8 Match Star Ratings For WWE SummerSlam 2020

4. Seth Rollins Vs. Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio Seth Rollins
WWE.com

A total triumph of a match that over-delivered on even cautious and informed projections, Seth Rollins justified last year's meltdown with an exceptional performance that vaulted him back into the conversation as an elite-tier talent.

He was fantastic in the early going as he ruthlessly exposed Dominik's lack of fundamentals, with a sadist's glee, in a deliberate, tone-setting opening sequence. This was expert storytelling because it summoned from Dominik that which can do in the organic thrust of the match. The narrative integrated Dominik's raw but very promising talent seamlessly; when Rollins got too cocky, Dominik exploded with a burst of deep lucha arm drags and some well-timed high spots.

The melodrama got lost in this new and eerie world - Angie if anything endangered her child - but the layout delivered on the more difficult beats. Rollins lost nothing in this even and long match because he created every opening ajar through his own d*ckhead character. These two men extracted genuine drama from a series of muted internet connections experiencing different degrees of lag.

Dominik obviously deserves a portion of the credit, too, because this wasn't just a debut match. He had to show everything he did in a context that has proven incredibly challenging for even the most experienced of talents, many of whom have fallen victim to it by reflexively gesturing to non-existent crowd.

Basically, what we've learned from this weekend is that intensive training yields better results than WWE's long Performance Center curriculum.

Star Rating: ★★★★

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!