10 Things We Learned From WWE SummerSlam 2019

It's been more than a year already, if you can believe it. The 2019 SummerSlam took place at a time when SmackDown was running out the clock on USA Network, when AEW was three events into its lifetime, when a pandemic seemed an unlikely occurrence. One year ago may well be a century ago, given how much things have changed in the time since then. SummerSlam 2019 in some ways feels utterly ancient, like a selection from a bygone era.

Granted, much of the latter day WWE DNA is splattered across the event, but only snippets of the event are fresh on the brain. Rollins beating Lesnar for the Universal title immediately comes to mind (the hammer throw singes it into one's memories), as does The Fiend's debut, and Trish's "final" match. Throw in an unexpected Edge spear on the pre-show, and I suppose you could say SummerSlam 2019 was memorable enough.

The rest of the card required a bit of research, as some of the matches don't leave such a deep footprint. The 2019 SummerSlam, however, was a bit more rife with news and tidbits, as it was somewhat more historic than we may give it credit for.

It's been more than a year already, if you can believe it. The 2019 SummerSlam took place at a time when SmackDown was running out the clock on USA Network, when AEW was three events into its lifetime, when a pandemic seemed an unlikely occurrence. One year ago may well be a century ago, given how much things have changed in the time since then. SummerSlam 2019 in some ways feels utterly ancient, like a selection from a bygone era.

Granted, much of the latter day WWE DNA is splattered across the event, but only snippets of the event are fresh on the brain. Rollins beating Lesnar for the Universal title immediately comes to mind (the hammer throw singes it into one's memories), as does The Fiend's debut, and Trish's "final" match. Throw in an unexpected Edge spear on the pre-show, and I suppose you could say SummerSlam 2019 was memorable enough.

The rest of the card required a bit of research, as some of the matches don't leave such a deep footprint. The 2019 SummerSlam, however, was a bit more rife with news and tidbits, as it was somewhat more historic than we may give it credit for.

10. It's The Second Earliest SummerSlam Ever

Older fans remember SummerSlam's perpetual placement at the very end of August. Modern viewers have come to expect the event to take place somewhere between the 17th and 23rd of the month. But last year, WWE wanted to get the party over with early, it seemed, for reasons that are not entirely clear.

The August 11 date for the 2019 SummerSlam made it the second-earliest SummerSlam ever. The only one earlier was the 1997 event, which took place staggeringly early on August 3 of that year. The previous second-placer was the 2011 event (August 14 of that year). Actually, both Toronto SummerSlams were earlier than usual, as the 2004 show occurred on August 15, so maybe it's a Canadian thing?

9. Goldberg And Matt Riddle Had A Confrontation

Cameras picked up part of the apparently tense moment, so one can assume WWE had a hand in making the scene happen for "business" purposes. The story was that Goldberg was on hand to pummel Dolph Ziggler in a rather entertaining squash, and that Matt Riddle was at SummerSlam as well. Riddle had previously chided Goldberg during Super Showdown (and in other instances) for what he felt were hollow performances.

Goldberg and Riddle ended up coming face to face backstage, with "Da Man" calmly stoic and Riddle wearing his default exuberant grin. Riddle dropped a few "bros", Goldberg affirmed that he wasn't Riddle's "bro", and before the whole thing could turn into a Terrance and Phillip routine, the two parted ways.

9. Goldberg And Matt Riddle Had A Confrontation

Cameras picked up part of the apparently tense moment, so one can assume WWE had a hand in making the scene happen for "business" purposes. The story was that Goldberg was on hand to pummel Dolph Ziggler in a rather entertaining squash, and that Matt Riddle was at SummerSlam as well. Riddle had previously chided Goldberg during Super Showdown (and in other instances) for what he felt were hollow performances.

Goldberg and Riddle ended up coming face to face backstage, with "Da Man" calmly stoic and Riddle wearing his default exuberant grin. Riddle dropped a few "bros", Goldberg affirmed that he wasn't Riddle's "bro", and before the whole thing could turn into a Terrance and Phillip routine, the two parted ways.

8. There Were Serious Buffering Issues

In a case of bad timing and apparently a lack of beta testing, WWE Network switched host providers from Bam Tech to Endeavor’s Neulion just before SummerSlam, and the transition was anything but smooth. Many people complained throughout the night about SummerSlam being rendered unwatchable due to technical issues.

At times, the picture would completely freeze, then revert back to an earlier point in a given match, before suddenly jumping forward again, leaving the viewer to feel like Max Headroom with an equilibrium issue. In short, it was a disaster, but they did manage to fix things going forward. Events like the 2019 Hell in a Cell, for instance, were free of technical hindrance, but were unwatchable for entirely different reasons.

7. It Marked Edge's First Physical Angle In Years

Native son Edge made a big splash during the Kickoff portion of the 2019 SummerSlam, when he stormed the ring during your typical "Elias insults the crowd" bit. Retired for more than eight years, many would've just been satisfied with Edge verbally putting Elias in his place. That's why the rib-rattling spear was such a pleasant surprise.

It marked the first time Edge had done a physical angle in WWE since Seth Rollins kinda/sorta beat him down at the end of 2014. That particular angle was done with far less exuberance than a 45-year-old man with multiple spinal surgeries throwing a football tackle at a heavyweight wrestler, so a few eyebrows were raised. Sure enough, speculation ramped up about a return, and at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge donned the tights once more.

6. It Might Be Ember Moon's Last PPV Match

Bayley has become a major focal point in the women's divisions over the year since, while Moon has faded from view, albeit not without a disconcerting reason. Bayley retained her SmackDown Women's title over Moon in a decent middle-of-the-show match, and about six weeks later, Ember wrestled what is her most recent match to date, losing to Lacey Evans on Raw.

She disappeared from TV in the autumn of 2019, and revealed this past January that she had torn her Achilles during a 24/7 title chase sequence. Months after that revelation, Moon went on to say that her injury may potentially be career-ending. If that's sadly true, then her title match with Bayley would be her final ever pay-per-view match.

6. It Might Be Ember Moon's Last PPV Match

Bayley has become a major focal point in the women's divisions over the year since, while Moon has faded from view, albeit not without a disconcerting reason. Bayley retained her SmackDown Women's title over Moon in a decent middle-of-the-show match, and about six weeks later, Ember wrestled what is her most recent match to date, losing to Lacey Evans on Raw.

She disappeared from TV in the autumn of 2019, and revealed this past January that she had torn her Achilles during a 24/7 title chase sequence. Months after that revelation, Moon went on to say that her injury may potentially be career-ending. If that's sadly true, then her title match with Bayley would be her final ever pay-per-view match.

5. It *Could* Be Shane McMahon's Last-Ever PPV Match

Okay, probably not, but if the WWE were to fold up the tent today, it would be. For the previous three-and-a-half years, an older, grayer Shane was dispatched as an erstwhile part-time legend whenever WWE deemed fit, and the thrill had long faded by the time he was trotting around Riyadh with a trophy in hand.

By the time McMahon entered the feud with Kevin Owens, the 15 minutes had long been up, and KO vanquished him in a match where his own career was on the line. McMahon's wrestled only two matches since, both on SmackDown, and the latter of them was a ladder match loss to Owens that facilitated his own retirement. Certainly, that will last forever.

5. It *Could* Be Shane McMahon's Last-Ever PPV Match

Okay, probably not, but if the WWE were to fold up the tent today, it would be. For the previous three-and-a-half years, an older, grayer Shane was dispatched as an erstwhile part-time legend whenever WWE deemed fit, and the thrill had long faded by the time he was trotting around Riyadh with a trophy in hand.

By the time McMahon entered the feud with Kevin Owens, the 15 minutes had long been up, and KO vanquished him in a match where his own career was on the line. McMahon's wrestled only two matches since, both on SmackDown, and the latter of them was a ladder match loss to Owens that facilitated his own retirement. Certainly, that will last forever.

4. It Marked Trish Stratus' First Singles Match In Eight Years

Speaking of apparent last matches, we come to Trish Stratus, who had originally retired in 2006 at the age of 30. Stratus kept herself in remarkable shape through the years, so returns to the ring were more than plausible. She may have played her "one more match" card in a loss to Charlotte Flair at this particular event, however.

Stratus wrestled 12 total matches after that initial "retirement" bout, and this was just one of two that were singles encounters. The other was a no disqualification match on the March 14, 2011 Raw, in which she lost to Vickie Guerrero. Otherwise, Stratus' "one-off" matches were usually of the tag team variety, or in a match like the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble.

4. It Marked Trish Stratus' First Singles Match In Eight Years

Speaking of apparent last matches, we come to Trish Stratus, who had originally retired in 2006 at the age of 30. Stratus kept herself in remarkable shape through the years, so returns to the ring were more than plausible. She may have played her "one more match" card in a loss to Charlotte Flair at this particular event, however.

Stratus wrestled 12 total matches after that initial "retirement" bout, and this was just one of two that were singles encounters. The other was a no disqualification match on the March 14, 2011 Raw, in which she lost to Vickie Guerrero. Otherwise, Stratus' "one-off" matches were usually of the tag team variety, or in a match like the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble.

3. WWE Initially Downplayed The Fiend's Lantern

The Fiend has been involved in some rather polarizing television since, but most agree on one thing: his debut was fantastic. Bray Wyatt first used the Fiend guise for a match at last year's SummerSlam, drubbing Finn Balor in just three minutes. His eerie entrance was something to behold, punctuated by a new lantern, fitted with a faux-decapitated head of Wyatt himself.

When WWE uploaded clips of the entrance to its social media outlets, they initially edited out all images of the lantern, possibly due to its disturbing appearance. This led to speculation that WWE got cold feet on the prop and planned to shelve it entirely. In actuality, the head lantern lived on, and WWE even sells replicas through its online shop.

2. Brock Lesnar Headlined His Sixth Straight SummerSlam

Ever since his 2012 return, Lesnar headlined seven of eight SummerSlams, the lone exception being 2013 (his match with CM Punk went on just a bit earlier). This means that with his Universal title match against Seth Rollins, Lesnar went on last at six straight SummerSlams, having previously headlined against John Cena, The Undertaker, Randy Orton, three opponents in a four-way match, and Roman Reigns.

The event marked Lesnar's eighth total SummerSlam main event (counting 2002 and 2012), an all-time record. If you don't count show-ending Money in the Bank cash-ins, John Cena's next on the list with six (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014), followed by The Undertaker with five (1994, 1997, 1998, 2008, and 2015).

2. Brock Lesnar Headlined His Sixth Straight SummerSlam

Ever since his 2012 return, Lesnar headlined seven of eight SummerSlams, the lone exception being 2013 (his match with CM Punk went on just a bit earlier). This means that with his Universal title match against Seth Rollins, Lesnar went on last at six straight SummerSlams, having previously headlined against John Cena, The Undertaker, Randy Orton, three opponents in a four-way match, and Roman Reigns.

The event marked Lesnar's eighth total SummerSlam main event (counting 2002 and 2012), an all-time record. If you don't count show-ending Money in the Bank cash-ins, John Cena's next on the list with six (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014), followed by The Undertaker with five (1994, 1997, 1998, 2008, and 2015).

1. It Gave Us A Rare WrestleMania-SummerSlam Parallel

Rollins helped cap off SummerSlam with a brilliantly hard-hitting match against Lesnar, slaying "The Beast" en route to capturing the Universal title. The brawl was much better than their abbreviated title match at WrestleMania, and was much more effective at making Rollins look more like a heroic David fighting the current against an imposing Goliath.

The match also provides a rare parallel: Rollins became the first man in WWE history to win the same version of a World title at a WrestleMania and a SummerSlam in the same year. The fact that he beat Lesnar in both matches only adds to the odd deja vu quality to this fact. Charlotte Flair pulled off a similar feat in 2016, winning the WWE/Raw Women's title at both events, with Sasha Banks being an opponent in each match.