Wrestling Review: WWE SummerSlam (2023)

Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan will play host to the 2023 edition of WWE SummerSlam, the biggest party of the summer. In the main event, Roman Reigns looks to continue his record-breaking Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign against his cousin, Jey Uso, in tribal combat. There are no countouts or disqualifications in this match, and the only rule is that the match must end inside the ring, where the winner will be declared the new champion, and the new Tribal Cheif. Also on the show, Seth Rollins will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor in a rematch from seven years ago, where Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins to become the first ever WWE Universal Champion, but would have to relinquish the belt the best next night due to an injury caused by Rollins in that match. The WWE Intercontinental Championship held by GUNTHER will also be on the line when he faces the impending threat of the returning Scottish terminator, Drew McIntyre. The WWE Women’s Champion Asuka will be in action when she defends her title against not just persistent thorn in her side Bianca Belair, but the former 14-time champion Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match. Social Media megastar turned WWE mainstay Logan Paul is also on the card when he battles the high-flying Ricochet in what is sure to be a wild affair, and former friends collide when Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler meet in a match contested under MMA Rules. Finally, the Slim Jim

+ Roman Reigns (c) vs Jey Uso (Tribal Combat for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship): frankly, something is going to have to change with Roman Reigns going forward, title or no title, or these matches are going to be on the other side of my recommendation list sooner rather than later. I gushed at the first Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso match from Clash of Champions in 2020, inside the Thunderdome, and how it let Reigns talk trash as he wrestled, but now they are doing the same thing in front of fans around arena, and it doesn’t have the same effect. This was good, don’t get me wrong but just not great anymore. Also, I might be reading into it too much, but the commentary used two lines most associated in the WWE with CM Punk, which I found incredibly interesting
+ Asuka (c) vs Bianca Belair vs Charlotte Flair (WWE Women’s Championship): this was really good. There is not a huge amount to say about this one except that it was a lot of fun and a great showcase for what three of the better women in the WWE can do. There was one awkward fake injury bit that I never care for, but I understand why they did it and it was successful overall. I’m a big fan of Asuka and Belair in particular, but now they are at least playing into the idea that Charlotte can come in and win at any time, and the way she toes the line between hero and villain works in a way for her that not many can pull off
+ Seth Rollins (c) vs Finn Balor (WWE World Heavyweight Championship): I really enjoyed the story coming into this one, and I really enjoyed the match itself. It may have been a little bit busy towards the end, but that’s how these sort of matches always go. I can take or leave Rollins’ character itself, but there is no denying he is a hell of a wrestler. I would argue this Judgement Day version of Balor is one of his weaker characters, especially as a bad guy, but he too is one of the better in-ring competitors they have, and with the strong story there was almost no way this was going to be bad
+ Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal: this was incredibly predictable, but that is not necessarily bad. As far as Battle Royals go, this was better than usual
+ Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar: I’m genuinely surprised to say this was really good, thanks in part to seeing a lot more from Lesnar than we usually see. I was wary that this was going to be the same ‘suplex spam’ we always see, but whether Cody dragged it out of him or Lesnar just felt like working, this was one of the best Lesnar matches in a very long time. Of course Cody deserves a lot of praise, this time not being hampered by stupid storylines or fake physical maladies

– GUNTHER (c) vs Drew McIntyre (WWE Intercontinental Championship): this was fine, but in no way anywhere near as good as the Sheamus singles match or the Wrestlemania triple threat. Drew was on such a hot streak some years back, perhaps even as recently as Wrestlemania, but he has lost that spark for me int he time he’s been away, and there was nothing here that hasn’t been done better
– Ronda Rousey vs Shayna Baszler (MMA Rules): this was not good, and not worth watching at all. The WWE has done a small handful of these ‘no trust us, this one is real!’ matches, and htey are never good, and they need to stop doing it
– Logan Paul vs Ricochet: overall this was a fun spot-fest, but Logan really looked out of place and out of his depth a few times. It’s clear that in the matches like that against Reigns, or a multi-man match like a Money in the Bank ladder match or a Royal Rumble, he is invaluable at getting a response from the crowd and doing some crazy stuff. But in a fast-paced match like this, he stood out against the far more experienced Ricochet like a sore thumb. This was visually impressive, but overall too sloppy to recommend

Should you watch this event: The WWE always has it tough with SummerSlam, as I watch it while I’m in the midst of (and falling behind in) watching the NJPW G1 Climax. Nothing on this show matched the best matches of that event so far, but overall this was a good show, and a welcome break from the NJPW and G1 Climax style that I’ve been watching. Cody/Lesnar and Rollins/Balor were my two favourite matches, and I do recommend seeing them.