Chris Jericho def. Dolph Ziggler
What I Liked:
This was an excellent match to start off Summerslam. I feel like Dolph and Jericho work so great together because of their similar talents in the ring. Jericho gained the early advantage with a nice back breaker that sent Ziggler to the outside. We then get a very intelligent Ziggler, attacking the ribs of Jericho and continues to use his power game. Ziggler can switch back and forth between his speed and athleticism to his scrappy and power game in a second. You feel an old school sense with Ziggler, especially when he locks in a sleeper hold. This is just an old move, but Ziggler uses it to perfection to slow down his offensive game, The crowd was certainly into this match, and you noticed that both men were feeding off of it. The end had a great series of reversals, and then had Jericho kick out of a Zig Zag. Jericho would connect with a Codebreaker, but Ziggler would roll to the outside. Dolph tries to steal another pin, but Jericho uses his veteran abilities in the ring to lock in the Walls of Jericho out of nowhere and pick up the win. This was such a solid paced match, with both guys working hard to tell their feud.
What I Disliked:
Even though this was a great match, I felt like something more needed to be involved. I really wish the Briefcase was on the line, so more people would care about this. It seemed like people knew this was going to be a good match, but what was the big relevance to it in the grand scheme of things? Furthermore, does Ziggler really need Vickie at ringside? If this is about winning the "big one" then she should not have been at ringside.
Grade: B+
Daniel Bryan def. Kane
What I Liked:
A feud that has been brewing for a while, yet took a backseat for other ones to build over the past few weeks. Bryan and Kane start off the match well, with Bryan trying to strike and take down the larger opponent. Kane hits a picture perfect boot to Bryan's face, but it would be Kane who continues the onslaught on Bryan. We get to a point in the match where things slow down, and Bryan focuses on Kane's legs. This is the smartest and most logical way to go about Bryan getting an upper hand. We all know that he is not stronger, and cannot really use bodyslams or anything like that. It only makes sense for him to focus on chopping the giant down from the bottom up. A fire ignites in Kane when he almost gets DQ'ed by dominating Bryan in the corner. I loved the psychology between the two men, and you can tell they both have a great deal of respect for one another. It shows inside the ring, and showed tonight.
What I Disliked:
There was not an OMG moment, or a big spot where there needed to be. With a better feud in the previous weeks, you could get away with playing it safe. I absolutely hated the fact that Bryan won so cheaply. Just because he is the smaller opponent does not mean he has to steal a victory. Time and time again, Daniel Bryan gets booked like a coward. This needs to change immediately, especially if you are putting so much stock into him. Bryan is currently a top 5 guy in terms of crowd reaction. That is how you know you got over. I wouldn't have minded seeing Bryan lose just to continue this feud. This was just an average match.
Grade: C+
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
