WWE SummerSlam 2015 Results: Biggest Stars of the Night
The biggest party of the summer has come to a conclusion and, as such, it's time for us to look back on the results of WWE SummerSlam 2015 and review what came out of the event.
This year, the pay-per-view was given an extra hour's worth of content, meaning more wrestlers had a chance to shine than ever before at what should be the second most important show right underneath WrestleMania.
To make a good impression is crucial at such a monumental event, as it could be what makes or breaks a wrestler's push for the next few months leading up to the Royal Rumble.
Essentially, a great performance here could lead to a prominent match at the big show in April 2016. But a bad night could spell disaster and force someone into a downward spiral and quick elimination in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
That being said, despite the extra time and the added bonus of being on a very meaningful card, not everybody can stand out. Some people will inevitably steal more of the spotlight than everyone else.
Did Seth Rollins prove that he's the true top man in WWE, or did John Cena cement his legacy even more by standing tall as the franchise player?
Who really left the arena with the mystique of being the most dangerous man out there, Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker?
With nine women fighting to make a statement for the Divas division, did anyone on Team B.A.D., Team Bella or Team PCB make this night her own?
It's time for us to look back on all the stars from SummerSlam and sort out just who were the biggest focal points of the night based on storyline importance, wins and losses, position on the card and general entertainment value.
5. The New Day
1 of 5
How good is The New Day? Good enough to overshadow three other tag teams, including the current champions, that's how good.
After a weak start to the night, Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods helped save the energy of this event by cutting a promo, of all things.
The trio followed that up by having a fun, high-paced match filled with interesting things, like trying to pin themselves to win, Woods planting El Torito on the outside and, of course, the titles changing hands.
It's great to see arguably the best team in the company today back on top with the titles they deserve, as The Prime Time Players were too bland as champions. The New Day are leaps and bounds more entertaining.
If you disagree, just listen back to the crowd reactions of the night and you will see how much more into The New Day the audience was in comparison to the others throughout the show.
4. The WWE Divas Division
2 of 5
Almost by default, the women involved in the Divas match were booked to be on this match before the event even started.
The attention given to Team Bella, PCB and Team B.A.D. as of late is more of a spotlight than the division has been given in a long time.
The match itself wasn't as good as the one between Sasha Banks and Bayley the previous night at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, but it was far from bad, so there will definitely be a lot of supporters who have nothing but praise for the women involved.
It's hard to pick one of them as a standout, but if need be, Becky Lynch would probably get the nod as she was the Diva responsible for finishing the match and getting the win for her team.
Really, this was a joint effort, and all of them are responsible for getting the positive reception that they will receive.
3. Stephen Amell
3 of 5
Wrestling purists will probably be upset about his placement on this list, but truth be told, Stephen Amell was easily one of the biggest stars of the night.
Other performers were better in the ring and will obviously have bigger repercussions coming out of this event—there's no argument in that.
However, in terms of star power, Amell brings the Hollywood factor into judgment and far surpasses virtually everyone else. More people will recognize him than the average WWE star, and his inclusion in the pay-per-view will go further for promoting it than many others.
On top of this, Amell was able to perform rather well, pulling off some surprises like a crossbody from the top rope to the outside.
Season three of Arrow was a bit of a disappointment, but this match hit all the marks it needed to be a success.
2. Seth Rollins
4 of 5
Anyone who watched SummerSlam knows full well by now Seth Rollins is on this list, but for those who aren't aware, it boils down to two words: title unification.
In the Champion Takes All match, Rollins successfully defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena, winning his United States Championship in the process.
This is huge, as it will likely lead to the removal of the United States title from the roster, and it helps boost the credibility of Rollins' reign as champion as well.
Defeating Cena alone is impressive, but to do it under these circumstances makes it impossible to ignore.
Rollins is cementing his legacy more and more every event, and if this continues, he'll be going down as one of the most influential champions in quite a long time.
1. Brock Lesnar
5 of 5
The record books will show that The Undertaker won this match, but let's face it: The person who came out looking stronger is definitely Brock Lesnar.
Going into this, Lesnar had the edge already as he had defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 to end the streak, so The Deadman was going in as the underdog.
The Phenom was able to get in a lot of offense throughout the match, but it all seemed like it was an uphill battle, while Lesnar's attacks were more on point and devastating.
In particular, the finish of the match points to Lesnar's superiority—which is tough to say for Undertaker fans such as myself—as the submission exchange between the two put over The Beast in both regards.
Lesnar was able to get The Undertaker to submit, but even after a low blow, Lesnar still had the defiance in him to give The Undertaker a middle finger and refuse to tap out.
As a side note, one of the takeaways for this match will undoubtedly be a meme GIF image of The Undertaker's ridiculously hilarious laugh, which is not what should be in the top list of most memorable things for such a legend.
For someone with the background that The Undertaker has, this was such a step back for his credibility that it made him difficult to put on this list at all, let alone anywhere near the top spot. The Deadman has looked more like a chump lately as opposed to someone who should be feared.
Even in losing, Lesnar was booked to be the better man, and since this was the main event of the night and the pay-per-view's selling point, he's obviously the biggest star of the event.
Who do you think should be on this list? How would your rankings go?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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