8 Baffling Questions From WWE SummerSlam 2018

Last month, Extreme Rules heaved up a show that was the logical equivalent of a moth-riddled wardrobe in an attic. The holes were so numerous the very fabric of the universe threatened to collapse in on itself, an abstract homophone turned tangible through excess.

SummerSlam, despite the potentially perilous running time, just about managed to side-step that 'car park in a Working Men's club' look with its plotty potholes. For the most part, the storytelling was coherent, the characters sensible, and the seams more than one tug away from completely falling apart.

But this is WWE we're talking about here - it's not exactly scrutiny proof, and Sunday wasn't without its head-scratchers. As always, the cognitive functionality of WWE's heels left a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, babyface spouses were oddly lacking in compassion, and the very concept of linear time was brought starkly into question.

The bafflometer may not have been off the charts as it was in July, but Brooklyn still saw the needle vibrating around the "what the flaming f*ck" mark like an anxious dragonfly. Step once more into the Plot Holy Church of Logical Fallacy.

You really can't blame WWE's road agents if they couldn't be arsed with SummerSlam's pre-show, though their decision to better spend the time watching the uncut version of Das Boot, reading the complete works of Proust, or just staring blankly into nothingness in a fit of existential dread did bugger up some of those de facto dark matches somewhat.

Shortly after Lana fell foul to the dreaded roll-up at the hands of Zelina Vega, Drew Gulak likewise came a cropper to the devastating manoeuvre during his Cruiserweight title tilt opposite Cedric Alexander. Of course, the purpose of the pre-show is to sell wireless internet and massage the Network's performative metrics, but is it really so difficult to devise two different finishes for consecutive matches? Apparently, it is.