WWE Summerslam 2012 Review

Match 1: Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has seemingly missed his chance to win the big one in several years. He hasn’t necessarily won any marquee matches since 2008 or 2009. Ziggler has let this be known to Jericho where the two will face each other in the opening contest of the night. This is the perfect match to set the pace of the night, Ziggler is becoming the guy to open up Summerslam throughout the past few years. Jericho’s veteran instincts really brought out the best of Ziggler here and his unselfishness really was in display here at a forefront. Jericho has become popular for simply making his opponents look stronger in recent years. Fun back and fourth action from the two mixed with a little bit of everything. Jericho is selling is injured ribs nicely and Ziggler is making the most out of his opportunities. Even still, Ziggler isn’t able to pull through as Jericho makes Ziggler tap out to get a big Summerslam win! Great opening match to set up the night, Ziggler eating a loss doesn’t hurt him as he put in a very great wrestling display.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***¼

Match 2: Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
The crowd is really getting into Bryan, a huge push should be in order for him soon as he faces Kane in the second match of the night. Bryan practically has great chemistry with everybody on the roster and while Kane may be a challenge for even him, the two had a fun little match here. Nothing that we haven’t come to expect from the two, just a good match to have following the opener with Bryan picking up the surprise win after Kane tries to take out Bryan after hitting a Chokeslam.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating:**½

Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - The Miz © vs. Rey Mysterio
It is no secret that Mysterio is nearing the end of his course. But that doesn’t mean that he is not capable of putting on fun matches with guys like The Miz. The crowd is actually pretty split for the two as their star powers have easily dwindled throughout the course of the year due to their absences. Even still, they put on a good match with a few nifty spots until Miz eventually gets the best of Mysterio for the win. Life in this title is at a low, Miz holding it somewhat brings a little more credibility and especially considering how he defeats Mysterio at Summerslam. Match was good for what it was and served its purpose in a short period.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **¼

Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Coming off their match at Money in the Bank, their feud spills over into Summerslam. As expected, the action was similar to that match but it doesn’t really take anything away from the match. Both men have established themselves as the top dogs on SmackDown and their match here shows it. Great back and fourth action from the two as the crowd was definitely into the action. After Del Rio nearly picks up the win, he tries to cleverly get the win by having Ricardo Rodriguez toss him his shoe. However, Del Rio misses the catch and Sheamus gets a hold of it to land a nasty blow. Sheamus hits an Irish Curse to get the victory only after the referee doesn’t see Sheamus shoving Del Rio’s foot off the rope. The finish felt so awkward but still a cool way for Sheamus to get the win. In a way, in kind of reminded me of Eddie beating Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX. The only difference being that this wasn’t executed as nicely. It hurt the match more than anything. Good match that suffered a bit from an odd finish.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***

Match 5: WWE Tag Team Championships - Kofi Kingston & R-Truth © vs. The Primetime Players
Just a basic filler match to pass time and get these guys a quick spot on the card. Really feel like The Primetime Players are starting to rise above and have definitely earned my consideration for champions. Good match with your typical action you would normally see on an episode of Raw. Kingston & Truth retain as they continue their reign as champions.
Winners: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Rating: *¾

Match 6: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show
For all the times these guys have done battle, there is still interest in them feuding and a triple threat match works nicely for the WWE Championship match. They have established Big Show as the dark horse of the match with the main focus being between Punk and Cena and the action nicely demonstrates that with Show not necessarily being the focal point of the match. However, he still is able to get in a great amount of offense and not let the audience forget that he is still in the match. Punk and Cena both lock Show simultaneously in submissions and Show cannot carry on as he taps out. A winner cannot be declared so AJ Lee comes out to restart the match. I normally hate it when matches have this type of scuffle but considering the feud heating up between the two, it worked. Show immediately lands a Chokeslam to both guys but is not able to secure the victory. Cena eventually hits Show with an Attitude Adjustment but Punk tosses Cena out of the ring and covers Show to get the win. While the finish was predictable, it worked as Punk is still looking to get going as a heel and get the feud really cooking. Punk mocks Cena and celebrates after as his long reign goes on.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¼

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H
It’s the perfect storm. The main event of Summerslam 2012 in Los Angeles at the Staples Center features Triple H stepping in the ring against Brock Lesnar. This is probably the most hyped Summerslam main event in the past decade or so. Stemming from Lesnar breaking Triple H’s arm a few months back on Raw, The Game had no other option but to gain his revenge. WWE has done an excellent job at promoting this match and it doesn’t stop at the event itself. Beautiful video packages along with top notch commentary allow this match to beckon a big match type of feel. Things start off hot with Triple H getting the better of the exchange early on but only makes Lesnar angry and allows him to take advantage. Lesnar looked dominant throughout but not to the point where it became lopsided because  Triple H managed to fight back and make things very interesting. Triple H focused on the stomach of Lesnar after driving him into the corner of the table and nearly became the downfall for Lesnar who has a huge history of stomach problems. Lesnar proved to be too strong and too powerful for The Game to handle as Lesnar made Triple H tap out with the Kimura submission when Triple H when for a pin attempt from the Pedigree after focusing on Triple H‘s arm throughout the match. The near falls were believable, the counters were just ridiculous, the psychology was there, the crowd was alive yet this will be one of the most overlooked Summerslam main events. I think many just simply dislike the fact that Triple H is again inserted into another main event but there is no denying the effort that both men put into this match to make it what it was. Let’s also not forget the presence of Paul Heyman. His shouting and screaming added another layer to the match and only made the audience hate Lesnar more than they already do. Aside from that, referee Scott Armstrong was informed by Triple H to only end the match via pin fall or submission and seeing Lesnar land a low blow upon Triple H made him look like a nasty heel. Pure awesome. This match definitely matches up to Lesnar’s match against Cena back in May. Lesnar winning somewhat avenges his loss against Cena and makes him look like a beast in the process.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****½

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A rather weak Summerslam with only a couple bright spots to look at when it is all said and done. Everything on the card is rather forgettable until we talk about the main event. Brock Lesnar is on top of his game and is easily the biggest attraction in wrestling today, bar none. The theme of the show is focused around the main event and in all honesty, it is for the right reason.
Rating: 6.5/10