10 Things We Learned From WWE SummerSlam 2019
Interesting backstage facts and figures from the show that featured The Fiend's in-ring debut and The Seth Rollins Hammer Throw...
It's been more than a year already, if you can believe it. The 2019 SummerSlam took place at a time when SmackDown was running out the clock on USA Network, when AEW was three events into its lifetime, when a pandemic seemed an unlikely occurrence. One year ago may well be a century ago, given how much things have changed in the time since then. SummerSlam 2019 in some ways feels utterly ancient, like a selection from a bygone era.
Granted, much of the latter day WWE DNA is splattered across the event, but only snippets of the event are fresh on the brain. Rollins beating Lesnar for the Universal title immediately comes to mind (the hammer throw singes it into one's memories), as does The Fiend's debut, and Trish's "final" match. Throw in an unexpected Edge spear on the pre-show, and I suppose you could say SummerSlam 2019 was memorable enough.
The rest of the card required a bit of research, as some of the matches don't leave such a deep footprint. The 2019 SummerSlam, however, was a bit more rife with news and tidbits, as it was somewhat more historic than we may give it credit for.
10. It's The Second Earliest SummerSlam Ever
Older fans remember SummerSlam's perpetual placement at the very end of August. Modern viewers have come to expect the event to take place somewhere between the 17th and 23rd of the month. But last year, WWE wanted to get the party over with early, it seemed, for reasons that are not entirely clear.
The August 11 date for the 2019 SummerSlam made it the second-earliest SummerSlam ever. The only one earlier was the 1997 event, which took place staggeringly early on August 3 of that year. The previous second-placer was the 2011 event (August 14 of that year). Actually, both Toronto SummerSlams were earlier than usual, as the 2004 show occurred on August 15, so maybe it's a Canadian thing?
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.