The marquee event of the summer ends in utterly incredible chaos, a legend rides out and two future legends ride back in. It could only be another bonkers week in the world of professional wrestling. It could only be The Grap Wrap.
Old McLesnar Had A Farm
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have faced each almost as many times as Rangers and Celtic, with only slightly less violent repercussions. So when their WWE Undisputed Universal Championship encounter was announced as the main event of SummerSlam, sceptical fans wondered aloud what ‘The Tribal Chief’ and ‘The Beast’ could show them that they handed seen before.
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The answer? A f**king tractor. Former UFC heavyweight king Lesnar played up to his image as a Minnesota farm boy by driving to the ring in the farming apparatus, elevating the digger and standing in the trough for the entirety of the ring introductions. But the heavy machinery would play even more of a role in one of the year’s best WWE main events.
Lesnar used the digger to toss Reigns across the ring, shunt the ring across the arena floor and, when that didn’t work, completely rip the ring off its foundations and lift it high into the air. In the constant “can you top this?” barrage of modern wrestling, it is hard to present anything truly new. But it’s safe to say this utterly unhinged match scratched that particular itch.
Reigns would eventually win when his cousins, The Usos, helped the champion cover Brock in rubble from the decimated ring and commentators table. A truly unbelievable spectacle that may never be topped.
Flair Finishes Up
Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened. Or should that be don’t be sad it happened, be glad it’s over? Whichever side of the fence you’re on, you’ll be relieved to hear that 73-year-old ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair emerged from bout on the ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ card relatively unscathed. He bled of course, it wouldn’t be a ‘Naitch’ match without the 16-time world champion gushing all over the place, but beyond that he was okay.
Flair teamed with his son-in-law, AEW star Andrade El Idolo, to defeat former world champion Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. The younger men carried the match, with particular praise due to ‘Double J’ for his expert heel work that whipped the 8,000 strong crowd in Nashville into a frenzy. The bout concluded with Jarrett’s shoulders being counted down when Flair had him in a figure four leg-lock.
The show was attended by legends such as The Undertaker, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and Mick Foley. The latter two were something of a surprise, considering Flair has had public falling-outs with both in the past. All three embraced Flair after the bout though, demonstrating that Ric’s in-ring career was not the only thing to get closure in Nashville.
Sasha Banks and Naomi To Return?
With Triple H now steering WWE creative, he has already begun to ring the changes. Summerslam saw the return of Dakota Kai and Io Shirai, two wrestlers who worked under Triple H in NXT. Rumours are they won’t be the only talents to return under The Game’s watch.
Sasha Banks and Naomi sensationally handed back their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships and walked out of a television taping back in May. Numerous sources, including Wrestling INC and Wrestling Observer Live, have reported that the team have been contacted and are in negotiations for a return.
Little is known about what stage such negotiations are at, with some outlets reporting the duo would show up on the 1st August edition of Monday Night Raw. The show came and went without Banks or Naomi appearing, so time will tell if there is any substance to the return rumours.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
