SummerSlam 2019: Seth Rollins Burns It Down to Reclaim WWE Universal Championship

Seth Rollins lived up to his “Beast Slayer” moniker once again overcoming the odds and defeating Brock Lesnar to reclaim the WWE Universal championship at SummerSlam.

Many in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto were in genuine shock to see the underdog come out on top. It was the only title to change hands throughout the evening. The two told a compelling story throughout with Rollins doing everything in his power to survive against his dominant rival.

Lesnar’s manager Paul Heyman added his usual greatness complete with intro and facial expressions. Find someone that looks at you the way the onscreen humble advocate looks at his client. In the end when it comes to bell-to-bell, there might not be anyone better in WWE today than Rollins. I guess that pat on the back for good luck from Bret Hart paid off in the end.

Of course, the happy ending wasn’t the only big moment to happen on the “Biggest Part of the Summer.” Let’s take a look at some more.

Let Me In

Months of Firefly Fun House teasers featuring Bray Wyatt’s eventual transformation into The Fiend led up to his first live appearance at SummerSlam. And boy was it worth the wait with a new spin on Wyatt’s entrance music. That in what looked like a lantern illuminating what was made to look like the head of the unique character’s former incarnation. The Fiend wrestled in his simply terrifying mask, which is always impressive to see. Finn Balor never stood a chance against this new fixture on WWE TV. I’m looking forward to more of The Fiend now that he is officially loose.

A Stratusfying End

Trish Stratus returned to her hometown of Toronto for one final showdown with WWE’s current queen in Charlotte Flair. The Hall of Famer was able to demonstrate what made her one of the most celebrated women’s wrestlers in WWE history. It very much came off a passing of the torch with Stratus tapping out to Flair’s Figure Eight. A move the much smaller Stratus impressively applied to her opponent earlier in the match. The Canadian crowd responded with a “Thank You Trish” chant before she excited the arena in the ultimate sign of respect.

Trouble in Paradise

Kofi Kingston looked to avenge his loss to Randy Orton 10 years ago, setting the stage for a build-up audience could sink their teeth into. The SmackDown Live championship match ended in a non-finish just as the proceedings were just getting personal. Kingston was set off after getting the idea Orton wanted to beat him up with his family standing ringside to witness it. This leaves the door open for a future rematch. Given SummerSlam is second only to WrestleMania in importance on WWE’s calendar, it was a bit disappointing to have a WWE championship match with no winner. If Kingston is going to get the victory over Orton down the line, I still think it would have meant more had it been on the greater platform like a SummerSlam.

“The Man” Stands Tall

Becky Lynch and Natalya set the tone on the main show kicking off the festivities with a strong opener. Natalya fought hard in her home country, Hart country. The veteran executed one of the most innovative versions of the Sharpshooter in the corner. The challenger and Raw champion each performed each other’s premiere submission moves, but it was Lynch’s Disarmer that was too much for the Total Divas star to take. This was the best “The Man” has looked in the ring in quite some time. Credit can go to Natalya, who is known for helping bring the best out of her opponents.

Goldberg! Goldberg! Goldberg!

Dolph Ziggler spent weeks insulting Bill Goldberg and his lackluster match with The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia. After initially scheduled to face The Miz, plans changed days before SummerSlam when his opponent was revealed to be none other than the former multiple time heavyweight champion. Ziggler took multiple spears from Goldberg like a million bucks. After the initial quick loss, the “Show Off” continued to grab the microphone to offend the legend and only make him come back to deliver more spears. One thing you can say for Ziggler is that if he is going to lose, he makes sure to do it in the most entertaining way possible.

The Rest

• The popular Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon to keep his career.
• Bayley retained the SmackDown Live women’s championship against Ember Moon.
• AJ Styles retained the United States championship against Ricochet.
• Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross retained the women’s tag team titles against the Iconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce).
• Buddy Murphy versus Apollo Crews ended in a disqualification after interference from Erick Rowan.
• Drew Gulak retained the cruiserweight title against Oney Lorcan.

Watch the SummerSlam fallout Mondays on Raw and Tuesdays on SmackDown Live, 8/7c