Sunday, August 17, 2008

WWE Summerslam 2008 Review and Results

One of my favorite times of year is summer because Summerslam is going to be a huge event. It’s like the second best ppv for wrestling, and this time around we definitely saw a great one, well, considering that I was excited for it. Here are the WWE Summerslam 2008 Results and a full review of how it all went down, on the hottest night of the summer!

MVP defeated Jeff Hardy

This match lived up to what I believe was a good match up. MVP isolated Jeff Hardy’s leg and really grounded Hardy for a good portion of this match up. There was a lot of rest holds to ground Hardy’s leg and make sure he wasn’t going to jump up and win this one. Hardy turned things around here and there, but MVP put on a great show, and really knew how to make this one interesting. Hardy bumped like a pro, and MVP was really convincing in this match. I was really excited the about the way this match turned out. MVP seemed to counter every Hardy move, and for once, I didn’t believe that Hardy was treating MVP to another squash match where he easily wins with all his high flying moves. Hardy really worked well with MVP and I wasn’t sure which way the match was going to go. A great opener, proving that these two deserve much higher on the crowd than what they got; Shelton Benjamin gave MVP the assist, and Hardy loses this one to MVP nearly clean. MVP dropped hardy with that drive by kick, and wins this one. Shelton Benjamin on the outside doesn’t get acknowledgement from MVP.

Maria Interviews Santino and Beth Phoenix:

Santino is gold on the mic! This stuff is what greatness is made of, the mic skills are incredible, and the timing is perfect. I wonder if he’s going off a script or if he’s just ad-libbing the whole thing? Maria has no charisma here, and is outshined by Santino at every moment.

Santino & Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Mickie James
Winner Takes All Women’s Champoinship and Intercontinental Championship Match


This definitely had comedy written all over it. Santino had a few comedic spots with Beth, and even got involved with wrestling Mickie James, and the comedy kept rolling through. Kofi Kingston didn’t do a whole lot in this match up, and really was a non factor in the whole thing. Mickie James loses this one for her team, although she did knock out Santino with a vicious DDT, but Beth Phoenix came in and dropped Mickie James on her face, with a great maneuver and the Glamazon and Santino won the match up. Santino takes the Intercontinental championship, Phoenix takes the women’s championship, and the two are winners. This match was great, but it didn’t seem quite long enough for my tastes. I thought it was cool, and it didn’t really tax Santino, who has limited skills, and I enjoyed it. Mickie James’ thong was showing for a little bit, so that was exciting! Phoenix’s finisher is amazing, she is really impressive in ring. Mickie James has improved a lot as well. I hope the WWE gets a few more women like this, because they can really grow their women’s division if they continue to wrestle well. Santino is hilarious, this win shouldn’t surprise anyone, a great quick match up to end this second match.

Shawn Michaels In Ring Update Segment:

Shawn Michaels brought his wife down to ringside, and she’s hot! Ok, not like a “diva” hot, but like a good looking mom type…does that make sense? Maybe. Shawn Michaels says that his doctor has recommend him to stay away, and that things would not be good if he continued. Shawn Michaels decides to walk away from the WWE and he’s basically retiring. Is this true? Shawn Michaels retires at Summerslam 2008 , that’s right, he gives a long winded speech about he’s going to walk away and that he quits, and of course I’m not sure if he’s legitimately quitting. This could be a work, a shoot, a swerve, I’m not sure, but he looked legit about walking away. He doesn’t look so great, but if he’s going to quit, oh well. He had a great run.

Chris Jericho comes out and really shakes things up. I guess I was really naïve about this segment, and didn’t expect that Chris Jericho was going to come out and talk to Shawn Michaels. I was definitely surprised to see Jericho out there, and wasn’t one hundred percent sure that this storyline was going to continue. Jericho definitely heels it up here, and wanted Shawn Michaels to admit that Jericho has retired Shawn Michaels. Shawn Michaels turns to walk away from Chris Jericho and go home, but Michaels ducks and Jericho socks Shawn Michaels wife in the face! No jokes people, Jericho signed his death warrant with a right hand to the face of Michaels’ wife, dang. Jericho walks away to extreme heat, and Michaels is left attending to his wife.

This segment was insane, this has to build some insane heat. I don’t know how people are going to take this segment. Jericho basically hit a woman in the face, literally, figuratively, whatever. She takes a solid right hand to the face, and whether or not you’re a wrestling fan or not, a Woman gets hit in the face by a man, and it is replayed in slow motion. Well, for those of you that like me, know wrestling is fake, we’ll all just hope for a Jericho vs. HBK match in an unsanctioned street fight, like they used to do it. Jericho is going to have hell to pay for this one, and it came across really solid, it almost looked like it wasn’t even accidental, as Jericho really had time to orchestrate that right hand. He showed no remorse, wow….what a heat inducing moment. I don’t know if Shawn Michaels is really going to retire now, but this was horrible. I can’t believe it….death to Chris Jericho!

Immediately after this match we have a commercial break. That’s right, we pay 39.95 to get a commercial break to a PPV? What a load of crap. I still want to see Street Kings, but come on! Do we really need a commercial break during a ppv event? That was lame.

Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry in the ECW Championship Match via DQ

This match didn’t even have a chance to unhinge. This match broke down in a matter of moments. This was disappointing to say the least. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and and looks like he’s going to win, but Tony Atlas causes the disqualification. Matt Hardy then attacks Atlas, Jeff Hardy runs through and helps out. The team brawls outside, and beats down Mark Henry, but of course it’s too little too late. The championship doesn’t change hands, and this match is over way too soon. What a pay day for Matt Hardy, he was out there for what? Fifteen minutes? That’s lame.

CM Punk defeated JBL in the World Heavyweight Championship Match

The crowd was firmly behind CM Punk in this one, and JBL really got a lot of boo’s. I predicted the standard Punk match, always trying to battle back, but there was a little bit of variation. I definitely wanted to see this one, and am glad we didn’t have to wait too long for it to happen! The crowd was red hot for this one, and PUNK chants were breaking out left and right. Punk really got a lot of offense in throughout the match, and JBL really worked well with Punk. While, I don’t think Punk looked extremely strong, he had enough of a move set to make JBL’s limited set look good. JBL really started to look frustrated towards the end of the match, as Punk would keep coming back after a lot of heavy moves. JBL dropped Punk off the second rope onto his head several times, and there was even a collision where Punk and JBL collided splitting punk’s skull wide open. While there wasn’t a lot of blood, CM Punk managed to get his bearings together long enough for the GTS on JBL for the clean win. Punk’s skull was really split open, and I’m surprised that the announcers really didn’t talk about it much. JBL loses this one clean to Punk, and it was definitely impressive. You gotta see JBL fall on Punk’s skull, it was sick. Punk had to be legitimately knocked out for a second or two. These types of falls are what concussions are made of, but Punk seemed to be alright after the match up. JBL has nothing to say any longer, Punk wins clean!

Triple H defeated The Great Khali in the WWE Championship Match

Now this is one of the ones that I was waiting for with great expectations. I have been talking all week about how I wanted the Great Khali to beat the crap out of Triple H and win this match up. Khali definitely looked to be out matched in this one, and rightfully so, Khali is HUGE. Khali threw Triple H around like a rag doll for the most part and it really looked bad. Triple H reminded me a lot of Hulk Hogan’s matches as he was getting beat up a lot. He was getting manhandled completely and Triple H was evoking the crowds emotions as they were getting into it. Khali was superior in this match, and I haven’t always been a big fan of his matches, but he’s really turning it on now. It could be that Triple H is doing something to push this match or something, but he’s really coming into his own here. Triple H did get a bit of offense in, so it wasn’t just the khali show, but it was all Khali for a good portion of this match. Shades of Andre The Giant was seen in this match up when Khali got stuck in the ropes, and I couldn’t help but remember Jake The Snake Roberts vs. Andre at Wrestlemania V, but it was short lived as Khali got out fast. I was actually beginning to think that Triple H was injured as he took a nasty fall to the outside of the ring, but apparently wasn’t too bad to drop out of the match. Triple H miraculously recovers, ala Hulk Hogan, and delivers the pedigree on Khali for the clean victory. This was interesting, but I don’t want to see much more matches like this. I’m no longer a little kid, so I don’t want to see more Hulk Hogan era wrestling main events, but this was satisfying somehow. I really wanted Triple H to lose, but apparently he has more stroke than my petty wishes.

Batista defeated John Cena

I’m not sure where the WWE was going with this match up, but the crowd was definitely behind both guys. This is interesting to say the least. The match wasn’t exactly a technical classic, but it was good for what it was. These two big guys are just in the power move category, rather than treading onto Bret Hart technical matches. There was a lot of standard, basic, moves, but they were done with such power, that one could forgive them for doing so. I was impressed with the amount of control the two guys had in this match up, and the crowd seemed really into it, so in turn, I was really into it. There was a lot of near falls, even in the middle of the match. The ending was definitely great, as Cena got caught in mid air into a Batista bomb, then afterwards, a second Batista bomb for the clean victory. Batista defeated John Cena with a batista bomb, and that’s all that matters. This match was a lot better than I could have hoped for, and both men put everything forward, Batista though, wins this match up. Wow. What an event.

Undertaker defeated Edge in a Hell in the Cell Match

Speculation had Mick Foley coming through and costing Edge the match. However, early on the reports on the internet were saying that Foley wasn’t going to be showing up this night, and probably won’t end up continuing his commentating job, due in large part to his dislike of getting yelled at by Vince McMahon on a constant basis. However, this was the match of the night. Everyone was waiting for this one, and I personally was wondering how Undertaker would be in this match up, as he had been resting for a good two or three months at a time.

The Undertaker really put on a clinic in this match, proving once again that there’s still fuel left in the tank of the dead man. Edge put on the best he could, and he fought off Undertaker through a lot of different stages, including all his usual spots. Edge even speared the Undertaker through the side of the cell, and out to the floor. Edge took out Undertaker through the announce table, then things started to really go to the wall. Edge eventually got tossed off the top rope through two tables, then was given a concierto, then the Tombstone piledriver for the win. Undertaker wins clean, after dismantling Edge on ever corner of the ring. The Undertaker then walks away, but comes back to the ring!

Post match, Undertaker sets up Edge on a ladder, then choke slams Edge off the top of a ladder and THROUGH THE RING! Edge definitely got the better of this match up, and Edge is completely done! After Edge goes through the ring, Fire consumes the hole in which he was thrown into. Edge basically gets thrown into HELL! This was awesome!

WWE Summerslam 2008 Results:

MVP defeated Jeff Hardy
Santino & Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Mickie James
Shawn Michaels Retires From WWE** (or does he?)
Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry via DQ
CM Punk defeated JBL
Triple H defeated The Great Khali
Batista defeated John Cena
Undertaker defeated Edge


Overall a great show, and I definitely enjoyed it. The whole thing was great, I didn’t really get bored like I did during Wrestlemania this year, and this last match up was great. Good job WWE on a good ppv! I'm sure there are going to be a lot of people that didn't like this one, but come, this wasn't as bad as other ppv this year. Seriously, this was great.

This show was brought to you by a couple of things. WWE's One Night Stand on dvd, and of course the Summerslam Box Set featuring 20 discs of Summerslam action. If you want to help me out with paying for this ppv, then pick yourself something up from our amazon links. Thanks again for reading, and what a Summerslam we had this year!






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