6 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SummerSlam 2020

1. McIntyre, Orton Have Intense Brawl

These days, you almost have to grade Randy Orton matches on a curve. A very slow, methodical curve.

If you can get an Orton match out of second gear for any stretch, you’ve achieved success. And Drew McIntyre managed to do that Sunday night, turning in a solid WWE Championship match between the two. The bout featured some heavy moves, with both bleeding a little and targeting the other’s knee. McIntyre hooked in a Figure Four, which was appropriate considering Randy’s attack on Ric Flair a couple weeks ago.

Orton kept going for an RKO throughout the match, and when McIntyre whiffed on a Claymore and Orton set up for the RKO, you had to think it was over. But Drew reversed into a backslide, picking up the win in an unconventional way.

It wasn’t the knockout blow you would have hoped for at a major PPV, but it was an honest win in a good match that still allows for a rematch without seeming too contrived.