WWE SummerSlam 2021: Roman Reigns retains, Brock Lesnar returns

John Pollock's coverage of WWE SummerSlam from Allegiant Stadium headlined by Roman Reigns vs. John Cena for the Universal Championship.

Photo Courtesy: WWE

Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of WWE SummerSlam from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We will be live immediately after the event with our SummerSlam POST Show with Kate from Montreal & Nate Milton joining me along with your calls. The show will be live for all Double Double, Iced Capp & Espresso members of the POST Wrestling Café.

The coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET during the SummerSlam Kickoff.

Here is the full card for SummerSlam:
*WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (champion) over John Cena in 23:01
*WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (champion) over Bill Goldberg in 7:11 by referee’s stoppage
*Edge over Seth Rollins 21:15
*Raw Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair over Nikki A.S.H. (champion) and Rhea Ripley in 13:04
*Drew McIntyre over Jinder Mahal in 4:38
*SmackDown Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (replacing Sasha Banks) over Bianca Belair (champion) in 0:26
*SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (champions) over Rey & Dominik Mysterio in 10:50
*WWE United States Championship: Damian Priest over Sheamus (champion) in 13:47
*Alexa Bliss over Eva Marie in 3:50
*Raw Tag Team Championship: Randy Orton & Riddle over AJ Styles & Omos (champions) in 7:05
*SummerSlam Kickoff: Big E. over Baron Corbin in 6:33

The SummerSlam Kickoff featured the panel consisting of Kayla Braxton, Jerry Lawler, Booker T., Kevin Patrick, and Peter Rosenberg.

The Miz and John Morrison arrived in a truck with ‘Pure Life’ water plastered over the truck and said they have a surprise inside of the truck that will be “awesome”.

Logan Paul is sitting in the front row behind Michael Cole and Pat McAfee.

BIG E. VS BARON CORBIN

Raine Cruz was the winner of the TikTok contest and got to be the ring announcer for the match.

Big E. missed the splash on the edge of the apron and was run into the post. Corbin repeatedly ran Big E’s shoulder into the posts inside the ring.

Big E. countered a chokeslam and applied the Stretch Muffler, Corbin kicked him off and hit Deep Six for a two-count.

Corbin tried to run away with the briefcase and was shoulder tackled on the floor. Big E. speared him off the apron to the floor and received a pop from the crowd.

Big E. pulled down the straps and hit the Big Ending for the win.

WINNER: Big E. in 6 minutes and 33 seconds

The audience was into it by the end with Big E. rallying and building to the Big Ending.

Big E. grabbed the briefcase as they continually cut to Logan Paul with his reactions.

RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: AJ STYLES & OMOS (champions) VS RANDY ORTON & RIDDLE

Riddle and Orton were the first two out on the main show and received tremendous reactions. Each did the Orton pose on the turnbuckles.

Styles got frustrated with Riddle and tagged Omos. They got the advantage on Riddle after Omos overpowered him. It was built to a hot tag for Orton.

Orton knocked Omos off the apron by kicking him in the knee. He hit a draping DDT on Styles and signaled for the RKO when Omos pulled Styles out of the ring.

Riddle sent Omos into the post while Styles backflipped off the apron to hit an Inverted DDT to Riddle on the floor.

Orton a Phenomenal Forearm attempt, Orton did a pop-up and Styles stopped the RKO, Orton kicked out of a roll-up and hit the RKO for the pin.

WINNERS: Randy Orton & Riddle in 7 minutes and 5 seconds to win the Raw Tag Team Championship

This may be a theme with so many matches as it was quick. Orton was going into his big sequence by the five-minute mark and fit a lot into the match before the ending.

The audience popped for the title change and it provides a greatly needed breath of fresh air in the tag division on Raw.

It wasn’t long enough to get to the next level but a fun opener for the crowd and an easy babyface win to cheer.

EVA MARIE w/ Doudrop VS ALEXA BLISS

Bliss came out with Lilly and they are selling dolls at the stadium with several fans holding them up.

Eva knocked down Bliss and started slapping Lilly (yes) and then hit Bliss with the doll. This spurred Bliss’ comeback and placed Lilly back in the corner.

Bliss missed Twisted Bliss but came back with a DDT to win.

WINNER: Alexa Bliss in 3 minutes and 50 seconds

Doudrop laughed at Eva Marie’s loss and announced her as the loser before putting on Eva’s robe.

So, this appears to be the dissolution of Eva Marie and Doudrop.

At best, this was a Raw match with a Raw angle at the end.

Mario Lopez is backstage and said he’s been a fan since “the WWF days”. He interviewed Orton & Riddle, who said it will be smooth sailing from now on. Riddle has a surprise for Orton on Raw tomorrow night.

UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP: SHEAMUS (champion) VS DAMIAN PRIEST

Priest hit a step-up somersault dive to the floor and nailed Sheamus with a rough landing. On the floor, Sheamus caught Priest and drove him into the post.

Sheamus worked on the back of Priest and acted cocky while in control. There seemed to be a lot of stalling as Sheamus had the advantage.

Priest fought back, climbed to the top, and landed a spinning heel kick for a two-count. Sheamus stopped The Reckoning, went to the top, and ended up snapping Priest’s neck on the top rope.

Priest kicked out after an Alabama Slam and rocked him with a headbutt.

Priest stopped the Brogue Kick, hit South of Heaven and Sheamus kicked out. Priest came off the middle rope and was met with a flying knee for a two-count.

The audience was getting into the near falls.

Sheamus applied a heel hook, Priest fired up and tore off the face mask, and broke the hold. Sheamus was dropped face-first on the turnbuckle, hit with a spinning heel kick, and The Reckoning for the victory.

WINNER: Damian Priest in 13 minutes and 47 seconds to win the United States Championship

This turned into a very good match and continues a stretch of great performances from Sheamus in 2021.

Priest sold the back really well and they turned it up for the near falls and the audience kept getting more and more into the match before peaking for the finish and cheering for the title switch.

The Mysterios are preparing backstage and Dominik apologized for his actions on SmackDown. Rey said not to think about the past and they never quit, “that’s the Mysterio way”.

SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: THE USOS (champions) VS REY & DOMINIK MYSTERIO

Rey hit a sliding splash to The Usos on the floor as Dominik followed with a springboard high cross to both on the floor.

Dominik did the three amigos before he was shoved by Jey off the top turnbuckle. The Usos got the advantage on Dominik. Jey drilled him with an uppercut that Pat said you would be able to hear in Reno.

The Usos toyed with Dominik until he made the tag to his father. Jimmy connected with a superkick and Rey kicked out.

Rey went for a reverse crossbody off the middle rope and was hit with a superkick by Jey, who followed with an Uso Splash for a near fall.

Jimmy missed an Uso Splash, Rey hit the 619 for a big reaction and continued with a frog splash landing on Jimmy’s knees. Dominik was down on the floor as The Usos hit double superkicks and Jey continued with another Uso Splash to the back and pinned Rey.

WINNERS: The Usos in 10 minutes and 50 seconds to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championship

They had a very nice match with the story that Dominik was there when his father needed him, which was subtle. Dominik was tending to his father but there was no sign of dissension among the Mysterios.

Tiffany Haddish interviewed Damian Priest and compared this title win to winning a Gold medal and it’s proof this is the land of opportunity.

Rick Boogs was inside of the ring and just played King Nakamura so that they could do his entrance and dance with Pat McAfee – that was it.

Rick Boogs was inside of the ring and just played King Nakamura so that they could do his entrance and dance with Pat McAfee – that was it.

Bianca Belair came out for the SmackDown Women’s Championship match.

Greg Hamilton announces that Sasha Banks cannot compete tonight and instead, Carmella is going to face Belair. The crowd is not happy.

Belair said sooner or later she will have Banks in this ring.

They were getting ready to start the match when Becky Lynch’s music hit and received a giant pop.

Lynch attacked Carmella and tossed her out of the ring and into the steps and then faced off with Belair.

Lynch made the challenge and Belair accepted.

SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: BIANCA BELAIR (champion) VS BECKY LYNCH

Becky offered her hand but suckered punched Belair, hit the Man-Handle Slam, and pinned Belair in seconds.

WINNER: Becky Lynch in 26 seconds to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship

The pop was huge for Becky but I think a lot of people are going to be upset that they didn’t disclose Sasha Banks wasn’t going to be on the show and then beating Belair in such a fashion where they didn’t even get a real match.

A promo ran for WWE Crown Jewel “coming in October”.

Greg Hamilton introduced U.S. Olympic gold medalists Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Gable Steveson and was brought into the ring.

There was an ad for Extreme Rules on Sunday, September 26th.

JINDER MAHAL VS DREW McINTYRE

Veer and Shanky are banned from ringside.

The match began with McIntyre tossing Mahal around and signaled for the countdown, but Mahal rolled to the floor.

Mahal begged off and said “we used to be like brothers” but McIntyre didn’t buy it. Mahal nailed him with a superkick.

McIntyre came back with a series of belly-to-belly suplexes, he hit the Future Shock DDT, did the countdown, and hit the Claymore for the win.

WINNER: Drew McIntyre in 4 minutes and 38 seconds

It was short and sweet, which is all it needed to be but they are racing through some of these matches. This one only needed the time it received.

Veer and Shanky checked on Mahal and were sent out of the ring when McIntyre went after them with the sword.

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: NIKKI A.S.H. VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS RHEA RIPLEY

There was a mixed reaction for Nikki when she was introduced.

Flair was using Nikki as a battering ram to attack Ripley.

Nikki countered the Riptide and then used a head scissors on Flair. There was some sloppiness with strikes not hitting the mark in the early portion.

Nikki was sent to the floor as Ripley attacked Flair and used a Northern Lights suplex for a two-count. Ripley ate a boot and tumbled off the apron to the floor as Nikki returned.

Flair had Nikki up for a fall-away slam when Ripley returned and threw Flair with a German suplex and Nikki was tossed as well. Ripley hit Flair with a missile dropkick for a two-count.

Nikki came off the top with a high cross to Flair and Ripley on the floor.

Flair countered a double-team vertical suplex into a DDT on Nikki and Ripley.

Flair climbed to the top and hit a corkscrew moonsault to both women on the floor. Nikki’s head appeared to get knocked into the barricade from the move.

Ripley applied the Inverted Cloverleaf submission on Nikki, Flair went to break it with a boot that completely missed. Ripley applied it to Flair, she broke out and got the Figure 8, which was broken by Nikki coming off the top.

Nikki countered the Riptide with a DDT. Nikki missed a high cross to Flair and was put into the Figure 8 and was forced to tap.

WINNER: Charlotte Flair in 13 minutes and 4 seconds to win the Raw Women’s Championship

This felt like a match where they were going at a breakneck speed to get everything they had planned into the match. It did feel rushed and therefore, they messed up some moments but worked at a strong pace and it kept the attention throughout. Flair looked great in the match and had the excellent corkscrew moonsault spot.

There was no controversy with the ending and felt like the end of the “improbable run” of Nikki A.S.H at the championship level.

EDGE VS SETH ROLLINS

Edge came out to The Brood’s theme before playing it regular music as he got midway down the aisle.

Early on, Rollins drills Edge’s head and neck into the steps on the floor and was in control. Rollins hit a springboard knee and was targeting the neck.

Rollins hit a splash off the top for a two-count. Edge stopped Rollins on the top and hit a spinning neck breaker and began to fight back.

Edge hit the Impaler DDT and a Compactor for a two-count.

Rollins caught him on top with a superplex into a Falcon Arrow for a two-count.

Rollins went for The Stomp and Edge moved out of the way and hit a Glam Slam as a nod to Beth Phoenix, for a two-count.

Rollins snapped the neck on the second rope, missed a Stomp on the edge of the apron and Rollins was driven into the post.

Edge speared Rollins off the apron to the floor. With this being such a big spot in a featured match, they probably should have eliminated it from the Big E. match on the kickoff.

Edge went for a spear and Rollins countered with the Pedigree for a near fall.

Rollins missed a Phoenix Splash, Edge hit the spear and Rollins kicked out for a huge reaction.

Rollins struck Edge in the neck multiple times, hit a superkick and Edge caught the boot for The Stomp and locked on the Edge-u-cator but Rollins breaks out.

Edge gets the Crossface applied and Rollins bends the fingers, Edge bashes Rollins’ head into the mat over and over and locks on a choke for the submission.

WINNER: Edge in 21 minutes and 15 seconds

This was the first match that felt like a big pay-per-view type of match and had the most time of anything, so far on the show.

The near falls especially from Edge’s spear were very strong and I thought Rollins was excellent in this match.

This was the best match on the show up to now.

An announcement was made that next year’s Money in the Bank show in July 2022 will take place from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Mike Rome announced today’s attendance was 51,326.

The Miz and John Morrison came out and they argued over who forgot the Drip Stick. They were interrupted by Xavier Woods with a ‘Pure Life’ water contraption.

Woods was wearing a new Wolfpac-inspired New Day shirt and did Scott Hall’s “survey time” before squirting them with water. Hilarious.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP: BOBBY LASHLEY (champion) VS BILL GOLDBERG

Goldberg connected with a flying shoulder block and slammed Lashley and continued to attack the champion. The crowd was giving Goldberg a mixed reaction.

Lashley took control of Goldberg and teased the Jackhammer, which was blocked. Lashley hit a flatliner and dropped strikes to the neck of Goldberg.

Goldberg tossed Lashley off the top, set up for the spear amidst a lot of boos and MVP rescued Lashley and pulled him out of the ring.

Goldberg speared Lashley on the floor. MVP went to use his cane on Goldberg’s knee, and it didn’t even look like it connected leading to Lashley clipping the knee.

Goldberg fought The Hurt Lock and Lashley chop blocked the injured knee. Lashley drilled Goldberg into the ring post twice off his shoulders on the floor.

Goldberg can’t stand as the referee checks on him and the referee stops the match.

WINNER: Bobby Lashley by referee’s stoppage at 7 minutes and 11 seconds

To his credit, Goldberg sold the injury really well, it just didn’t look good from the cane shot.

Lashley continued the attack after the match using a chair on the knee and certainly gave the impression they will be doing a rematch.

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP: ROMAN REIGNS (champion) VS JOHN CENA

Cena has a Super Mario 3 style merchandise line. They are pushing the chase for 17 titles very hard as the story of the match.

The match did have a big-time feel as the introductions were made.

Reigns is dominating Cena from the start and pose with the title on the steps as Cena is selling on the floor. Cena would go for several inside cradles to try and catch Reigns.

Cena lifted him for the AA, and it was stopped as Reigns hit a DDT.

Cena mounts a comeback and goes for the five-knuckle shuffle and nearly gets caught in the guillotine. Reigns connected with a Superman Punch. He goes for a spear and is met by a kick from Cena.

Cena hit the five-knuckle shuffle and hit the AA for a near fall. Cena applied the STF and Reigns reached the rope and limped on the floor.

Reigns ran at Cena on the floor right into an AA through the announcer’s desk, he sent Reigns into the ring and Reigns kicked out.

Cena leaped off the top into a sit-out powerbomb by Reigns.

Reigns missed a spear running shoulder-first into the post in the corner.

Cena hoisted Reigns on his shoulders on the turnbuckle for a Super AA for a gigantic near fall.

Cena yelled, “your time is up, my time is now” and roared like Reigns out of the corner before they came to blows. Reigns dropped him with a pair of Superman Punches.

Reigns hit the big spear and won 1-2-3.

WINNER: Roman Reigns in 23 minutes and 1 second

Reigns was standing tall over Cena when Brock Lesnar’s music hit and the audience went insane.

Lesnar looked like a monster. He entered the ring and they had a face-off before Reigns exited the ring.

About John Pollock 5483 Articles
Born on a Friday, John Pollock is a reporter, editor & podcaster at POST Wrestling. He runs and owns POST Wrestling alongside Wai Ting.