Summer Slam 2020

The build.

Summer Slam 2020 takes place in The Bubble, in and around Orlando.  

The announcers are Scott Stanford (1st PPV) Paul Heyman (18th as an analyst) Samoa Joe (4th as an analyst)  They are not in the arena.  It is the 33rd Summer Slam and the 134th WWF PPV.  There are no dark matches; there are no fans; the show is taped, although, unlike Wrestlemania, it airs as if it is not; airing as a continuous 8 match card w/o cinematic matches or easily identifiable edits.  It is the height of WWF personnel serving as fans in the building; with as many there as can safely be held.  Thunderdome begins tomorrow.  

The show begins with a Summer Slam history clip package.

1988: Davey Boy turning on his Hart Foundation partner Bret after losing an all babyface IC Title challenge.

1989: The Rockers and The Brainbusters in a steel cage, all four men bleeding heavily.

1990: Curt Hennig throwing the towel over the shoulder to Bobby Heenan.

1991: Ricky Steamboat submitting to Bret Hart's sharpshooter. 

1992: Shawn Michaels dropping an elbow from the top buckle which sends Owen through the Spanish Announce Table

1993: Bret holding the WWF title aloft after defeating the challenge from Razor Ramon.

1994: Bret, Owen, Davey Boy and Neidhart fighting high on a steel cage.

1995: Shawn dropping an elbow on Razor from the top of the ladder.  

1996: Wild brawling between Vader and Cactus

1997: Ken Shamrock stepping into an Octagon.

1998: A fast paced sequence with Taka Michinoku and Dick Togo

1999: Cactus and Austin nose to nose prior to their Career v. Career match.  

2000: The Rock submits to Benoit's crossface.  

2001: Kurt Angle hitting a series of high angle suplexes on RVD.

2002: Rey Mysterio making his WWF debut, coming to the ring with the Big Gold Belt.  

2003: Eddy Guerrero with the frogsplash atop Lesnar.  

2004: Benoit and Angle trading stiff shots in the middle of the ring.

2005: A parejas increibles face off - Angle and Michaels standing in the ring, jawing at Benoit and Jericho.  

2006: Ric Flair, tears streaming down his face, holding the WWF Title.

2007: CM Punk coming down the aisle wearing the ECW World Title

2008: Punk hitting the Pepsi Plunge on Matt Hardy

2009: Christian inadvertantly knocking out Maria.  

2010: Punk and Bryan Danielson nose to nose.

2011: All the members of Underground doing their full "Whose House" celebration.

2012: Ricky Steamboat throwing in the towel to end the Lesnar/Punk match.  

2013: Punk attacking Danielson with the WWF Fork.  

2014: Brock Lesnar eviscerating RVD.

2015: Fast 3 way sequence with Charlotte/Sasha/Becky.

2016: Lesnar fracturing Prince Devitt's skull.

2017: Tyler Black turning on The Shield to join the Bullet Club.  

2018: Ronda Rousey landing stiff shots on Charlotte

2019: Ricochet hitting a 450 on Buddy Murphy.

1. Randy Orton/MVP d. The Fiend/Braun Strowman

-admittedly, these two teams were tossed together for this one; there's a storyline reason established in the build, but it's thin and given the restrictions placed by the virus (and it's Summer Slam, when historically things get tough in normal years) we wind up here.  Wyatt never shows up - one of the stories coming in is will either of these teams acually be cohesive; Orton/MVP is and Wyatt just blows this match off entirely, RKO for the finish as Strowman goes under.  

2. The Fiend Bray Wyatt d. Braun Strowman

-The stip from the first match, recall, is the losing team immediately squares off - that happens here; as this is taped, there can be enough goofy special effects to make the arena suitable for Wyatt's Funhouse thing; as his matches should feel unusual while still being a wrestling match fundamentally.  It's a squash, as was the Mania win over Cena - Wyatt then brutalizes Strowman over the course of the next build until Strowman leaves the territory; Wyatt "takes" Strowman's "God of Carnage" nickname in a RAW match and sort of wears it like it was a title; like he's the King of the Ring; he becomes The God of Carnage The Fiend Bray Wyatt.

3. Bayley (w/Sheamus and Miz) d. Mandy Rose

-This is really for Bayley to go over super strong; creative has nothing for Mandy going forward but the announce really pushes Bayley as having a lot of momentum, the much like Banks subsequent to her joining the New Day, Bayley's aligning with Hooligans has given her some steam.  

4. Apollo Crews (w/Underground) d. Dominik Mysterio

-Mysterio is super green and that's how this is presented; he's got a lot of heart, but Crews really toys with him; passes up pinning him a couple of times to inflict more punishment - Regal storms down to the ring; the story in the build being his anger at Undeground "going too far" in attacking a kid in Developmental (Rey is not here, the announce makes that clear) and eventually, Crews relents and pins Dominik - Black and Murphy enter, they hit Dom with a couple of moves - Regal is just fuming at this point; red faced - there's a moment of tension, but Crews restores order and leads Black and Murphy away.  

5. Tag Titles:  Street Profits d. Orton/MVP

-MVP was IC champ for nearly a year and a half, nearly 15 years prior.  Orton is a 4 time tag champ and the only 5 time tag champ in WWF history is Tony Garea, so all of that is part of the story here - but the young guys are too good and they go over.  Orton kills MVP postmatch, punting him into oblivion.  

6. IC Title: Angel Garza d. La Sombra

- Hopefully, match quality picks up a little here, as Summer Slam 2020 not only is in The Covid Bubble but also isn't exactly filled with workrate.  Zelina picks a side - she goes with the rudos, turning in some manner on Sombra that ideally doesn't detract too much from the merits of the match.  Carillo enters postmatch; Sombra gets stomped postmatch; he'll spend the build to Survivor Series putting both guys over and then leave the territory.  Dioses del sol Retorcidos rides high.

7. Women's Title: Sasha Banks (w/New Day) d. Asuka

-the emotional high point of the night (maybe the workrate highlight also) as Banks becomes the first 3 time WWF Women's Champ; the announcers stressing that there's never been a man to hold the belt 4 times as well; Banks takes her place with Bret, Owen, Punk in holding the primary title in the promotion 3 times.  Full celebration with the New Day - obviously we're missing fans, but there's an added intimacy here, with everyone in the arena standing and applauding Banks, the announcers putting over the weight of the achievement. 

8. WWF Championship: Tyler Black (w/Danielson and Owens) d. Drew McIntyre (w/Hooligans)

The title reign of the 59th WWF Champion rolls on - oGDI maintains control of the belt, there's some type of brawl with the stablemates that results in their all being ejected from the arena, giving a sense that, 1 on 1, maybe Drew can win - he does not - Black wins cleanly; postmatch celebration as Danielson and Owens return - oGDI runs the World Wrestling Federation, oGDI runs professional wrestling.

And that's it.  

We're back in September for the first half of the build to Surivor Series 2020, which will be the first Thunderdome PPV; here's a preview - the main event will be Tyler Black defending the WWF Title against....Ricochet.