WWE SummerSlam 2014 Results: Best Long-Term Booking Decisions from Epic PPV

You can say a lot of things about WWE's booking decisions in recent months, but the one thing that can't be said is that the company played things safe at SummerSlam. 

All you have to do is look at the main event featuring Brock Lesnar running all over John Cena to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to know that things are changing in WWE. The good news is that for the first time in years, there seems to be a clear plan for the company. 

Vince McMahon has done many great things for the business, but continuity and sticking to a plan aren't his strengths. That's why Triple H's ascension to the throne looks like a great thing for everyone in the company and fans watching, because the short and long terms are being considered. 

What we want to focus on coming out of SummerSlam is the long-term booking. WWE has to start building its roster, especially on the face side, and Sunday's event was the first time all year you could see that being addressed. These are the booking decisions that had us applauding. 

Match	Winner
Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro	RVD via pinfall
WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler	Ziggler via pinfall; wins Intercontinental Title
WWE Divas Championship: AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige	Paige via pinfall; wins Divas Championship
Flag Match: Rusev vs. Jack Swagger	Rusev via stoppage
Lumberjack Match: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose	Rollins via pinfall
Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt	Wyatt via pinfall
Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon	McMahon via pinfall
Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton	Reigns via pinfall
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar	Lesnar via pinfall; wins WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Brock Lesnar Being A Monster

Before we praise Lesnar's current direction, it's important to present both sides of the coin. The point being, why didn't WWE do this with Lesnar when he returned to the company in 2012?

As money as Lesnar and Paul Heyman are right now, having The Beast Incarnate lose his first match back two years ago against Cena continues to look like one of the dumbest decisions in recent memory. 

On to the positives here, starting with the way Cena allowed himself to be portrayed in this match. Mike Mooneyham of The Post and Courier had the perfect categorization for the match on Twitter:

More positives include Lesnar being the greatest heel ever. He has that attitude and swagger that are so easy to hate, and it comes across fantastically on television. 

The one thing that gives pause is WWE announcing that Cena will get a rematch at Night of Champions in September. 

We know Lesnar is never going to work a full WWE schedule, making his title win hard to gauge. WWE loves to have title matches at house shows under the assumption that it helps sell tickets. And that's not to mention the limitations of Lesnar's contract. 

If Cena wins the title back one month after losing it, regardless of how it happens, all of the goodwill he and Lesnar earned for the story they told on Sunday will be for naught. 

Lesnar doesn't have to carry the title through WrestleMania, but having him lose the belt in one month against the same wrestler we just saw him decimate would be horrible booking and a colossal waste of time. 

Roman Reigns Gets His Breakthrough Moment

There is a moment in every wrestler's career when they go from great piece for the roster to main event star. Think of Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon at WrestleMania 10, Steve Austin and Mike Tyson in 1998 or CM Punk's Pipe Bombs.

Roman Reigns had the opportunity to seize his moment at SummerSlam against Randy Orton. It's no secret the 29-year-old has been high on WWE's list for months, as evidenced by the fact this match was put on as the semi-main event. 

What elevated this match from just another moment to a superstar-making performance for Reigns was how great it was. It was the best match on the show, building to a fantastic conclusion with Reigns kicking out of the RKO and ending at the perfect moment to avoid dragging things out. 

Even Orton deserves some credit for his part in helping to elevate Reigns.

WWE needed to do something to elevate babyface wrestlers. After Cena, the well is dry. Chris Jericho gives the company a transitional option, but Daniel Bryan is still recovering from neck surgery, and CM Punk doesn't seem interested in a return anytime soon. 

Reigns can keep building momentum for the next several months, leading into the Royal Rumble and, if Triple H gets his way, a main event match at WrestleMania. 

Keeping The Daniel Bryan-Authority Feud Alive

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Here's one area where things could have gone horribly awry for WWE. Bryan was supposed to be The Man in 2014. He got his moment in the spotlight at WrestleMania and would have continued to feud with The Authority. 

The fickle finger of fate stepped into squash that, as Bryan suffered a neck injury after Extreme Rules that required surgery in May, forcing the creative team to make drastic changes to all its storylines while keeping that one going. 

As a result, Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon took on more prominent roles. It sounds like a disaster on paper, especially anyone who has seen McMahon try to act in the past, but it's ended up being one of the best female feuds WWE has done in years. 

Things reached a fever pitch at SummerSlam with Bella and McMahon meeting in a match. Again, it sounds like the worst thing to keep a prominent feud alive while the key player in it is recovering from an injury. 

Instead, the match actually turned out to be entertaining. The live crowd ate it up, even going wild for the heel turn from Nikki Bella. 

In the past, WWE would have taken Bryan's loss as an excuse to completely abandon the feud he was embroiled in. This time, though, Triple H and Co. are giving enough sprinkles of that rivalry while taking care of other business so that when Bryan comes back, things can pick up right where they left off. 

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