Summerslam 2011: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This summer I'll be looking back on each of the previous Summerslam events, one by one. Every few days I will submit a new topic until we reach 2014's edition of the 2nd biggest brand in WWE.

This thread will be for discussing.... Summerslam 2011!

Summerslam 2011 took place on August 14, 2011. It was held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Here are the results of the matches from this show:




0. Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero) defeated Alex Riley in a singles match

1. Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz, R-Truth, and Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) in a six-man tag team match (09:37)

2. Mark Henry defeated Sheamus by countout in a singles match (09:22)

3. Kelly Kelly (c) (with Eve Torres) defeated Beth Phoenix (with Natalya) in a singles match for the WWE Divas Championship (06:33)

4. Wade Barrett defeated Daniel Bryan in a singles match (11:47)

5. Randy Orton defeated Christian (c) in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship (23:43)

6. CM Punk (c) defeated John Cena (c) in a singles match for the Undisputed WWE Championship with Triple H as the guest referee (24:17)

7. Alberto Del Rio defeated CM Punk (c) in a singles match for the WWE Championship where Del Rio used his Money in the Bank cash-in match (00:12)







Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the event:

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Summerslam 2011, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in August 2011. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Summerslam 2011 in this thread. The remaining Summerslam events will be getting their own retrospective threads, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[Pedigree1]

I liked this summerslam card a lot. Coming off the magical MITB match between Cena and Punk,they didnt lose a step in this one.. Amazing chemistry between these two and by far my favorite match.. This was the match that turned Trips into a heel and still is today.

Mark Henry vs Sheamus was just a brutal match.. This was the summer of the WSM and was Mark Henrys best work ever... He went blow for blow with sheamus and it was just a fight not you typical match..

I like christian i really do,but in no way should he have ever been champion.. It just never worked and the only reason he was,was because of Edge retiring! I would have had ADR attack christian on a smackdown incapacitate him,cash in his MITB and take his title..

That would have freed up Orton vs ADR a heel vs heel match.. I think that match would have been better than Orton vs Christian.. I dont normally play booker,but again christian who i like a very solid mid-carder never belonged as the guy!

 

[The Brain]

This was a nice bounce back from the poor 2010 show. The hype was back for the biggest blockbuster of the summer. It was a solid show from top to bottom but I think it could have used one more as six (not counting the MITB cash in) just doesn't feel like enough for a big PPV. I'll get to that later when discussing my changes. I liked the opening six man tag. It felt kind of like a throwback to earlier SummerSlam events and reminded me of the opener 20 years earlier. I also enjoyed the feud between Sheamus and Mark Henry. The bully standing up to the bigger bully was an interesting way to turn Sheamus face. Too bad this was just a one and done after the count out.

I'd say my favorite match was Randy Orton vs. Christian. I always liked Christian but never really pictured him as champion or even a serious contender. His rivalry with Orton that year was great though and he proved he deserved that spot, at least for a short run. This was the blowoff in a series of good matches and the appearance by Edge before the match started was a nice little surprise. I don't really have a least favorite match. I guess by default I'll go with the divas match. No offense to the ladies but the card was good and when everything delivers odds are the women are going to be the most forgettable.

Now for the changes. I've got some big ones. Real big ones. I would have gone with an entirely different main event. I'm sure I don't have to remind you this was the “summer of Punk” and Punk walked out of WWE after beating John Cena for the title at Money In The Bank. It was a hot angle that many feel WWE dropped the ball with. After Punk walked out the title was vacated and the new champ was determined by a tournament on Raw. Rey Mysterio won the tournament but dropped the belt to John Cena that very night. I would have done Rey Mysterio vs. John Cena at SummerSlam. I thought this could have been an intriguing storyline as tensions could build between the two ultimate goody goodies leading to the event. I know they could have delivered in the match making it a worthy title match for SummerSlam.

So where does this leave Punk? I mentioned earlier that six matches was not enough for SummerSlam. I would have gone with CM Punk vs. Triple H. This happened a month later but would have been more fitting for SummerSlam. Punk could return on Raw angry that WWE had just declared a new champion while he was still the rightful champ. Triple H tells Punk it had to be done when he walked out on the company. Eventually HHH challenges Punk for SummerSlam. If HHH wins Punk gives up his title and leaves WWE for good. If Punk wins HHH gives in to some arbitrary demands including a match with the new champ at Night of Champions with Punk still considered champ. Punk wins and the actual SummerSlam main event match and story is simply shifted to Night of Champions, which by the name of the ppv alone is a more fitting setting for that match. I think these changes would have made SummerSlam 2011 one of the best.

By the way, no cash in from Del Rio and put Evan Bourn in Mysterio's place in the six man tag. And just scrap that C Lo Brown or D Lo Green or whoever it was that gave a little concert to make room for Punk vs. HHH.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Awesome show. It's a shame this was where the Summer Of Punk storyline started going downhill but it was wrestling's hottest angle in a very long time and I enjoyed every second of it while it was still white-hot.

Favourite match: Punk vs. Cena. While Punk vs. Cena II had less drama and wasn't better than their first match, it was still a satisfying enough sequel to Money in the Bank. Orton vs. Christian was also a great match and an underrated feud.

Least-Favourite match: Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix. I fast forwarded through this match as I do anything these days that involve most of the divas but can it still count? Everyone knew it was gonna be a shit match as soon as it was announced for Summerslam.

I think most people agree that the main event should've been John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio for the interim WWE Title, with Punk returning right after the match. Personally, I thought the Summer Of Punk should've ended at Wrestlemania 28 with Punk returning around WM season and Cena & Punk facing each other for the two WWE Titles on the grandest stage, but for some reason they decided to bring Punk back only 2 weeks after Money in the Bank. 2 more weeks without Punk and the WWE Title wouldn't have hurt anything. Cena & Mysterio had a good Finals on Raw that was worthy of headlining Summerslam instead and Punk & Cena's rematch could've taken place at Night Of Champions, which would've been a fitting PPV for the rematch.

With Mysterio in the main event, Evan Bourne and Dolph Ziggler could replace Rey and Del Rio in the opening 6 man tag match.

For Del Rio, well since I'd have his cash-in wait a little longer, give him a new feud and a match with the upcoming Alex Riley in the meantime.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This is where wwe started to try and make Summerslam a big deal again, even though this ppv had decent matches some of them were a bit of a snooze fest IMO such as the diva title and the six man tag match. I would make a few changes and add more matches to the card and take Cee Lo Green off the card the main thing I hated about these Summerslam cards was that they'd leave certain talents off the show and replace them with terrible out of tune celebs who didn't even deserve to be there in the first place but anyways I enjoyed some matches but here are my changes to the card:

1) David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty (C) Vs Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov Vs Air Boom Vs Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel.
Four Corner Elimination Wwe Tag Title Match. This would be a great opener for Summerslam I'd have air boom walk out as the champs.

2) Diva Battle Royal
Winner becomes diva's champion where Kelly Kelly would lose it to someone more credible.

3) Dolph Ziggler (C) Vs John Morrison Vs R-Truth Vs Alex Riley
Fatal Four Way United States Title. Could be another great match for Summerslam and have Ziggler retain his title and carry on Morrison and Truth feud whilst giving Riley a good spot on the card.

4) Alberto Del Rio Vs Zack Ryder
Singles Match. Could be a great opponent for Del Rio and Ryder was getting over with the crowd at this time too but in the end I'd have Del Rio cheat to win the match.

5) Mark Henry Vs Sheamus
Number 1 Contenders Match. This was a great bout at Summerslam but to make it more interesting I'd the winner gets a shot at the World Title but have the finish where both men are counted out so they both go on to face the world champion.

6) Cody Rhodes (C) Vs Kane
Intercontinetal Title Match. Could be a good filler match tbh with Rhodes having to cheat to win.

7) Christian (C) Vs Randy Ortan
No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Stays the same had a great build up.

8) Daniel Bryan Vs Wade Barrett
Stays the same.

9) Rey Mysterio (C) Vs The Miz Vs John Cena
Triple Threat WWE Title Match. This match takes place instead and in the end Cena wins the match and the strap and at the end Punk will come and return at Summerslam instead of returning two weeks after he walked out. They have a match at Night of Champions instead and there is no screwey finish.

That's my card and I think this could of been much better.

 

[The Calgary Kid]

My major pet peeve about this PPV is that there was all of this drama about establishing who the real champion was between Cena and Punk, Cena had his foot on the rope, and del Rio cashed in moments later. Effectively, nothing was accomplished. Declaring the "Undisputed WWE Champion" was done with no finality, and del Rio got to walk around with being announced with that distinction despite playing no part in the main story. He also suffered from having no build and character development after winning the briefcase, which ultimately hurt him in the long run (further damaged by dropping it to Cena a month later). Meanwhile, Punk's feud with Nash that came about because Nash TEXTED HIMSELF gets scrapped and instead of being put over, he jobs to HHH. With all of the momentum they had coming off of MITB, there was a lot of potential for this PPV and the following months, but they totally botched the whole thing. The title lost credibility, no one took del Rio seriously, and instead of continuing to build Punk as a mega-star, he had to start from scratch in the build to Survivor Series while del Rio had to reestablish his own credibility in the process. The only definitive thing to come out of this PPV was the establishment of Johnny Ace as a weekly onscreen character, and all Nash ended up being used for was a Super Shredder reference and a chance to make HHH look stronger. Punk later told Johnny Ace how baffling it was that he got so far with so little to offer. It's equally baffling that this PPV had so much to offer not just for the night but for subsequent months of programming, and went absolutely nowhere.

 

[Judah's Lion]

this was a really solid SummerSlam with some excellent matches following logical builds. just a few changes would have made this one of the best "biggest parties of the summer" ever. with the Summer of Punk happening, there really was just a missed opportunity with the whole thing.

Diva's Title would be my dark match.

Opening Match would be Alex Riley vs. Miz. i'd have some sort of stipulation on the line. maybe the #1 Contender's Spot for the next night on Raw. and make it a Street Fight since they already had a match at an earlier ppv and then squared off again at MITB in the Ladder Match. so i'd do that here to blow off their feud and see what A-Ri was capable of on a mega stage.

6-Man Tag Match would be mixed up just a tad. Kofi Kingston, John Morrison and Evan Bourne vs. R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio. let the faces pick up the win here with ADR getting not too much action. maybe he walks out on his teammates to set up for his return at the end of the night.

Mark Henry vs. Sheamus was so much more fun than i ever expected it to be. it was so hard-hitting from the get-go. and this is easily the beginning of the best work of the World's Strongest Man's career. i'd make this for the #1 Contender's Spot for the other World Title as well.

Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan was such a good match. i wish there was a little more backstory leading into it with their Nexus background and the SummerSlam Elimination Tag Match from the year prior. but the match was still fantastic and a great addition to the card.

Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Title in a No Holds Barred Match was a fantastic way to end the feud. Christian, in my booking world, would have cashed in the MITB Briefcase on his best friend Edge at Mania 27, but that's another thread. i have lots of love for Christian, both as a person and as a performer and feel he has earned his spot at the top of the card. so i really loved this feud from start to finish and enjoyed the heck out of Christian's heel turn and mic work throughout. my only change here is that i'd have Alberto Del Rio cash in on the winner, whether that's Christian or Orton. cashing in on Christian might make for the better story with his constant "one more match" gimmick he went thru just after this, but either way, these three guys would put on amazing matches together.

lastly, i'd rip off the Brain's idea and do John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio for the "World Title" in the finals of the tournament. that's a big match between the two top faces in the company. it'd definitely have that big fight feel and would have delivered between the ropes as well. John Cena could go over to set up for the next ppv and even on to WrestleMania in the coming year.

and Triple H vs. CM Punk to close out the show. the Summer of Punk went downhill so fast because of how SummerSlam was booked and Night of Champions the next month. Punk left with the World Title, returned 2 weeks later, lost the World Title after the main event of SummerSlam, and then lost to Triple H at Night of Champions?!?! what was the point of all that momentum just to throw it away? so this'd be how i'd close my show to continue with the hottest angle of the year.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

Favourite match: John Cena vs CM Punk
Of course... it was all hype, champion vs champion! This is what sold the PPV. The entire Summer of Punk angle, while I agree could have been stretched out for months, was done on purpose to blow off at SummerSlam

Least favourite match: CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
Having Del Rio cash-in at this event was silly. The Diesel/Kevin Nash/Triple H angle was silly. Here's what I would have done....

CM Punk defeats John Cena CLEAN.
No foot on the rope that the referee misses. CM Punk was on fire at this point in time, and should have had another definitive win over Cena, proving that he is as good as he says he is. End the show this way.

Punk then goes on as the #1 babyface in the company, with a hot title reign, rather than Del Rio killing any of his momentum... and ride this out for as long as you can. I'd still have CM Punk vs Triple H at Night of Champions... but for the title, and with Punk coming out on top once again. If Punk was pushed and protected half as well as WWE has protected other top stars in the past, there's no knowing how big he could have been as a babyface.

 

[Dagger Dias]

A great show. My favorite match here was Randy Orton VS Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship, I loved this whole feud. A close second place goes to John Cena VS CM Punk for the "Undisputed" WWE Championship. Least favorite match was Mark Henry VS Sheamus. Despite my fandom of Sheamus, I just couldn't get into this feud. I wouldn't really make many changes to this card, it was a very well put together show. One thing I would change is that Beth Phoenix should have won the Divas Championship. Kelly Kelly should never have held the belt in the first place, let alone retaining against one of the best divas on the roster at the second biggest show of the year.

 

[klunderbunker]

The main event is very good but the problem is it's the rematch to one of the best matches ever. It's good and the post match stuff is great, but people remember the Money in the Bank match and the kiss after the match far more than anything that happened here. It doesn't help that this kicked off the huge mess that was HHH somehow taking over the Summer of Punk and feuding with Kevin Nash. I'm still not sure how that whole thing worked.

I do love the CHristian vs. Orton feud and this was as good of a blowoff as you were going to find. Orton completely defeated Christian and beat him down, which is what you're supposed to get at the end of a feud. The show is a two match card and the two matches are very good. This felt more like a major show and that's something that has been missing for years.