Spoilers ahead. You are warned.
WWE Summerslam 2011 is officially in the books. The main event match for the Undisputed WWE Championship between John Cena and CM Punk was truly unique. Both men have just as many supporters as haters. It's the tweener line between good guy and bad guy one doesn't see too often in the WWE. Throw in HHH, another person who has those staunch supporters and naysayers, in the mix as the ref/head man in charge and a fan had all the makings for something huge. And huge did happen. No doubt the ending left some people happy, some anger, some excited, and some confused as there are definitely more questions than answers leading into WWE RAW.
To give a basic wrap up: CM Punk wins the grueling battle with Cena. A match where HHH called it mostly right down middle. Punk celebrates alone int he ring when out of nowhere, really out of nowhere (great camera work), Kevin Nash is in the ring. He powerbombs CM Punk and leaves. HHH sees this and seems surprised. Moments later Alberto Del Rio runs down and cashes the Money In the Bank contract in on a groggy Punk. A quick kick to the head and Punk is out. Del Rio covers and is the new WWE Champion.
So is the Punk-Cena story over? No quite. I do think this is a nice cliff hanger ending to this part of their story. However some big questions remain.
Did HHH see Cena's foot on the rope? Well, obviously he did not. But one has to think it becomes part of the story.
Did Alberto Del Rio hire Kevin Nash? It's a possibility. There's no connection between the two other than Del Rio has money and Nash loves money. He could have been hired as Del Rio muscle. Nash has played the role before.
Did HHH hire Kevin Nash? Hunter and Nash are old buddies so I doubt if it would surprise anyone to find out "The Game" had a back up plan to get the title away from whoever won the Cena vs Punk match.
How long does Del Rio hold the title? Hard to say. My gut feeling is a couple of months. He will a have a match with Cena and a match with Punk, then I have to think they'll be busy in there own story. But there are enough contenders with Rey Misterio, The Miz, John Morrison, and even R-Truth to keep him busy until the Royal Rumble should the WWE want to establish him.
What happens with Punk and Cena from here? Your guess is as good as mine.
This what we know for certain. John Cena vs The Rock will happen at next year's Wrestlemania. Grant it, that is a long time away. But one would think Cena goes into the match as champion. Could Punk had a nice long run with the title where he berates his opponents and have entertaining segments and quality matches? Sure. And it would have worked. Except Del Rio has the MIB contract and has to use it before Mania. Why not cash it in sooner than later and see if Del Rio can hold up to the spotlight. The move makes sense.
This could be the first step in a Punk and HHH saga which ends with a match a Wrestlemania, giving Punk his Mania Moment and rehashing an Austin vs MacMahon story from years earlier. Maybe even throw in a little Corporation 2.0 angle with Nash. Hunter could sign Punk's best friend Colt Cabana on the condition he sides with the Corporation and must fight Punk. Perhaps Shawn Michaels gets involved some how. Maybe Punk and Cena join forces to battle this Corporate regime. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
This is what comes off the top of my head. Again your guess is as good as mine. I'm hoping this ends up being a great trilogy. We just witness the red hot first novel that provided many fans with great enjoyment. The next covers the SummerSlam fallout until the Royal Rumble. The last from the Rumble to Mania.
While the outcome of SummerSlam wasn't all the pleasing in the short term for me; the long term effects could pay off big time for the fans, the workers, and the WWE. The only thing I hope doesn't occur is CM Punk going back to random midcard feuds. That would be a great waste of talent and stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment