WWE SummerSlam 2016: Biggest Talking Points Following Epic Event

WWE SummerSlam is the company's second-biggest event on the calendar. With a stacked card on tap for the 2016 edition of this pay-per-view, the WWE Universe was amped for a great show. 

Unfortunately, a six-hour SummerSlam was just too, too long. 

As Sunday night dragged on, fans started revolting, both in the Barclays Center and at home. Twitter feeds started filling with anger, wondering what the payoff would be at the end of this six-hour marathon.

WWE didn't do itself any favors with its booking decisions as the show moved to its conclusion. Placing its two main championships lower on the card than a midcard title and a meaningless singles match (even if it was Brock Lesnar) was puzzling, especially after seeing what WWE had in store for those matches.

First was the non-match brawl between Rusev and Roman Reigns, an outcome that had fans inside the Barclays Center clamoring for everyone from CM Punk to Health Slater.

If that wasn't bad enough, the evening's main event between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton ended in a TKO after Lesnar left Orton bloodied in the middle of the ring. The match was more UFC than wrestling, leaving the fans wanting more from WWE:

Four hours is a long time to watch a wrestling show. Tack on a two-hour pre-show, and that's twice as long as the typical episode of Raw, a show that fans have clamored to be cut back to its former two-hour time limit.

Will WWE learn its lesson from Sunday night's gaffe? Probably not. Raw will remain three hours, and pay-per-views will continue to creep past the four-hour mark, pre-shows included. 

What also is everyone talking about the day after SummerSlam? Here's a look:

That's the New WWE Universal Championship belt?

When Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley announced that the new title belt for Raw would be called the Universal Championship, fans snickered. When that title was finally unveiled at SummerSlam, they revolted. 

On Twitter, WWE fans jeered the newest title. It became such a distraction that those in attendance at SummerSlam chanted their disapproval during the match between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor, hijacking what was an excellent story being told in the ring. The fervor became so great that even Rollins chimed in. 

"

LOL, the fans are more interested in burying the new belt than watching this match. #SummerSlam

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) August 22, 2016"

Sure, it will take a while to get used to the unusual look. Fortunately for fans, they can cheer the man wearing the new crimson title.

John Cena and AJ Styles Steal the Show

As expected, the rematch between John Cena and AJ Styles delivered what is likely a Match of the Year candidate. 

The two Superstars gave fans a main event-worthy match early in the evening, one that wasn't equaled by anything else on the SummerSlam card. 

As always, Cena deserves more credit than he receives. For all the criticism he receives from so-called "smart" fans, Cena delivers time and time again. It helped to work with one of the industry's premier talents in Styles, who has yet to have a bad match in his short WWE tenure. 

Cena's departure from the arena, leaving his "Never Give Up" armband in the center of the ring, was a symbolic gesture. It was him acknowledging the torch was being passed, that his time as The Face That Runs the Place has passed.  

Just as important, this was Styles' coming-out party. Pinning Cena clean at SummerSlam immediately moves him up another level, one that very few Superstars in the company occupy.

The 23-minute bout was easily the highlight of SummerSlam. The two combatants told a compelling story in the ring, playing off each other's strengths and giving fans all they could want and more.

Rumors Swirl Following Women's Championship Match

In one of the more stunning results, Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks to reclaim the WWE Women's Championship early in the event. 

The match was noteworthy for two separate, but related reasons. 

First was the sheer physicality of the match, which saw numerous spots where Banks seemed legitimately injured. The first happened early in the bout, when the women's champ landed awkwardly from the top rope. The second was another top-rope maneuver, as Banks countered a Razor's Edge from Charlotte with a hurricanrana and nearly landed on the top of her head:

The women gave so much of themselves in the ring that many fans wondered whether the women, especially Banks, was going too far.

It wasn't just casual fans; WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, PW Torch's Wade Keller and Will Osprey also weighed in:

Following the match, it was reported by Wrestling Inc. that Banks was removed from all WWE shows until September 23. While no reason was given for her removal, USA Today's Ryan Glasspiegel speculated that might be the result of a wellness policy violation by Banks: "The timing invites natural speculation. The (Sept. 23) show in Moline, Ill. is just outside the 30-day range that would accompany a suspension for a first violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy."

A short time later, Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported that Banks' loss, as well as her upcoming time off, "was the planned result going into Summerslam": 

"

We are told that the decision was made a week or so ago due to Banks being hurt and needing some time off to recuperate ... The title change was not a result of Banks being injured over the course of the match and was not the result of anything beyond Banks requiring a few weeks off to recover.

"

On Monday morning, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet provided further details, noting that the injury is in the "lower lumbar section of her back": 

Banks was recently sidelined following a concussion suffered at a house show in May. She returned to WWE programming on the June 20 episode of Raw, helping Paige defeat Charlotte in a non-title match.