10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 2015 Facts
WWE delivers a strong outing in SummerSlam's return to The Empire State.
For the first time since 2002, WWE brought SummerSlam back to New York state, and for the first time ever to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The return to New York City blended vociferous, outspoken Nu-Yawk fans with diehard revelers that fly in from far and wide for major events, and the electricity was palpable once the event went live.
SummerSlam 2015 wanted to put the "big" back in their Big Apple wrestling shows, and filled the card with 36 wrestlers across ten matches, giving SummerSlam something of a low-cal WrestleMania feel. That was the intent, injecting the card with celebrities like retired talk show host Jon Stewart, and Arrow star Stephen Amell, both of whom are noted wrestling fans.
Up and down the card were promising matches, from titanic clashes (Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker), to exciting championship showdowns (Seth Rollins vs. John Cena), to workrate dream matches (Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro), to showcases of highly-touted fresh faces (the Divas' three on three on three match). And that wasn't even half the card.
SummerSlam 2015 was one of those shows that felt like a big deal, and not just "a monthly pay-per-view that isn't WrestleMania". The previous two SummerSlams were both excellent, and 2015 completed a winning trilogy.
Here are ten facts about SummerSlam 2015 you may not have known.
10. It Was The First Four Hour SummerSlam
WWE had been looking for ways to make the rest of their Big Four pay-per-views as important as WrestleMania, for each to have a true cornerstone quality. Over the last few years, NXT TakeOvers have been added to the weekends of those pay-per-views (the Brooklyn one in 2015 quickly attained must-see status), and in the past year, the primary events have seen an increase in run-time.
SummerSlam 2015 was the first to join WrestleMania in expanded length, going to four hours for the first time ever. Of the ten matches on the show, eight of them went beyond the ten minute mark, giving most of the important action a chance to breathe, and tell their stories with minimal hindrance. Granted, it was the gateway to making WrestleMania five f--king hours long plus pre-show, so it's hard to be completely happy with this development.