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It’s time for the biggest party of the summer. WWE’s 2021 Summerslam PPV is coming to you from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will feature a live audience, so prepare yourself for people singing along to Edge’s theme music during his entrance. As the PPV airs, you can check out live match results, along with our thoughts and notes about what unfolds during the event (including any surprises WWE may reveal).
Summerslam will see return matches for two wrestling superstars: Goldberg and John Cena. Of course, Cena’s been wrestling pretty regularly after TV tapings end and at house shows, so technically, this is just his televised return match. They won’t be fighting each other though. Goldberg will be taking on the exceptionally dominant Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship and Cena will face the “Head of the Table” Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
If you want to watch Summerslam, you’ll need to subscribe to Peacock–or WWE Network if you live outside of the US. Peacock has a free tier; however, you’ll need to subscribe to Peacock Premium ($5 a month) or Peacock Premium Plus ($10 a month) in order to live stream the PPV. The difference between the two is that Premium Plus is not ad-supported. However, both tiers of Peacock play the same stream Summerslam.
WWE Summerslam 2021 match card:
Big E vs. Baron Corbin [KICKOFF SHOW]AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. RK-Bro (Raw Tag Team Championship)Alexa Bliss vs. Eva MarieDrew McIntyre vs. Jinder MahalSheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest (United States Championship)Edge vs. Seth RollinsBianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women’s Championship)The Usos (c) vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg (WWE Championship)Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (Raw Women’s Championship)Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena (Universal Championship)
There are multiple championships on the line, and Smackdown has been building some impressive storylines leading up to Summerslam. Aside from Cena vs. Reigns, one of the highlights of WWE’s Friday night programming has been the lead up to Edge vs. Seth Rollins–who is wearing increasingly outlandish outfits. Edge has been on fire this past year, so this should be a fantastic match.
If you don’t have the patience to wait for Summerslam to begin, why not check out the latest episode of GameSpot’s wrestling podcast, Wrestle Buddies? This week, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring talk Summerslam with none other than the Raw Women’s Champion, Nikki A.S.H. In addition, the guys are joined by PredictionBot 3000 to discuss who they think will be the losers and winners of each match of the PPV. You can check out that episode above.
Below, you’ll find live updates, results, and a review from GameSpot’s Wrestle Buddies for Summerslam as it airs on Peacock–or on the WWE Network outside of the US. Additionally, there will be some notes for each match as well.
Kickoff Show
The Kickoff Show starts at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT and will air on Peacock, Twitter, and YouTube. Or watch it below.
Notes from the preshow or changes in the match card will be noted here.
Big E vs. Baron Corbin added to the match card.
Big E vs. Baron Corbin
Big E wins by pin
Mat: 2020 and 2021 have been a couple rough years for the world, and frankly, we’re all a little bit Baron Corbin from time to time, so I sympathize with the former King of the Ring. My main concern about this bout was that somehow, the MITB contract would end up with Corbin, which would be the worst move possible. Luckily, that didn’t happen. This match did exactly what it needed to do: it made Big E look like a star and continued the story of Corbin being down on his luck. This wasn’t a barnburner by any means, but it’s everything you want as far as story building goes. Excellent Kickoff match.
7.5/10
Chris: I love what’s going on with Baron Corbin, but I’ll be honest. I thought WWE was looking for a way to give him the Money in the Bank briefcase, which would have been horrible. Meanwhile, I’ve been dying to see Big E rightfully cash in, so this was an emotional couple of weeks for me, personally. That said, this watch was a fun Kickoff bout that got fans excited for the show to start. What’s more, Corbin got in a bunch of offense so he still looks like a competitive threat, even though he remains down on his luck. And now that Big E has his briefcase back, all eyes have to be on the main event, right?
7/10
Main Card
AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. RK-Bro
(Raw Tag Team Championship)
Randy Orton pins AJ Styles. RK-Bro are the new Raw Tag Team Champions.
Mat: I remember growing up, watching WWE, and seeing my favorite tag team RK-Bro winning championship after championship throughout their 20-year+ career. Wait, they’ve only been tagging since April, and even then so, there was a big break in between? Then why is the commentary team making such a big deal about this duo? More than anything else, this match just made me miss AJ Styles as a singles competitor. He’s–pun intended–phenomenal. RK-Bro ended up winning the match after an RKO out of nowhere–who would have thought? The Raw tag team division is in a super weird slump, and things need to change.
5/10
Chris: It remains so odd that WWE is trying to convince us all that RK-Bro is one of the greatest and longest-running tag teams of all time and not something they did to Randy Orton a few months ago when they had nothing else for him. Meanwhile, I continue to be incredibly bored by the team of AJ Styles and Omos. WWE’s tag division is in bad shape right now and Raw is the perfect encapsulation of it. No, not because there aren’t tag teams–there are several. Where are the Viking Raiders or Street Profits? Instead, Raw is focused on two makeshift teams, neither of which make sense and both of which aren’t entertaining.
Thankfully this match was quick. The work between the teams was fine, but also didn’t stand out as anything special. This should have been on the Kickoff show. RK-Bro got the win and now, one can hope, they’ll fight actual team teams.
4.5/10
Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie
Alexa Bliss wins by pin.
Mat: Eva Marie punched a doll. She beats up toys, which is the most villainous move in the history of wrestling. I don’t get what’s going on here, as to why this was booked and why it was such a short match. It was a whole lot of Eva Marie falling on her face and hitting the turnbuckle. Listen, Alexa Bliss is great. She’s great in the ring and great and honing in a character, but this didn’t really do her justice. I wasn’t expecting much out of the match, but I expected something at least a little more memorable than someone punching a doll.
4/10
Chris: Alexa’s creepy murder doll Lilly is the most over person in this match. Seriously, though, whatever Alexa Bliss does, I love it. She’s just a bottle of charisma and I’m into it. I thought the evil Alexa gimmick would end with the release of the Fiend, but it seems like Bliss is having fun with this character and now that she’s actually wrestling, it works well. Eva Marie is…a different case. I still don’t understand what brought her back to WWE or why we’re supposed to care. She’s kind of a bullet, she beats up Alexa’s doll, she’s very pink. But she, well, she can’t wrestle. And that’s a bit difficult on a wrestling show.
Anyway, this one was quick, Alexa won with a DDT and celebrated with her murder doll. I want to note how entertaining Alexa’s mannerisms in the ring are during these matches, as she looks to be teetering on the edge of sanity. I also want to note how I still don’t understand what’s happening with Eva Marie and Dewdrop. Or why this match needed to happen in the first place.
5/10
Sheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest
(United States Championship)
Damian Priest wins
Mat: Sheamus, wear your backstage attire into the ring, you coward. I want to see you in the coat, the white shit, the beat-up pants, and that silly hat on your body as you wrestle the man who has an invisible bow and arrow. Just imagine, Sheamus coming to the ring, looking like a guy who just stepped out of a local pub, coming to the ring. Might as well give him a pint of his favorite ale while we’re at it. Instead, what we have is Sheamus from a couple years back in a facemask.
I was just going to talk about the outfit Sheamus chooses to wrestle in, but I actually got really invested in the match–a story I wasn’t into by any means. Putting over Priest was the perfect move, as he’s ready for that next step. Priest overcame huge odds for this battle, and came out on top with a solid, clean pin. The match did both wrestlers justice, and ya know what? I wouldn’t mind seeing these two fight again.
7/10
Chris: Slowly, but surely, Sheamus’s Snatch movie cosplay is bleeding over to his ring gear and I love it. Also, I’m just going to say it: Damian Priest’s entrance routine is a little too extra for me. He does the fake archery thing, he does the weird headbanging thing, he does the fake archery thing again. Let’s tone it down a bit.
That all out of the way, this was definitely the best match of the show, thus far. Sheamus knows how to brawl well, and he’s a great heel. Damian Priest is coming into his own and is entertaining to watch. He can brawl with Sheamus, but also isn’t afraid to go to the top rope to execute a visually dazzling move. He does a bit of everything, making him a good person to have on your roster. I’m glad Priest for the win and the United States Championship. It injects a bit of fresh blood into the title holders on the show and now makes him vulnerable to every predatory heel on the brand–except The Miz, I hope.
7/10
The Usos (c) vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
(Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The Usos win by pin.
Mat: Listen, I want to be sucked into matches to the point where I forget to write up my thoughts about the match. That hasn’t happened tonight, until now. Tag team wrestling at WWE has been lackluster as of late. The only thing Smackdown has going for it right now is The Mysterios and The Usos. That’s it. And yes, these two teams can put on one hell of a match. We saw that tonight. But where do you go from here?
Regardless, the match that we saw for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship is the match of the night so far; however, that’s not really saying much, considering everything leading up to it. I want more edge-of-my-seat bouts like this. Why can’t I have them?
8/10
Chris: The Dominick giving Rey a piggyback ride bit never gets old. Look, this match was great. However, it’s also a good look at what’s happening with Smackdown’s tag division right now. Outside of these two teams, who else connects with the audience and can deliver huge matches? Nobody, really.
Anyway, what a fast-paced and action-packed match this was. These two teams gave it their all and it was a blast to watch. The Usos won, which I didn’t expect (I thought Jey Uso would turn on his brother to solidify his loyalty to Roman, but that can happen later). All told, though, what a great bout.
8/10
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks Carmella Becky Lynch
(Smackdown Women’s Championship)
Sasha Banks is out, so Belair will be taking on Carmella.Becky Lynch comes out before the match starts.
Becky Lynch wins.
Mat: Listen, the card is subject to change, and sometimes, you have to be a Mandalorian and film a TV show for Disney (that’s half-joking speculation by Chris and I as to why Sasha Banks isn’t there, and not confirmed in ANY way). Carmella came out and it was going to be a rematch of Smackdown from last night. Then Becky Lynch came out, and I lost my mind. I was so excited. I just couldn’t hide it. I was about to lose control, and I thought I liked it. However, we didn’t get a match between Lynch and Belair. We got a 5-second squash. This was a good night to bring Lynch back, but this was not the smartest way to do it.
I’m not rating this. It wasn’t a match.
Chris: I’m going to ignore everything that happened before Bianca and Becky because it’s not as important as this match itself. I’ve been so excited to see Becky Lynch return to the ring, but this was not the way to do it. Bianca Belair has been a shining spot on WWE’s entire roster–and one of the company’s best champions. And she quickly loses to a cheap shot from a returning Becky Lynch? That’s a joke that mocks not only Bianca’s title reign, but Becky’s return. It sucks, honestly. Bianca Belair deserves better than this–and so did the crowd who were promised a rematch of one of Wrestlemania’s best main events ever, even long after it became clear Sasha Banks wouldn’t be on the card.
This gets no rating from me.
Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal
Drew McIntyre wins.
Mat: This was a match. This could have been one of the best matches of the decade, and I’d still be a bit down on it–mainly because of the Lynch title change. The end featured McIntyre swinging his sword around and Jinder’s buddy’s, which is incredibly silly. It’s not a real threat. I don’t like it.
3/10
Chris: Honestly, I’m still deflated after the last match. But also, I hate this feud. The whole thing is based on Drew McIntyre wanting to kill people with his sword. Drew won, it was over quick, and it felt utterly pointless. When I said Drew was getting stale in the world title hunt and needed to try something fresh, this isn’t what I was talking about.
2/10
Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
(Raw Women’s Championship)
Charlotte wins by submission.
Mat: I like the dynamic between these three wrestlers. Both Rhea and Charlotte are brutal, and Nikki does a lot of fun moves as she wears down her opponents. That’s the thing about her. Nikki is fun to watch because she’s unique and likable. Not every wrestler has to be a brooding badass. Nikki makes the comedic gimmick work in her favor.
Anyway, Charlotte won, and it feels like WWE is hitting the reset button tonight on all its titles. Everyone is a new champion tonight for the most part. And out of the three women in that last match, Charlotte is the last person I wanted to see with the title. She needs a new gimmick or something. She’s grown stale.
6/10
Chris: I love Nikki ASH, I love Rhea Ripley, I’m incredibly bored with Charlotte Flair. So, of course, Charlotte won. Is WWE trying to kill its women’s division in a single night, cause it’s working. Charlotte as WWE Raw Women’s Champion is the least entertaining choice, if we’re being honest. Having the title doesn’t elevate her, meanwhile quickly taking it away from Nikki ASH essentially obliterates the rise of that character. At least it was a fun match to watch, complete with hard work from all three women. It was just a very bad ending.
5.5/10
Edge vs. Seth Rollins
Edge wins by submission.
Chris: From Seth Rollins’ drip to Edge’s Brood entrance, this match rules from the very beginning. Even before they locked up, these two looked like they had come to steal the show and boy did they ever. The World Championship matches have a lot of work to do if they want to top this.
The work from both of these men was off-the-charts, with it seeming like either of them could win at various points. After the loss at Wrestlemania, Edge needed this victory and, thankfully, he got it. But the real win goes to the both of them, who blew the roof off this stadium.
9/10
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg
(WWE Championship)
Mat: At the 5- minute mark of the match, I thought I had stepped into another universe. I expected this to be a two-minute squash. From bell-to-bell, this match was 7 minutes and 11 seconds long, which may be a record for Golberg. The match was a showcase to make Lashley look strong, but also not to diminish the power of Goldberg too much–as to why for the latter, I’ll never know.
The ending with Goldberg throwing in the towel was weird, which led to Lashley beating up Goldberg, post-match, then Goldberg’s son jumping in the ring, to which Lashley beat him up too. It’s all silly, but what I love is how over Lashley is with the crowd and how much they don’t care for Goldberg. The match was better than I thought it would be, but not by much. MVP is still great though.
5/10
Chris: Was this Goldberg’s longest match ever? Maybe. I like the story it told, though I wish it wasn’t done at the expense of how monstrous a heel champion Lashley is. He’s been an unstoppable beast of a man since winning the championship, but Goldberg quickly dismantled him. Ultimately, MVP’s scheming and Lashley’s relentlessness led to a knee injury for Goldberg and the end of the match.
This segment was actually about what came after, as Lashley beat up Goldberg with a chair then choked out his kid. Clearly, these two aren’t done and, honestly, this was far better than I expected from this match. Still, given it was the semi-main event and a world title match, it should have been more than just a building block for the next chapter. This is the second biggest show of the year, not a random episode of Raw.
6/10
Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena
(Universal Championship)
Roman Reigns wins by pin.
Mat: Once, he was the Thoroughbred. Now, he’s the head of the table. Roman Reigns went from being a horse to a man with a good seat for dinner. Reigns has been on a tear, but when Cena came along, it made Reigns even better–something I didn’t think was possible. This is a big match and it was paced that way. It’s a slow build with Reigns dominating and Cena trying to survive and get that three count. I’m fine with this being one-sided because as Cena’s previous promos stated, he knows he’s going to get beaten up, and he just needs a three count.
The finish was a little weird to me, as it was completely clean. I expected Reigns to win by nefarious means, or at least a little interference from The Usos. It didn’t though, and I was fine with that. However, after the match was said and done, Bork Lazer showed up sporting a new ponytail and beard, and the two men stared each other down. I guess Reigns is running the part-timer gauntlet now.
8.5/10
Chris: It was odd how dominating Reigns was early on, but it played into how Cena painted the picture weeks ago that Reigns was going to destroy him. Cena only needed three seconds to pin. Still, this isn’t the first time these two have thought and their previous bouts were never this one-sided, so it felt a bit strange.
Eventually, things got more competitive, the match took off and there were a number of times I thought Cena had the victory. In the end, though, the Head of the Table reigned supreme–and it’s not all that surprising to me. He won clean, but he’s also the one that’s going to be here for Smackdown, while Cena heads off to film a movie. Plus, giving us that dominant performance played well into what came after, with Brock Lesnar making his return. Smackdown continues to be the most interesting of WWE’s shows, and the summer of Cena led to everyone’s favorite jorts fan livening up house show and TV tapings for a couple of months. Everybody wins.
8.5/10
