10 Ways WWE SummerSlam 2015 Could've Been Saved
The biggest party of the summer could’ve been even bigger if they had done things differently…
SummerSlam 2015 was a mixed bag for WWE. The company tried to turn the second-biggest show of the year into a four event that was supposed to make it feel like a second WrestleMania. However, despite all the hype, all the build-up and all the effort put into making the show feel as memorable as possible, the show left a lot to be desired.
Even though it featured some great matches, a relatively loud audience, and some truly shocking moments, the overall reaction to the show suggests that it could’ve been so much better.
Despite some fans choosing to focus on one match or another as the sole cause of the show’s disappointing feel, the truth is that the show was plagued by multiple problems that left it coming off as inferior to the NXT special that had taken place the night before.
Of course, now that SummerSlam is over, WWE’s power-brokers will go back to the drawing board and rethink their strategy for next year’s SummerSlam. Looking back on the event, they’re going to have to avoid making the mistakes they made in Brooklyn.
This article proposes ten things that WWE's booking staff and production department could've done differently to make SummerSlam a much better show than it was. Although it will indeed go down in history as a great show, due in part to some great matches and unique creative decisions, the sad truth is that it could've been so much better, if WWE had made the following decisions...
10. An Exciting Tag Team Title Match As Opener (Between Only Two Teams)
The opening match for such a long show is critical in keeping fans invested and focused on the action in the ring. If that fails to work, then the rest of the show can suffer from increased fan apathy, or worse, people spending more time on their phones than watching the matches unfold.
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was booked perfectly, with the Liger-Breeze match being the perfect choice of opener. Seeing a legend take on one of NXT’s finest was an excellent hook, and fans actually cared for who won or lost. In contrast, the Orton vs Sheamus was, well, boring.
There hasn’t been anything particularly novel about this renewed feud, and the only really unique part of the match was that it took Sheamus two Brogue kicks to pin Orton. In further contrast, the match that followed had more action in less time, as the tag team title match was one of the most exciting on the entire card, despite having two teams too many.
Though the Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores did have some interesting spots, the match belonged to the Prime Time Players and the New Day, who stole the show with their antics. Had WWE opted to open with a standard tag team match between these two teams only, and given them the exact same amount of time, it’s virtually guaranteed that the audience would’ve been much more attentive for the rest of the show.