6 Takeaways from Summer Slam 2019: Toronto

Takeaway 1: Never cross the Streams!

When it comes to technology you don’t understand, always trust Egon Spengler. One huge development on the business side of WWE was their choice to switch streaming providers from BAMtech (of Disney streaming fame) to Endeavor streaming (of NFL, NBA and Sky Sports fame). This decision was likely driven by WWE’s efforts to align with other juggernauts of the sports world (there is a good chance that cost played a role as well). That move didn’t play well for them this weekend. Twitter was aflame with people complaining about issues with their streaming service who had never experienced problems before. The KO/McMahon match was jump cutting back to the Bayley/Ember Moon match for no reason. Sometimes the audio feed was 30 seconds behind the video feed. The feed cut in and out and skipped multiple times during critical points in the show (main event). This show provided longtime fans with a ray of hope for the future of the WWE product, WWE had better not screw it up with simple technology blunders.

Takeaway 2: If Blue’s Clues had a love child with the SAW franchise…

When our beloved “Steve” left Blue’s Clues unexpectedly in 2002, the rumors began to fly. Bray Wyatt’s new gimmick: The Fiend is what I was told happened to Steve. If the hope of the future for WWE is a man screaming in pain as maggots eat away at his eyes and disemboweled innards as Bray Wyatt’s voice is heard laughing in the background, then bring it on! This gimmick was the best part of the show for nearly everyone. The buildup has been the slow and steady drip-drip-drip since Wrestlemania, which is perfect for a character of this type. The performance was only about 5 minutes long, but it stole the whole show. People will be talking about this for weeks.

Takeaway 3: Matches are inversely proportional to their buildup

This show reminded me why the fans are getting so frustrated with the WWE product. The storylines that are compelling (like a Miz-Michaels-Goldberg shocker that killed it on Monday night) end up turning into disappointments. The whole thing smelled like Ziggler lost a bet or owed a debt to Vince McMahon. Conversely, Seth Rollins looked like complete garbage going into the main event this week and the match ended up being a really solid main event with the ending that everyone needed, but few expected. If WWE creative can align great build ups with great matches, then AEW wouldn’t be such a threat to their control over the Sports Entertainment Industry.

Takeaway 4: “If Brock Wins, We Riot”

During the pre-bell announcements in the ring before the main event an astute fan held up a bright green sign that read, “Brock Wins, We Riot”. This was the perfect summation of exactly how everyone in the WWE Universe felt. What followed was a well-executed match that told a great story, had some really good spots and finished with the ending we all wanted to see. I, for one, rested much easier knowing that that there would be no cop cars set afire or stores looted in Toronto last night…

Takeaway 5: New Queen > Old Queen

The buildup for the Trish vs. Charlotte match was a pretty dramatic one. But the stakes were so low that no one seemed to care much about it. There was no title on the line, no career to defend or early retirement to escape, not even the threat of an embarrassing haircut. The whole thing came off flat. The wrestling was solid and the in ring performances were well done; but what prevented this one from rising to the level I hoped for was the stakes. This was a golden opportunity that was missed by WWE, in my opinion. WWE needs to find a way to raise the stakes in non-title women’s matches if they want fans to care as much as the wrestlers about the outcome.

Takeaway 6: No Love for any of our friends to the north, A?

Kevin Owens was the only Canadian wrestler to go over in last night’s show; after he gave Shane McMahon a well-placed shot to the acorns. This spot made me think of the Montreal Screwjob. Back then, a Canadian hero was given the shaft by McMahon the older on his last night with WWE in his home country. Last night, one of Quebec’s own sons kicked McMahon the younger in the jewels and kept his job with WWE, in his home country. If you believe in Karma and hate the McMahons, this one was satisfying. But the rest of the show didn’t attempt to get any easy love from the mostly Canadian audience.