It’s been months since Brock Lesnar set off a rivalry with Triple H after breaking the WWE COO’s arm with a kimura. After doing the same to Shawn Michaels on Raw, Lesnar was out for blood during his grudge match with Triple H. After losing to John Cena in April, would Lesnar be able to rebound with a big win over the sure-fire WWE Hall of Famer?
SummerSlam featured five championship matches but all those were overshadowed by the main event match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar.
Following ring introductions, Lesnar was looking for that devastating kimura in the early going but Triple H dumps him out of the ring. Lesnar comes but in but is greeted with a high knee and another clothesline over the top rope. Lesnar comes back in the ring and removes his gloves. He takes Triple H down and drops a knee on the back of his head. Triple H to the outside and they battle on floor and Lesnar puts Triple H’s arm behind his back slams him onto the announce table.
Triple H works his way back into the ring and Lesnar again delivers the same slam. Lesnar really working that left arm. He hits a big release German suplex that sends Triple H flying. Triple H, though, is able to hit a DDT. They get back up and Lesnar wants the kimura again but transitions it into the same slam again. They go to the outside and Lesnar sends HHH flying into the steps and then runs him back-first into the Spanish announce table and over. Then Lesnar puts the table on its side, gets on top of it and comes down, leaping through the air with a big fist.
Back in the ring and Lesnar is in complete control. He wants a suplex but Triple H turns it into one of his own but Lesnar counters the Pedigree and sends HHH into the corner, over the top and to the floor. Lesnar goes to pick him up but Triple H sends him stomach-first into the corner of the announce table and Lesnar is not in a good spot, looking weak for the first time in the match.
Lesnar first back into the ring and he wants the kimura but Triple H knees him three times into the gut. Now Triple H going to town with knees to the gut, looking to exploit the weakness. Spinebuster connects and he wants the Pedigree but Lesnar counters with an F5 attempt but Triple H slips out and hits the Pedigree but Lesnar kicks out at two.
Now Lesnar hits a low blow and referee Scott Armstrong doesn’t disqualify Lesnar due to what Triple H told him earlier in the show to let them fight. Lesnar follows with the F5 but Triple H kicks out at two. Now Lesnar pulls guard and locks in the kimura but Triple H gets to the ropes and punches his way out. Now Triple H hits another Pedigree but before he can pin, Lesnar grabs the kimura. HHH tries to punch his way out but Lesnar cranks it some more, the arm breaks and Triple H taps out.
The next WWE pay-per-view is Night of Champions on Sept. 16.
On the pre-show, Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella to win the United States Championship.
Following a video package, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler welcome us to tonight’s show, a seven-match affair from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Match #1 – Dolph Ziggler (Hollywood, Fla.) vs. Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Jericho gets off to a good start but Ziggler goes to Jericho’s injured ribs and takes over. Jericho tries to fire up but goes for a springboard crossbody to the outside but Ziggler moves and Jericho crashes to the floor. Ziggler is in control until he misses a corner splash and Jericho gets going only to be cut off again but a shot to the ribs. Ziggler hits the FameAsser for a near fall. Jericho, though, hits a kick to the back of the head for two.
Ziggler floats over a Jericho charge in the corner and locks in the sleeper. Jericho escapes. They go to the top and Jericho hits a head scissors take over that sends Ziggler flying. Dueling chants for both men for the second time this match. Jericho with a running bulldog and he goes for the Lionsault but Ziggler gets his knees up. Ziggler hits the Zig Zag but Jericho kicks out at the last moment. They’re both down and Jericho hits the Codebreaker but Ziggler rolls out of the ring. Back in the ring, Ziggler goes flying into the post and Jericho catches him and locks in the Walls of Jericho and Jericho taps.
Winner via submission: Chris Jericho
Match Rating: 7/10
Match #2 – Daniel Bryan (Aberdeen, Wash.) vs. Kane (Hell, Fire & Brimstone)
Bryan wants to cut down Kane and has success going after his knee. Kane, though, gets going and goes to the top rope and hits the big flying clothesline that puts Bryan down. Kane wants the choke slam but Bryan escapes. Bryan slaps Kane and that proved to be a mistake as Kane puts the boots to him in the corner. Kane gets close to a DQ and his arguing with the referee allows Bryan to regain control.
He gets Kane down in the middle of the ring and wants a diving headbutt, but Kane grabs him by the throat on the way down and delivers a choke slam. Kane calls for the Tombstone and grabs Bryan for it, but Bryan slips it into a small package and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Daniel Bryan
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #3 – Intercontinental Championship – (c) The Miz (Cleveland, Ohio) vs. Rey Mysterio (San Diego, Calif.)
The Miz retains the title with the Skull-Crushing Finale.
Winner via pinfall and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Match Rating: NR
Match #4 – World Heavyweight Championship – (c) Sheamus (Dublin, Ireland) vs. Alberto Del Rio (San Luis Potosi, Mexico)
Del Rio takes control after a back-and-forth start. He jumps up and drives Sheamus’ head into the canvas. Del Rio charges and eats a clothesline but he comes back and gets the arm from the top rope and then he locks in the cross arm-breaker. But as he does it, Sheamus rolls over and dead lifts Del Rio into the air and slams his way out of the submission maneuver.
Sheamus hits White Noise but Del Rio kicks out at two. Sheamus goes to the corner and starts calling for the Brogue Kick but Del Rio backs up. Sheamus shoulder blocks Del Rio into the corner and then gets him on the outside and hits the clubbing blows. He mounts Del Rio in the corner and hits some punches but Del Rio hot shots up him and hits the big corner kick. Del Rio pulls Ricardo Rodriguez into the ring and tells him something but as the referee tries to get Rodriguez out, Rodriguez’s shoe falls off and he tries to throw it to Del Rio except he overshoots and it goes right to Sheamus. Sheamus hits Del Rio with the shoe and then the Irish Curse backbreaker. The referee makes the count and Del Rio gets his foot on the rope at two but the referee doesn’t see it and finishes the count.
Winner via pinfall and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #5 – WWE Tag Team Championship – (c) Kofi Kingston (Ghana, West Africa) & R-Truth (Charlotte, NC) vs. Titus O’Neil (Tampa, Fla.) & Darren Young (Miami, Fla.)
Truth gets the tag in to Kingston and he comes in on fire on O’Neil. Kingston with a big leaping clothesline and he follows that with the Boom Drop. He calls for Trouble in Paradise but he gets distracted by Young and O’Neil rolls out of the ring. They get Kingston running and O’Neil levels him with a clothesline.
Young in and he goes to work on Kingston. Kingston, though, is able to fire up and get the tag to Truth, who comes in on Young. He goes for a cover but O’Neil breaks it up. Kingston and O’Neil get wrapped up and Kingston hits a springboard dive onto O’Neil. In the ring, Young gets a roll up for two, but Truth comes back with the Lie Detector and that does it.
Winners via pinfall and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #6 – WWE Championship – (c) CM Punk (Chicago, Ill.) vs. John Cena (West Newbury, Mass.) vs. The Big Show (Tampa, Fla.)
Punk and Cena want to double suplex Show but Show gets the best of them and suplexes them both. After a few seconds, Punk wants to go for the GTS on Show but can’t do it. Then Cena hoists Show for the Attitude Adjustment but Punk breaks it up. Show doing well for himself. He grabs Punk off a springboard and hits a backbreaker. He wants the WMD but Cena breaks it up only to eat a spear for his troubles.
Show wants a Vader Bomb on both men but they move. Show throws Punk over the top rope and then goes to the other side of the ring where Cena is but Punk gets involved and Show throws Punk off the ropes and he bounces off them and onto the floor. Back in the ring, Show battles Cena and Cena hits the side suplex and goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Punk breaks it up and hits the top rope elbow on Show but Show presses him off on the cover.
Now Show breaks out of submission holds from both Punk and Cena. Show ends up in the corner and Punk hits the running knee. And another. And a third. He wants the running bulldog but Show pushes him off. Only Cena comes off the top and hits the guillotine legdrop. Punk locks in a submission hold and then Cena gets on with the STF at the same time and Show taps.
Now we’ve got controversy. The bell rings, the referee doesn’t really know what to do so AJ comes out. She declares that the match be restarted and Punk and Cena turn right around into a double choke slam. He covers Cena first and he kicks out. He goes to Punk and Punk kicks out. Show calls for the WMD but Cena ducks it and hits the AA. Punk comes up and throws Cena out of the ring and steals the pin.
Winner via pinfall and STILL WWE Champion: CM Punk
Match Rating: 7/10
Match #7 – Brock Lesnar (Minneapolis, Minn.) vs. Triple H (Greenwich, Conn.)
Winner via submission: Brock Lesnar
Match Rating: 8/10
Event Rating: 6/10
