WWE SummerSlam Review
By Chris Cash @RealityofChris
TO GET TO THE POINT: WWE SummerSlam 2011 was an absolute success in a number of ways and while I go more in-depth about the ending a little bit later, I do have to say that tonight's Raw will be interesting to me for a couple of different reasons. Kevin Nash's surprise return and attack on CM Punk has left the Internet Wrestling Community buzzing, but mostly because they are asking "Why, why, why?" Did it make sense? Of course not. But it isn't supposed to…yet. The fact that you are having a hard time figuring out where Big Sexy fits into the main event picture isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's exactly what Vince McMahon wants. The options are plentiful and I get into each of them below.
SummerSlam had a lot of positives and judging by the poll we have on WrestleZone.com, it seems as if you agree for the most part. Over 70% of you gave it four or five stars and only 11.5% gave it less than 2 stars. If our WZ readers gave it a positive rating like that, they must have done something right because you guys are some of the hardest people to please I have ever met! Hey, it's not a bad thing! Just true.
THE WRESTLING: I look at wrestling matches purely from an entertainment point of view. I'm not a wrestler and will never claim to know the in's and out's of what makes a great match from a technical or story-telling aspect. I'll let the boys tell you that. However, I do know what excites me in a contest, so let's break it down.
Randy Orton vs Christian
Hands down, the best match of the night. These two men went to the ends of the earth and back in 20+ minutes and if I'm Christian today, I'm hurting. He got absolutely murdered in this thing with multiple table bumps, a brutal chair shot to the back and of course, the RKO on to the steel steps for the finish. If there is a match that you need to YouTube or UTorrent, this is the one. Beg, steal or borrow a copy from someone and then sit back and enjoy.
Mark Henry vs Sheamus
The one thing I must start with…the indy wrestler that was planted front row to react to Mark Henry slamming Sheamus through the barricade needs to be fired! That bump looked great – amazing – and rather than marking out as much as I should have, I was distracted by his over-the-top, embarrasing antics that he might call acting. However, that didn't take away from what was a very good physical match between these two. Mark Henry is finally paying off 15 years later and is in a zone right now. He's a beast and I'm loving every minute of it. Sheamus is another favorite of mine and while I hate where he's at right now (or not at, for that matter) on the roster, I'm still glad he's somewhere. He's a commendable worker, a good talker, has a good, unique look and most importantly, draws a reaction from the crowd. You can't ask for anymore than that in a star and I truly expect he'll be back in the World Title picture before the year is up.
Wade Barrett vs Daniel Bryan
To preface, I don't hate Daniel Bryan. I think he's a great "wrestler". I think he has a place in WWE. I'm sure he's a great guy. But I don't think he's a main event guy. I don't think he's underused. I don't think WWE should do "so much more" with him. I think some guys have a specific role in WWE and his is (and should be) the middle of the pack. IC, US, Tag…choose one and I'm fine with it. World or WWE Championship? Absolutely not. I'm a FIRM believer in the "entertainment" side of the business being more important than your ability inside the ropes and there are way too many examples to support my opinion. Bryan lacks too much, for me, in that category to ever be a true star in the WWE.
That being said, he is truly gifted in the ring. Moreso than I even realized. He was very good in that match last night with Wade Barrett and while Daniel Bryan followers aren't surprised, I was. Everything he does in the ring has a purpose and he rarely misses the mark with anything he attempts. It looks "real" when he does it and very few men can do that. I give Wade Barrett a lot of credit as well for the success of their match last night. He has had some setbacks in the last year or so and I think it's slowly turning around for him. He needed the win more than Bryan last night because he's someone I feel "can" be a main event player. And very soon. It's guys like Daniel Bryan that can help him get there, especially when they are delivering in the ring the way that did at SummerSlam.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
