WWE Summerslam 2014 Results, Review

Welcome to the 2014 version of the Summerslam Retro Rawviews. Just a reminder to everyone you can catch my predictions of this year’s Summerslam on IWNerd.com. Also don’t forget you requested a similar series in September for classic Monday Night Raws. I will be doing those starting in September a couple times a week. This is the first Summerslam of the Network era and I can’t remember many BAD specials since the network has been launched. Not much of a video package to begin this show so lets just jump right into a title match to begin the night.

The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Title Match): This is when Miz is doing the money maker gimmick where he avoids getting hit in the face. This match opens with some back and forth wrestling and Ziggler has the upper hand early on. These two have really good chemistry and they really showed that last year. The crowd is very much into this match and they chant “you can’t wrestle” to Miz. Fun fact… I was actually set to go to the Battleground PPV that was right before this Summerslam however that weekend got sick and had a 103 fever during the PPV. Miz finally loses control of the match and Ziggler gets the baby face comeback spot. Ziggler finally gets a big punch to the face followed by a super kick for a two count. This match is really good as Ziggler breaks the figure four and hits a fameasser and Miz hits a Skull Crushing Finale right from that for a two count. Miz goes for a big boot to a seated Ziggler and Miz misses, Ziggler hits a Zig Zag for the win. A very good match to start this show and you can really see the chemistry they have.

AJ Lee vs. Paige (Divas Title Match): I’m very interested in this match as these two are pretty good workers. Paige comes out skipping around the ring mocking AJ. Paige’s theme is low key awesome. They start this match with AJ biting and pulling Paige’s hair out. Paige then goes to the outside and AJ bounces her head off the table and apron. Paige gets the upper hand and AJ is such a good seller. Those apron knees that Paige did when she was in WWE always looked well. The two battle on the top rope and AJ pushes Paige to the floor. We now have a flying crazy person as she hits a flying clothesline to Paige. We get an awesome Paige Turner reversal into the Black Widow subsmission and then Paige reverses into a Rampaige. This was a short match however was very well done.

Jack Swagger vs. Rusev (Flag Match): Can you believe that in 2014 they would run such an old school angle of foreigner vs. American? Not only that but the American would be super over? I forgot that Rusev didn’t wear boots before. We get action inside and now spilling outside the ring and Swagger hits a big time clothesline. I swear the Swagger bomb never worked when he was a face. Rusev looks like an absolute monster in this match his chest is HUGE. Rusev has one of the best side kicks in the business. Great psychology with Rusev selling the ankle that Swagger has been working on. Both guys selling injuries during this match makes me so happy. PSYCHOLOGY!! Rusev cuts off the baby face come back with a big kick to the ribs and his awesome side kick. Lana yell’s CRUSH to Rusev and he goes for the Accolade however his leg gives out. Great psychology here as Rusev locks in a modified accolade that Swagger reverses into a Patriot Lock. The crowd is going crazy for Rusev to tap out. Rusev breaks out of it and it’s an impressive spin kick. Rusev now fights through the pain and locks in the Accolade with Rusev selling how much it hurts for him to lock it in. Swagger passes out from the pain and Rusev wins. After the match Rusev attacks Zeb Coulter and since he won we have a GIANT flag for Rusev over the ring.

Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (Lumberjack Match): So just three years ago we had Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose and this weekend they will team up for the tag titles. Ambrose comes in on fire and stomps a mud hole in Rollins. Rollins tries to escape the ring and the lumberjacks throw him right back in. Ambrose then clotheslines him outside and they throw him back in. This is pretty much Ambrose bating the hell out of Rollins early. Simple psychology makes this match work unlike others, Ambrose is bringing an intensity to this match where Rollins wants to escape but can’t. Also when Ambrose goes outside he fights the lumberjacks. So far in this match it’s a fight not much wrestling but that’s ok. Really cool spot with Ambrose suplexing Rollins from inside to outside the ring onto lumberjacks. It now ends up in a giant brawl with Rollins going over the barricade. Before Ambrose can go over the barricade after Rollins the lumberjacks throw him back in the ring.. This leads to Ambrose diving through the ropes onto the lumberjacks and running on the announce tables jumping over the barricade to get to Rollins. The psychology of this match is great, they are telling a fantastic story here. We now get Ambrose and Rollins brawling into the crowd which brings out Corporate Kane. He tells the lumberjacks to go get the competitors. Ambrose comes back into the ring and all the lumberjacks are carrying Rollins which leads Ambrose to jumping on EVERYONE. Things break down now and everyone is attacking Ambrose. Ambrose cleans house but gets hit by a briefcase and Rollins wins. BEST LUMBERJACK MATCH EVER and so far match of the night. This has been a REALLY REALLY GOOD Summerslam half way through.

Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho: The hits keep coming and the fire flies are out and its such a cool sight. You know for a big guy he really sells for people. We get a springboard shoulder block to the outside by Jericho. Jericho has the upper hand early in this match and hits a great looking cross body. Wyatt gains control and slows the pace down and starts beating on Jericho with his head against the ring post. You would have expected this feud at the time to be amazing especially promo wise. I remember thinking at the time that it fell a bit flat, not bad just not what many of us expected. Lots of back and forth with neither man really getting full control and some near falls. I think it was Austin who said Wyatt needs to stop smiling and laughing so much in the match and be a bit more intense and I agree. Last Summerslam I compared him to Mankind and I think if he rolled more into that character and less smiley and more deranged it would work better. Wyatt hits a nasty looking DDT on the apron. Jericho hits a top rope hurricanrana and that’s impressive for a guy at his age and the size of Wyatt. Wyatt toward the end of this match is showing more intensity and anger which is how he should look all the time, he hits Sister Abigail and wins.

Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella: Let me just say now, i’m about as big a Stephanie McMahon mark as there is. I’ve loved this character since the McMahon/Helmsley era. Nobody has a better pissed off face than Steph does and she looks great tonight in her black leather. Out comes Brie Bella to a mild reaction. Rhonda Rousey and Shana Baszler is shown ringside before the match however Rousey is the only one who gets the graphic. Stephanie uses her strength early in this match. You can kind of feel the crowd buzzing a bit and giving it a big fight kind of feel Brie out wrestles Stephanie a bit and Stephanie gets the upper hand and starts mocking the Yes chant. OUCH! Brie takes a nasty bump as she goes for a suicide dive but Steph catches her before she can get out of the ring. Stephanie now dominates the match and its really slow which is kind of taking the crowd out of it. Brie gets the baby face comeback and the crowd is behind her and she hits Yes kicks in the corner. They even cheer for the Brie Mode drop kick off the middle rope. HHH comes down as Brie Bella is punching Stephanie. Nikki then follows and HHH distracts the ref which leads to a pedigree attempt but reversed into the Yes lock. HHH pulls the referee out of the ring and Brie takes out HHH with a baseball slide. The crowd is ON FIRE with yes chants and both Bella’s end up standing on either side of Stephanie. Nikki blasts Brie with the forearm and the crowd goes WILD. Stephanie hits a Pedigree and wins the match.

Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns: Roman is getting a much different reaction here than he does now. Reigns takes early control of this match and they brawl inside and outside the ring. Orton gets the upper hand as they get back into the ring and starts to slow down the pace and starts stomping away at different body parts of Roman. The crowd is pretty flat for this match and i’m not sure if its because of the heel turn that just happened of they just don’t care about these two. There is something about these two that just doesn’t fit well i can’t put my hand on it. I think its the clash of styles, where Roman works way better in an intense high impact match, Orton wants to slow it down and use psychology. They end up back outside the ring and Orton throws Reigns into everything he possibly can. Back inside we go and Reigns hits a COOL looking samoan drop off the middle rope. He then sets up for the super man punch which I must admit is an awesome spot. AMAZING reversal from a spear into the snap power slam Orton does. We get some more back and forth then Reigns reverses an RKO and goes for what I believe is another super man punch and we get an RKO out of no where. Orton backs into the corner and sets up for a punt kick by Roman avoids it and hits the spear for the win. This match really picked up in the end and the fans are cheering Reigns. So just keep in mind three years ago at Summerslam the fans were fully behind Roman. Another very good match on this card.

Brock Lesner vs. John Cena (WWE Title Match): Call me crazy but I believe Lesner has the best entrance in all of WWE. Hear me out, when that music hits he comes out with such an intensity that you can’t help but feel THIS is the main event of the night. Cena and Lesner brawl early and they roll around and fight. Lesner catches Cena early for an F5 and the crowd explodes. Lesner now lurks over Cena begging him to get up and this begins the epic beat down that you’ve seen or heard about from this PPV. The beginning of suplex city was here no doubt I know it wasn’t coined that yet. This match is NEVER in question as Lesner just drops Cena on his head time after time after time again. This match works because although its Lesner and he’s in firm control you can’t stop wacthing because you feel that if Cena can hit one AA its over. Lesner hits a ton of really cool looking german suplexes in a row. Cena locks in the STF and Lesner reverses it into a kimora then an F5 to win. The crowd is shocked because of how dominate the performance was along with the outcome. This PPV is great.

While I don’t have my lists in front of me I don’t see how this isn’t on my top five Summerslams ever. Such an iconic main event match from Cena and Lesner and a fantastic Rollins and Ambrose match which is the match of the night. Both women’s matches were good and had you talking the next night. Reigns looked like a million dollars and Miz and Ziggler delivered. Nothing on this show is bad at all and if you’ve never seen this Summerslam do yourself a favor and go watch it. Until next time be awesome.

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