The highlights and lowlights of Summerslam 2023
This year's SummerSlam is in the books, and things have shifted for several WWE superstars. From title changes to shocking returns, we look at some fantastic moments as well as some disappointing moments. SummerSlam and previous WWE events can be watched on-demand on Peacock right now.
Highlight: Logan Paul vs Ricochet
Having this be the SummerSlam kickoff match was the right idea to get the crowd amped up. With tributes to Hulk Hogan and The Rock sprinkled in, this bout featured some grand action from Ricochet as well as Paul, who has been slowly gaining the respect of the WWE Universe. Paul got the needed win, but Ricochet got to showcase their skills in one of the biggest WWE events of the year.
Highlight: Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar
Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar showed great storytelling by showcasing Rhodes' resilience. While Lesnar kept slamming Rhodes outside, the American Nightmare refused to give up. The highlight of the entire bout came at the end when Lesnar showed Rhodes respect, which is something Triple H stated wasn’t part of the match.
Highlight: Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso
We predicted Jimmy could come back to cost Jey the title, and that was the case with the WWE Universe stunned at the shocking betrayal. Reigns retains the championship, but where do they go next? A Jimmy vs Jey feud will certainly go down, but who'll Reigns defend their championship next? Solo Sikoa is on the list, but the inevitable turn on Reigns will probably happen further down the road.
Lowlight: Slim Jim Battle Royal
Everyone knew this was simply put together to give LA Knight a win in front of the lively crowd. The match was alright at times, but most people would rather have had Knight go one-on-one with Sheamus instead of having a sponsored battle royale announced days before the event.
Lowlight: Shayna Baszler vs Ronda Rousey
The MMA match between Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey made the Slim Jim Battle Royal look like the Royal Rumble in comparison. Both competitors are extremely skilled at MMA matches, but when it's a scripted MMA match, it looks completely silly. The audience didn't like it one bit, and they made their feelings heard.
Lowlight: Belair losing their belt in under 30 seconds again
While Iyo Sky was going to cash in Money In The Bank sometime, Belair was the unfortunate victim of a somewhat frowned upon method. On several occasions, a new champion would get crowned only to have that title taken from them via a MITB cash-in seconds later. One instance that stands out (which made sense) was Seth Rollins beating Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship only to lose it to Dean Ambrose following a MITB cash-in at Money In The Bank 2016. Belair only got to cherish their new belt for a small moment before losing it to Sky in eight seconds. For Belair, this moment is too familiar; at SummerSlam 2021, Belair defended their championship against a returning Becky Lynch in a 26-second loss.
Belair taking the pin was the only real option; Charlotte has been the victim of a MITB cash-in twice already, and they've been planting seeds for an inevitable showdown between Asuka and Sky.