Trying a new review style here. Instead of rating the show and the segments I am going to grade the competitors instead. I hope you will like this style.
Dolph Ziggler: Dolph kicked off Summerslam straight into high gear, turning in one of the best performances of the evening. He showed once again why he deserved the show off moniker. His match with Chris Jericho, who we will get to in a moment, was among the contenders for the best match on the show further proved that the former Spirit Squad member is more than ready to ascend the ladder and claim the World Heavyweight Champion.
Vicki also deserves a mention. She added just enough to the match, throwing tantrums when Dolph’s plans didn’t come to fruition and celebrating when they did. Grade: B+
Chris Jericho: Jericho’s performance at Summerslam was possibly his best performance of 2012. And bear in mind that he has already had a triple match series with CM Punk and multiple matches with Sheamus. Despite that this match did not hold the same technical quality as his matches with Punk it still outshone them since last night, everything fell into place for Chris. He was as solid as he has been in the ring since returning and every single maneuver, the timing of every spot, and the sequencing of the match was perfect. Add to that that both stars made each other look good and you have a recipe for success. Grade: A
Daniel Bryan: Even when Daniel Bryan is average by his own standards, he is miles ahead of a lot of the WWE roster and most pro wrestlers to be honest. And at Summerslam, we were treated to a “pretty damn good” match by Daniel Bryan standards. And by Daniel Bryan standards, that is okay for me.
Daniel continues his trend of more than solid pay per view appearances which he started at TLC 2011. This time in a one on one match with Kane. Granted that after so many run ins between the two during the buildup there is only so much one can see in a match and class as new. But boy did these throw some new things out there now and again.
Bryan utilized the tried-and-true "big man versus little man" formula and, as usual, it proved effective. But by the end of SummerSlam, it is difficult to argue that anyone outside of the most die-hard of Daniel Bryan fans will remember the match in the long run. But it is still a testament that Bryan belongs on the main card. Him wining proved that WWE has faith in him for the future. Grade: B+
Kane: The big red machine has been on a roll since his Orton feud around Wrestlemania. Him working programs with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan has reignited the fire underneath Glenn Jacobs and pushed him to step up his game many a notch. Like a man processed he has been on a mission to prove that he can hang with the younger guys in the company and perform on a high level with them.
His Summerslam match with Bryan was a testament to this, even if it did just meet expectations. Kane had a very good showing, using his key signature power moves to pop the crowd and counter the technical and submission skills of his opponent.
Another month of Kane versus Bryan appears likely and if the "Big Red Machine" can continue to perform at the level he has as of late, that most certainly will not be a bad thing. Grade: B
Rey Mysterio: There is a tiny part of me telling me to give Rey a A just for the Batman outfit. That part of me is quickly silenced though by the part of me that wants to be professional. There was nothing wrong with Rey Mysterio's performance Sunday night. But when someone like Mysterio, who has an archive of tremendous pay-per-view matches, appears on a WWE event, people have certain expectations.
The Intercontinental Championship match was very good. In fact, it was better than it had any right to be considering the lack of hype for it. With that said, there was nothing measurably special about Rey's performance.
I suspect most of that had to do with ring rust that Rey still has yet to completely rid himself of. But one must wonder if any of it has to do with a long line of injuries and Mysterio's age.
We will find out over the course of the next few weeks and months if the Rey Mysterio of old will ever truly return. Grade: B-
The Miz: 2012 has been anything but AWESOME for The Miz. As a matter of fact, it has been rather lackluster and forgettable. But the current Intercontinental Champion can rest easily knowing that his best performance came at the second most important show of the WWE calendar. This was the Miz’s best performance in a WWE ring since TLC 2011. In this match he worked as hard as he has all year.
Before leaving to star in "The Marine: Homefront," Miz had gained a reputation for being sloppy, if not lazy. His character had grown stale and fans had lost any reason to care about him as a performer the minute the exclamatory "AWESOME" sounded at the beginning of his theme music.
The Miz has rediscovered his fire to perform since returning from the movie set and in Los Angeles, Hollywood if you will, he proved that he has rededicated himself to his in-ring work.
For a young star who still has a bright future ahead of him, Miz must string together a number of impressive performances in order to get back in the good graces of the fans and of WWE management. Grade: B+
Alberto: Del Rio delivered another solid in ring match and this one came off the heels of the best planned feud out of all the feuds heading into Summerslam. And oddly enough this feud was kept on the backburner to two other feuds.
Del Rio has never had better crowd reactions and material to work with than he has in this feud. If he keeps it up he might actually come to deserve his direct main event push. Grade: B
Sheamus: It’s a shame that Sheamus is so boring. He has been a workhorse for the Smackdown brand since December when Randy Orton hurt himself and he deserves praise for that. It’s a shame that the face character he is portraying is so boring. Sheamus along with previously mentioned Del Rio had probably the best built up feud leading into Summerslam and the match was good. The ending left me and many a fan scratching our heads but it fuels this feud that has been really good so I ain’t complaining. Grade: B-
Primetime Players: There was nothing wrong with Titus O'Niell or Darren Young's performances at SummerSlam but there was nothing spectacular about them, either.
Then again, it is difficult for a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship to hit its stride in the seven minutes, fifteen seconds allowed for it on pay-per-view. The match was good and the PTP looked good going into it. Had they won the match and the titles the tag team division would have jumped a head a couple of steps in its rebuilding process. I am okay with letting it continue its slow rise back to relevancy though. Grade: C+
Kofi and R-Truth: I feel bad handing out this low a grade to Kofi Kingston and R-Truth because I consider myself a big fan of the former.
But as the veterans in a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, defending against a still-inexperienced young team, it is up to Kofi and Truth to do whatever they can to make an interesting and compelling match. Grade: C-
John Cena: Perhaps I should change that grade to "INCOMPLETE" because it was not that Cena's performance was bad or below average. No, Cena's grade reflects the fact that his participation in the triple threat, WWE Championship match was limited.
Where one would have expected Cena and CM Punk to do most of the heavy lifting while Big Show appeared every once and a while to deliver a signature move or two, it was actually Punk and Show that provided most of the action while Cena snuck in during down portions of the bout and delivered his trademark spots.
He would become involved in the finish of the match and appears set to challenge CM Punk for the WWE title in the very near future but for now, Cena's impact at SummerSlam can best be classified as "nearly nonexistent." Grade: C-
Big Show: He was slow, he was predictable, he was there to take the pin. Did we honestly expect anything else from Big Show? No. Did we expect him to be so heavily involved in the match as he was though? No. He and Cena seemingly switched positions in the match. I believed Show was going to have the part Cena had, with running in and delivering his spots before disappearing. Instead he worked the entire match and put on a solid showing for the Giant. Grade: B-
CM Punk: Workrate is a term that gets thrown around the internet a little to freely when talking about professional wrestling but it more than applies to WWE Champion CM Punk in terms of his SummerSlam performance.
Punk was the driving force behind the triple threat match, almost always involved in the action in the ring. While John Cena and Big Show spent time outside the ring, selling the effects of injuries or beatings suffered between the ropes, Punk was always in the ring, fueling the match.
For the ninth consecutive month Punk proved, through his performance on the pay-per-view, that he takes great pride in being WWE Champion and hopes to bring legitimacy and prestige back to World Wrestling Entertainment's top prize. Grade: B+
Special mention Maria Menounos: That Bob Backlund shirt deserves a shout out.
Brock Lesnar: Brock Lesnar was not good Sunday night.Brock Lesnar was really good Sunday night.
Unlike his match with John Cena at Extreme Rules, Brock Lesnar was in shape and prepared to perform in a highly-hyped main event match.
Sure, Brock's offense remains limited but it has a very realistic feel to it. He does not opt for flashy maneuvers, rather focusing on moves he knows work and moves that set up his dangerous kimura arm bar. And it works.
Lesnar also sold Triple H's attack to the mid-section far better than he sold any of John Cena's offense in April. Rather than appearing to be an indestructible beast, he added to the match by putting over Triple H's offense as something devestating.
As the months pass, and Brock Lesnar has another match or two and regains his form between the ropes, his work will undoubtedly improve.
For a Superstar wrestling only his second match in North America since leaving WWE eight years ago, Brock's performance at SummerSlam creates a sense of hope that he can return to form in time for Wrestlemania 29. Grade: B+
Triple H: Triple H's performance will, in the future, be appreciated more than it will be in the coming days.
What felt like a disappointing main event was, in reality, tremendous story-telling led by "the Game." While lacking an array of flashy moves, Triple H laid out a match that played to Brock's strengths. His left arm was the target for Lesnar during most of the bout, leading to the submission finish. Meanwhile, Triple H himself set his sights on the stomach and mid-section of Lesnar, the source of Brock's well-publicized illness a few years back.
With that said, I could not help but sit back and wait for Triple H to kick the match into the next gear, to pick up the pace and create the fan reaction that would lead to a much hotter conclusion. That never came.
For whatever reason, he and Lesnar opted for a slower, more methodical match that did not click with the live audience inside the Staples Center quite the way they had hoped.
Could Brock have adapted to Triple H changing the match on the fly? That is the question. Perhaps the "Cerebral Assassin" stuck to the match laid out beforehand in order to keep Brock on track. Whatever the case may be, I do not think the main event of SummerSlam quite achieved the heat the company and the performers involved had hoped for.
And a large amount of that should fall at the feet of the experienced veteran Triple H. Grade: B
I hope you enjoyed reading this.
Dolph Ziggler: Dolph kicked off Summerslam straight into high gear, turning in one of the best performances of the evening. He showed once again why he deserved the show off moniker. His match with Chris Jericho, who we will get to in a moment, was among the contenders for the best match on the show further proved that the former Spirit Squad member is more than ready to ascend the ladder and claim the World Heavyweight Champion.
Vicki also deserves a mention. She added just enough to the match, throwing tantrums when Dolph’s plans didn’t come to fruition and celebrating when they did. Grade: B+
Chris Jericho: Jericho’s performance at Summerslam was possibly his best performance of 2012. And bear in mind that he has already had a triple match series with CM Punk and multiple matches with Sheamus. Despite that this match did not hold the same technical quality as his matches with Punk it still outshone them since last night, everything fell into place for Chris. He was as solid as he has been in the ring since returning and every single maneuver, the timing of every spot, and the sequencing of the match was perfect. Add to that that both stars made each other look good and you have a recipe for success. Grade: A
Daniel Bryan: Even when Daniel Bryan is average by his own standards, he is miles ahead of a lot of the WWE roster and most pro wrestlers to be honest. And at Summerslam, we were treated to a “pretty damn good” match by Daniel Bryan standards. And by Daniel Bryan standards, that is okay for me.
Daniel continues his trend of more than solid pay per view appearances which he started at TLC 2011. This time in a one on one match with Kane. Granted that after so many run ins between the two during the buildup there is only so much one can see in a match and class as new. But boy did these throw some new things out there now and again.
Bryan utilized the tried-and-true "big man versus little man" formula and, as usual, it proved effective. But by the end of SummerSlam, it is difficult to argue that anyone outside of the most die-hard of Daniel Bryan fans will remember the match in the long run. But it is still a testament that Bryan belongs on the main card. Him wining proved that WWE has faith in him for the future. Grade: B+
Kane: The big red machine has been on a roll since his Orton feud around Wrestlemania. Him working programs with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan has reignited the fire underneath Glenn Jacobs and pushed him to step up his game many a notch. Like a man processed he has been on a mission to prove that he can hang with the younger guys in the company and perform on a high level with them.
His Summerslam match with Bryan was a testament to this, even if it did just meet expectations. Kane had a very good showing, using his key signature power moves to pop the crowd and counter the technical and submission skills of his opponent.
Another month of Kane versus Bryan appears likely and if the "Big Red Machine" can continue to perform at the level he has as of late, that most certainly will not be a bad thing. Grade: B
Rey Mysterio: There is a tiny part of me telling me to give Rey a A just for the Batman outfit. That part of me is quickly silenced though by the part of me that wants to be professional. There was nothing wrong with Rey Mysterio's performance Sunday night. But when someone like Mysterio, who has an archive of tremendous pay-per-view matches, appears on a WWE event, people have certain expectations.
The Intercontinental Championship match was very good. In fact, it was better than it had any right to be considering the lack of hype for it. With that said, there was nothing measurably special about Rey's performance.
I suspect most of that had to do with ring rust that Rey still has yet to completely rid himself of. But one must wonder if any of it has to do with a long line of injuries and Mysterio's age.
We will find out over the course of the next few weeks and months if the Rey Mysterio of old will ever truly return. Grade: B-
The Miz: 2012 has been anything but AWESOME for The Miz. As a matter of fact, it has been rather lackluster and forgettable. But the current Intercontinental Champion can rest easily knowing that his best performance came at the second most important show of the WWE calendar. This was the Miz’s best performance in a WWE ring since TLC 2011. In this match he worked as hard as he has all year.
Before leaving to star in "The Marine: Homefront," Miz had gained a reputation for being sloppy, if not lazy. His character had grown stale and fans had lost any reason to care about him as a performer the minute the exclamatory "AWESOME" sounded at the beginning of his theme music.
The Miz has rediscovered his fire to perform since returning from the movie set and in Los Angeles, Hollywood if you will, he proved that he has rededicated himself to his in-ring work.
For a young star who still has a bright future ahead of him, Miz must string together a number of impressive performances in order to get back in the good graces of the fans and of WWE management. Grade: B+
Alberto: Del Rio delivered another solid in ring match and this one came off the heels of the best planned feud out of all the feuds heading into Summerslam. And oddly enough this feud was kept on the backburner to two other feuds.
Del Rio has never had better crowd reactions and material to work with than he has in this feud. If he keeps it up he might actually come to deserve his direct main event push. Grade: B
Sheamus: It’s a shame that Sheamus is so boring. He has been a workhorse for the Smackdown brand since December when Randy Orton hurt himself and he deserves praise for that. It’s a shame that the face character he is portraying is so boring. Sheamus along with previously mentioned Del Rio had probably the best built up feud leading into Summerslam and the match was good. The ending left me and many a fan scratching our heads but it fuels this feud that has been really good so I ain’t complaining. Grade: B-
Primetime Players: There was nothing wrong with Titus O'Niell or Darren Young's performances at SummerSlam but there was nothing spectacular about them, either.
Then again, it is difficult for a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship to hit its stride in the seven minutes, fifteen seconds allowed for it on pay-per-view. The match was good and the PTP looked good going into it. Had they won the match and the titles the tag team division would have jumped a head a couple of steps in its rebuilding process. I am okay with letting it continue its slow rise back to relevancy though. Grade: C+
Kofi and R-Truth: I feel bad handing out this low a grade to Kofi Kingston and R-Truth because I consider myself a big fan of the former.
But as the veterans in a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, defending against a still-inexperienced young team, it is up to Kofi and Truth to do whatever they can to make an interesting and compelling match. Grade: C-
John Cena: Perhaps I should change that grade to "INCOMPLETE" because it was not that Cena's performance was bad or below average. No, Cena's grade reflects the fact that his participation in the triple threat, WWE Championship match was limited.
Where one would have expected Cena and CM Punk to do most of the heavy lifting while Big Show appeared every once and a while to deliver a signature move or two, it was actually Punk and Show that provided most of the action while Cena snuck in during down portions of the bout and delivered his trademark spots.
He would become involved in the finish of the match and appears set to challenge CM Punk for the WWE title in the very near future but for now, Cena's impact at SummerSlam can best be classified as "nearly nonexistent." Grade: C-
Big Show: He was slow, he was predictable, he was there to take the pin. Did we honestly expect anything else from Big Show? No. Did we expect him to be so heavily involved in the match as he was though? No. He and Cena seemingly switched positions in the match. I believed Show was going to have the part Cena had, with running in and delivering his spots before disappearing. Instead he worked the entire match and put on a solid showing for the Giant. Grade: B-
CM Punk: Workrate is a term that gets thrown around the internet a little to freely when talking about professional wrestling but it more than applies to WWE Champion CM Punk in terms of his SummerSlam performance.
Punk was the driving force behind the triple threat match, almost always involved in the action in the ring. While John Cena and Big Show spent time outside the ring, selling the effects of injuries or beatings suffered between the ropes, Punk was always in the ring, fueling the match.
For the ninth consecutive month Punk proved, through his performance on the pay-per-view, that he takes great pride in being WWE Champion and hopes to bring legitimacy and prestige back to World Wrestling Entertainment's top prize. Grade: B+
Special mention Maria Menounos: That Bob Backlund shirt deserves a shout out.
Brock Lesnar: Brock Lesnar was not good Sunday night.Brock Lesnar was really good Sunday night.
Unlike his match with John Cena at Extreme Rules, Brock Lesnar was in shape and prepared to perform in a highly-hyped main event match.
Sure, Brock's offense remains limited but it has a very realistic feel to it. He does not opt for flashy maneuvers, rather focusing on moves he knows work and moves that set up his dangerous kimura arm bar. And it works.
Lesnar also sold Triple H's attack to the mid-section far better than he sold any of John Cena's offense in April. Rather than appearing to be an indestructible beast, he added to the match by putting over Triple H's offense as something devestating.
As the months pass, and Brock Lesnar has another match or two and regains his form between the ropes, his work will undoubtedly improve.
For a Superstar wrestling only his second match in North America since leaving WWE eight years ago, Brock's performance at SummerSlam creates a sense of hope that he can return to form in time for Wrestlemania 29. Grade: B+
Triple H: Triple H's performance will, in the future, be appreciated more than it will be in the coming days.
What felt like a disappointing main event was, in reality, tremendous story-telling led by "the Game." While lacking an array of flashy moves, Triple H laid out a match that played to Brock's strengths. His left arm was the target for Lesnar during most of the bout, leading to the submission finish. Meanwhile, Triple H himself set his sights on the stomach and mid-section of Lesnar, the source of Brock's well-publicized illness a few years back.
With that said, I could not help but sit back and wait for Triple H to kick the match into the next gear, to pick up the pace and create the fan reaction that would lead to a much hotter conclusion. That never came.
For whatever reason, he and Lesnar opted for a slower, more methodical match that did not click with the live audience inside the Staples Center quite the way they had hoped.
Could Brock have adapted to Triple H changing the match on the fly? That is the question. Perhaps the "Cerebral Assassin" stuck to the match laid out beforehand in order to keep Brock on track. Whatever the case may be, I do not think the main event of SummerSlam quite achieved the heat the company and the performers involved had hoped for.
And a large amount of that should fall at the feet of the experienced veteran Triple H. Grade: B
I hope you enjoyed reading this.
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