8/21 WWE SUMMERSLAM KICKOFF SHOW REPORT: Final hype for top matches including Roman Reigns vs. John Cena, Edge vs. Seth Rollins, more

WWE SUMMERSLAM KICKOFF SHOW REPORT
AUGUST 21, 2021
PEACOCK NETWORK
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Kickoff Panel: Jerry Lawler, Booker T, Kayla Braxton, Peter Rosenberg, Kevin Patrick, Sonya Deville

-After a video package, the panel discussed Goldberg vs. Lashley. Booker said that this version of Lashley is the best he’s ever seen. Peter wondered if Lashley would win in 15 seconds, or if he would choose to brutalize Goldberg for 20 minutes. Lawler suggested that Goldberg might have extra motivation because MVP and Lashley made things more personal by involving Goldberg’s son.

-A video was shown for the Banks vs. Belair match. Booker said that Belair was naive for thinking she can remain at the top of the division. Peter said that since WrestleMania, you can call her “Big Match Belair.” Deville suggested that Banks wants to be associated with Belair because of Belair’s stardom.

-The panel pivoted to replays of the Mysterios and Usos. An ad was shown for Cerveza Victoria, a refreshing Mexican lager.

-An Edge vs. Rollins video was shown. Booker said he believed that Rollins will pull the trigger if he has the perfect line of sight. Peter said Edge needs a win tonight after his recent big matches. Lawler pointed out that everyone on the card tonight feels like the “need the win.” He said this match was between two evil minds, and the more evil mind would win.

-A video recapped Nikki’s ascent to champion and (near) superhero status and her rivalry with Charlotte and Ripley. Kayla asked which of the three women was the hungriest. Kevin said it was Charlotte, having lost her title so quickly to Nikki. Lawler said if Nikki wins, she can remove the “A” from her title, becoming a fully-fledged superhero.

-Miz and Morrison were shown backstage driving a “Pure Life” water delivery truck.

Announce Team: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

-The winner of the SummerSlam TikTok Announcer Contest, Raine Cruz, was in the ring to introduce the wrestlers.

(1) BIG E vs. BARON CORBIN

Big E powered Corbin into a corner to start, but Corbin soon leveled Big E in the middle of the ring. Big E caught Corbin with a bearhug before tossing him backward with a suplex. Big E lifted Corbin and hit another suplex. He lined up Corbin on the ring apron and laid in a series of forearm blows to his chest. He scaled the ring and jumped at Corbin, but Corbin rolled aside, causing Big E to splash the apron with nobody home.

Big E rolled back in at the ref’s eight-count, only for Corbin to fire him shoulder-first into a ringpost. Corbin did this two more times, then screamed, “It’s my briefcase,” referring to Money in the Bank contract he stole from Big E. Corbin applied a chinlock in the middle of the ring.

Corbin broke free and hit a sidewalk slam, then covered Big E for a two-count. Corbin set up for a chokeslam, but Big E slipped free and put Corbin in a stretch muffler submission. Corbin rolled through the hold and immediately took Big E down with the Deep Six. He covered Big E for another two-count.

The men went to the floor and Big E slammed Corbin’s face into the announce table. Corbin grabbed the briefcase and went on the run, but Big E intercepted him around the ring and checked him into the barricade with the power of Niklas Kronwall. Corbin got into the ring, where Big E quickly speared him through the ropes and to the floor. He rolled Corbin into the ring, then removed his shoulder straps. He hoisted Corbin onto his shoulder and hit the Big Ending – this was good for the three-count. Big E celebrated in the ring as the rightful owner of the Money in the Bank briefcase.

WINNER: Big E by pinfall in 7:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Entertaining slam-bang action from these two large men, but it’s disappointing that Big E’s solo trajectory is to tread water on the pre-show of a big event.)

-A compilation video was shown running down tonight’s card. This led into a final video package for the main event, Cena vs. Reigns. Kayla asked about the stakes of this match, where Reigns has agreed to leave WWE if he loses. Booker said the fans will want an encore, a “bravo moment” from Cena tonight. Lawler, with a classic Lawler-ism, said that 50,000 fans think they’d sooner see a mermaid do the splits than see Reigns leave the company. Rosenberg said we are all on Reigns’s payroll since he led us through the pandemic. Booker confirmed that this match was, in fact, the “Shucky Ducky Quack-Quack” moment of the night.

CATCH-UP: 8/21 WWE SUMMERSLAM PPV RESULTS: Keller’s report on Reigns vs. Cena, Lashley vs. Goldberg, Usos vs. Mysterios, Nikki vs. Ripley vs. Charlotte