Monday, August 20, 2012

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE SummerSlam 2012 Review


What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE SummerSlam 2012. How did WWE's second biggest PPV of the year turn out? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler
We open up the show with a match, but let's talk about the pre-show before I get complaints. The pre-show featured a US Championship match between Santino and Antonio Cesaro. The match was basic and it ends with Antonio becoming the US Champion. This made the most sense. Santino hasn't done anything with the title for quite some time now. Plus, Antonio is a breath of fresh air with his look and in-ring style, so I think this can be a good thing for the company. Also, Triple H talks to a referee and claims to let him and Brock Lesnar f***….er, I mean, let them fight. And now we get Touts/Twitter post from celebrities…..

One of these days, it's gonna be called Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube present WWE Raw and Smackdown. You watch, that's gonna be the next thing. I found it a bit odd that this match was opening up the PPV. Jericho is selling the injured ribs. Mmmmmmmm……ribs *slap* sorry. The match is very good. Just a flat out, wrestling match. The finish comes when after a ton of counters, Jericho wins with the Walls of Jericho. Now, I can see a lot of complaints happening with this outcome. I know the logical thing would've been for the younger guy to go over here, but they did hint at the fact that Jericho needed this win since his return has been forgettable. Smarks will complain about this all day long, but I'm not gonna shake two s***s over it. What I would like to see happen now is a rematch between these two. I think they can do a whole lot more with this rivalry, so I hope we see a rematch. I might as well get this out of the way. This was personally my favorite match of the night, with the main event a close second. 

Winner via submission: Chris Jericho

Match #2: Daniel Bryan vs Kane
I love how Shawn Michaels is 'injured', but still manages to send out tweets. For some stupid reason, I'm just imagining Shawn typing with one hand. 

Shawn: Don't worry hunny, I gotta let people know what I'm doing this very second. 

Yes, I know his hand isn't really broken. I felt I had to say that or else some smartass would've ruined our fun. This match didn't last long, but it wasn't too bad. I kinda wish they would've given this match more time, but we can't upset Mr. Breakfast Cereal now. Bryan wins this match with a quick rollup victory. One thing I didn't like about this match was the aftermath. Simply put, there really wasn't one. I thought they would've included more like AJ or something. It just feels half-assed in my book. There was something involving Kane, but that was about it. I guess we will find out tomorrow night, but I was left wanting more. After the match, Kane is tapped into his inner Bruce Banner and starts raging in the back. My only theory into Kane being pissed is AJ promised him sex if he won, so he has to find another way to relieve stress. Now I feel bad for Josh Matthews. That totally didn't come out the right way, but I don't care. 

Winner via pinfall: Daniel Bryan

Match #3: Miz vs Rey Mysterio; IC Championship
I'm the Goddamn Mysterio-man. Now I'm really convinced that Rey's gimmick is to endorse DC and Marvel comics. The match was okay. Once again, I felt this was a match that could've been better if it was given more time. After a couple of counters, the finish comes when Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale for the victory. The ending of the match doesn't really indicate a rematch, so I guess WWE wanted to get this one over with. It really is a shame, cuz I think this can be one of the underrated rivalries. 

Winner via pinfall and still IC Champion: Miz

CM Punk demands respect, while AJ is thinking about…..ponies? Yeah, I'm imagining AJ thinking of "My Little Pony" during this time. It sounds about right. 

Match #4: Sheamus vs Alberto Del Rio; WHC match
What in the world? Okay, so Sheamus decides to take a page out of Austin Powers and use a shoe as a weapon. Sheamus hits a backbreaker for the victory. Del Rio had his foot on the rope, but the referee doesn't see it. To add to the confusion, the ref wasn't sure to ring the bell or not. If you watch, you can see the hesitation by the ref. I guess they wanted to milk another match out of the two. WWE wants you to forget about the Sheamus/Del Rio match at MITB. IT NEVER HAPPENED!!! Yeah, Sheamus is the best role model ever!!! 

Just to clarify, I enjoyed parts of this match, but the finish can be a bit wonky. 

Winner via Be a Star and still WHC: Sheamus

Match #5: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Prime Time Players; WWE Tag Team Championships
Anyone else think Titus O'Neil sounds like a seal? Truth hits Little Jimmy for the victory. Yeah, so WWE continues to have Kofi and Truth as champs. May I ask why? No offense to Kofi and Truth, but this tag team is forced. Reckon, this has happened many times in pro wrestling history, but you usually get something that can define you along the way. I just don't see that with Kofi and Truth. Does that make any sense? 

Winner via pinfall and still WWE Tag Champs: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth

Match #6: CM Punk vs John Cena vs Big Show; WWE Championship match
Wow, not even Cena can help Punk get in a PPV main event. To be fair, Brock and Trips had a lot more buildup than the title match, but it makes you wonder what Punk has to do get in a PPV main event. This match was exactly what I thought. There were moments where it was fine, but it did tend to drag when Show got too much focus. There were a couple of fun moments in this match, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice on Show, but Cena applies the STF. Dafaq? Are we splitting the WWE Championship again? Well, AJ comes out, stands there for about five minutes, and restarts the match. Now, pro wrestling has done the whole "restarting a match" deal before, but I find it funny that TNA pulled this stunt at their PPV last week and nobody said anything. Anyway, by the power of Greyskull, Cena hits the AA and…..Punk wins? Hey, I'm not complaining. Punk shows his cunning here, but it really feels that WWE is forcing Punk's heel turn. At the same time, people were loving him after the match. I should note that I enjoyed tonight's audience. It did seem like a more active crowd than previous weeks. Yeah, so I was fine with the outcome. Punk needed this match more than the other two. The finish should guarantee Punk/Cena at the next PPV. WWE made a movie called "The Day". I would comment on this, but the day is almost over. 

Winner via pinfall and still WWE Champion: CM Punk

Match #7: Brock Lesnar vs Triple H
Want to know the best part of the live entertainment? Seeing the Spanish announce team sing along. Seriously, that made my day right there. Oh no, a tornado is coming towards LA….

The rules for this match were all over the place. Trips wanted this one to end via pinfall or submission. Why not just make it a No DQ match? You were headed down that direction already, so what gives? As for the match, it was okay? It wasn't bad, but it didn't seem like the chemistry was there. Brock and Cena had great chemistry and told a good story, but this feels lacking. For a main event PPV match, it delivered, but I guess I was expecting a little more. Is that unfair? After a ton of counters, the finish comes when Brock immediately locks in the Kimora Lock after receiving the Pedigree. IWC will complain about Lesnar no selling this, but I think this makes him look like a bad-ass. I'm personally glad he did it. Trips tries to break out of the hold, but he can't tap into the inner Fruity Pebble inside him, so he taps out. After the match, Brock celebrates his victory, while Trips is receiving medical attention. The show ends with Trips leaving depressed and hinting that this was the end for him. I think this is one of the cases where the events after a match told a better story than during the actual match. Trips seemed to have his spirit broken. Is this really the end of Trips, or will he come back? What about Brock? Do Brock and Paul Heyman take over the WWE after taking out Trips? I think it's these questions that make tomorrow's Raw worth checking out. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. As far as booking goes, Brock needed this victory more than Trips. There's just more potential for Brock winning than Trips. 

Winner via submission: Brock Lesnar 

Overall Impression:
This wasn't the best PPV I've seen, but I wouldn't call it one of the worst. Most of the in-ring action is enjoyable at times, but it's more than wrestling quality that makes a PPV. This is one of the times where the early matches were better than the main events. I'm not saying the main event matches were bad, but more could've been done with them. Personally, I've seen better PPV main events. Another thing that hurts the show is the predictable nature of the show. After tonight, we hardly got any new developments or a swerve/plot twist of some kind. While I do find myself interested in tomorrow's Raw, I think they could've added a defining moment or two to really make this PPV stand out. If you enjoyed the PPV, well, that's all that matters. Personally, I liked certain parts of the show, but more could've been done at the end of the day. On a scale of 1-10 and 5 considered average on here, I have to give WWE SummerSlam 2012 a 6 out of 10, which is considered slightly above average on this page. Tonight's show was another one of those shows where WWE was playing it too safe and not really taking a gamble on something, but that goes back to the swerve/plot twist deal I was mentioning earlier. Well, I guess we will tune in tomorrow night to see the aftermath. That's gonna do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. If you enjoyed any of my ridiculous ramblings, you can check out some of my other work. Come on, you know it's tempting to click those links….

As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

WrestlingNerd's Official Score of WWE SummerSlam 2012: 6 out of 10

10 comments:

  1. I'm glad they took the title off of Santino, while I have no real problems with the guy he should not have held the title for as long as he did. He should have been a transitional champion and nothing more.

    I'm fine with Jericho winning, I think that makes for better story telling and makes it mean more when he finally does put over Ziggler.

    I'm happy that Bryan won and it sets up a rematch with Kane's post match rage.

    And while I'm glad they kept the title on the Miz, they missed their chance at a decent fued by having him win it cleanly. And am I the only one that thought the Miz looked a little dazed after the match?

    So Sheamus wins in such a way that we can look forward to the fued continuing...


    ...sigh

    You have to wonder if PTP lost because of AW's firing or if that was the plan the whole time.

    And CM Punk wins in the exact way I predicted -insert victory dance footage here-
    I really hope they keep the title on him until Royal Rumble, I would much rather see Punk vs Rock than Cena/Rock 2.

    And I don't care about HHH as much he would like me to. While he was doing his sadface I don't want medical attention bit all i was thinking was how funny it was that the crowd were chanting you tapped out at him. HHH's ego clearly won't accept the fact that he isn't held in the same reguard as the likes of HBK and Austin. I had the same problem with his match against Undertaker earlier in the year. And why is it that John Cena, a man in his prime and a full time wrestler spent most of his match against Lesnar getting the shit kicked out of him and couldn't do any real damage and HHH, a part time wrestler in his 40s was able to have a fairly even contest and did damage?
    Now despite my bitching towards HHH I did like the match, but the Cena/Lesnar match was better.

    Overall I did enjoy Summerslam, and 6/10 sounds about right, if I was feeling generous I'd add a point for the you tapped out chant and whatever was said to Fred Durst that caused him to flip off the camera

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    1. that you tapped out chant was mean! I felt bad for the game..
      I'm sure he'll wrestle another match though

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  2. 1) I watched the pre-show and although I was glad that they changed title hands, I was seeing a stupid gimmick about Santino that is way too old. The cobra sleeve fell out of the ring. They even showed it on the outside. Next Cole said that Aksana placed the Cobra somewhere unreachable. Oh yeah! like in the corner on the apron.
    2) Jericho and Ziggler were awesome together. They need to continue their rivalry.
    3)I liked the outcome of Bryan and Kane. Kane needs his anger. It is what makes him a demon. It furthers the rivalry between the two.
    4) Miz and Rey was actually kinda boring. I don't care what others think, but I can't stand Rey Mysterio, because he is a goody goody. He mirrors a degree less from Cena. At least SuperFella can get pissed and have fun. Reminds me of Austin at some points. Also, I'm tired of Cole saying Miz is back and more aggressive than ever. Miz is anything but more aggressive. I believe Miz is smarter, calmer and more calculating.
    5) No Diva match?! Why am I reminded of that song "Part of your world" from The Little Mermaid? I can see all of them looking at the screen with AJ, Eve and Vickie saying "I don't know when. I don't know how, but something is starting right now. Just wait and you'll see, I'll be a part of your WORLD!!!"
    6) I know that Sheamus and Del Rio has been happening in the past few months, but it is starting to grow on me. Each personality is growing on each other. The poor hooligan vs. the rich snob. Love it. I hope Ricardo Rodriguez has more screen time though.
    7) Someone please make R-truth funny again. Remember when Truth would come out and talk about spiders and dress in a confederate soldier. Kofi has sucked all the persona out of him. Either that or GIVE UP THOSE TITLES.
    8) I love that the WWE is trying to make CM Punk a heel, but the audience is going against creatives wishes. Nice to know that it really isn't about Cena. Oh I have had it with Lawler. He has been flubbing lines and making stupid uneducated comments. Why am I going to Cole for some realism? I would love to see Regal be a commentator. He really fits the part.
    9) The Game is depressed and now maybe Heyman can take control of the WWE. With Brock Lesnar there is no stopping him, is it weird that Brock is the same name as Venom's real name. Nice.
    10) No Sandow?! Why? I thought him and Clay were going to go at it.

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  3. It was a LIONTAMER not the walls of jericho! come on dude, i thought you were the WNerd! ;)

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    1. yeah nerd just like william regal is really stephen regal *rolling eyes*

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    2. the real nerds call him Roy Regal, and they lament the loss of his blond mullet
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLo50F8twY4

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    3. Well, Jericho can always do that thing where he let the audience pat him on a back before a match, or the days where Eddie Guerrero confronted the Luchadors of WCW and asked if you speak a spanish. Yeah, I'm having way too much fun here, but this page is all about fun, so why not?

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  4. Nice review! I think 6/10 is a little harsh though, the rey vs miz match was very well done, along with the regulars that didn't dissapoint.
    The WWE title match wasn't as good as it should've been though.
    Pumped for Raw!

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    1. It probably is, but I try to look back on scores in the past and I just felt that a 7 for this PPV was a little too generous. Plus, I hate decimal point scoring and vow to NEVER start that, so I had to give it a six in my book.

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  5. *reads the outcome of the Del Rio vs. Sheamus match* Say it with me..."One more match!"

    On a side note if the PTPs aren't going to get another title shot, may I suggest I look forward to having The Usos or Hawkins/Reks go after the tag team belts. The Usos don't have to turn heel, a match between two face teams could have a good outcome. Or have Hawkins/Reks jump the champs to make a statement. As long as they don't have the male stripper gimmick.

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