August 27, 2001 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Summerslam review, more

SummerSlam, traditionally the WWF’s second biggest PPV event of the year, was more of a by-the-book show, with a strong line-up presented and a straight forward approach with few swerves and curves. The show was largely well received and had little controversy afterwards aside from analysis of whether the WWF title match or Rock should have gone on in the main event position. The decision regarding this non-issue was since they weren’t going to have a clean finish in the WWF title match and the WCW title match would have the happy ending with Rock winning, it was put on last. Virtually all the advertising for the show was based around Rock’s return to PPV, another argument for putting him on last. In hindsight, because as a match, Rock vs. Booker T couldn’t follow a near match of the year performance by Steve Austin and Kurt Angle, you could make the argument in the other direction.

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