SummerSlam (2017)

## Event recap

### Kickoff Match: **The Miz & The Miztourage** vs. **The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan**

After weeks of hurling insults while feeling insulted (primarily by Raw General Manager Kurt Angle), The Miz and his Miztourage found some satisfaction inside the sold-out Barclays Center with a victory over the dynamic squadron of The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan at SummerSlam Kickoff.

Jordan, whom Miz had singled out over the past handful of weeks after it was revealed he was Angle’s son, came into this match with Matt and Jeff as his partners, and with a ton to prove to The Miz, Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas and the WWE Universe. He and The Hardys started out strong, using their unique blends of offense to keep Miz and his men reeling.

However, as the match progressed, The A-Lister and his co-stars neutralized Jeff after The Miztourage swatted The Charismatic Enigma off the top rope while the referee was distracted trying to restore order. Following a clutch tag-in, Matt managed to get his team back on track with a flurry of offense, then tagged in the fresh Jordan after he and Miz began going back and forth.

Jordan went on a suplex marathon and appeared to be closing in on the victory before bedlam broke out, allowing The Miz to blindly tag into the match. Catching Jordan unaware as the gold-blooded Superstar was going for a suplex, The A-Lister connected with a devastating Skull-Crushing Finale to get an “awesome” win on the 30th anniversary of SummerSlam – and some satisfaction against Jordan’s father for not putting Miz in an Intercontinental Title defense at The Biggest Event of the Summer.

### SmackDown Women's Championship: **Naomi** vs. **Natalya**

Natalya took to calling herself the “Glowstopper” on social media ahead of The Biggest Party of The Summer. At SummerSlam, she proved that nickname was no joke, as the third-generation Superstar defeated Naomi to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

The challenger wasted no time going after the champion, greeting Naomi with a slap to the face. Natalya was ruthless in her attack, targeting her rival’s knee to perhaps soften it up for her patented Sharpshooter. Despite her challenger’s persistence, Naomi fought back, creating separation with a Russian leg sweep off the middle rope. The champion fashioned more distance with her patented kicks before nearly trapping Natalya in a vicious submission, but The Queen of Harts slipped out and locked on the Sharpshooter.

Naomi survived the first Sharpshooter and attempted a split-legged moonsault. Unfortunately for the champion, landing stomach-first across the knees of her challenger gave Natalya the opening to once again cinch in the excruciating Sharpshooter in the center of the ring, leaving Naomi with no choice but to submit.

Natalya rubbed her victory in the former champion’s face, kissing the SmackDown Women’s Championship and holding it high above her head for the sold-out Barclays Center crowd to see. However, Natalya’s time to celebrate won’t last long. Not only will she have to contend with Naomi, but also Carmella, who still holds the Money in the Bank contract and can challenge for the title at any time.

Natalya’s win saw the start of her first title reign in six years, but with a stacked Women’s division on SmackDown LIVE, will The Queen of Harts’ rule be a long one?

### Raw Women’s Championship: **Alexa Bliss** vs. **Sasha Banks**

Is a Boss greater than a “Goddess”? Opinions vary among the experts, but at SummerSlam 2017, Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss all the same, knocking her off the pedestal of the Raw’s Women’s division to win her fourth title.

That’s no small amount of vindication for Banks, who had twice defended a title in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and twice came up short. It may also be considered a precipitous fall for Bliss, who made history as the first Superstar to win both brands’ Women’s Titles, and managed to keep Banks from dethroning her only a couple of months earlier.

It seemed, initially, that this would be yet another showcase for Five Feet of Fury, as Bliss decked the challenger with a right hand to the face, wrapped her up in a chinlock on the turnbuckle and executed the one-two punch of double knees and a moonsault. Banks’ persistence led to no small irritation on the champion’s part, and Alexa only kept just enough on the right side of the rules in her attempt to wear down The Boss.

Yet, Sasha slowly battled her way back, finally cutting the champion short by way of an Alabama Slam into the turnbuckle. Banks went to work on a corner-bound Bliss with an avalanche of knees to the sternum and a Bank Statement, though Bliss narrowly managed to reach the ropes to break the hold.

Sensing her title reign slipping away, Bliss went dirty, yanking the ring skirt out from under Banks’ feet as she exited the ring and sending the challenger sprawling to the outside. Moments later, she hauled Sasha out of the ring outright, leaving The Boss to suffer a landing similar to the one that took Sasha’s friend Bayley out of title contention with an injured shoulder a few weeks ago.

Banks narrowly managed to escape a count-out, and Bliss made her pay dearly for it, attacking the shoulder and landing a Twisted Bliss that still only earned her a two-and-a-half count. An epic temper tantrum ensued, yet Bliss still held the narrowest of advantages, exploiting the injured shoulder to break up a Bank Statement. The Boss responded by locking her in a second one, using the full scope of her strength to keep Bliss a fingertip away from the ropes — a distance, as it turns out, that was enough to make Bliss finally submit, bringing her title reign to an end.

The now-former champion was left to slink away in shock, while a drained Banks simply stayed in the ring for a moment to savor the win. It was a long, hard, occasionally impossible road, but give this to her: She made it back to the mountaintop, and there’s definitely one person who’ll have a hug waiting for her.

## Results

* The Miz (w/ Maryse) & The Miztourage def. The Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan (Kickoff Match)
* Natalya def. Naomi to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion
* Sasha Banks def. Alexa Bliss to become the new Raw Women’s Champion