WWE Summerslam 2016 Review (Part 1)

WWE Summerslam 2016
August 21, 2016
Brooklyn, New York

The Beast Incarnate clashes with The Viper in the main event of the biggest event of the summer! Will Randy Orton be able to take down the imposing Brock Lesnar? Also, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor fight for a chance to become the first Universal Champion.

Match 1: Enzo & Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
Enzo & Big Cass come out to open the show in front of their New York fans as Enzo cuts a slick promo before the match. Hate him all you want but the dude really could really throw out some dope stuff on the mic. If I'm correct, this was the first time Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens had a big tag team match and of course, they meshed well so nicely here. Loved their trash talking throughout the match and Owens mocking Enzo was a sight to see. With Big Cass getting eliminated from the action, Enzo was left to fend for himself as he got launched by Owens to Jericho for a Codebreaker. Jericho & Owens pick up the big win in a solid opening match.
Winners: Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
After Sasha Banks won the Raw Women's Championship from Charlotte Flair a few weeks prior to this on an episode of Monday Night Raw, Charlotte gets her big rematch here. Really solid action from the two here, they were able to truly display their athleticism and abilities in the ring while teasing us for more matches down the line. This was around the time the women's division was picking up and the crowd was definitely eating up all the cool spots throughout the match. Banks looks to seal the deal with a Bank Statement until Charlotte is able to roll her up with a surprise win and steal the victory and regain her Women's Championship. Great match between the two and a great way for them to lead into bigger matches down the road soon after.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Apollo Crews
At this point, The Miz was really coming back into his own as a star and certainly becoming one of the company's top heels for the first time in a long time. Mauro Ranallo notes on commentary how the Intercontinental Championship has changed hands many times at Summerslam which could possibly mean trouble for the current champ. Decent match here with Apollo Crews showcasing a bit of his cool offense while The Miz tries to walk away from the fight before hitting a Skull Crushing Finale out of nowhere to seal the win and retain the title.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **

Match 4: AJ Styles vs. John Cena
After a fluke victory over John Cena at Money in the Bank, AJ Styles gets a chance to right his wrongs here at Summerslam in one of the biggest marquee matches of the night. I am going to include myself when I say this match gets completely overlooked by so many because of their classic bout at Royal Rumble 2017. For whatever reason, Cena and Styles had some unreal chemistry and truly brought the best out of each other like no other. The case was no different here, the crowd was absolutely electric for the action here that really just saw them stepping on the gas from the very beginning. The nearfalls throughout the match were a joy to watch and seeing Styles kick out of an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment nearly blew the roof off the building. Despite Cena kicking out of everything Styles gave him, Styles finally sealed the deal after hitting a Styles Clash and immediately following it with a Phenomenal Forearm. Styles pins Cena clean. Incredible performance from the two and a shame that this match has become almost forgotten.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ****3/4

Match 5: WWE Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Gallows & Anderson
With Big E out of action, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defend their titles against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Oh, and Jon Stewart is in the corner for The New Day. When are we going to get rid of this damn guy? The crowd could seriously not care any less for this dude and him talking for just two minutes on the mic prior to the match was such an annoyance. Decent tag match here with Stewart involving himself in the match and nearly getting destroyed by Gallows and Anderson before Big E returns to come and make the save. The match ends in a disqualification against The New Day but they still retain the belts.
Winners: Gallows & Anderson (via disqualification)
Rating: **