Summer Slam 2015

The build is here.

Summer Slam 2015 comes to you from Brooklyn.  Which, as maybe you’ve heard, is in the house. It is the 28th Summer Slam and the 114th WWF PPV. 

(Dark Matches have always been an element of the PPVs; collections of which were staples of the 90s tape trading movements. The WWF Network now has every dark match available for viewing – here, we see the dark matches aired live as pre-show matches, although without commentary.  I don’t hate wrestling without commentary to be honest – I also care less about crowd reaction than do others, but note here that going forward, all the dark matches air live on the Network as pre-show matches, even though the PPVs themselves are still actually PPVs – you can watch them on the Network a month later.

Prince Devitt d. Jushin Thunder Liger

Samoa Joe/James Storm d. Ciampa/Gable

It’s Liger’s long promoted WWF match, he does a second match on Dark Ride the following week, putting over La Sombra.  The second match continues a program, Storm is a mystery partner supporting Joe against a combined GDI/Underground team. Joe and Storm win, meaning Dark Ride 

Wrestling becomes the permanent name of the WWF Network show previously called GVU. 

The following week, Storm and Joe beat Gargano/Jordan – that’s enough to break up the G’s and the U’s, there’s squabbling after that loss which is going to lead to a Jordan/Gable v Gargano/Ciampa program, with Swagger and Noble as their respective mouthpieces. 

Storm cuts promo postmatch saying he and Joe are together – and together they run Dark Ride Wrestling – and together they can’t be stopped – Storm holds up four fingers (Storm was part of the final configuration of the Horsemen in TNA with Joe and Roode) and then Joe wipes him out.

Storm cuts the “is that how it is, you selfish prick” promo on Joe the following week.

Joe cuts a “yeah, I am a selfish prick, yeah, that is how it is – there’s no we, there’s no stable, this isn’t an invasion – this is Samoa Joe running this place on his own” response.

They have a match on Dark Ride – Joe goes over very strong and that ends Storm’s run.)

Your announce is Joey/Regal/Christian

1.       Ka$h Kingston (w/Woods) d. Tyler Perry Presents the Prime Time Players

-Bait and switch, it’s billed as the in ring debut of Woods in a tag team called The New Day, based on Woods’ catchphrase. But Woods remains in his professorial street clothes, cutting an in ring promo that he’s too woke to lay hands on these bougie brothers.  Kingston wins from the short side of a handicap match.

2. Number One Contender Triple Threat: Charlotte Flair d. Becky Lynch/Sasha Banks

-Paige is Women’s Champion, she grabs a headset and joins commentary; all four women are in a stable, 4-Ground, managed by Ric Flair.  This is one final to a finish – two important spots, one is Flair preventing his daughter from some form of rule breaking, say she’s trying to hold the ropes during a pinfall attempt and Flair breaks it up.  Flair was very public in not being happy this match was made, saying it was an attempt to drive a fissure into the stable, and has been preaching the need for the whole group to play fair and stay intact regardless of the result.  The build for match has seen Flair emerge as the manager of the stable and gain a lot of credibility by not promoting Charlotte at all; there’s no way to read 4-Ground coming into the match except that Charlotte is fourth. 

The second spot leads to the finish; Becky is down in the ring, Sasha and Charlotte are outside – 

Charlotte is on her knees doing the beg off spot, and Ric somehow gets in the way of Sasha taking advantage, say he accidently trips over Charlotte so he can take a bump – that puts him on the ground between the two women, Charlotte takes advantage and lays Sasha out, then returns to the ring, has a finishing sequence with Becky and gets the fall. 

Paige joins them in the ring – there’s some hesitance by all the women, but Flair consoles Sasha and Becky, tells them how well they fought, largely ignores Charlotte, and all seems fine is a bit uneasy as the group leaves the ring.

And now – a very special appearance by the senior US senator from the great state of Connecticut, Linda McMahon.

Linda comes to the ring, says it’s great to finally see women’s wrestling in the WWF – says it’s great to be in Brooklyn as New York has always been home of the WWF and the place with its most loyal fans.

And after a couple of additional platitudes, Linda McMahon announces her candidacy for the Presidency of the United States.

This is several years in the making, from her populist “tax millionaires+rebuild Infrastructure” campaign to her governing as an Elizabeth Warren style liberal to her book “Tonight…In This Very Country” detailing decades of wage stagnation and upward wealth distribution.  This announcement was expected, with McMahon providing the left flank challenge to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders chooses not to run and throws his support behind Linda in her effort to become the first woman elected President of the US.

3.Roman Reigns Uso d. Randy Orton

-Following the Usos loss to Direct to Video at Mania, the latest in a line of big match losses for the Usos, Reigns essentially snapped, saying he would spend the next year killing each member of D2V dead.  He starts here with Orton and kills him dead, Orton’s off the booking sheet for at least a year, he’s left in scraps following this match.  Reigns yells “one down, two left” postmatch. 

4. Rusev (w/GHB and Lana) d. Luke Harper (countout)

-GHB cuts promo pre-match, says that a lady socialist like Linda McMahon, who just wants to give people health care and education and internet access and clean water, can run for President is exactly why the only real American men left – are Russians.

Finish comes when Harper (Sandow) comes to ringside – that just drives Luke nuts, he has no chill when it comes to his doppelganger, he chases him up the ramp, but never catches him – because as Lana distracts the official in the way you’d expect, someone emerges from GHBs limo which is parked on the top of the ramp…

…Dos Caras Jr.

Dos Caras wipes Luke out, by the time the official recognizes that, Dos Caras is back in the car, Luke is down, and a 20 count later the match is over with Rusev’s unbeaten streak intact.  Dos Caras comes to the ring postmatch and he poses with the rest of the group.  Dos Caras has returned to WWF and joined Rusev. 

5. Kalisto d. Pac

-Both men making their PPV debut; it’s the rookie, Kalisto who gets the fall in what is played as a sizeable upset.  They shake hands postmatch; Pac is noticeably frustrated, Steen has been pressing he and Claudio all summer to get tougher (and other euphemisms for turn heel) and Pac wrestled a totally clean match against a younger high flyer and got beat.  Regal is excited at the announce, standing and applauding for the Underground win. 

6. Number One Contender: Nick Nemeth d. Claudio Castagnoli

-Same essential story as the prior match, save for Nemeth’s matching Claudio in experience.  There are currently three former WWF Champions on the roster, one is the current champion Lesnar and these are the other two.  Nemeth and Claudio have built a friendship so despite Steen’s admonishment as expressed in the prior match, Claudio goes entirely clean.  Nemeth does not; he’s a tweener, and friendship isn’t as important as getting a shot at regaining that title. Nemeth grabs the tights to get his win, offers a handshake postmatch and Claudio accepts.  Regal again celebrates, high fiving Nemeth postmatch.  Nemeth will go to Survivor Series against the Lesnar/Steen winner later.  Claudio lost two straight matches against Lesnar and now loses to his friend Nemeth - like Pac in the prior match, it's an enormously frustrating night for stablemate Claudio.

SummerSlam IC Match History:
'88...Bret keeping his title over tag partner Davey Boy, who turned on him postmatch...
'89...Rude keeping the title over stablemate Hennig...
'90...Bret keeping over Jake...
'91...Bret keeping over Steamboat...
'92...Savage keeping over Jacques...
'93...Shawn keeping over Hennig...
'94...Razor keeping over Diesel in a no DQ...
'95...the first ever Summer Slam IC switch, Shawn beating Razor in a ladder match...
'96...Vader keeping in a wild brawl over Cactus...
'97...Cactus gets DQ'd in what was supposed to be a straight match against Shamrock in the Octagon, pouring thumbtacks all over the canvas...
'98...Austin wins the Triple Crown, submitting Shamrock...
'99...the first Summer Slam IC 3 way, Waltman takes Al Snow's title, DLo is the third man in the match...
'00...the first multiple falls match, Jericho takes from Eddy in a 2 of 3 falls...
'01...the unification of the IC, NWA US, and ECW TV belts, Tajiri winning all 3, beating Austin and Lance Storm...
'02...the titles remain unified, HBK taking his 4th IC title, beating RVD...
'03...Tajiri taking the titles from Rey...
'04....Jericho doing the Lizard King gimmick takes the belt in a three way over Eddy and Paul London...
'05...vacant...
'06...Hunter keeps over Leviathan with aid of the 51% Solution...
'07...Orton keeps over Kendrick...
'08...once again just the IC belt as the others are decommissioned, MVP keeps over Jeff Hardy...
'09...Shawn beats Rey to win his 5th IC title...
'10...Johnny Nitro takes from Matt Sydal....
'11...Sheamus keeps over Christian and then sends him shoulder first into the ringpost...
'12...title not defended...
'13...two defenses to make up for the previous year...Nemeth kept the belt over Christian and then lost to Ambrose...
'14...it took twenty years, but there was another IC ladder match at SummerSlam, Nemeth beating Jericho...

7. IC: Bray Wyatt (w/Harper) d. John Cena

-We continue to see the splitting of the Wyatts; first Luke Harper, then Dustin, now Cena – he didn’t intend to turn against the Family, but this match is positioned as the counterpoint to the women’s match, and instead of staying aligned, they bust apart – Harper (Sandow) plays the old Luke Harper bodyguard role early on – but Luke charges the ring and runs him off, leaving the playing field level to tease the possibility of a switch.  But it doesn’t happen, Bray wins and then gives Cena a postmatch beating.  Nothing on the booking sheet for at least a year for Cena.

SummerSlam tag title match history...
'88...the Rougeaus, Jacques and Ray with the Anvil as their bodyguard, kept over Demolition...
'89...the Rockers took the titles in a bloody battle over the Brainbusters who broke up postmatch...
'90...Kato and Tanaka, the Orient Express, took the belts over the makeshift team of Jannetty and Rude...
'91...the Road Warriors kept over Power&Glory...
'92...Money Inc kept their belts over the Road Warriors....
'93...the Steiners kept their belts over the Headshrinkers...
'94...the big man duo Luger and Bigelow kept their titles over those same Headshrinkers...
'95...the Smoking Gunns walked in and out with their belts, over the Harris Brothers...
'96...Bart had a new partner, Marc Mero, and they took the belts from Austin and Dustin Rhodes when Austin turned on his partner...
'97...the Road Warriors became tag champs again when they beat Owen and Davey Boy...
'98...a three way, Rock and DLo taking the belts from the New Age Outlaws with the other team being Hunter and Waltman..
'99...the Hardys beat Edge and Christian by DQ when Clique stablemates Hunter and Waltman joined E&C for a Hardys beatdown...
'00...TLC2, Edge/Christian taking the belts over the Hardys and Dudleys...
'01...the unification of the tag titles with NWA and ECW, the Dudleys beating Spike/Rhyno and DDP/Kanyon...
'02...a masked team which would reveal themselves postmatch as Benoit/Guerrero took the belts from Jericho and Storm...
'03...Hunter and HBK kept the belts over Dead Men Walking...
'04...rivals turned partners RVD/Mysterio took the belts over Flair/Leviathan...
'05...young tag champs Orton and Cena kept their belts over Bradshaw and Nick Dinsmore...
'06...the Dead Men Walking configuration of Hulk Hogan and PAUL kept the belts over Booker and Conway...
'07...the Superstar and the Sidekick took the belts from the LWO...
'08...Weapons of Mass Destruction kept their belts, beating Hunter and Edge...
'09...Division One took the belts from Dead Men Walking...
'10...Young Money kept over Dead Men Walking...
'11...Empire, Wade Barrett's original team, kept the belts over Nitro and the Miz...
'12...a rematch of 2010 and it came out the same way....
'13...the Shield came into Summer Slam two years ago with the belts, beat Defiance, and left with the belts....
'14...Orton again was on the wrong side of The Shield, this time as part of Direct to Video...

8. Tags: Sheamus/Barrett d. The Shield (Black/Ambrose w/Langston)

-It ends.  2 1/3 years later, the longest of any title reign in the Mania era.

It ends the way the Hart Foundation’s long run ended 30 years before, with the third man turning on the team.  Langston pulls Black off the apron, incapacitates him with a power move, sets him up on a table and splashes through it.  It needs to be enough that Black gets stretchered post-match. 

Underground doubleteam on Ambrose after the Langston attack on the outside leads to the fall.  Ambrose runs from the ring to aid Black, who is surrounded by ringside personnel – Sheamus/Barrett and Langston celebrate in the ring – it’s Barrett’s third tag title – that celebration ends when Kingston and Woods curiously make their way down the ramp, both applauding – Woods says that this is indeed a New Day for the WWF tag team division – and then Langston attacks Sheamus and Barrett, Woods and Kingston hit the ring and they lay out the brand new tag champs as Black is being stretchered away with Ambrose, not at all paying attention to the goings on inside the ring, is in tow.  Kingston/Langston and Woods pose over Barrett and Sheamus, all three men chanting “New Day…New Day…New Day…”

The Shield are busted up; Langston is a member of the New Day, Black is on his way to the hospital, and Barrett/Sheamus are the first new tag team champions since early 2013.

SummerSlam WWF Title Match history

'88...Dynamite keeps his belt over Savage...
'89...Savage keeps the belt over Bret...
'90...a cage match, Hennig keeping over Savage, Randy uses what becomes known as the WWF fork postmatch...
'91...Hennig was still the champ a year later, but dropped here to Davey Boy...
'92...Bret kept over Davey Boy in Wembley, HBK hit an elbowdrop on Owen through the announce table...
'93...a year later, Bret was still the champ, and he walked out with the belt after beating Razor...
'94...another cage match, this time it was the champ, Owen, successfully defending against Bret...
'95...Bret had the belt again, he kept it over Hakushi...
'96...HBK was the champ and stayed the champ, beating Owen...
'97...the title got held up after an Austin/Bret draw with Michaels as guest referee...
'98...Cactus won the title in a No DQ match after setting Owen on fire...
'99...can you believe there's a match without a Hart?...it was Career vs. Career, Cactus keeping the belt over Austin...
'00..Benoit kept the title here, beating the Rock...
'01...the WWF and ECW titles were merged here when Angle kept over RVD....
'02...a year later the NWA title was added too when Angle beat Rey...
'03...the culmination of a 64 man tournament for the vacant belt, Eddy beat Brock...
'04...in a 2 out of 3 falls match in Toronto, Benoit kept over Angle...
'05...another 2 of 3 falls match, Rey taking Eddy's belt...
'06...can you believe the Nature Boy won one last title...he beat Rey with the aid of the 51% Solution...
'07...this was the year there were 3 champs, the WWF champ was Rey, who took Booker's belt...
'08...the WWF belt was the only one left standing here, it was Punk's and he kept over Matt Hardy...
'09...Jericho walked in the champ and left the champ, beating MVP...
'10...Jericho was still the champ a year later, but lost to Edge, who won the Triple Crown...
'11...Nemeth kept his title here, beating Rey...
'12...Danielson was the champ here and kept over Sheamus...
'13...a cage match, Danielson regaining the title over Brock..Punk attacked Danielson with the WWF fork postmatch...
'14...Claudio was the man a year ago, he kept the belt over Bray Wyatt...

9. WWF Championship: Kevin Steen d. Brock Lesnar (w/Heyman) (Special guest referee-Ricky Steamboat)

-The 54th WWF Heavyweight Champion is Kevin Steen.

So, Brock takes everyone lightly - save Danielson, he doesn't know who anyone else is.  It really only caught up to him once, in his title win over Claudio where Castagnoli's strength was a big surprise and almost got Brock beat.  Other than that, he's had his way with the roster in this run.

Steen surprises him a little here - he's willing to brawl and willing to bail to the outside; he's a heel, so cheating isn't bug, it's a feature, and much of the match is frustrating for Lesnar, despite his physical advantages.

Steamboat is the finish.  We establish with multiple nearfalls early that Steamboat has a little hitch in his three count, it's 1-2--3, with the slight pause before the third hand drops.  He has the same hitch for every fall - except the last one, when Steen gets the fall it's 1-2-3-kickout-too late-new champ.

Steen has won, GDI has the title again - in streetclothes the injured Generico is first from the back, he and Steen hug - Claudio and Pac, both a little sheepish given earlier events, come out later and shake Steen's hand.  Like Punk, Danielson and Claudio before him - Kevin Steen has won the WWF Title for GDI.

On the other hand - Lesnar, believing he has been screwed by a fast count, freaks out.  He rips up the monitors.  He breaks a camera.  He rips up a mat on the outside.  He grabs Joey Styles over the announce table and F5s him on the floor.

Thats a full freak out moment - Heyman grabs Lesnar forcefully, screams at him to leave as personnel and security swarm the area.  Christian and Regal both drop their headsets and shout at Lesnar - Joey appears dead on the outside - it is chaos and pandemonium as Summer Slam comes to a close.

I'll ]come back in September with a list of some type, then October for the preview of Survivor Series 2015, the main event for which is Kevin Steen defending the title against Nick Nemeth.