WWE SummerSlam 2012 – One Shot Reactions
Ryan Kester (Twitter - @TheRyanKester):
Show Grade: B
- It was fun seeing Punk break out the Koji Clutch. I was a bit annoyed with Cole calling it the Anaconda Vise again. I have no issue with Cole not knowing an obscure wrestling hold, but he should know well wnough that it looks nothing like one of Punk's actual finishers. That call was like calling one of Cena's chinlocks the STF.
- Why was CM Punk playing up to the fans after his match? Call it an evolution, call it a turn, I call what WWE is doing with Punk odd. Punk can be a great heel, but this slow turn only allows fans a reason to continue to cheer him.
- Lesnar and Triple H didn't have the atmosphere of Lesnar and Cena. This is because WWE let out a lot of Lesnar's mystique by having him lose so early.
- The right man went over in the main event. If Lesnar would have lost here, I would have been left scratching my head as to why WWE hired him in the first place.
- The end of the show felt awkward and out of place. None of the hype leading into the match suggested that this might be Triple H's swan song, so the overly dramatic exist felt more like milking for cheers than it did a wrestling moment.
Replay Verdict: I wouldn't suggest the replay. I didn't feel like I wasted the money I spent on the PPV, but that value drops considerably when you take out the live aspect of the show.
Will Pruett (Twitter - @itswilltime):
Show Grade: B+
- I was at this show live and have no idea how it came across on TV. I can assure you that live it was exciting, dynamic, and a very enjoyable experience.
- The finish of the main event was the best possible outcome. Brock Lesnar made Triple H tap out. The match that preceded it was different. It didn't live up to Brock's previous effort with John Cena, but it was hard-hitting and intense.
- The surprise of the night was the WWE Championship match. C.M. Punk and John Cena made Big Show look threatening as ever. It was a great effort from all three men, continuing the story of Punk's evolution.
- Dolph Ziggler looked great in his loss to Chris Jericho. Jericho's recent run closed with a fun match where he made Ziggler look fantastic.
- Concerts are boring on wrestling shows unless they precede entrances. The entrance concerts work.
Replay Verdict: I didn't see the show on TV, but from the arena, it was fun and newsworthy. This is an easy show to recommend a DVD purchase or replay buy.
Jake Barnett (Twitter - @barnettjake):
Show Grade: B-
- Did anyone else expect to hear the "Lonely Man" track from the end of the Incredible Hulk TV series when Triple H was leaving the arena at the end of the show? I'm glad Lesnar got the victory, but the melodrama with Triple H at the end made me roll my eyes more than stir up emotion.
- Brock Lesnar and Triple H had a match that felt really slow to me. The finish was great and much better than I expected, but overall it didn't have the big match feel of the Cena and Lesnar match at Extreme Rules. I can't help feeling like if that match had gone differently, it might have felt a lot bigger.
- I really enjoyed the Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler match that opened the show. I was surprised by the finish, but I'm going to hold off on the armchair quarterbacking until we see how it plays out. Jericho made Ziggler look like a million bucks and the Liontamer that ended the match was brutal looking and should result in a tap every time it is used.
- The WWE Championship match made good use of the triple threat rules and all three men had good nights on the job. I think the restart killed some of the momentum of the match, and the crowd with it, but the crowd was anti-Cena enough that the finish woke them up. I'm interested to see the follow up.
- The rest of the card was pretty flat. Miz and Mysterio and the pre-show were good efforts, in the end this really didn't feel like a major newsworthy show. I liked a lot of the action, but most of it felt pretty inconsequential. The fact that we are getting more Kane/Bryan and Del Rio/Sheamus after this show feels disappointing.
Replay Verdict: If anything, wait for the DVD. This show had some fun matches, but wasn't worth the price of PPV admission.