SummerSlam is here! I’ll be giving you the live recap and results of the show as they come so watch this space! You can see my predictions here. Asuka comes out first as her two title matches start the proceedings.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Asuka
Lock-up, Asuka with a wrist lock, pounding forearms. She hits the ropes, duck under from Bayley but Asuka with a dropkick, roundhouse kicks to the chest. Hits the ropes, goes for a sliding kick but Bayley avoids it, tries a kick of her own but it’s ducked, she blocks a German, Asuka turns it into an Octopus Stretch that takes her to the mat! Bayley manages to get her foot onto the rope. Asuka with a sliding dropkick takes out the leg of Bayley, then goes again for a Hip Attack. I think that was an improvisation there, maybe Bayley wasn’t in position for the Hip Attack or perhaps Sasha was in the way. Didn’t look bad though.
Asuka then leaps from the steps for a wild DDT onto the floor! Dang! Throws her into the ring for a cover for 2. Match spills out of the ring, Bayley with a hot shot on the way back in, goes up top and nails an elbow on the draped Asuka for a nearfall. Chokes her against the ropes. Snap suplex, floatover for a 2 count. Rear chinlock cinched in, Asuka with a jawbreaker to break it up. But before she can get up Bayley is back on the offense. Tries for a whip but Asuka blocks it, kicks to the leg until Bayley catches one, abruptly turns it into a Bayley-to-Belly for a nearfall!
Asuka fights her way up, big high kick drops Bayley but Asuka falls as well. They both rise slow, Asuka with a series of clotheslines, takes her into the corner for a hip attack, bounces her off the ropes, elevates her into a knee lift to the face, release German Suplex! And yet another big Hip Attack for a nearfall! They fight out to the apron, Asuka charges but this time Bayley catches her, kneebreaker onto the apron, yikes! Takes her into the ring, chop block for a nearfall! Grabs the legs, Indian Deathlock cinched in! Asuka escapes, pulls her up for a German but Bayley with a back elbow stops that. They both end up in seperate corners, Bayley charges but Asuka stops her with a Codebreaker!
Asuka goes up top, tries for a missile dropkick but Bayley catches her out of the air into a kneebar! Asuka fights to the ropes and grabs them for the break. Bayley with a sunset flip that sends Asuka right into the buckles! Goes up top for the elbow drop but Asuka counters it right into a Cross-Armbreaker! Sasha is screaming at Asuka but she breaks the hold and spins into a kick to her face! They’re outside for a moment, Asuka with a spinning backfist to Bayley to send her back into the ring, up on the apron she hops over a Banks clip attempt, Bayley rolls her up for a nearfall. Asuka gets Bayley in position for a big hip attack on the apron but Sasha takes her place and bites the bullet instead, this lets Bayley cradle her for the win.
Winner: Bayley
Man this is a long title reign. Good match there, and surprisingly the match with Sasha isn’t immediately up next, they’re actually giving Asuka time to recover. Which is good ’cause right after the match, Sasha and Bayley hit a double team alley oop slam on her.
Rey and Dominick Mysterio are backstage. Dominick asks him to please stay out of the match as he has to do this for himself. Rey is quite begrudging about it but he accepts and they hug.
Retribution vignette. Perhaps they have some key role to play in this show. Now out comes Kevin Owens to the commentary booth.
WWE Raw Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits (c) vs. Angel Garza & Andrade
Andrade and Ford start us out. Ford with a go behind, shots to the back. Andrade fights back, knee to the gut into the ropes, big chop across the chest. Whips him, Ford rolls over his back for a big clothesline. Andrade with a boot up off a charge, goes up top but Ford surprises him with a pop-up rana! Back body drop takes him to the floor, double flapjack to Angel who rolls outside, Ford wants a tope onto both of them but they catch him and slam him against the floor!
Back in the ring, Andrade working over Ford now. Garza tags in as Andrade takes Ford to the apron, Garza with a basement dropkick that takes him to the floor! Angel throws him into the ring for a cover for 2, arm wringer now. Angel fights his way up and takes him to the corner, onto the second rope, dropkick to the leg takes him down and there go the pants. Angel with an abdominal stretch as he walks him backwards, Andrade tags in and gets a rope-assisted armbar for the duration of the count.
Quick tags and isolation as they work over Ford, he gets put in a tree of woe for a running kick from Garza. Tag to Andrade who follows up with a double foot stomp to an upside down Ford! Tags and isolation continue until Ford escapes a back suplex, enziguri, ducks a line and tags in Dawkins! House of fire as he avoids Andrade’s shots, flying spinning elbow, spinning avalanche in the corner, wants an overhead belly-to-belly but Andrade blocks it, feint kick spinning elbow staggers him but he bounces back into a big spear!
Ford tags in, giant crossbody but Garza rolls through and tries to put the legs on the ropes for the cover but the ref sees it. Basement dropkick, Dawkins breaks up the pin. Zelina tries to distract on the apron, Garza superkicks Ford into Zelina and knocks her off the apron, as Andrade is checking on her, Dawkins hits the Cash-Out and Ford with From The Heavens, Dawkins is able to stop Andrade from breaking up the pin!
Winners: The Street Profits
Good match. Looks like the dissension continues. They bicker on their way up the ramp. Owens announces Aleister Black is invited to the KO Show on the next Raw.
In a strangely empty ring, Kayla Braxton interviews Bayley and Sasha but they cut her off before she can even ask a question. Bayley says nothing will ruin this historic night. Sasha asks if she expects Bayley to return the favor. Sasha says if Bayley can beat her, she knows she can. Bayley gave Asuka the fight of her life and she knows Asuka takes this personally because of them taking out Kairi. She loves being a champion and she’ll love tapping out Asuka. Bayley makes a joke about it being a clean sweep as she takes a broom to the mat.
Mandy/Sonya vignette.
Loser Leaves WWE No DQ Match: Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose
Sonya shoves her, avoids the pump knee and rolls her up, Rose with a forearm takes her to the floor, she pursues and Deville with a bunch of driving knees to the gut, Rose throws her to the barricade. Mandy drives into the steps, they keep throwing hands. Pulls her by the hair up the ramp, snap suplex onto the steel! Throws her into the ringpost. And then another. Forearm to the face. Throws her into the barrier. Mandy has some good qualities in the ring but her punches aren’t too impressive. Comes flying off the announce table with a clothesline, that looked nice!
Mandy pulls a table out from under the ring. She seems to struggle mightily with standing it up though. After like ten seconds she has it set up but this gives Sonya time to drive a chair into her stomach! Sonya drives her face repeatedly into the table. Throws Mandy into the ring. Cover for 2. Roundhouse kicks to the chest. Hits the ropes, driving knee for a nearfall! Mandy fights back, wants the pump knee but it’s stopped again and countered with a Dragon Sleeper this time, sits her down and has it in good! Mandy trying to fight it, Sonya grabs the hair to keep her down and rakes at her eyes but Rose spins around only to get taken into a Triangle Choke! Mandy turns it into a cover to break it.
Sonya yells at her, knees her in the jaw. Keeps screaming, Mandy slaps her and pelts her with forearms until a knee to the gut stops that, Sonya hits the ropes but finally eats the Pump Knee for a nearfall! Rose pulls Deville to the outside and slams her head off the announce table before setting her up on the wooden one. Rose goes to the apron, Deville rolls off. Mandy gets a chair and just tosses it at her, Deville goes low to avoid it. Mandy with another toss and it’s narrowly avoided! They clear the table away and Sonya with a single leg dropkick to Rose!
Deville takes Mandy into the ring, hoists her onto her shoulders but Rose escapes for a double underhook only for Deville to escape, she tries for the Angel’s Wings instead but Rose escapes, pump knee, and then a second one. Rose pulls her up and hits the Angel’s Wings. Demands she get up, one last knee and that’s that.
Winner: Mandy Rose
Hrm. Never used the table. I actually expected that to be a lot better somehow, maybe their heads weren’t in it. Afterwards Deville looks despondent, sobbing. As Mandy celebrates, Otis rushes to the ring to do the Worm. Mandy also does it, it’s kinda cute.
Vignette for the Rollins vs. Mysterios saga. Seth comes out in gear that looks like old Rey Misterio Jr gear from his early days in WCW. Backstage, Dominik’s mom is with him as well as Rey.
Street Fight: Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio
Lock-up, Seth slips behind him, take down. Hammerlock into a side headlock takeover, Rollins cackles over what an easy time he seems to be having. Seth decides to give him a free headlock, he goes for it and Seth actually tosses him to the mat. Rollins gets him in a headlock now, into an arm wringer. Dominik throwing hands, until Seth stops him with a knee to the gut. Whips him but Dominik ducks a line, headscissor, big arm drags now, forward roll and a flip to his feet! Now Seth isn’t looking so cocky.
Seth teases another lock-up but instead starts pounding him across the back, chokes him against the mat, bodyslam lands him hard. Seth calls for a kendo stick and Buddy hands it to him. But Dominik leaps to his feet, dropkick stops him! He takes up the stick, Seth bails, Dominik chases him around the ring and to the inside but Seth is able to stop him on the way in with stomps. He kicks the stick out of the ring, drives him hard into the buckle. Power whip to the opposite corner. Snap suplex and he goes flying!
Seth works him over with holds like a camel clutch, Dominik still demands Rey doesn’t help and Seth mocks Rey for listening. Dominik attacks him but gets taken down again, he grinds at the fingers. Seth grabs a chair and sits it up in the middle of the ring. Dominik crawls over and Seth stomps him, Rollins keeps goading Rey to come in and he’s tempted but Dominik tells him no.
Seth says he’ll put an end to him, he runs and leaps off the chair for a big Curb Stomp but Dominik avoids it and trips him into the chair! He drives him to the corner for the big punches! But Rollins goes for the Buckle Bomb only for a rana to send him flying into the buckles! Seth reverses a corner whip, Dominik floats over into an Around-The-World DDT for a nearfall! Now Dominik has the kendo stick and he is taking to him, cracking it loudly across the back and ribs!
Dominik goes up top, Seth stops him. That chair is still sat up close by. Seth pursues him up there, wants a superplex but Dominik blocks. Shoves him to the mat, but Seth pops up there and there’s the Superplex rolled through into the Falcon Arrow! Nearfall! Seth grabs the kendo stick and is pelting him now, still demanding Rey save his son. Seth wants a table now and Buddy is happy to oblige, meanwhile Seth is breaking that stick over Dominik’s body! Table slid into the ring. Seth tells Rey he got his son in this mess. Buddy hands him another kendo stick and he lashes him brutally across the back as he takes him to the corner in front of his dad! He sets him up top, table just behind them. Yet another crack of the kendo! Goes up there with it, he tells Rey this is all his fault but Dominik trips him up! Grabs the stick, WHITE RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP THROUGH THE TABLE!
He goes up top… Frog Splash! NEARFALL?! Wild. Dominik goes out, throws a chair into the ring, Seth goes for it, Dominik stops that and gets the chair out of the ring but eats a Superkick! Rollins Powerbombs the HELL out of Dominik, geeze! This initiation phase continues for this kid. Seth with the stick once more and the top is ripped away, the lashes ensue and skin is being ripped. Buddy gives him handcuffs now. Attaches them to the middle rope, still trying to goad Rey to help. Drags Dominik over. Suddenly Dominik’s mom Angie comes to the stage, Rey tries to stop her. Dominik rolls up a distracted Rollins! Murphy breaks up the pin, Buisaku Knee takes Dominik to the outside!
He pulls Dominik over to the steps! He’s going for the eye, Rey rushes over and attacks Murphy! Seth goes after Rey, Dominik jumps in but gets thrown into a barricade. Seth and Murphy take Rey over to the apron and now he’s the one handcuffed! Seth and Murphy have sticks as he’s helpless… but they turn towards Angie. Rey yells at them to take him instead, but Seth drops the stick and starts going over to Angie. Buddy is holding Rey to make him watch… Dominik attacks Seth from behind to make the save! Buddy charges but Dominik takes him over the barricade! He keeps the fight on Seth, back body drop to Buddy on the floor, 619 on the apron sends Seth to barrier, throws him back into the ring, the real 619 connects! Slowly he goes up top! Frog Splash, but Seth with the knees up! Dang that would’ve been a great finish.
Seth is holding Dominik’s head as he demands Rey reach for his son and he does, sliding into the ring but still handcuffed. He taunts him, “You’re so close”, before hitting the Curb Stomp and that is that.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Great stuff. They sure beat the hell out of that kid but he’s got a lot of promise.
Now, for the other half of Asuka’s title challenge.
WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Asuka
Sasha with a dropkick to the leg, elbow drops to the thigh. Asuka with upkicks, Sasha with a kick of her own. Asuka fights back with some Kawada Kicks but Sasha trips her up and mounts her for punches. Asuka wrestles her way back up, spin kick to the stomach, sliding forearm and Sasha bails. Asuka pursues and grabs her by the hair, throws her into the ring but Sasha with a tiger feint kick, but then Asuka pulls her to the floor for a kneebar for the duration of the count. Throws her into the ring, hip attack into the corner, snapmare and cover for 2. Asuka tries for an armbar, Sasha blocks it, stomps her in the stomach and escapes.
Takes her to the ropes, slips to the apron, Asuka stops her with a kick and pursues her out there. Roundhouse kicks, but one misses and she kicks the post! Banks with a high knee to the face… SUNSET FLIP BOMB TO THE FLOOR! Hot damn! Asuka barely beats the count, Sasha covers for a nearfall! Stomps her into the corner. Stalks. Charges for a kick to the face! Nearfall. Sasha with a corner floatover but Asuka catches her and turns it into an Electric Chair Facebuster into an Ankle Lock! Sasha escapes with a roll though, sends Asuka to the top rope. Pursues for a superplex, Asuka blocks… TURNS IT INTO A FLYING DDT! Don’t see that too often! Nearfall!
Sasha rolls to the floor to regroup, Asuka goes out at 5 to grab her and send her into the barricade, throws her into the apron. Throws her into the ring, goes up top, missile dropkick for a nearfall! Asuka stomps her in the corner, tries to pull her out but she counters into a beautiful Codebreaker for a clooose nearfall! Sasha goes up top, Frog Splash but Asuka rolls out of the way! Bayley gives her a peptalk as both Asuka and Sasha fight up in opposite corners, they charge – Asuka gets her into the Asukalock! Sasha fights to her feet, tries to kick off the buckle to roll through but Asuka kicks out at 2 only for Sasha to transition right into the Bank Statement! Asuka is reaching towards the rope, Sasha kicks off it to roll backwards but Asuka transitions to the Asukalock again! Sasha fights to her feet and knocks her away, Asuka with a high kick! Bayley up on the apron, avoids the Hip Attack but eats a Spinning Backfist, Sasha tries to turn this into the Bank Statement but Asuka reverses into the Asukalock! Banks struggles! She has to tap!
Winner: Asuka
Well you had to know she’d win one and lose one. I had a 50/50 shot of going 100% or 0%, gambled and lost… ah well. Real good stuff, reminded me of old NXT TakeOver women’s matches a little. Also man what a performance for Asuka this night. Glad they didn’t skimp time on either match.
World title hour now. WWE Championship match being up first only makes a non-finish look all the more likely.
WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton
Orton swiftly bails. Making Drew wait. Orton slowly re-enters the ring, Drew comes up to him but Orton deflects into the ropes, forcing the ref to pull Drew off him. Orton bails again, makes him follow him out there, lures him back into the ring and stomps him. Drew fights his way up, Orton ducks a line and goes for an RKO, Drew throws him away, hits the ropes, Orton with a duck under but Orton grabs at his leg, this throws him off-balance, Orton tries an RKO again and McIntyre barely avoids it, this time he’s the oen who bails!
He takes a moment to compose himself. Back into the ring, he blocks a kick, throws him into the corner and he’s teeing off with big shots! Whip to the opposite corner, goes for a Claymore but Orton dodges it and tries an RKO AGAIN and is blocked but he manages to throw him shoulder-first into the post! Now he tosses him into the table and into the ringpost. Orton with a back suplex sending him hurdling onto the announce table! Man he landed hard. And then a second one! Orton tells him the title is coming home with him, resets the count, grabs McIntyre and suplexes him off the table! Orton takes him into the ring and covers for a nearfall.
Orton gets him into a side headlock. Throws him to the mat and starts the Garvin Stomp. Orton does a Legend Killer pose and eventually the piped in boos come in. McIntyre reverses a whip, charges, Orton tries to get a boot up but McIntyre catches the leg and hits a kneebreaker! Orton still up first though, forearms, hits the ropes but McIntyre with a big spinebuster! McIntyre is bleeding right between his eyes, dunno where that came from. He looks for the Figure Four, that’s adorable. He gets it! Orton struggles for quite a bit, he rolls but McIntyre rolls with it and now he’s in the center of the ring! Orton grabs the ref and throws him into the mat, so he misses a thumb to the eye which breaks the hold!
McIntyre with a gigantic knife edge chop drops him! He wipes the blood from his eye, exchange of punches from their knees. They fight their way to their feet and still teeing off, Orton wants an RKO but gets whipped, clotheslines aplenty, whips him, huge Overhead Belly To Belly! Takes him to the corner and TOSSES him with a second one! McIntyre goes up top, flying clothesline! Both men down… but McIntyre kips up! Drew pulls him up to the corner, takes him up top. Mighty chop, pursues him up there, punch to the face, hooks him for a superplex but Orton crotches him! Orton with some headbutts, punch leaves him in a Tree of Woe! But McIntyre spiders his way up and tosses him to the mat, cover for a nearfall!
That was funny. Orton had no move to do in that position so he wasn’t sure what to do and it cost him. McIntyre tries for the Future Shock DDT, Orton blocks it once but he goes right for it again and nails it for a nearfall! McIntyre pulls him to his feet, hoists him onto his shoulders, Orton elbows free, throws him to the apron, McIntyre with a forearm and he goes up top. Flies off for a clothesline, Orton ducks it, Drew staggers on his bad leg, Orton with a Snap Powerslam for a weirdly close nearfall! Drew rolls to the apron, Orton going for the Draping DDT! But McIntyre blocks it, Glasgow Kiss! Cactus Clothesline and they spill to the floor!
McIntyre throws him into the ring but as he enters, Orton stops him with a kick and there’s the Draping DDT! But he seems too winded to pin right away. Instead he makes it to his feet. He too is bleeding from the head, did they bust each other with headbutts? Orton stalks for the RKO. But then… he backs up for the Punt instead. Charges… but McIntyre turns it into a throw-down Spinebuster instead! He stalks! He goes for it but Orton ducks it, wants an RKO but Drew turns it into a Backslide and gets it!
Winner: Drew McIntyre
That was great. Spent the whole match teasing the finishers only to end the match without either of them.
And they waste no time advertising the oncoming debut of Keith Lee.
Finally, Universal title time.
Falls Count Anywhere: WWE Universal Championship: Braun Strowman (c) vs. The Fiend
Strowman backs him into a corner and pounds him but the Fiend just laughs. He charges him and hits him with a Uranage! Impressive. Gets him with a couple of neck snaps, Braun rolls out of the ring. Fiend pursues, clobbers him across the back, looks under the ring and pulls out a toolbox. Shoves it into his stomach and cracks him across the back! But Braun fights back, gets a head of steam and plows him right through the barricade! But Fiend is right back up! They come to blows but Strowman chokeslams him hard onto the table, rough landing as it only buckled after he rolled off! Strowman nails him with the steps! Braun with an avalanche in the corner, hoists him up for the Running Powerslam, which does not need a running start to be called that, for a nearfall!
He clobbers him to the floor, and they fight around ringside. Strowman takes him up the ramp and slams him into the LED board. He pulls him backstage. Fiend stops him with a knee to the gut, throws him into a couple of walls, hooks him and plants him with Sister Abigail onto the floor! Cover for a nearfall! Rakes his eyes. Strowman crawls through a curtain and they proceed back to the ring area. Grabs him by the beard and throws him into the LED and they do the gimmicky LED glitching thing. Fiend with some uppercuts, takes him back down towards the ring. Strowman is bleeding from atop his head. Fiend grabs him and goes for the Mandible Claw! He’s got it in but Strowman goozles him, fights to his feet and tosses him into the apron!
Pulls him up, big clubbing blow to the chest, cover for 2. He throws him into the ring, hoists him up, Powerslam for a nearfall! Hammerfists, howls in his face. He goes to the outside and looks for a weapon. Goes over to the toolbox and grabs a box cutter! He takes it into the ring, blade exposed! And you’ll never see this coming… he slices up the mat! Exposes the wood! But Fiend takes over, Uranage onto the wood! And then a Sister Abigail! And a second one! And that is that.
Winner: The Fiend
Turns out no swerves at all for the finishes. But afterwards… ROMAN REIGNS APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE TO SPEAR THE FIEND!! He goes outside and spears the Hell out of Strowman! Roman yells that he made Strowman and he’s not a monster unless he’s here. He shootin’! Reigns batters Strowman with a chair! Back in the ring, another big spear to the Fiend and now he’s holding the title! Calls him a freak in a mask that can’t handle the responsibility, the title is his!
Pretty dang good show, goodnight everybody.