WWE Summerslam 2024 8/3/2024

WWE Summerslam 2024 8/3/2024

 Jelly Roll performed. Miz talked from the stands and said the biggest party of the summer starts now.

WWE Women's World Title Match - Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea chases Liv around and eventually goes face to face with her. She hits short arm clotheslines and half and half suplexes her. Liv is thrown into the rails and Rhea hits shots on her. Rhea bangs Liv's head off the steps. 

Rhea headbutts Liv as Pat McAfee talks about poop stains. Rhea riptides Liv on the buckle. Rhea goes for another and Liv escapes. Rhea misses a corner charge and is sent into the buckles. She lands on her injured arm and says its out. She tells the ref not to stop this.

Liv running boots Rhea outside. Liv boots Rhea's arm inside then arm throws her. Liv hits kicks to the arm and springboard codebreakers her. Rhea hits a big kick and Liv topes Dom on accident. Rhea bangs her own arm into the commentary table to pop it back into place.

Rhea hits shots and dropkicks her into the buckles. Rhea throws her down on her chest for 2. Liv ddt's her off of a riptide attempt for 2. Rhea upkicks her and pulls Liv off the buckles. Rhea reverse cloverleafs her. 

Liv crucifix bombs her then armbars her. Rhea powerbombs her out of it. Liv headbutts her and pulls her arm down over the shoulder. Liv grabs a chair and Rhea hits riptide. Rhea grabs a chair and Dom takes it away. Dom says she can't win the title that way. Liv dropkicks Rhea into Dom and hits oblivion on Rhea for 2.

Dom gets on the apron and distracts the ref. Liv then hits oblivion on Rhea on a chair and wins.

Thoughts: We knew some kind of shenanigans was going down here. I liked the match with Rhea's injured arm being worked on and Dom providing some extra drama.

Dom hugs Liv after and kisses her. Dom then puts the title on Liv's shoulder as Rhea loses her mind.

Thoughts: As I've been saying, this angle probably had another year of drama to it if they had let it go on. Instead, they rushed things and lost a lot of those storytelling opportunities. I don't think they built up the Dom turn on Rhea that well and at the moment, it doesn't make a ton of sense. It makes less sense with Rhea losing anyway.

Judgment Day talk in the back. Calrito says this is bad. Priest kicks stuff over and asks where Dom is. Priest grabs Finn and asks if he knew. Finn says he didn't. Priest says he wants to know where Dom is. Finn says they all do. Finn says something to Priest but we can't hear it due to audio issues and Finn/JD/Carlito go to look for Dom.

WWE Intercontinental Title - Sami Zayn (c) vs Bron Breakker

Sami leapfrogs Bron and Bron spears the post. Sami tope con hilos him outside. Sami misses a helluva kick. Sami rolls him up for 2 then Bron flying lariats him. Bron pounds on him in the corner. Bron walks up the buckles and hurricanrana's him.

Bron pounds on him and tells him to quit. Sami hits slaps then lariats him. Bron nearly dies after flipping out of a backdrop. Bron comes off the 2nd rope then is caught with a blue thunder for 2.

Bron jumping knees him. Sami exploders him in the corner. Bron hits a big spear as Sami runs at him. Bron hits a hard running spear and wins.

Thoughts: It was a short and explosive match. It was exactly what you would want and Bron looked like a beast en route to winning. It couldn't have gone much better than it did. Bron wins his first main roster title here, the first of many I'm sure. The only bad thing is that Sami now needs a new direction and I'm not sure what that will be.

Stephanie McMahon is shown watching in the crowd.

WWE United States Title Match - Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight

A rapper named MGK comes out with Logan. Logan rips up a sign on his way to the ring. LA has the Prime Mobile in the parking garage. He breaks the windows on it saying you can't see out of it. Logan has more friends in the front row.

Logan nails LA on the apron before he gets in. LA hits shots and Logan headbutts him. Logan is sent into the rails. Logan is sent into the Prime Hydration Station and it gets rammed into Logan. LA yells at Logan's buddies. Logan spits Prime in LA's face and pounds on him.

LA bangs Logan's head off the commentary table. LA hits him with a bottle of Prime. LA torture rack neckbreakers him on the commentary table. The match then "officially" starts. LA pounds on Logan in the corner. Logan takes an atomic drop and a lariat.

LA is sent into the post shoulder first twice. Logan lariats him. Logan boots him then hits a split legdrop for 2. They trade shots on their knees then get up and trade. LA hits punches. Logan gutwrench suplexes him for 2. Logan alley oops him. LA pop-up powerslams him then spears him in the corner. LA hits punches and boots.

LA hits a side effect (The Hardy's met with WWE this week, so maybe it's a hint). LA double jump elbow drops him for 2. Logan springboard lariats him. Logan then springboard moonsaults outside. Logan backslides him for 2 in the ring. Logan hits a big punch for 2. Logan blocks a BFT.

LA jumps up to the top and hits a nasty top rope fisherman buster for 2. Logan rakes the eyes from the outside. LA baseball slides Logan from behind. Logan's friends poke and yell at LA then LA pulls them over the top and stomps on them. MGK gives Logan brass knucks on a chain. LA goes to backdrop Logan in and Logan hits him with the chain/knucks. Logan goes for a buckshot lariat and takes a BFT. LA pins Logan and wins.

Thoughts: It was good but went longer than it needed to. They could have easily cut like 5-10 minutes of off this and nothing would change. LA finally winning something is good but the US Title is a 2nd place title and LA should be winning world titles instead. Logan's moonsault outside was good and Logan took a nasty looking fisherman buster off the top. This was one of LA's better matches.

Apollo Crews is getting his head rubbed or his haircut in the back. Baron Corbin helps out and it turns into a commercial for Manscaped. Maxxine, Otis and Tozawa come in and shill the product. Otis starts shaving his body with the razor and Baron says its their cue to go. 

WWE Women's Title Match - Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax

Nia wore her QOTR crown out. Bay hits a bunch of shots. Nia misses punches and gets hit. Bay ties Nia up in the ropes and gets some shots in. Bay corner spears her. Nia samoan drops her. Nia steps on her head on the ropes then throws her.

Nia slams her and elbow drops her. Nia hits chest forearms and stinkfaces her. Nia cobra clutches her and Bay backdrops her. Nia goes over the top and misses a legdrop on the apron. Bay jumps off the steps onto her and hits forearms.

Bay guillotines her off a suplex attempt. Nia gordbusters her then rolling sentons her. Nia misses a legdrop off the buckles then Bay belly to belly suplexes her for 2. Nia corner uranages her. Nia hits a banzai drop for 2. Nia is shocked that Bay kicked out.

Nia bangs Bay's head off the mat. She hits headbutts and slaps her around. Nia spears the buckle when Bay moves. Bay gets caught on a tope outside and samoan drops her on the floor. Bay powerbombs Nia then top rop elbow drops her for 2.

Tiffany Stratton comes out with a ref and her briefcase. Tiff gets on the apron and Bay nails her. Bay gets a nearfall on Nia and running knees her. Nia powerbombs Bay twice then Nia banzai drops her twice. Nia then gets the win.

Thoughts: It was fine but nothing too special. I'm not a huge Bayley fan though it's not like she did anything wrong here. I'm glad Nia won. She's been one of the better workers this year and I'm glad she gets rewarded for it. Bayley's title run was not so hot. Tiff and Nia are now likely going to be starting up a storyline involving the title. I'm not sure where all of his leaves Bayley though.

Special Ref - Seth Rollins: Drew McIntyre vs CM Punk

Drew wore a jacket with green dragon scales and wristpads. Seth wipes his butt with Punk's shirt. Drew and Punk hockey fight. Punk pounds on Drew in the corner. Seth breaks it up and tells Punk to listen to him. Drew then nails Punk and pounds on him in the corner. Punk 2nd rope lariats Drew then pounds on him more. Drew shoves Punk and Punk lariats him over the top.

Punk lariats him from the apron and sends him into the post. Drew is thrown over the rail then Punk double axe handles him off the rail. Drew is sent into the post and steps. Punk bangs Drew's head off the steps. Drew swings Punk into the apron and commentary table.

Punk's head is catapulted into the steel under the ring and Seth laughs. Drew stomps and chops on Punk. Drew belly to belly suplexes him. They slap each other. Punk's step up knee is blocked and Drew powerbombs him. Drew sitout powerbombs him.

Drew grabs a chair and tells Seth to let this happen so their problems go away. Seth teases doing so then takes the chair away. They say "shades of '97" and Seth almost chairs Punk. Punk backrolls Drew but Seth isn't looking. Drew neckbreakers Punk. Drew grabs Punk's friendship bracelet and Punk kicks him. Punk hits a neckbreaker. Punk pumping knees him in the corner.

Punk top rope elbows him. Punk goes for the bracelet that Drew took from him. Drew then hits a claymore kick for 2. Drew goes into the post on a missed move. Punk goes for the go to sleep. He then sees Seth Rollins has the bracelet on. Seth says he just picked it up then Drew knocks Punk into Seth.

Punk hits a GTS but Seth is out of the ring and counts late for 2. Punk complains and asks if he's kidding him. Seth tells him this is his ring and his rules. Seth says we don't want you here and not everything is about you. Seth says to focus on Drew, who is his problem. Seth says "it's not always about you, @sshole". Punk hits a GTS on Seth. He says it ain't always about me, but it's never about you.

Punk gets the bracelet and Drew low blows Punk. DRew hits a claymore kick on Punk. Seth sees Drew has the pin and slow counts him. Drew pins Punk.

Seth walks out and Drew takes Punk's bracelet.

Thoughts: The in-ring part of this wasn't super special, but they restarted Punk vs Seth here and did great storytelling with the bracelet.  I wasn't expecting a classic due to Punk's limitations. I think they did what they needed to do here and did a good job of it. Hopefully nobody got hurt this time...

Damian Priest and Finn Balor talk in the back. Priest says what happened earlier was out of line. Finn says it's water under the bridge. They say they are both sorry and say Judgment Day comes first. Finn says to say the word if he changes his mind and wants him out there.

World Heavyweight Title - Damian Priest (c) vs Gunther

Gunther runs into a forearm then Priest pounds on him in the corner. Gunther hits forearms then Priest flying back elbows him. Gunther hits an uppercut then Priest lifting flatliners him. Priest nails Gunther off the steps. Priest is sent into the post back first and Gunther backdrops him on the apron.

Gunther slams him. Priest ear claps him then Gunther double underhook suplexes him. Gunther facekicks him over. Gunther hammerlocks him on the buckles. Priest top rope hurricanrana's him then falcon arrows him for 2.

They trade shots. Priest hits chops and drops him with kicks. Gunther's chest is busted open. Priest hits kicks and superkicks him. Priest misses a splash and takes a dropkick. Gunther powerbombs him for 2.

Priest hits a south of heaven chokeslam for 2. Gunther blocks a kick and exploders him. Gunther running lariats him and hits another lariat for 2. Gunther facekicks him and Priest tells him to bring it on. Gunther chops him down.

Gunther boots him and stomps him. Finn Balor comes down then Gunther boots Finn. Priest fires up and lariats him. Priest rebound lariats him then hits a razor's edge. Priest hits a south of heaven chokeslam and Finn puts Gunther's leg on the ropes. Priest then sees what happened on the tron. Finn gives Priest an evil look. Gunther sleepers Priest.

Priest backrolls out and grabs Finn. Gunther powerbombs Priest then sleepers him. Gunther gets the win as Priest is out.

Thoughts: The match was good. They matched up better than I expected and stuck to strikes, which looked good. Gunther's chest getting all bloody definitely helped this one out. I'm not a big fan of Finn turning on Priest. Judgment Day should really have never worked, but it did somehow and I would have just kept it together. I think almost everyone in it is better off together than they will be on their own. They may do a new Judgment Day with Liv replacing Rhea but it won't be as successful as the original. I don't see Priest having any luck as a main event face on his own.

The Miz and R-Truth come out. Miz said Cleveland set an all-time Summerslam attendance record of 57,791 people.

Grayson Waller and Austin Theory come out. They say they are in The Land...the land with the worst NFL team of all time. And the land where everyone looks like Jelly Roll. Waller says not to insult Jelly. He says he's the only person in history to make music worse than R-Truth. Truth says they are in the home of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Truth then says he give us "The Rock and Roll Express", confusing Waller and Theory for them. They argue about it. Jelly Roll then appears with a chair. Jelly chairs the heels and the faces hit the heels. Jelly does a one-armed chokeslams on Theory then the faces do a triple five-knuckle shuffle.

Thoughts: It was the usual attendance segment and it was entertaining for what it was.

Cody comes out of his trailer and brings his dog out. Cody runs into Arn Anderson backstage. Arn says Cody is the WWE champ and a fine one. He says he got four p!ssed off island boys who want to take his title. He says Cody knows he has a target on his back. Arn says he has influence though and says he still has friends who are on their way. Arn was with AEW, so he's gone. Cody gives the dog to his mother in law and wears a winged skull mask.

Bloodline Rules - WWE Undisputed Title - Cody Rhodes (c) vs Solo Sikoa

Cody side headlocks him. Cody shoulders him and they stare down. Solo shoulders Cody over. Cody drops down for a punch and Solo blocks it. Solo hits shots on Cody. Cody fires back and gets knocked down. Solo is pulled out then Cody disaster kicks him. Cody topes him outside then dives into a forearm. Solo spinning heel kicks him. Solo samoan drops him twice.

Cody hits a cody cutter. Cody lariats Solo over the top and bangs his head off the steps and the Prime Hydration Station. Cody hits Solo with a Prime bottle. Cody hits jabs and bionic elbows him. Cody springboards and takes a sitout powerbomb for 2.

Solo corner hip attacks him. Cody rolls him up for 2 and takes a uranage. Cody is in tree of woe and Solo diving headbutts him. Solo says he will beat his @ss in front of his whole family. Solo does another headbutt.

Solo misses a headbutt and Cody top rope Terry Funk moonsaults him. Solo hits a black hole slam for 2. Cody walks the buckles and superplexes Solo. Cody hits forearms and punches. Cody back springboards, gets caught then hits cross rhodes. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa then jump in and beat up Cody. Cody is speared into the corner then takes a splash and lariat. Cody takes a double team cross rhodes. Cody kicks out of a pin then Kevin Owens' music hits.

KO comes down and looks hilarious trying to run. KO hits shots on Bloodline then takes down Tama and pounds him. KO gets beaten up then Randy Orton comes down. Orton beats up Bloodline and Tama takes a KO stunner. Orton powerbombs Solo. KO top rope swantons Solo. Cody hits a cross rhodes on Solo for 2.

Tama, Orton, Loa and KO leave. Cody hits Solo with the steps. Solo hits a big spear on Cody. Solo tries to hip attack the steps into him but Cody moves. Cody hits cross rhodes twice then Jacob Fatu walks up the buckles and corkscrew moonsaults Cody. Fatu does a double jump moonsault on Cody. Solo gets a 2 count on Cody.

Fatu superkicks Cody outside and clears off the commentary table. Fatu jumps off the top and splashes Cody through the table. Fatu really holds his ankle after and looks like he might be hurt. Fatu throws chairs around and can't get up. Solo top rope splashes Cody for 2. Cody superkicks Solo then hits a cody cutter. 

Roman Reigns' music then hits. Roman comes out and Cole yells, "he's here, he's here, he's here" and "Roman Reigns has returned". The announcers ask who he is here for. Roman comes in and superman punches Solo. Roman hits a big spear on Solo then stares down Cody. Roman then leaves. Cody htis cross rhodes and wins. Cody then stares at Roman from the ring.

Solo screams outside as Fatu consoles him. Solo yells "you're dead" to Roman and Roman points at his shirt.

Thoughts: Drama and storyline wise, it doesn't get much better than what we got here. Bloodline took out Owens and Orton on TV over the last few weeks. Owens and Orton returned and fought them off. Fatu then came in to interfere and Roman came out to help Cody. This is due to Solo somewhat smack talking him and declaring himself the new tribal chief. Roman is now a super face and The Bloodline Civil War is on. They sacrificed months of shows to do this and it finally paid off in full.

The match was good. Solo dominated Cody as expected. Cody made his comebacks and got the win with help. I don't love Cody getting help in order to win, but it's not a huge deal. A little blood could have helped this more but it was what it needed to be and set the stage for Roman's return.

Overall thoughts: It was a great show. The matches delivered, we had lots of happenings and we have a lot of obvious new storylines going forward. WWE was on fire here and this was some of their best work. This is definitely worth seeing, though you do need to see the TV leading up to it to really get it.