SummerSlam is here, and WWE is going all out to make the show live up to its nickname of the “biggest part of the summer.” It is so big, in fact, that the Kickoff Show alone is two hours long and features three matches, two of which are for championships. The Miztourage faces Jason Jordan and The Hardy Boyz, Akira Tozawa defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Neville, and the Usos try to regain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from the New Day. With this much action, the main show has a lot to live up to.
The Miz, Curtis Axel, & Bo Dallas (w/Maryse) vs. Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz
This is a rematch from last week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and in the previous encounter, Jason Jordan and The Hardy Boyz were victorious. By the time this match was made for the SummerSlam Kickoff Show, 12 matches were already scheduled. On a normal night, The Hardys would get their own match while the Miz would defend his Intercontinental Championship, but there isn’t enough time for that. Miz would actually go on Instagram to rant about how one of the most prestigious titles in WWE is taking a backseat. His rant makes sense, considering that Randy Orton vs. Rusev is on the main show.
While Jason Jordan looks to put Curtis Axel away with his one-man version of Grand Amplitude, The Miz tags himself in. Miz immediately hits Jordan with the Skull Crushing Finale, giving his team the victory. Winners: The Miz, Curtis Axel, & Bo Dallas
Predicted Winners: Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz (0/1)
Akira Tozawa (c) (w/Titus O’Neil) vs. Neville – WWE Cruiserweight Championship
On Raw last week, SummerSlam came early for the Cruiserweight Division when Neville defended the Cruiserweight Championship against Akira Tozawa and to even further surprise the WWE Universe, Tozawa pinned Neville clean to capture the Cruiserweight Championship. Tozawa’s win dethroned the King of the Cruiserweights, who held the title since the Royal Rumble event this past January. Tozawa also became the first person in 10 months to pin Neville in singles competition.
Tozawa keeps attempting to hit the Senton Bomb, but Neville keeps countering the big maneuver. The King of the Cruiserweights then hits the Red Arrow on the back of the champion to pick up the surprise victory and to regain his crown. It is surprising that the title is switched just six days after Tozawa captured the title, but as long as an interesting and entertaining story follows, it is okay. Winner, and NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Neville
Predicted Winner: Akira Tozawa (0/2)
In-ring Segment
In a nice change of pace, there is a surprise performance by Elias Samson. Samson performs not one, but two songs just roasting the city of Brooklyn, NY for five minutes. He gets some boos, but overall, the crowd loves it and he does a great job of staying relevant and getting some heat.
Big E & Xavier Woods (w/Kofi Kingston) vs. The Usos – SmackDown Tag Team Championships
For the past couple months, The Usos and the New Day have been feuding over the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The Usos reigned supreme over the tag division until The New Day made their SmackDown Live debut and based on their previous accomplishments, they were put right in the title picture. In their last clash for the titles at Battleground, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods would defeat the Usos and become the only team to have held both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Jimmy and Jey Uso manage to dispel of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston outside of the ring, giving them the opportunity to double-team Big E. After several superkicks right to the jaw of Big E, they both hit him with simultaneous splashes to reclaim the titles. The match was so off the charts that there was a “This is awesome” chant on the Kickoff Show. Winners, and NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The Usos
Predicted Winners: The New Day (0/3)
