SummerSlam 2021: Two Great Matches, Two Huge Returns, and One Terrible Decision

Big E and Baron Corbin use six minutes to resolve the stolen Money in the Bank briefcase angle without pretending the Kickoff needs an epic. Corbin tries to escape with the case, Big E cuts him off, and the Big Ending restores possession to the rightful owner. The match is competent and easy to follow, but almost all of its value comes from storyline housekeeping. Big E's momentum matters because the briefcase will soon become the WWE Championship, yet this particular bout is not an essential stop on that path.

The opener gives the stadium an immediate happy result. Randy Orton and Riddle have enough personality as RK-Bro that the championship win feels like the payoff to the team's reunion rather than a random title switch. Omos is protected by spending much of the match as the physical obstacle, while AJ Styles handles the faster exchanges and ultimately takes the RKO. Seven minutes is short, but the structure is efficient: tease Omos' dominance, isolate Styles, let Riddle neutralize the giant, and give Orton the finish the crowd is waiting for.

This match is almost entirely about Lilly, the doll attached to Alexa Bliss' supernatural character. Eva Marie slaps the doll, Bliss gets angry, and the wrestling exists as connective tissue between character beats. At under four minutes there is no chance to create a competitive structure, and the work is too awkward to compensate for the thin premise. Doudrop announcing Eva as the loser after the match is more memorable than anything that happens between the bells.

Priest and Sheamus give the card its first sustained wrestling match. Sheamus attacks with the ugly physicality that fits him, while Priest uses reach, kicks and bursts of speed to create a different rhythm. The protective face mask becomes part of the finish when Priest removes it, giving the champion one more vulnerability before the closing kick and Reckoning. The title change feels deserved because Priest has to beat Sheamus at his own level rather than survive a fluke.

The Usos and Mysterios have enough family-team chemistry to make ten minutes move quickly, even if the match never escapes the feeling of a television rematch upgraded by the SummerSlam setting. Rey Mysterio provides the strongest late sequence, the Usos' double superkick creates the right transition, and Jimmy's splash gives the champions a clean retention. The execution is reliable throughout. What is missing is a reason this particular meeting should define the rivalry.

As a match, there is almost nothing to grade. Becky Lynch returns after more than a year away, removes Carmella from the equation, challenges Bianca Belair, and wins the title in twenty-six seconds after a handshake and Manhandle Slam. The return itself is a huge stadium moment. The problem is the price. Belair had been presented as a durable champion who survived major opponents and WrestleMania pressure, so losing instantly creates shock by contradicting the character WWE spent months building. The later feud would repair much of the damage, but SummerSlam gets none of that future payoff.

A feud that consumed weeks of television is finished in less than five minutes. Drew McIntyre is clearly positioned above Jinder Mahal, and the Claymore ending leaves no ambiguity about the hierarchy. That clarity is not enough to make the match interesting. With Veer and Shanky barred from ringside, Mahal loses the interference structure that powered much of the rivalry, and the bout becomes a quick showcase for McIntyre. The sword-based post-match imagery reinforces the spectacle but not the wrestling.

The triple threat is one of the undercard's better matches because all three wrestlers have distinct jobs. Nikki A.S.H. brings underdog bursts, Rhea Ripley supplies power, and Charlotte Flair acts as the veteran who keeps finding ways to control both opponents. The match has enough motion to justify the three-way format, and the finishing stretch gives Nikki opportunities before Flair catches her in the Figure Eight. The title change continues a crowded championship cycle, but the match itself is sharp and energetic.

This is the best match on SummerSlam because every major move belongs to the story. Rollins attacks Edge's surgically repaired neck, turning the old 2014 threat into something physical rather than nostalgic. Edge answers by digging into his own history, including the Brood entrance and increasingly desperate offense. The near-falls escalate without becoming a collection of finishers, and the final submission sequence feels personal because Edge repeatedly drives Rollins' head into the mat before locking the Bulldog Choke. The match is long enough to feel important and focused enough to justify every minute.

Lashley and Goldberg have the physical presence for a spectacle, but the match is structured around avoiding a decisive ending. MVP's cane shot damages Goldberg's knee, Lashley targets it, and the referee stops the match when Goldberg cannot continue. That protects Goldberg for the rematch and keeps the championship on Lashley, yet it leaves the stadium without a satisfying result. The post-match attack on Goldberg and his son pushes the feud forward, but it confirms that this SummerSlam bout is principally an advertisement for what comes next.

The main event succeeds by leaning into the audience's memory. Cena does not need to reinvent himself; every roll-up, Attitude Adjustment and STF matters because the crowd knows how many world-title matches those moves have ended. Reigns works from the opposite position, controlling the pace and forcing Cena to prove that one more comeback is possible. The announce-table Attitude Adjustment and top-rope Super Attitude Adjustment create the strongest near-falls, but Reigns survives and finishes with consecutive Superman Punches and a Spear. The clean win is crucial. Brock Lesnar's return then gives the stadium one final eruption without stealing the championship result.