11 Things WWE Got Wrong At SummerSlam 2017
When SummerSlam 2017 was bad, it was absolutely abominable.
WWE SummerSlam 2017 is in the books. Many are calling it one of the most fun shows of the year, whilst others are using words such as 'train-wreck' and 'shambles' to describe WWE's second biggest pay-per-view event. Everyone is in agreement that the main event was a joy to watch, but the hours of action before that car crash have split fans down the middle.
The truth is that there was a lot to like about SummerSlam. The aforementioned main event aside, both tag team title matches delivered as expected. Both women's championship matches over-delivered, and AJ Styles and Kevin Owens finally put on a great match. Most of the winners and title changes also made sense.
The good stuff on this show was good, but the bad stuff was particularly bad. A 13-match card yielded a number of peculiar decisions and baffling booking moves. WWE suffered from time management and lackadaisical performances in New York, leaving the company with much to do as we head into autumn.
WWE got plenty right last night - but they got just as much if not more wrong.
11. Where Was The Crowd?
It seems like a pretty easy thing to get right. If you are putting on live entertainment of any kind, it is generally preferred that there is an audience to enjoy that entertainment. I’m by no means an expert when it comes to putting on a show, but it seems fairly clear that you should open the doors before the show starts.
For reasons that aren’t quite clear, the doors of the Barclays Center stayed shut until the first match began. This meant that the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, one of the most illustrious tag teams of all time and Kurt Angle’s freakin’ son were forced to go out and perform in front of a crowd that was closer to a TNA house show than a WWE pay-per-view.
There must be more to this. Reports suggest that the veterans involved in the opening match were furious, and rightly so. They deserve better than to perform in front of 45 people due to poor planning.