13 Ups & 9 Downs For WWE In 2022
9. SummerSlam
Caught in the hinterland between Vince McMahon's departure and Triple H taking his chair, this was a show orchestrated by one and promoted by the other. And for mostly better, it showed.
Triple H has yet to prove that he can polish a turd quite as well as his Father-In-Law, and he's got some way to go if the incredible Last Man Standing main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar is anything to go by. Reflecting on that with any happiness at all seemed impossible when the graphic dropped - no paring in wrestling was as tired as this one - but a tractor tipping the ring half into the f*cking sky was as absurd a visual as has ever been crafted in wrestling, and WWE presented itself wisely as the only place insane enough where such a thing could occur.
Elsewhere, the hope of a new dawn under 'The Game' was realised in a thrilling post-match angle following Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair's superb WrestleMania sequel. Lynch returned to the babyface side in defence of her now-former Rival, Bayley returned from injury, Dakota Kai returned from the unemployment line and Io Shirai was called up from NXT and dropped directly into what looked like a main event angle. It wasn't to be, but we didn't know that then.
Beyond the huge bookending scenes, Logan Paul and Pat McAfee both shone in midcard matches that would have cancelled lesser stars out by virtue of their proximity to one another, and The Usos and Street Profits brought some finality to their longstanding feud in a choice outing since forgotten due to the great match churn wrestling gleefully provides.