12 Match Star Ratings For WWE SummerSlam 2019

1. Brock Lesnar Vs. Seth Rollins - Universal Title Match

Brock Lesnar Seth Rollins
WWE.com

An excellent, excellent match, and a very powerful performance from Seth Rollins, it was so excellent, in fact, that it backed up the new Universal Champion's recent, off-putting braggadocio.

Seth Rollins walked the walk in Toronto.

Using his agility to counter Brock Lesnar's German suplex game, and pure heart and ingenuity to surmount his wicked offence elsewhere, this match restored Seth's aura and made a mockery of the '[X Wrestler] only does X moves' complaint. The timing of those Germans, and the timing of Seth's impeccably graduating comebacks, made for superb drama. The space between those moves was acted tremendously. This career highlight was framed, authentically, as the fight of Seth's life. The worst babyface in wrestling ahead of the match entered a transcendent babyface performance in it. He performed with such sympathy, conviction and grit that he won the crowd over across 14 minutes of exhilarating drama.

The big, character-driven spot was pitched perfectly. When Brock tightened Seth's rib tape and sent him for a ride, it looked almost funny, but the joke was so callous that it framed Lesnar as a bully who demanded his comeuppance. Lesnar was bang up for it too, screaming "Closing time, bitch!" in Seth's agonised face mid-gruesome assault.

Rollins might not emerge as the undisputed top face in WWE after this. His promo work still lacks cool and credibility. But this was a hell of a d*mn match, with a huge, clean finish that showed real faith in his ability.

The brown-nosing got him over with those it counts, at least.

Star Rating: ****1/4

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!