SummerSlam XXVIII

[piranesi]

It seems like they fucked up a little by having Heyman rant at the end.  The tried to Stone-Cold Brock into the babyface and Taker is clearly the heel, but as soon as Paul started yelling everyone turned on Brock again.

 

I'm sure they'll chant "you tapped out" tomorrow though.

[Mick32]

They have two great, not good, great, main event matches and fuck up the finish of both. At least football season starts in two weeks or so.

[Charlie M.]

I know I posted before the show that I had faith in Taker/Brock but my god, what a match.

[nate]

#blamekevindunn

[Burgundy LaRue]

This is being set up for Rollins to lose both belts at NoC, right?  It has to be.

 

ME was pretty hot until that goofy finish.  I guess they're banking on Heyman selling it until WM.  Which he can.  But it shouldn't have to come to that.

 

Sasha is probably sore as heck from last night, hence tonight's short appearance.  Still, it came off as a cheap way to eliminate Team BAD, the only ones with actual personality.

 

New Day was on FIRE.  Loved everything about them.

 

Rusev couldn't even drag Ziggler to a decent match.  Hot Summer in that sparkly suit, tho--DAMN.  Lana looked like the blonde version of Kelly Kapowski.

 

If I'm Reigns, I'm begging to turn heel.  Not because of the smarks--but to get away from Ambrose and his lazy wrestling.  Ambrose needs to clean up his offense and quickly.

[Charlie M.]

Follow up on RAW is simple. Brock arrives and breaks every bone in Undertaker's body.

[Firebreaker Chip]

Thought the Cena-Rollins match was good in that OTT spotfest way Cena's been doing, but it felt a bit like an attempt to portray Rollins as being more legit than his title reign made him seen, followed by the most counterproductive finish imaginable, but now he has both belts anyway and [flippant reaction gif]

[DJ Hero Morganti]

#blamekevindunn

Interestingly, if the shot they had was Taker tapping, rather than the replay showing that Taker tapped, it might have made the finish come across better on tape.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

Best show in AGES. Stewart's heel turn was an amazing finish to a trmendous match. Brock/Taker was so good that I didn't even mind the silly finish.

 

I have to agree with El Dragon. I absolutely loved that match, and thought Taker was way, way better than he's got any right to be, and they did SO many of the little things just perfectly, but that finish was just so fucking '90s and weird. And not only that, but I didn't even know what they were trying to insinuate because they didnt show (or, i guess I didn't notice) Taker tap until the replay, so I thought the angle was that they thought Lil Naitch's 1-count was going to be a hand tapping or something. Just really bizarre for such a huge match.

[ChrisM]

I had no problem with that finish. Intrigued as to where it's gonna go. Damn fun show, overall. Props to Taker for exceeding expectations. 

[hammerva]

Can someone explain to me how the time keeper has the authority to ring the bell for the Undertaker tap out and yet doesn't do a thing with Jon Stewart hitting Cena with a chair?   I mean clearly he saw both of them.   I would hate to think that we are doing a fucking heel timekeeper gimmick like we do with heel refs now

 

For all the talk about how you need to this to build up the 3rd match, would it really have been that unbelievable if Taker would have just won given how good he looked out there.   He still could have cheated behind the refs back but the bullshit with the bell just cheapens it.

[piranesi]

Guys, it will all be clear tomorrow when the timekeeper takes off his mask to reveal

 

Kevin Sullivan

 

TAKER HAS JOINED THE DUNGEON OF DOOM!!!  HOGAN IS WEAK ENOUGH NOW THAT THEY CAN TAKE HIM!!!

 

but where's Vader?

[Charlie M.]

I love how Brock sells punches. Basically it plays off his UFC career and works perfectly as one of his "weaknesses."

[Cole Miner]

So John Stewart coming out as a Flair fan and cutting a Flair type promo could save that ending. Since at least the promo could be good. Saying he didn't want Cena to break the record. Would have been easier to point out the record isn't 16 though.

 

At least the horrible Undertaker ending was the timekeeper ringing the bell. Not telekinesis by the Undertaker. Could get worse though I suppose. If it turns out Kane arranged it and the Ministry Authority debuts.

[Jiji]

I love how Brock sells punches. Basically it plays off his UFC career and works perfectly as one of his "weaknesses."

Plus, he's seen enough real wounded animals up close and personal to know how to perfectly portray that feeling. He's incredible. And the air he got on the chokeslam. Holy shitballs!

[Matt D]

We live in a wonderful world when I can come into this thread just fifteen minuets later and the awesome Undertaker monster face is already a gif. 

 

So, how about that fandangled NXT all the kids are talking about, huh guys?

[MADCAP]

My favorite match was the 4-team tag.  Everybody stepped it up tonite, and Xavier Woods' ranting was only second to Kofi's Hermes footware.

[piranesi]

I love how Brock sells punches. Basically it plays off his UFC career and works perfectly as one of his "weaknesses."

 

I love how he sold that chokeslam, popping up but then stumbling around like Trevor Burbick.

[Firebreaker Chip]

Nobody bumps better than Lesnar for a chokeslam, it's true

[The Man Known as Dan]

We live in a wonderful world when I can come into this thread just fifteen minuets later and the awesome Undertaker monster face is already a gif. 

 

So, how about that fandangled NXT all the kids are talking about, huh guys?

 

I miss Sasha down there already.

[Josh Mann]

Gosh, I certainly hope they can scrounge up some indy guy in the Tri State area who can wear a tuxedo, sit by the bell and eat an F-5 tomorrow on Raw.

I get why that finish happened, but I don't have to like it.

[Mick32]

I wanted to like this show and was well on my way, but fuck, the WWE hates me I guess.

I get the celebrity thing, I guess, but Lawler didn't job to Kauffman. Have some respect for your business.

And fuck the Brock finish. Undertaker is indestructible, right? Then don't have him fucking tap. With this finish, they both look like assholes. And that was a great fucking match, but nobody is talking about that because of the finish.

[piranesi]

Gosh, I certainly hope they can scrounge up some indy guy in the Tri State area who can wear a tuxedo, sit by the bell and eat an F-5.

I get why that finish happened, but I don't have to like it.

 

When Lesnar's music hits tomorrow all the announcers and crew should leave, but as they're going someone handcuffs the timekeeper to his chair.

 

Then he chews the flesh off his wrist to escape.

[Firebreaker Chip]

Four way tag match was definitely one of the best of the night, everyone in it seemed to be crazy over, New Day immediately in the zone of having overshot heel heat back into massive babyface heat despite doing the cheap heat/deliberately bad singing combo

 

Isn't Lesnar not scheduled for Raw tomorrow? Potential spoilers about the guy who is already circulating

[Hagan]

Oh man...yeah I hated the two main event finishes. 

 

- Orton and Sheamus was fine and good. Shocked that Sheamus won clean. Heel turn for Orton? They need a direction for him that involves someone he hasn't wrestled a million times. Feud him with Owens or something. 

 

- Tag match was fun. The New Day are so great with their entrance and Woods being wacky and their attempts to launch a thousand GIFS with their mannerisms. Tag match was fun. I don't know why they don't just ship the Colons to NXT. The bullfighter gimmick isn't over and they could really help a lot of those young teams get experience and serve as the anchor of the division. 

 

Just throwing it out there but if Cass and Enzo get called up would it be smart to pair Cass with another guy and let Enzo be their Woods on the outside? I can't even think who would be a good idea but I think you'd have a fun dynamic pairing a trio off with the New Day. 

 

-  Rusev and Ziggler was fun. Ziggler has the feel of someone whose time has passed and he's been passed by a lot of newer talent in the last two years. Rusev is still great after he tripped over bad booking and broke his ankle. It's a fun feud. I actually really like Summer in the role of fake Lana. 

 

- The Neville match was good. They really should keep Barrett and Stardust together as a wacky heel team. If the JBL and Cole show was any indication, they're pretty tight and I think they'd play off well with each other. They have no future as singles so I think it's a good idea. 

 

- I walked my dog during the IC match. I heard it wasn't bad. 

 

- Romen and Ambrose tag was pretty fun. Surprised they blew it off so quick and expect the Ambrose heel turn is coming. Harper is so, so good. They booked the Reigns snooze spot to be a little too long and it killed him with the crowd. For someone who is supposed to be unstoppable, they book Reigns like the biggest fucking pussy dork sometimes. 

 

- Rollins and Cena was fucking great. Rollins has been killed with booking but he's really in the top tier of wrestlers on this planet. Just a great match. Finish was fucking awful. It looked bad, was telegraphed a mile away and, really, who cares? It's gonna get attention and may get a lot of media buzz but, I dunno, it just killed a MOTY caliber match. It's like Tyson and Trump didn't derail a match with their involvement, y'know and those got a lot of media attention. Hated it. Rollins is gonna end up as an all-time WWE great though. I don't see him as a guy who is ever going to let himself be slid down to the midcard. He's gonna outwork everyone and do whatever he has to do, I bet. 

 

- Divas match was okay. A little too much non-good diva control segments. I'm just gonna assume that Sasha is half-dead and had to Tanahashi this multi-man because having her barely be in the match was a fucking horrible idea. I'm not as down on the Bellas as some but they were awful and I think they switched from heel to face like four times in this match. 

 

One thing about these ladies going out there and trying to redefine women's wrestling is that these girls are gonna end up breaking their necks. The Bellas shouldn't be doing dives and everyone may want to dial down on the complex top rope spots. 

 

- Cesaro and Owens was really good. I don't believe in the death spot and thought the match got a pretty good reaction for such a marathon show. It's actually a really good idea to put guys that the hardcore fans like in those spots because they kept the crowd better than any other match on the show would have, with the exception of Cena. 

 

- Main event was great until it fucking wasn't. All-time awful finish. They're fucking mental with their booking of Taker. Book them both as babyfaces. Jesus. Why is Undertaker doing nutshots and TAPPING OUT? Finish just killed the show. Just put someone over and build to your rubber match. It's fine. That was shit. 

 

By all rights, this was a better than the Takeover. Easy to say. But NXT had a show filled with really good finishes and a show that was so great that took us into OVERTIME to fit in the action.

 

This show ended on confusion fifteen minutes early. Blah.