7 Ways WWE Screwed Up At SummerSlam 2018
Problems aplenty at the 'Biggest Party Of the Summer'.
What SummerSlam 2018 lacked in cutting edge in-ring action, it made up for in talking points, as WWE delivered a long string of bold booking decisions throughout their latest marathon pay-per-view, suggesting that they may finally be awakening from the annual summer slump.
Constable Corbin, Kevin Owens, and Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss were squashed, barely mounting a crumb of offence between them. New champions were crowned in Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Roman Reigns. The most organic babyface in the company turned heel, Braun Strowman's Money In The Bank cash-in attempt was thwarted, and The Miz stole a victory in his first major clash with Daniel Bryan.
A significant upgrade on the past few years, SummerSlam 2018 was a largely successful night, but far from perfect. A company as inconsistent as WWE will inevitably drop the ball several times on any given night, particularly when said night lasts six hours. Such runtimes create huge scope for f*ck-ups, and while this pay-per-view may ultimately be remembered for what it did right, WWE gave fans plenty of reasons to feel bemused, frustrated, and aggrieved as well.
And no, we're not talking about the squashes...
7. The Revival Fall Short... Again
WWE have revolutionised the concept of "developmental" in many ways over the past few years, and not all of them positive. There once was a time when fans would look forward to seeing their favourite NXT stars on the main roster. Now, you never want them to leave the black and gold brand, knowing that the careful, attentive booking that had them soaring in in Full Sail University will come crashing down as soon as they hit Raw or SmackDown.
Along with Asuka (absent from last night's card), The Revival are one of the biggest reasons for this.
Joining the main roster last April has turned them from one of the most compelling tag teams in the world to a couple of absolute geeks, and it continued at SummerSlam, as Dash and Dawson fell to The B Team. It lasted little over six minutes. Though they hit Curtis Axel with the Shatter Machine early, The Revival soon lost control, eventually falling to the former Intercontinental Champion's opportunistic pinfall.
Caring about their plight isn't even worth the frustration anymore. Their credibility has gone the way of the dodo, and they might not even be salvageable.