10 WWE SummerSlam 2020 Impulse Reactions
4. Sasha Banks (c) Vs. Asuka
This was the good stuff.
Sasha Banks laid a brutal beating on Asuka thanks to several incredibly stiff blows to the 'Empress Of Tomorrow's head rather than her already-weakened knee. A powerbomb on the arena floor, DDT and running knee looked to finish what Bayley had started (with the help of 'The Boss') earlier in the night, but the Challenger played through the pain ahead of some truly tremendous storytelling at the climax.
As the pair grappled over the Asuka Lock and Banks Statement, Bayley hit the apron in a repeat of the distraction earlier in the night. She was less committed after the skirmish, allowing Banks to get trapped in what proved to be a title-winning submission for Asuka.
Banks' screams for Bayley's help at the end were incredible. Not only were they heart-wrenching in their obvious futility, but they mirrored the ones Asuka responded to when Kairi Sane did the same the last time these two went to war. Banks' win came because Asuka favoured a friend. Her loss here was because 'The Role Model' didn't do the same. Her smile at her own belts was captured as the cameras rolled too - even at Sasha's lowest ebb, Bayley was relatively content.
This should simmer wonderfully ahead of next Sunday's Tag Team Title clash.