiction to what The McMahon Family (Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Triple H) had promised several months prior. Despite Shane’s attempts to ban Owens from SmackDown, Owens would nevertheless show up and attack Shane at opportune moments. During Raw Reunion on July 22, Owens challenged Shane to a match at SummerSlam and said he would quit the WWE if he were to lose, and Shane accepted.

Previous PPV matches: This is a second PPV match between these two men. Kevin Owens previously beat Shane at Hell In A Cell 2017.

Summerslam Record: Kevin Owens is 2-2, Shane McMahon is 1-3.

Match: Shane McMahon starts the match by announcing the special guest enforcer for the match, Elias. Shane then keeps running away form Kevin Owens and hides behind Elias. Owens eventually gets his hands on McMahon and hits a cannonball in the corner. KO gets distracted by Elias again which allows Shane to take the advantage by throwing Owens into the barricade. Shane looks for a sharpshooter but KO fightso ut and hits a pop-up powerbomb! Elias then distracts the referee when Owens has Shane down for the count. Elias hands Owens a chair and KO considers using it but doesn’t. Shane then looks for a clothesline on Owens but hits Elias. Owens hits a senton and then a frog splash on McMahon, hooks the leg but Elias pulls the referee out of the ring! Owens then takes out both officials with a cannonball! KO picks up the chair again but Elias drags him out of the ring. Owens disposes of Elias with the chair and then looks to hit Shane with the chair but the referee stops him. Owens then hits McMahon with a big low blow behind the referee’s back and a stunner for the three!

Result: Kevin Owens wins by pinfall.

Review: This was a really fun match. This sort of chaotic match always has its place. It’s a throwback to the attitude era and I’m all for it as long as every match isn’t like this. Kevin Owens wins a keeps his spot in the company. I enjoyed this and wouldn’t be surprised if the feud continues to a gimmick match (bot not hell in a cell, we’ve seen that).

Rating: 7/10

Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte

Background: Backstage during the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair voiced her displeasure that she was not scheduled to compete at SummerSlam. Despite not being on the card, Flair stated she would be part of SummerSlam to prove that she was the “greatest female superstar of all-time”. The following week, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus was a guest on Jerry Lawler’s “King’s Court”. They were interrupted by Flair, who challenged Stratus to a match at SummerSlam. After disparaging comments from Flair, Stratus accepted the challenge.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match between these two girls.

Summerslam Record: Charlotte is 3-0, Trish is 0-1.

Match: For me this is truly a match between the two greatest female superstars in WWE history. Trish hits some nice moves in the early going but it all looks very contrived and rehearsed. “You’ve still got it” chsnts aimed at Stratus. There’s some stiff kicks from both girls. Charlotte drops Trish on the ring steps and Stratus keeps checking her nose for blood. Charlotte hits more stiff offence as she throws Stratus into the barricade. Charlotte continues to talk trash as she lays into Trish aggressively. You don’t often see Charlotte to agressive like this. Stratus avoids a moonsault and hits a faceplant. Trish hits a hurricanrana off the middle rope for a near fall. Trish locks a figure eight on Charlotte but Charlotte gets to the bottom rope. Trish avoids a spear and hits Stratus-faction for a near fall. Trish hits a chick kick and gets another near fall. Charlotte hits a running boot and then locks on the figure eight which causes Trush to tap out.

Result: Charlotte wins by submission.

Review: This was another good match. They are really delivering tonight. Charlotte beats Trish in Stratus’ last ever match. Charlotte played the heel so well in this match and she was really stuff with Trish too. The battle of the top two ever results in who I would consider the best ever beating the second best.

Rating: 7.25/10

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship match

Background: On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston selected Randy Orton as his next title defense at SummerSlam. Kingston referenced their past rivalry in 2009 where Kingston defeated Orton, but claimed that Orton used his influence to keep Kingston out of the main event scene. Orton stated that he was right that he held Kingston back and accepted the challenge. Orton also claimed credit for Kingston becoming WWE Champion, as it was Orton who had injured Ali, who Kingston had replaced in the WWE Championship match at Elimination Chamber, which led to Kingston winning the title at WrestleMania 35.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have wrestled on PPV once before, Randy Orton beat Kofi Kingston at TLC 2009.

Summerslam Record: Kofi Kingston has 3 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw at Summerslam, Randy Orton is 7-6.

Match: Big E and Xavier Woods acompany Kofi Kingston tothe ring but then head to the back. There’s some duelling chants of “Kofi’s stupid, Randy sucks”. This is Kofi’s 10th consecutive PPV, he’s ahead of anybody else in that respect at the moment. Randy Orton has the all time record of 43 consecutive PPV’s. It’s a back and forth start to the match with Orton taking control with a thumb to the eye. The fight goes in and out of the ring a lot with Orton keeping the advantage. It’s the slow pace that we’ve come to expect in Randy Orton matches. Kofi picks up the pace when he takes the advantage, hitting the boom drop and shouting “stupid” at Orton like Orton did to Kofi 10 years ago. Randy counters trouble in paradise with a backbreaker for a near fall. Kingston counters an RKO attempt and heads to the top only to dive in an RKO! Kofi rolls out of the ring and Orton follows, staring at Kingston’s family at ringside. Kofi loses it and lays into Orton but the referee has counted to 10! It’s a double count out here!

Result: Double count out.

Review: This match was ok. It wasn’t my favourite style of match to watch, very slow. I don’t like a draw at Summerslam but it’s a way for Kofi to retain and the feud to continue.

Rating: 5/10

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor

Background: Following the Superstar Shake-up in April, Bray Wyatt, who had been on hiatus since the previous summer, began appearing as an eerie children’s entertainer in pre-taped segments called Firefly Fun Fouse. He eventually revealed a new sinister alternate persona called “The Fiend”. After wild card guest Finn Bálor’s match on the July 15 episode of Raw, the lights went out and Wyatt appeared as “The Fiend” and attacked Bálor. The following week on SmackDown, Bálor challenged Wyatt to a match at SummerSlam. Wyatt appeared inside the Fun House and stated that he was a fan of Bálor, however, “The Fiend” was not and that “The Fiend” accepted the challenge.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have wrestled twice on PPV before and Finn Balor won both.

Summerslam Record: Finn Balor is 3-0, Bray Wyatt is 2-2.

Match: This is a debut for Bray Wyatt under the mask of The Fiend. He has a fantastic entrance. Wyatt takes the early advantage, powering Balor around the ring. It is all Wyatt, he dominates and looks to finish it with Sister Abigail but Balor counters and starts a comeback. Finn hits a running dropkick and then heads to the top but Wyatt avoids coup de gras and locks on the mandible claw which causes Balor to pass out and the referee to count the three!

Result: Bray Wyatt wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was pretty short and sweet. It was all about the dominance of The Fiend. I would have liked to have seen a longer match but maybe The Fiend’s matches are going to be quick to show how dominant he is. A shame it was Finn Balor who had to take the quick loss because Balor is so good and can wrestle in long matches of high quality. But it’s a win for Wyatt tonight and I wouldn’t be too surprised to not only see a rematch down the line but one between The Fiend and The Demon.

Rating: 4/10

Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins – Universal Championship match

Background: At WrestleMania 35, Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship. Lesnar then disappeared from television for several weeks before inserting himself in the 2019 Money in the Bank ladder match and won, earning a match for a world championship of his choice at any time within the next year. After teasing some cash-ins, Lesnar finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at Extreme Rules and won back the Universal Championship right after Rollins had just retained the title. On the following night’s Raw, Rollins won a cross-brand 10-man battle royal to earn a rematch against Lesnar at SummerSlam. During Raw Reunion on July 22, Lesnar’s advocate Paul Heyman stated that Lesnar cashed in on Rollins because Rollins had done the same to Lesnar back at WrestleMania 31 in March 2015.

Previous PPV matches: Both men hold a victory over one another in previous PPV matches.

Summerslam Record: Brock Lesnar is 6-3, Seth Rollins is 4-1.

Match: Seth Rollins, like Bayley earlier, gets a very mixed reaction. Rollins has his ribs taped up and they prove to be a target for Brock Lesnar. Brock attempts a German suplex but Rollins flips over and lands on his feet before hitting a stomp for a near fall. I’m not sure anyone has kicked out of the stomp before. Seth looks for another stomp but Brock counters with an F5! Brock then swings Seth around by the tape from his ribs! It’s all Brock Lesnar from there as he hits German suplexes in the ring and outside of the ring. Seth hits a big springboard knee to the face but misses a second knee and gets hit with a German suplex. If you ask me these are two of the top 20 of all time. Rollins superkicks Lesnar onto an announce table and then heads up top and hits a frog splash, sending Lesnar through the table! Back in the ring and Seth hits another frog splash and a stomp, hooks the leg but Lesnar gets his shoulder up at 2! Rollins motions for another stomp but Brock scoops him up for an F5 which Rollins counters and then hits the stomp for the three!

Result: Seth Rollins wins the Universal Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a fantastic match. The psychology was great, the two men told a really good story. I genuinly didn’t know which way it would go and actually favoured Lesnar as he only recently won the title back. Seth wins though and this ia a huge win for him, beating Brock Lesnar for the second time this year. Lesnar continues to be the biggest star in the world and I wonder if we’ll get another match between the two down the line.

Rating: 8/10