Summer Slam Kickoff Recap & Review

Sheamus and Cesaro start their best-of-seven series in a match that highlights a nice warm-up for Summer Slam.
Sheamus and Cesaro start their best-of-seven series in a match that highlights a nice warm-up for Summer Slam.
NXT gives Summer Slam a run for its money with another great Takeover with some fantastic title matches.
A pretty good show that does well to build (or at least maintain) some interest in Summer Slam, specifically the big matches.
Kane squashes Ricky Starks and Baron Corbin faces Rhyno in a pretty average episode of Main Event.
The matches were short, but things are shaping up nicely for Takeover.
A pretty good show that feels like a minor curve in the road towards Summer Slam.
An entertaining yet strange show. It was 50/50 RAW and SmackDown.
Jey Uso and Tyler Breeze have an entertaining rematch from last week’s show, and the Hype Bros debut as a team on the main roster against The Ascension in a match that is way better than it could have been.
Ziggler wants to prove himself, American Alpha debuts, and a number one contender is decided for the IC Title in this pretty good edition of SmackDown.
Blake and Murphy bookend a solid, if not great, episode of NXT.
A decent show with a nice main event.
SmackDown Live’s debut didn’t live up to the standard set by RAW, but it was a mostly enjoyable show.
A long and entertaining show highlighted by two good matches featuring long histories. There was some down time in the show, but the good outweighed the not as good.
Renee Young and the panel talk about the matches at Battleground, Daniel Bryan and Mick Foley are in the Social Media Lounge, and The Usos face Breezango in an entertaining match.
A so-so show. Only one decent match, and it wasn’t really anything spectacular.
The first live SmackDown was a good show. There were decent matches that did well to maintain interest in Battleground, and the draft itself was entertaining, though maybe not completely shocking.
This was an okay edition of Superstars, but nothing to go out of the way to see.
One great match. One classic episode of NXT.
A fine, average Superstars with two fine, average matches.
This episode felt like an afterthought, but the main event was good and there were some fun moments.