WWE SummerSlam 2011: Previews, Live Match-by-Match Breakdown and Analysis

The 24th annual SummerSlam takes place this Sunday from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The event is often billed as the second-best event of the year behind WrestleMania.

There are only five matches currently listed on the card, which often is referred to as a supercard. Among the five matches are three title matches, including matches for both the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship.

There will be a bunch of places to see "The Biggest Party of the Summer" and even more areas to see play-by-play results of what will occur at the event.

I won't even bother trying to directly compete with the many people who will be doing that exact thing. Instead, this slideshow will be dedicated to the analysis, my opinions, and the areas and aspects of the match that are beyond the holds and punches.

Imagine that this article is me sitting alongside you watching the event itself. Instead of trying to tell you what you are likely already watching, there will be plenty of observations from a fellow wrestling fan.

I can only hope that you will have this article as a companion to you while you enjoy SummerSlam this Sunday. Please refresh the page periodically in order to read additional slides about SummerSlam.

Also, follow me on Twitter, where I will try to post alerts to new updates on this, as well as random remarks and some old school wrestling references.

Up-to-Date Matchcard

The following is the updated matchcard for SummerSlam. When more matches are announced, this page will post that match and any stipulations with it.

CM Punk (C*) vs John Cena (C*)

Undisputed WWE Championship

Triple H - Special Guest Referee

Christian (C) vs Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship

No Holds Barred Match

Kelly Kelly (C) vs Beth Phoenix

Divas Championship

Sheamus vs Mark Henry

Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett

There is also a scheduled performance by Cee Lo Green. That performance will likely take away a few minutes from someone's finish or eliminate someone's match entirely.

Preview: John Cena vs CM Punk

John Cena and CM Punk’s match for the Undisputed WWE Championship has been covered and talked about by seemingly anyone and everyone in the wrestling world. It is definitely what WWE seems to be relying heavily on for this match to deliver due to its dominating coverage and lack of many other matches to compete with it.

Sunday will be Punk’s first pay-per-view match since winning the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, defeating John Cena in Punk’s home state of Illinois. WWE led on the idea of Punk leaving the company with their highest championship. Punk appeared at various events with the championship, and every single one of them was covered.

With Punk and the WWE Championship looking to be gone from the company, RAW featured an eight-man tournament to crown a new champion. Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz in the finals of that tournament to become the 42^nd different person to become WWE Champion in history.

Mysterio would have to defend that championship on the same night against former champion John Cena. Cena won the match and became champion once again, only to have Punk return to WWE right after the match.

For weeks, the words between these two have been pretty fierce and scathing. We have seen heels being critical of Cena for years, but none of them come close to the impact Punk has made. Then, throw in the inclusion of Triple H, who replaced Vince McMahon as COO of the company on-screen. The Game is now the guest referee of the match.

What this match really hangs on is where Triple H will position himself with the fans. Since returning to TV, Triple H has been a tweener of sorts. Despite both being popular and cheered a lot, siding with Cena will turn him face, while siding with Punk will turn him heel. This match looks like it could be called down the line, but Triple H will have to eventually decide what to do.

Then again, I can also see a repeat of SummerSlam 1997, when Shawn Michaels was the guest ref between Bret Hart and The Undertaker. After accidently hitting The Undertaker, Michaels reluctantly counted to three as his rival, Hart, won the WWE Championship.

Preview: Christian vs Randy Orton

Christian defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton at SummerSlam in a No Holds Barred match. I wrote an article earlier this week about things to recall facts and aspects of this feud to remember going into the match.

Essentially, Christian needs this win perhaps more than anyone else. Sunday is Christian’s chance to have his first world title defense. In his second time holding the world championship, Christian looks to finally be able to beat Randy Orton.

In a No Holds Barred match, Christian can do whatever it takes to win the match. However, it also gives The Apex Predator free range to do whatever he wants to do in order to win the championship back.

Christian’s first reign with the title lasted only five days (literally two days, but five due to tape delay). After the long wait for the world title win, Christian’s short reign was criticized by many fans.

Having Christian chase the title for months, only to win it after being kicked in the groin, only added to the questionable booking for Christian. Christian became the first person ever to win the World Heavyweight Championship via a kick to the crotch.

Christian doesn’t need a clean victory at SummerSlam, but a win of any kind in a No Holds Barred is good enough, especially for a man getting back into being a heel. Christian has a great hardcore background, and Orton has done some of the most diabolical acts in recent years of WWE.

Preview: Kelly Kelly vs Beth Phoenix

There isn’t much credit being given to Divas matches anymore. The division looked to be at an all-time low before Kharma was about to debut.

The woman formerly known as Awesome Kong was poised to create a renaissance in the division, but those plans were halted when Kharma announced that she was dealing with a high-risk pregnancy.

Without Kharma, the division seemed doomed as ever. The Bellas dominated the division, which nobody could really believe, while great champions like Melina and Gail Kim weren’t being used and were being phased out. Suddenly, it was time for Beth Phoenix to become a dominant force once again.

Phoenix has been a great champion in WWE, arguably being one of the great dominant female wrestlers in WWE history. Phoenix was relegated to a face turn and seldom use. After Phoenix won a number one contender’s match for this title shot, Phoenix turned heel and seemed to pick up the crusade right where Kharma left it.

This may be viewed as a perk to the return of CM Punk, since Phoenix is Punk’s real-life girlfriend, but Phoenix definitely deserves this.

The question being posed is the following: Do they try to build Kelly Kelly as credible, like they did for Candice Michelle and others, or do they spearhead this change in the Divas division by putting the title on Phoenix?

If so, Phoenix and Punk could both win their respective titles on Sunday and become a power couple in the WWE today. It would also allow Phoenix to be the champion for the next pay-per-view, Night of Champions, held in her hometown of Buffalo, New York.

Preview: Sheamus vs Mark Henry

I have been calling this match an unofficial No. 1 contender’s match for the World Heavyweight Championship. These are arguably two of the most dominant superstars in WWE since the draft a few months ago. Between the two of them, there has only been one world title match, which Sheamus gained, but lost due to Christian.

Mark Henry is as strong as ever and deserves every bit of credit he is getting. His mic work is better, he is in better shape, and his adjustments in his gimmick make him more and more tolerable to watch.

Originally a good seasoned veteran to get people over, I am now pulling for Henry to actually get some of his best opportunities to date. The emotion he showed in this video after being drafted to Smackdown made me pull for him alone.

As for Sheamus, his early success and his multiple world championship reigns brought a lot of mixed emotions from fans. Some loved having a young guy come up and compete with the big boys from the beginning. Others saw his accomplishments as overbooking an unproven young guy and WWE looking to capitalize on expanding their international exposure.

Both men could use a victory on Sunday. Henry would keep his hot streak going and would all but guarantee a title shot at Night of Champions. Sheamus, who is now adjusting to being a face for the first time in WWE, would be able to use the win against the previously unstoppable Henry to merit a chance to make it back to the top of the mountain.

Preview: Wade Barrett vs Daniel Bryan

This match was only announced a few days ago, so the full stipulations are not exactly official just yet. Many, including myself, believe that Daniel Bryan's Money in the Bank briefcase could be on the line. Whether the briefcase is up for grabs or not, this match is certainly a sleeper match in terms of importance.

Bryan has said that he will not use his briefcase until WrestleMania XXVIII, but some situations are hard to resist. Bryan returns to SummerSlam one year after making his return to WWE in the seven-on-seven match against his former Nexus teammates, which included Barrett. It is also the closest pay-per-view that Bryan will get to his home of Aberdeen, Washington.

Barrett won NXT's first season and has had a few title matches in the last year, with all of them being losses. Despite being released and brought back, Bryan became a champion before Barrett did and won the Money in the Bank match that Barrett couldn't win. Barrett seemed to be the more practical winner of the briefcase, which would mean that the briefcase being at stake would make sense.

Analysis: Dark Match and Opening Contest

Before we get into action from the regular event, the dark match at SummerSlam was an Alex Riley-Dolph Ziggler match. Ziggler won the match with a Zig Zag. This eliminates the possibility of this match taking place on the main card and means that the United States Champion will not be in a SummerSlam match for yet another year. The last time that the U.S. Champion competed in any match at SummerSlam was back in 2005, when Chris Benoit won the title from Orlando Jordan in just 25.5 seconds.

Playing the National Anthem to begin is Tool guitarist Adam Jones. It is a decent rendition, although his riffs often seemed to go off on tangents. It almost seemed like CM Punk's attitude meeting John Cena's American spirit and adoration for the red, white and blue. Appropriate for tonight.

Before SummerSlam has the ability to truly start, there is already hype for The Miz starting the match. His Awesome balloon things from WrestleMania are on the stage before the pyro. Crowd erupts for The Miz, carrying a microphone for a six-man tag.

Analysis: Six-Man Tag

Kofi Kingston, John Morrison and Rey Mysterio defeats The Miz, R-Truth and Alberto Del Rio

This match seemed sort of thrown together. It was the typical way to further three feuds by tying them together. Itnteresting to see Kofi in new tights. I think he got tired of wearing something under his old trunks, so making them longer helped that problem in the long run.

It is also intriguing to have Mysterio, who is in a title match tomorrow night on RAW, in the same match as Del Rio, who has the RAW Money in the Bank briefcase. Having Del Rio in a match would seem to take away an idea of him cashing in tonight. However, it depends on what Del Rio goes through in the match. Kofi showed off some impressive moves, but he always has this knack about jumping in the air for basically every move he does.

The finish was nice as they had all three guys with aerial moves, including Mysterio getting the win. It plays into him getting momentum before his match tomorrow. Del Rio also seldom saw much action, meaning he could be relatively fresh for a cash-in.

Analysis: CM Punk Backstage Segment and Sheamus/Mark Henry

A backstage segment starts with CM Punk and John Laurinitus. Laurinitus won't get an apology, but should probably get written off after tonight. If they play it right, he won't appear past SummerSlam and avoid becoming the new Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson.

A surprise appearance by Stephanie McMahon has her wish luck to Punk, only to have the two go back and forth a little bit. Stephanie wants to shake Punk's hand, but he "knows where it has been".

Mark Henry defeats Sheamus via countout

Next up is Sheamus and Mark Henry with a nice promo video. The match between the two was good, but Scott Armstrong had absolutely no control over the match. I have been critical of Armstrong in the past, but tonight was about as bad as it got. There were a few times where legitimate pinfall attempts were happening and there was no count. There was also no five count for Sheamus when he had Henry tied into the ropes.

The finish is a little weak. Sure, the spot of Sheamus getting put through the wall was cool. However, Sheamus has always been an intelligent wrestler and him wanting to pin Henry and not take the countout victory shows a lack of knowledge of the situation. Sheamus would never do that as a heel.

This also doesn't fully close the book on these two, even thought Henry should be in a world title match in the coming weeks.

Analysis: Christian Backstage Segment and Cee Lo Green Performs

Christian's backstage segment had a few good points to pick out. I'm always a fan of a nice dig on Cowboys and Aliens. Christian says he has an insurance policy. It should be interesting to see what is in store.

Cee Lo Green got to perform "Bright Lights, Bigger City", the theme for SummerSlam, as well as "Forget You". Cee Lo seemed as out of breath during his songs as Mark Henry used to feel during his matches. Maybe if Cee Lo wasn't wearing black, he wouldn't be so heated.

We have to see Dolph Ziggler and Alex Riley in a dark match, but Cee Lo Green and the guitarist from Tool get to take some time up? That's just silly. Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly is up next.

Analysis: Kelly Kelly/Beth Phoenix

Kelly Kelly defeats Beth Phoenix (still Divas Champion)

Kelly Kelly surprised me by holding her own in this match. She really is showing that she can raise her game and stay in the Divas division should it go through a renaissance. Again, five counts aren't being counted for rope breaks. Kelly's battle screams seemed straight out of a Melina textbook.

The Kelly Kelly roll-up out of a Glam Slam finish was very much expected. Phoenix will have her rematch at Night of Champions in her hometown of Buffalo.

Analysis: Backstage Segments and Wade Barrett/Daniel Bryan

Stephanie McMahon is seen coming out of John Cena's locker room. Hard to predict what will happen with that.

R-Truth talks to Jimmy Hart, who actually offers his services to him. For a minute, I actually thought that this would, oddly enough, happen. Big Jimmy would help R-Truth in his war against Lil' Jimmy. Truth put it together (sort of) and went away from the great wrestling manager. I just hope that Jimmy Hart does actually become a manager for someone. We also saw Ron Artest backstage, who I thought was going by the name Metta World Peace. Did that fall through?

Wade Barrett defeats Daniel Bryan

Bryan and Barrett put on the best match of the event thus far. There was no stipulation for the briefcase being on the line, but it didn't take away from the match. Barrett had a big win and overcame a lot of great action from Bryan. Bryan flew all around the wing and landed a couple dozen kicks. I don't expect this being the last of these two.

It seems pretty serious now. We are only halfway through the show and there are two matches scheduled left. Christian defends against Orton next.

Analysis: Christian/Randy Orton

Randy Orton defeats Christian (new World Heavyweight Champion)

There's one word to talk about with this match: Edge. Edge is the reason that Christian is in this SummerSlam co-main event and not himself. Edge is the reason that Orton is on Smackdown to be on top of the Smackdown brand for this SummerSlam. Edge is announced as being in the corner of Christian. Edge is also the guy to give a tongue lashing to Christian, getting rid of Christian's ace in the hole.

This was a very tame No Holds Barred match. At first, I was going to complain about the lack of hardcore They were in the crowd for a few minutes and there was one kendo stick used. Besides that, it was basically a standard match. Then, Orton used his inner Dudley to pull out two tables. Later, the steel steps were used. It was almost like once I questioned them about it, Orton and Christian made me eat my words.

The proceedings after that made me want to eat my words about this being a great match. Christian was toe-to-toe with Orton for so long until Orton started becoming weapon crazy and completely buried Christian. Christian had one more chance, but ate an RKO on steps. Christian took a punishment and Orton had to look so strong at the end of it all. It was a great match, but Christian got so buried at the end and now it's hard to believe that Christian belongs in any more title matches.

Analysis: John Cena/CM Punk

CM Punk defeats John Cena (Undisputed WWE Champion)

An incredible amount of hype was answered here. Both of these guys did everything they could to win. Punk refused to have Cena get into a groove. Cena didn't let Punk string his kicks together and knock him out. Triple H was a surprisingly good referee as he was very fair, even bringing both men into the ring and avoiding a double countout.

Both men kicked out of each others finishers and literally every notable move from each men was seen in this marathon match. Even a Randy Savage-inspired elbow drop couldn't do it. In the end, Punk just got enough moves on Cena. Even if there was a foot on the rope, it was the final decision of the referee that matters in the long run. Despite the loss, Cena is still in a claim for a title match in the future as a former champion.

Analysis: Alberto Del Rio Wins WWE Championship

Alberto Del Rio defeats CM Punk (New WWE Champion)

After a shocking and random attack by Kevin Nash, Alberto Del Rio runs out, kicks Punk, and wins the title. Immediate reaction swears that Triple H was in the middle of a fix from the beginning, but I'm not so sure that Triple H was aware of the fix.

It all piles up to look like a fix, but it might be one planned by Stephanie and not Triple H. It will be tomorrow's RAW that will hopefully straighten all of this out. There isn't much to say here because there isn't much sense to make from much of this.