SummerSlam 2017

SummerSlam 2017 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for the Raw and SmackDown brands. It took place on August 20, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It was the thirtieth event under the SummerSlam chronology.
==Background==
SummerSlam featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they follow a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
On the June 19 episode of Raw, Roman Reigns proclaimed himself to be the number one contender for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Later that night, Braun Strowman returned and cost Reigns his match against Samoa Joe and challenged Reigns to an ambulance match at Great Balls of Fire. At the event, Strowman defeated Reigns, but Reigns retaliated by locking Strowman in the ambulance and crashing it, severely injuring Strowman, while Brock Lesnar defeated Joe to retain the Universal Championship. The following night on Raw, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle congratulated Lesnar for his win at Great Balls of Fire. As Angle was about to reveal his plans for Lesnar's championship match at SummerSlam, they were interrupted by Reigns, who said that he wanted Lesnar at SummerSlam, but Lesnar said he did not deserve it. Joe then came out and said that Lesnar did not beat him, but escaped him at Great Balls of Fire. Angle then scheduled a match between Reigns and Joe for the following week where the winner would face Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. During the match, Strowman returned and attacked both Reigns and Joe, resulting in a no contest. A brawl between the three broke out and Strowman laid out both Reigns and Joe. Immediately after, Angle said he was unsure of who would be facing Lesnar at SummerSlam, but he would deal with the matter the following week. That episode, before Angle could announce who would be facing Lesnar at SummerSlam, Strowman, Joe, and Reigns came down and stated their cases. Angle then scheduled a fatal four-way match between Lesnar, Strowman, Joe, and Reigns for the title at SummerSlam. The three men got into a brawl, which was broken up by the Raw locker room.
On the July 11 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon scheduled a fatal 5-way elimination match for Battleground between Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, and Tamina, with the winner receiving a SmackDown Women's Championship match against Naomi at SummerSlam. Natalya won the match and afterwards, SmackDown Women's Champion Naomi offered a congratulatory handshake, but Natalya refused.
At Great Balls of Fire, Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss by count-out, thus Bliss retained the Raw Women's Championship. The following night on Raw, Banks and Bayley teamed up and faced Bliss and Nia Jax, where Bayley pinned Bliss, and she again pinned her the following week in a singles match. Later that episode, Bayley and Banks confronted Raw General Manager Kurt Angle about who should be the number one contender for the Raw Women's Championship. Bayley made her case that she pinned Bliss two weeks in a row, whereas Banks claimed that she would be champion if Bliss had not gotten herself intentionally counted out at Great Balls of Fire. Angle decided that the two would face each other the following week where the winner would face Bliss for the title at SummerSlam. The following week, Bayley defeated Banks to become the number one contender.
At Battleground, Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton in a Punjabi Prison match to retain the WWE Championship with help from The Singh Brothers and the return of The Great Khali. On the following episode of SmackDown, Mahal demanded a new opponent for SummerSlam and John Cena came out and confronted Mahal. Cena congratulated Mahal for being the champion and then challenged him for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. However, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan informed Cena that he had to earn his opportunity and scheduled a number one contender's match between Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura for the following week where the winner would face Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. That episode, Nakamura defeated Cena to become the number one contender. After the match, Cena congratulated Nakamura, but Mr. Money in the Bank Baron Corbin, who had prior been feuding with Nakamura, came out and attacked him, but Cena helped Nakamura and performed the Attitude Adjustment on Corbin through the announcer's table.
On the Great Balls of Fire pre-show, Neville defeated Akira Tozawa to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. On the following episode of Raw, Tozawa teamed with Cedric Alexander and defeated Neville and Noam Dar. Tozawa then began feuding with Ariya Daivari the following night on 205 Live in a match that ended in a no contest. In a rematch the following week on Raw, Daivari defeated Tozawa by forfeit. The following night on 205 Live, they had another rematch that Tozawa won, but after the match, Daivari attacked Tozawa by throwing him into the ringpost. The following week on Raw, during a backstage interview with Charly Caruso, Tozawa said that he wanted another rematch with Daivari, but Tozawa's manager Titus O'Neil canceled the match. Afterwards, Tozawa went to the ring, but was confronted by the Cruiserweight Champion. Daivari then came down and attacked both Tozawa and Neville. The following night on 205 Live, Daivari defeated Neville by count-out. The next week on Raw, a number one contender's match was scheduled between Tozawa and Daivari for the following night on 205 Live with the winner facing Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship at SummerSlam. On 205 Live, Tozawa defeated Daivari to become the number one contender.
At Battleground, Kevin Owens defeated AJ Styles to regain the United States Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, Styles wanted to invoke his championship rematch, but he was interrupted by the returning Chris Jericho, who also wanted to invoke his rematch from when he lost the title to Owens back in May. As both Styles and Jericho were contractually owed rematches, SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon decided that Owens would defend the United States Championship against both Styles and Jericho in a triple threat match that night, where Styles pinned Jericho to regain the title. After the match, Owens invoked his championship rematch for the following week. During the rematch that episode, Owens attacked the referee, but lost even though both shoulders were not on the mat. A frustrated Owens confronted Shane and SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan and demanded a rematch, but with a competent referee. Bryan scheduled the rematch for SummerSlam and made Shane the special guest referee.
On the August 1 episode of SmackDown, Rusev issued a SummerSlam "Open Challenge" to any wrestler on the SmackDown roster. Randy Orton, who Rusev had never defeated, accepted the challenge before hitting Rusev with an RKO. The following week, after Orton defeated Jinder Mahal in a non-title match, Rusev attacked Orton from behind. On the final SmackDown before SummerSlam, after Rusev's match against Chad Gable, Rusev got on the mic to address Orton, who hit the RKO from behind on Rusev.
At Battleground, The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods with Big E) defeated The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, as The New Day were about to make their entrance to celebrate their championship win, they were attacked by The Usos. The following week, The Usos proclaimed that they would reclaim the titles from The New Day, and a rematch was scheduled between the two teams for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam. The following week, after The Usos defeated Tye Dillinger and Sami Zayn, Big E caused a distraction allowing Kingston and Woods to attack The Usos from behind. On the final SmackDown before SummerSlam, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan confirmed that The Usos would be facing Big E and Woods at SummerSlam with Kingston in their corner. The Usos then asked to have a match with Kingston and Woods that night as payback for what happened the previous week. Bryan scheduled the match and The Usos defeated The New Day by pinning Kingston. On August 16, WWE confirmed that the match would take place on the SummerSlam Kickoff pre-show.
At Great Balls of Fire, Big Cass defeated Enzo Amore. The following night on Raw, Cass gloated about defeating Amore and was then confronted by the Big Show, who threw Cass out of the ring. The following week, after Amore cut a promo about how Cass got manhandled by Big Show, Cass confronted Amore, but Big Show came out for the save. The two brawled that ended with Cass standing tall. Amore and Cass then had a rematch the next week that Cass again won. Cass continued to attack Amore after the match, after which, Big Show came out, but Cass also laid him out. The following week, Cass defeated Big Show by disqualification after Amore attacked Cass during the match. After Cass gave a big boot to Amore, Big Show performed the KO Punch on Cass. On the August 7 episode, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated Amore and Big Show after a distraction from Cass. A brawl broke out between the three that again ended with Big Show giving the KO Punch to Cass. Later, Cass confronted Raw General Manager Kurt Angle and wanted a match against Big Show at SummerSlam, but with Amore banned from the entire state of New York. Angle suggested to suspend Amore above the ring inside of a shark cage. Cass agreed and the match was scheduled for SummerSlam.
On the July 17 episode of Raw, as Finn Bálor was making his way to the backstage after his match with Elias, Bray Wyatt appeared on the TitanTron. He said he enjoyed Bálor's pain and that he was Bálor's worst nightmare. The following week, Wyatt cost Bálor his no disqualification match against Elias by giving Bálor the Sister Abigail. On the July 31, 2017 episode, as Wyatt cut an in-ring promo, the lights started blinking red and then they went out. When they came back on, Bálor appeared in the ring and attacked Wyatt. The following week, as Bálor cut a promo about Wyatt, the lights in the arena went out and Wyatt appeared in the center of the ring. He and Bálor fought briefly before the lights went out again and Wyatt appeared on the TitanTron laughing at Bálor. Afterwards, it was announced that a match between Bálor and Wyatt was scheduled for SummerSlam. The following week, after a confrontation earlier in the night, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle moved their SummerSlam match up to that night where Wyatt defeated Bálor. After the match, Wyatt poured a blood-like liquid on Bálor. A rematch between the two was scheduled for SummerSlam where Bálor promised to bring his Demon King persona.
On the July 25 episode of SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Mr. Money in the Bank Baron Corbin. After the August 1 episode of SmackDown, on the WWE Network, Corbin attacked Nakamura from behind after Nakamura's match with John Cena to determine the number one contender for Jinder Mahal's WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which Nakamura won. Cena came to Nakamura's aid and performed an Attitude Adjustment on Corbin through the announcers table. The following week, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan scheduled a match between Corbin and Cena at SummerSlam. On the final SmackDown before SummerSlam, Corbin attacked Cena during the latter's non-title match against Mahal, causing a disqualification. Afterwards, Corbin cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, but when the match started, he attacked Cena who was on the apron, allowing Mahal to roll-up Corbin for the victory.
Throughout July and August 2017, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins teased a potential and partial Shield reunion for several weeks with both men sticking their fists out for the other for The Shield's signature fist bump, but both would decline each week, primarily due to trust issues from Rollins' betrayal three years prior. Finally, on the August 14 episode of Raw, although both men got into a physical altercation earlier in the night, the two came together to fight off Cesaro & Sheamus and both reciprocated the fist bump and reunited. Immediately afterwards, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle came out and scheduled a match between Cesaro and Sheamus and Ambrose and Rollins for the Raw Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam
On the May 29 episode of Raw, Raw commentator Corey Graves received a text message concerning Raw General Manager Kurt Angle and Angle said that the contents of the message could ruin him. Over the next few weeks, both Angle and Graves received the same text messages concerning this private matter. On the July 10 episode of Raw, Graves confronted Angle about what he was going to do. Angle said that he would go public with it the following week and that he might lose his family, his career could be destroyed, and he might be saying goodbye to the WWE Universe. Graves was confident that Angle would be fine due to the love and respect from the WWE Universe and everyone in the locker room. Later on the phone, Angle invited an unidentifiable person to come to Raw next week to discuss the matter and go public with it together. That episode, Angle revealed American Alpha's Jason Jordan as his (kayfabe) illegitimate son, and the newest member of the Raw brand, which subsequently disbanded American Alpha. The following week, Jordan defeated Curt Hawkins in his Raw debut match. Jordan was then the guest on Miz TV. Intercontinental Champion The Miz offered Jordan a chance to join his Miztourage, but Jordan declined and Miz retaliated by stating that Jordan does not need his help since his father is the Raw General Manager. Jordan said that he did not want preferential treatment, and The Miz made some irritable comments about Angle. The Miz then took a swing at Jordan, but Jordan ducked and suplexed Miz into his Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel). On the August 14 episode of Raw, Jordan defeated The Miz by disqualification after the Miztourage attacked Jordan; The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) then ran out to even the odds by assisting Jordan in fending off the Miztourage. This led to a six-man tag team match later that night between The Miz and The Miztourage against The Hardy Boyz and Jordan, where the latter won. On August 17, WWE announced that The Miz and The Miztourage would be facing The Hardy Boyz and Jordan in a rematch on the SummerSlam pre-show.
==Match Preview==
Lesnar vs. Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Strowman 	Preview
Naomi vs. Natalya 	Preview
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks 	Preview
Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura 	Preview
Neville vs. Akira Tozawa 	Preview
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens 	Preview
Randy Orton vs. Rusev 	Preview
The New Day vs. The Usos 	Preview
Big Show vs. Big Cass 	Preview
Finn Bálor vs. Bray Wyatt 	Preview
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin 	Preview
Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins 	Preview
The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan vs. The Miz and The Miztourage	Preview
==Results==
;
;
*Pre Show: The Miz & The Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) (w/ Maryse) defeated The Hardy Boyz (Jeff & Matt Hardy) & Jason Jordan (11:20)
*Pre Show: Neville defeated Akira Tozawa (c) (w/ Titus O'Neil) to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (11:45)
*Pre Show: The Usos (Jey & Jimmy Uso) defeated The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) (c) (w/ Kofi Kingston) to win the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship (19:20)
*John Cena defeated Baron Corbin (10:15)
*Natalya defeated Naomi (c) by submission to win the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship (11:10)
*Big Cass defeated Big Show (10:30)
:*Enzo Amore was suspended above the ring in a shark cage
*Randy Orton defeated Rusev (0:10)
*Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss (c) by submission to win the WWE Raw Women's Championship (13:10)
*Finn Bálor defeated Bray Wyatt (10:50)
*Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro & Sheamus (c) to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (18:35)
*AJ Styles (c) defeated Kevin Owens to retain the WWE United States Championship (w/ Shane McMahon as special guest referee) (17:20)
*Jinder Mahal (c) (w/ The Singh Brothers) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship (11:25)
*Brock Lesnar (c) (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe & Braun Strowman in a Fatal 4-Way match to retain the WWE Universal Championship (20:45)
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*John Bradshaw Layfield 
*Tom Phillips 
*Byron Saxton 
*Michael Cole 
*Corey Graves 
*Booker T 
*Vic Joseph 
*Carlos Cabrera (Spanish)
*Marcelo Rodríguez (Spanish)
*Jerry Soto (Spanish)
*Carsten Schaefer (German)
*Calvin Knie (German)
;Interviewers
*Charly Caruso
*Kayla Braxton
*Dasha Fuentes
*Sam Roberts
;Ring announcer
*Greg Hamilton 
*JoJo	
;Pre-show Panel
*Renee Young
*Jerry Lawler
*Lita
*Peter Rosenberg
*David Otunga
;Referees
*John Cone 
*Rod Zapata 
*Jason Ayers 
*Mike Chioda 
*Darrick Moore 
*Ryan Tran 
*Shane McMahon 
*Dan Engler 
*Chad Patton
==See also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*World Wrestling Entertainment/Event history
*Event gallery
*SummerSlam
==DVD release==
* SummerSlam 2017 on DVD
==External links==
* SummerSlam 2017 Official website
* SummerSlam 2017 on WWE Network
* SummerSlam 2017 Kickoff Show on WWE Network
* SummerSlam 2017 Pre-Show at CAGEMATCH.net
* SummerSlam 2017 at CAGEMATCH.net
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:2017 pay-per-view events
Category:SummerSlam
Category:Events with Guest Referees