WWE SummerSlam results: Lynch makes Natalya tap
SummerSlam represents a mile marker at the halfway point of WWE’s annual calendar of events. Most of what has happened since WrestleMania typically culminates at this showcase event and influences much of what carries the WWE through the end of the year and the start of the road to WrestleMania in January.
After four years in Brooklyn, SummerSlam moves to Toronto. Sunday’s show at Scotiabank Arena is headlined by Brock Lesnar for the sixth straight year; this time around, he’ll run back his WrestleMania match against Seth Rollins with the Universal championship on the line. Legends like Goldberg and Trish Stratus are back in action, Shane McMahon is set to wrestle Kevin Owens for Owens’ job in WWE and a handful of solid title matches round out the card.
Tim Fiorvanti, Marc Raimondi and Matt Wilansky are here to run down the action in real time, with Sean Coyle breaking down each match on a scale from 0-5.
(c) denotes champion
Despite a special enforcer of Elias being placed at ringside, Kevin Owens got the best of Shane McMahon. Full recap to come.
Perhaps more than anyone on the SummerSlam card, Ember Moon was deserving of a moment in the spotlight.
Bayley and Ember Moon worked hard in this match, but it never really clicked. The in-ring chemistry wasn’t there despite their individual talent.
Storytelling: 0.25
In-ring execution: 0.50
Match psychology: 0.25
Timing: 0.50
Innovation: 0.50
True, Moon didn’t exactly earn her way to this moment. Bayley handpicked her a few weeks ago, but the challenger’s overall body of work put her in the category of stars who deserve a chance.
Charismatic and athletic, Moon wasted little time taking it to the champ, landing an aerial forearm smash. But Bayley was tenacious, striking Moon with a deviating knee and then a top-rope suplex.
Although neither woman was able to solidify a long series of offense, the length of the match gave us a chance to see how well-versed Moon is in all facets of her trade. Her power moves and creativity in particular were impressive, and at no point did the match slow down.
Ultimately, Bayley caught Moon on the top rope and landed a devastating Bayley-to-Belly for the three-count.
It’s rare in the modern era of WWE to see a rivalry that could carry on for months at a time without starting to feel a little stale, but AJ Styles and Ricochet have been the exception to that rule.
While the match didn’t quite shift into that next gear, there was still a lot to like — Styles’ game plan in targeting Ricochet’s leg and the highly athletic final transition into the Styles Clash.
Storytelling: 0.50
In-ring execution: 0.50
Match psychology: 1.00
Timing: 0.50
Innovation: 0.50
In a match that felt significantly different from their previous clashes, and yet still not at the peak of what each man could bring to the table, Styles successfully defended the United States championship in a match that still left everyone hungry for more between him and Ricochet.
Ricochet, sporting a Nightwing-inspired full body suit, stunned the crowd in the early moments of the match by using Gallows and Anderson like a footbridge, running along their shoulders to nail Styles with a running head scissors on the outside.
But for most of the match, Styles was focused on slowing Ricochet by going after his knee, time and again. From kicks to using the ropes to sweeping Ricochet’s base out from under him, Styles showed a level of brutality we hadn’t seen from him in quite some time. And even as he sold the injury with all of the enthusiasm he could muster, the opportunity allowed Ricochet to show off a series of creative solutions, going so far as to use only one leg on a springboard clothesline.
The pace was slower than many might have expected coming into the night, but the crowd got locked back in during the final third of the match. Ricochet countered a calf crusher with a Brock Lesnar-inspired head-slam, followed by an anaconda vice that triggered a couple of “CM Punk” chants from the Toronto crowd.
Most of the match was kept to Styles and Ricochet, but in the closing moments, Ricochet had to fight off Gallows and Anderson as he posted up on the top rope. Then, in what was far and away the most staggering moment of the match, Ricochet attempted what looked like a Phoenix Splash, only for Styles to catch him in the perfect position to nail a Styles Clash for the win.
These two seem to have a lot more to say in this story, with Ricochet absorbing a postmatch attack for good measure, and it seems like a no-brainer to let them keep telling it.
Well, not much to say here. The match was short, as expected, but hey, we got to witness Ziggler sell Goldberg’s spear to perfection. That was cool.
Storytelling: 0.25
In-ring execution: 0.25
Match psychology: 0.25
Timing: 0.00
Innovation: 0.00
Two superkicks from Ziggler were followed by a spear, jackhammer and pin from Goldberg.
Then Ziggler, lying in the ring, grabbed a microphone and begged for more. And Goldberg delivered, twice over.
After months of conflict against Lacey Evans after WrestleMania, the energy Becky Lynch built since SummerSlam 2018 was starting to wane. Fresh blood in the Raw women’s championship picture was overdue, and Natalya stepped back into the spotlight as the first one up.
This was a strong choice to open the main card. Lynch and Natalya delivered with some great psychologically effective wrestling, exactly the way a submission match should be structured.
Storytelling: 1.00
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 1.00
Timing: 0.50
Innovation: 0.50
Sunday’s submission match was built through weeks of positive buildup, but that momentum can only go so far if the in-ring action doesn’t measure up. It might have taken a little while for the Toronto crowd to become fully invested in the match, but by the time Lynch ultimately got Natalya to tap out to the Dis-arm-her in the middle of the ring, everyone was on the edge of their seats.
From the opening bell, both Lynch and Natalya set a clear narrative, trying out every submission available and working on causing damage to the right body parts to make their signature submissions more effective. The moment when this match started to feel like more than a throwaway moment was when Natalya was able to lock in a sharpshooter while she sat on the top and Lynch was stuck on the middle rope — a particularly creative maneuver.
They utilized each other’s signature move to no avail, but as Natalya was able to get Lynch into position for another sharpshooter in the middle of the ring, the Toronto crowd was fully invested in her taking the title in her home country.
Lynch ultimately persevered, but the amount of time it took for Natalya to finally tap out despite the arm being targeted throughout the match sent a strong message at the end.
Raw’s women’s division has a lot of depth, and Natalya might step out of the way for the time being. But SummerSlam was a reminder of what she is capable of when she’s in the ring with the right opponent and has a story to sink her teeth into
Women’s tag team championship: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (c) def. The IIconics
Yes, the women’s tag team titles were relegated to the Kickoff Show, but champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, and former champs The IIconics put on a solid showing. Although it’s an odd matchup featuring a foursome of women who are hardly beloved by the fans, the action was on point.
Not surprisingly, Bliss ended the bout relatively quickly with Twisted Bliss, and you would think this is just the beginning of a long run for two women, who while likely won’t be in-ring friends forever work well together. Equally important, Bliss remains in the spotlight while out of any serious singles feuds … for now.
Buddy Murphy def. Apollo Crews via disqualification
While this match was destined for the Kickoff show, the all-out athleticism and somewhat unexpected interference at the end made for an entertaining few minutes of action. Murphy nearly won his match against Crews early with a running power bomb, but Crews quickly changed the trajectory of the match by tossing his opponent over the top rope. Eventually, it was Murphy’s time again, converting a 360-top rope flip on Crews.
But that’s when the match came to an abrupt end. Rowan stormed the ring, and in retribution for Murphy blaming the heel for nearly running over Roman Reigns a week earlier began to pummel Murphy. Certainly this storyline is hardly over, and given the names involved, Murphy will see a lot of spotlight moving forward.
WWE cruiserweight championship Drew Gulak (c) def. Oney Lorcan
Cruiserweight champion Drew Gulak and Oney Lorcan didn’t deliver your typical Cruiserweight championship match. There were no flips, no aerial attacks or acrobatics. Instead, the combatants treated us to a fine display of mat wrestling and some hard-hitting strikes. In the end, Gulak caught Lorcan with the Cyclone Crash and retained his title.
Still to come:
WWE championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton
Universal championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins
Finn Balor vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair