WWE SummerSlam 2012 Results: Sheamus Defeats Alberto Del Rio

In what has to be the most convoluted buildup in WWE history, Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain his World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2012.

While this match wasn’t terrible—none of the matches between these two men are bad—it was the same-old story we have seen many times before; the fans simply don’t care anymore.

The WWE looked like they have been treading water with Sheamus’ title reign, and adding the same Del Rio match to a card as important as SummerSlam was a bad move.

Not letting the challenger win the gold was an even worse choice.

What It Means

Not only has Alberto Del Rio lost his title chance, any facade of being a worthy challenger for a world title in the future has been seriously questioned because of the losses that are piling up.

Just like Daniel Bryan, the WWE must realize that it can’t have their biggest threats to a title losing all the time; that’s not how character development works.

As for Sheamus, this is another step in making the WWE fans feel that he is the new John-Cena-esque star. With the inability to lose and the ability to superman his way out of any situation, Sheamus' character only appeals to a younger demographic.

That’s something everyone else just has to come to grips with.

What’s Next?

Sheamus is already one of the biggest stars in the company, but the WWE has committed to hard selling the fans on how great he is. The next opponent for Sheamus has to be Randy Orton, with the Irish star going over.

Orton is still in the dog house for his suspension, so allowing him to put over Sheamus would go a long way in getting him back in the good graces with management.

As for Del Rio, the inevitable feud with Rey Mysterio looks like it will come to fruition much sooner than expected. I can’t be the only one not excited about that, right?

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