WWE SummerSlam 2022: Surprise returns to controversial ending - Analysing the 5 talking points
WWE SummerSlam 2022 PPV was held on Saturday. As we analyse the five talking points, the PPV was filled with shocking returns and controversial ends.
FollowWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) hosted its biggest summer party, as the 2022 SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) was held on Saturday at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It happened to be the third biggest PPV of the year after the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It was the second time in SummerSlam history that it was held at an outdoor venue and the first in an outdoor forum in the United States of America (USA). As for the event, it was headlined by some surprise returns, while it also had a controversial ending involving a match, which led to fans wondering. Thus, we analyse the five talking points.
No TV-14 yet
It was reported that SummerSlam was being advertised as TV-14 on the PPV. It was already reported weeks back that WWE is planning to return to TV-14 and end its TV-PG era soon, which has lasted for over a decade. However, the show's opening montage displayed the latter, indicating that WWE is yet to re-implement the former. Although there is no definitive date when it will happen, it is not far away.
ALSO READ:Â WWE SummerSlam 2022 - Rollins' match postponed after Riddle suffers injury, netizens unhappy
Three surprise returns
Four surprise returns highlighted the show. The first three happened right after the opening match, with Bianca Belair retaining her RAW Women's Championship against Becky Lynch. Following the match, former SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley returned, while former NXT Tag-Team Champion Dakota Kai and former NXT Champion Io Sky joined her, shocking all. It will be interesting to see what WWE has in store for the trio on the main roster, especially the latter two, while Dakota's return raised eyebrows, as she was released just four months ago.
Edge returns
In one of the expected returns, former WWE Champions and Hall of Famer Edge made his return to aid The Mysterios (Rey and Dominic) to win against Judgement Day (Damien and Finn Balor). It was expected after the latter kicked Edge out of the group brutally, especially after he was the one to have found the group. While fans remain confused as to why WWE decided to allow Edge to go solo, we think Cody Rhodes' injury layoff had something to do with it.
ALSO READ:Â WWE - Triple H named creative head following Vince McMahon's retirement
Ronda Rousey turns heel after controversial ending
Ronda failed to win back her SD Women's Championship from Liv Morgan following a controversial ending. While Liv pinned Ronda, the latter already had the former locked in the arm bar, whereas replays indicated that Liv had tapped out before the referee counted three for Ronda's pin.
It led to Ronda attacking both Liv and the referee, turning heel in the process, while later, the champ declared herself the new 'Baddest Woman on the Planet'. As for the fallout, it is expected that the two will get their rematch. It is likely to happen at the Clash of the Castle PPV on September 5 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Yet, Ronda is expected to be fined and momentarily suspended for laying hands on a WWE official, as things would be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
ALSO READ:Â WWE - Brock Lesnar returns and beats up Theory on SmackDown amid reports of walkout
Is Roman Reigns the next Brock Lesnar?
Reigns yet again successfully defended his WWE Undisputed Universal Championship against Lesnar, thanks to some help from the WWE Undisputed Tag-Team Champions, The Usos (Jimmy and Jey). The match was highly competitive, as Reigns had to toil to retain the title.
However, the bigger question remains as to who would be the one to dethrone Reigns, who has held the championship for 700 days. Mr Money in the Bank, Theory will also need a miracle to make that happen. It would be exciting to see how former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre fares against him at Clash at the Castle in front of his home crowd in the United Kingdom (UK).
