Summerslam 2024 - August 3rd

[JLM]

[Devon Malcolm]

This is the first show I've watched since Wrestlemania!

Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley

This is the best Morgan has ever been but she's still rubbish. This worked better when she was playing the cowardly heel not when she was inexplicably getting loads of offence in. The only good part of this match was Dirty Dom. The worst part was Rhea crying. This wasn't good at all.

Bayley vs Nia Jax

It's 2024 and they're still giving Nia Jax matches, let alone worl titles. Bayley did her best but nobody can do anything with Nia Jax, she's eternally awful.

CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre

With Rollins mostly behaving himself, this allowed two great wrestlers to have a really cracking match that told a superb story. Took the time to take the piss out of the Bret Hart masturbatory propagandists and middle aged Punk being held together by sweat and muffins put on a great show. Match of the night.

LA Knight vs Logan Paul

About the most I've enjoyed a Knight match but he sadly chose not to hit Logan Paul with a Ganso bomb, so I still hate him. Sadly, very enjoyable.

Sami Zayn vs Bron Breakker

Is Breakker a babyface or heel? Does anyone care anymore? I do, it stops me liking him as much as I think I should. This was very good though and the right result, I would say.

Damian Priest vs Gunther

Almost match of the night, and I was always going to love this, obviously. The ending was too predictable, a common problem in WWE the last year or so, and let's just take a moment to acknowledge how shit Finn Balor is. That expression, looked like he was trying not to follow through. Why doesn't he just go away, he's absolute shite. The right result though and two big cunts battering each other, what wrestling should be.

Cody Rhodes vs Solo Sikoa

I like Solo a lot - but Cody was right, he's not ready. Yet. He lacks the star power right now for this spot even though this was a good match. Cody is the best babyface of the last few couple of decades though, with the walk with his (lovely!) dog and his chat with Arn Anderson! Since when has he been there? Loved that he got a great pop and that he hadn't brought his Glock. Utterly overbooked and, again, predictable but lovely to see Roman Reigns finally get the massive babyface reaction he's always deserved. Jacob Fatu legitimately scares me though, christ almighty.

7/10. I'm going back to Plants vs Zombies.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Great way to kill a lazy Sunday afternoon, first time in a long while I had that genuinely exciting buzz for both Dom’s turn on Rhea and Roman’s return

Loved the Punk/Drew match, I’d theorised that they might pull from the Bret/Taker finish, especially with Punk having his Bret tribute gear on and it worked

Logan, for as big a POS as he is, continues to show he belongs in the ring, and elevated Knight’s game as well

Been a fan of Bron’s since he debuted on the first 2.0 episode so was made up to see him win the IC belt, and Sami deserves a lot of credit for making him look a million bucks the entire feud

Nice nod from Bayley wearing her NXT gear for her match, was expecting the music to change to her Hugger theme complete with the inflatables though. Have zero interest in a Nia title reign though unless Tiffy eventually screws her over to cash in

Gunther/Priest was a corker, the big man fully deserves a World title run after his work building the IC belt back up, on the flip side a face Priest and Rhea chasing vengeance from Finn, Dom, Liv and the two goons will be much fun, wouldn’t surprise me if they explain it as being a long time plan going back to when Finn, Liv and AJ Styles were feuding with them with Edge as leader and Finn doing the whole ‘mole on the inside’ deal when he joined the night Priest and Rhea turned on Edge

Tell you what, Jelly Roll has a hell of a choke slam on him, that whole segment was a fun little cool down before the main event 

Main wasn’t as fun as the Cody/Roman match at Mania but still enjoyable, Cody just 100% gets being a 100% man of the people face, the amount of kids on that aisle way that will have gone home buzzing that he either took a pic, slapped their hand or signed their posters proves it. Roman getting the pop of his life and just casually strolling out there, punking Solo out then giving the approval to Rhodes was a cool visual

[The Gaffer]

1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Bret Hart masturbatory propagandists

 

That's the 'Kef band name, surely. 

[theringmaster]

Triple H just needs to stop coming out at these big shows, he's had his hey day, he's had more than enough moments, let it go. He's like the worst bits of dana White and Tony Khan combined.

[DavidB6937]

8 minutes ago, theringmaster said:

He's like the worst bits of dana White and Tony Khan combined.

You get that from him coming out and doing an intro which the live crowd enjoyed?

[Devon Malcolm]

47 minutes ago, theringmaster said:

Triple H just needs to stop coming out at these big shows, he's had his hey day, he's had more than enough moments, let it go. He's like the worst bits of dana White and Tony Khan combined.

[Snitsky's back acne]

16 hours ago, JLM said:

Yep that's exactly what I had in mind. Just rewatched it again for the hundredth time and that pop *still* sends a shiver down my spine. 

 

We were so spoilt at this time. 

 

[Frankie Crisp]

Kevin Owens ran to the ring like I run to the chippy at 10:55pm on a Saturday.

Edited August 5, 2024 by Frankie Crisp

[Arch Stanton]

I'm still laughing at Randy Orton's run to the ring. He's the absolute man. 

[OzExile]

I'm struggling to think of run as bad as Tonga Loa is having since his debut. Around the main event picture, no less. Someone indulge me, please 

[Arch Stanton]

30 minutes ago, OzExile said:

I'm struggling to think of run as bad as Tonga Loa is having since his debut. Around the main event picture, no less. Someone indulge me, please 

Hardly a 'run' is it? He's not being booked as an active wrestler, he's a bodyguard character. Has he even had a match?! 

Edited August 5, 2024 by Arch Stanton

[RedTwoster]

31 minutes ago, OzExile said:

I'm struggling to think of run as bad as Tonga Loa is having since his debut. Around the main event picture, no less. Someone indulge me, please 

Oh come on, he’s only had two televised matches - both tag matches, at that. He might be a terrible wrestler - but he’s barely had the chance to demonstrate his ability, or lack thereof.

[thatvinylgeek]

Priest calling Dom a "little prick" really made me laugh for some reason. 

I agree though, keeping him with Rhea for a bit could be great. Let Rhea and Priest tear through a combination of Liv, Dom, Fin and JD for a couple of months, with Carlito just sucking up to whoever seems the best choice each week.

Then let's go crazy...switch the title to Rhea somehow... have Liv demand a rematch and Rhea agree but only if she gets Dom in the Cell if she wins. Then do that match at Bad Blood to wrap up. 

[Fog Dude]

8 hours ago, Snitsky's back acne said:

We were so spoilt at this time. 

Yeah, incredible roster and the product was hot. I'd remembered about the huge pop for Kane's return but the most remarkable thing about that clip is something I'd completely forgotten.

Stephanie was on commentary with Ross & Lawler and as soon as she figured out who was about to appear, her first instinct was to tell Tori to get out of there fast because a comeback by her in-storyline abuser clearly put her in danger.

If only she'd had the same level of concern for the welfare of other women contracted to WWE in the decades that followed.