WWE SummerSlam 2024: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s annual review of WWE SummerSlam, which is a thing we can say because we reviewed SummerSlam last year, too! Of course, last year this column was still young and ambitious, and we were doing things like "4 things we hated and 4 things we loved" because we just had so much to say. Now we're older and more tired, and we stick to the normal "3 things" format no matter how many matches there are on the show. Don't blame us, blame entropy.

Anyway, the nice thing is that we actually still managed to cover pretty much all the ground we wanted to cover from SummerSlam, including all seven matches. That said, there's definitely more specific things we didn't mention, and we have very little to say about Jellyroll's attempted chokeslam, so if you want the full picture of the entire PLE, be sure to check out our SummerSlam results page. However, if you're interested in how we felt about the apparent demise of The Judgment Day, or any of the staggering four singles title changes that took place in Cleveland Saturday night, or the return of Roman Reigns, this is the place for you. Here are three things we hated and three things we loved about WWE SummerSlam 2024!

I feel as though I have to start off by saying, I absolutely love Bron Breakker. I liked him in "WWE NXT," but I really, really like him on the main roster, because I think he's grown so much in such a short amount of time. But, I have one, glaringly huge problem with this Intercontinental title win. It should have happened less than a month ago at Money in the Bank. And that's nothing against Sami Zayn. I think Zayn should move on to challenge not Cody Rhodes on "SmackDown," but rather, I think GUNTHER would be a much more interesting opponent for him. But, I digress. There was also a big problem with this match on various episodes of "Raw" leading in to SummerSlam, because I think many of us thought that Ilja Dragunov would be involved in the match as well. Dragunov is great, and it also would have made this match different. The only difference in the feud between Breakker and Zayn was the integration of Dragunov here and there. Everything else was. Exactly. The. Same. Same build, same everything, and no triple threat.

I honestly can't recall the last time (and I'm sure there have been, and it's just me being dense) title matches like this happened on back-to-back premium live events, especially ones not even a month apart. There was a lot about this match that was extremely predictable, as well. It was a fast match, listed at only 12 minutes, and while I didn't personally time it, that seems like it checks out. With the way Breakker works, and hell, even as fast as he runs the ropes, I think everyone expected it to be a fast match, even with how excellent Zayn was as a champion.

I think many fans expected Breakker to win at this second attempt, because even as a heel, he's pretty over, and because he's so good. Certainly the 100% of us who voted here at WINC believed that Breakker would come away with the gold. Zayn was the one to defeat GUNTHER and his record-setting run for the title at WrestleMania 40, which is an amazing feat, and he'll always have that. He also had a great run against Chad Gable. Now, it's officially time for Zayn to move on, and Breakker, who I believe is the next big thing and destined for World Championship gold one day, to have his moment in the sun and run through everyone on the roster.

Written by Daisy Ruth

Before the finishing sequence of his match with Logan Paul for the United States Championship, LA Knight was on his way the best match of his career, while Paul was continuing to demonstrate the somehow undeniable fact that he is infuriatingly good at professional wrestling. But the ending, to me, took the match firmly outside the territory of greatness, dragging it back down into the dreaded Forgettable Zone.

The problem is the brass knuckles. For the past year, Paul has been winning matches after a member of his entourage slipped him some brass knuckles, dating back to his win over Ricochet at SummerSlam 2023. He used them to win the US title at Crown Jewel, and he has used them in both his previous title defenses at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 40. They are the defining element of his reign, and in theory any plan to dethrone him should involve somebody figuring out how to counter the brass knuckles.

Well, as LA Knight has now shown us, the trick to countering the brass knuckles is to no-sell them. It doesn't matter that Paul has just punched you with them; just get back up right away and counter the Buckshot Lariat into your finisher and win the title. Weird! Why didn't Kevin Owens or Randy Orton think of that? And again, to be clear, this was actually a really good match for the majority of its runtime, but the finish is everything, especially when you're ending a bizarrely long title reign. After nine months of Paul holding the US title hostage, our payoff to the year-long brass knuckles saga is that this one guy managed to get hit with a brass knuckles jab rather than a brass knuckles wind-up haymaker. Cool, so glad we spent 273 days on this.

Honestly, WWE, if you really just didn't have any ideas for this one, did it have to go 15 minutes? That's time that some of these other matches could have really used, and I feel like we could easily just have had Paul start crying and give up after 46 seconds because his opponent had too many genetic advantages.

Written by Miles Schneiderman

When Bayley and Nia Jax were worn in their intense championship fight at SummerSlam, Cleveland Browns Stadium lit up pink as Tiffany Stratton's music hit. Stratton rushed down to the ring with a referee and her Money in the Bank purse, and the commentary team hurriedly reminded everyone that Stratton and Jax had a pact to prevent Stratton from cashing in at SummerSlam. Stratton climbed onto the apron to enter the ring and cash in her Money in the Bank contract, only to be leveled by Bayley.

Then, nothing happened. Stratton writhed in pain on the floor for a minute, and when Jax secured the victory, Stratton celebrated in the ring with her like nothing happened.

Stratton is one of the most over women in the company, and it feels like WWE fumbled with her. Why tease a Stratton cash-in, only to have it go nowhere? Why did Jax celebrate with her like Stratton didn't just try to cash in and break their promise (again, no payoff)? Why have her play such an inconsequential role in the grand scheme of the Jax and Bayley match? Sure, there may be a defensible interpretation of the match, in which Stratton provided a distraction to allow Jax to get the win. If that is the case, however, why couldn't Stratton just be at ringside? Why do we have to go through the dramatics of teasing a Stratton cash-in?

Stratton felt like an afterthought, and it wouldn't be shocking if her Money in the Bank cash-in was a last-minute decision to spice up the match (which itself would be a shocking notion, as Cleveland was more on board with the Bayley and Jax fight then, say, the opening part of Solo Sikoa versus Cody Rhodes). She entered in at a very odd time and barely got any offense in — it feels like they used Stratton for a cheap pop in Cleveland. It all reads as an odd booking decision, considering that SummerSlam was, for the most part, a great show that didn't need stunts pulled in order to get the crowd's reaction. It felt very unorganized, very pointless, and overall a waste of time.

The rushedness of it all brought the rhythm of Jax and Bayley to a screeching halt, and as a result, the match's finish was made just a bit less spectacular. It is disappointing, really, because Jax's first world championship win since 2018 should have been a more serendipitous, stupendous occasion. Instead, it was slightly tarnished by Stratton's odd interference, and for Jax — who was seriously overdue on a singles title run in the first place — definitely deserved better.

Does this odd choice hurt Stratton's momentum? No, but it is due to Stratton's overwhelming abilities. If this had happened to any other wrestler (see: Austin Theory), it would completely tarnish their reputation. Stratton will recover from this, but only because she is Tiffany Stratton, one of the brightest stars in WWE. Is her cash-in flop a choice worth critiquing nonetheless? Absolutely.

Written by Angeline Phu

I was on record last week in saying that we didn't need Seth Rollins as a special guest referee for the long-awaited CM Punk/Drew McIntyre showdown at SummerSlam. But we got it, so it is what it is. At the same time, I recognized that it was a tool to further this relatively complicated storyline to where it needed to go, and with that in mind, it couldn't possibly have done a better job in terms of accomplishing that goal.

Rollins was not a distraction, playing the part of not a partial referee but a blatantly and equally vindictive mediary, partaking in physicality with both combatants while remaining (and emphasizing his role as) an authority figure. McIntyre getting the win was expected, at least by me, and it works through and through as Punk needs no win(s) at this point. At the same time, Punk stays strong and there's plenty to do as we move forward, particularly with Rollins, but also (most likely) with McIntyre once again (and maybe even again). On the SummerSlam post-show, McIntyre claimed that the feud was over, but that's all part of the magic — especially since he's still in possession of Punk's cherished bracelet honoring his wife and dog.

I don't see how this could have gone any better. As much as I wasn't into the inclusion of Rollins, they made the best of it. And they all came out the better for it. Hell, I see McIntyre/Rollins redux as being a draw itself as well. And a three-way. And all the gimmick matches. And a WrestleMania headliner that we should've gotten last year, wrestling injuries be damned. This was excellent. And it's only going to get better.

Written by Jon Jordan

When JD McDonagh joined The Judgment Day, the stable's perfect facade began to crack. When R-Truth plagued The Judgment Day, the cracks became deeper. When Liv Morgan returned, The Judgment Day's mask was being held together by nothing but loose threads.

At SummerSlam, Morgan retained. Dominik Mysterio's lips taste like hers. Damian Priest lost his title. Finn Balor watched it all. The Judgment Day is no more.

Okay, we won't officially know if The Judgment Day is no more until the "WWE Raw" after SummerSlam at least, but we can use context clues. There have been irreparable tears made in the fabric that was holding The Judgment Day together as one, cohesive unit, and it was a long time coming. Besides WrestleMania, SummerSlam is the premium live event for huge developments in WWE's storylines, and all parties involved in The Judgment Day's implosion — Morgan, Mysterio, Priest, Balor, and Rhea Ripley — played their parts incredibly well.

The night started off strong with Morgan's match against Ripley for the WWE Women's World Championship. When Mysterio helped Morgan to her feet after her successful title defense, Ripley and the rest of Cleveland, Ohio looked on in confusion. Then, their lips locked, and Ripley's world shattered around her.

Full disclosure, two women fighting over a man is a weak storyline—especially in 2024, when the standard for women's wrestling has been set so high. Nevertheless, it feels good to finally have a payoff for the several times that Mysterio's questionable methods have earned Morgan victory after victory, much to his played-up chagrin. It also cements Morgan as a bonafide heel and Ripley as a babyface — which was questionable at first, considering her continued ties to The Judgment Day since her return. There is no deep introspection here: Mysterio's betrayal simply clarified the many questions in the air following Ripley's return and Morgan's attempted inclusion in The Judgment Day. Lines are being drawn, and the viewer now has a solid understanding of everyone's position going past SummerSlam.

Balor's betrayal of Priest was also well-executed. There has been palpable tension between the two dating all the way back to the early days of Señor Money in the Bank and Balor's World Heavyweight Championship aspirations against Seth Rollins. Every time, they've repaired their relationship, but it always felt a bit weaker with each remedial conversation. Unlike Mysterio's betrayal — which was well-done, but expected considering the recency of Morgan's seduction — Balor's betrayal felt like it was shocking without being out of left field. There have been tensions, yes, but Balor seemed to be on good terms with Priest going into his match with GUNTHER. The shock value was present and appreciated, but this decision did not feel rushed or out of nowhere.

There is material on material here to run with post-SummerSlam, and even into next year's Road to WrestleMania. The Judgment Day exploded, and these feuds are falling into place like shrapnel. Right now, anything is possible.

Written by Angeline Phu

Months of "We want Roman" chants opposing the "WWE SmackDown" asphyxiation at the hands of Solo Sikoa and his Bloodline splinter group were answered Saturday night in Cleveland. Four years on from the first look at Roman Reigns as the "Tribal Chief," when he wrecked Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt before leaving SummerSlam 2020 and set the wheels in motion for his eventual 1,316 day reign atop the company, he made his return as "The Original Tribal Chief" to prevent his usurper from defeating Cody Rhodes.

Following interference from returning Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, cancelled out by the sheer numbers of Sikoa's stable, it fell on Reigns to save the title reign of the man who'd ended his run just four months ago. It was a moment of closure for the two-time WrestleMania rivals, and presumably the opening of The Bloodline Civil War II — just in time for Survivor Series: WarGames, no less. And mirroring the demeanor change which cemented Reigns as a heel back in 2020, his appearance at SummerSlam 2024 felt like the makings of a monumental babyface run. With that, it finally happened. A decade after he set upon becoming one of the most despised cookie-cutter babyfaces in WWE, Roman Reigns well and truly had the fans behind him as the anti-hero, the Batman to Cody Rhodes' Superman. Now it just remains to be seen how Solo and co. address what happened in Cleveland.

Written by Max Everett