My SummerSlam experience, Logan Paul, Shane McMahon - She Digressed #4
Welcome to my newsletter/blog where I ponder some of the hottest topics from the week in wrestling. This week I'm digressing on SummerSlam, Logan Paul, and Shane McMahon.
WWE SummerSlam 1998 will always be my favourite PPV. There are moments from that show that I still quote to this day; mainly Sable saying: “Now let me introduce you to my partner.”
It was the first WWE PPV to happen when I was following the product. While I wasn’t allowed to stay up until 3am or so to catch it live, I was able to set my VHS recorder so I could watch it in the morning. But I didn’t sleep a wink that night, it was like 10 Christmas Eves at once.
This was the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin was champion facing The Undertaker. The New Age Outlaws took on Mankind and Kane, Sable was teaming with Edge (yes, really) and, in one of my all-time favourite matches, Triple H finally defeated The Rock to become Intercontinental Champion.
A lot has changed in 26 years. That guy who climbed the ladder to reach the IC belt is now running the show. His opponent ended up becoming one of the biggest movie stars in the world and has a seat on the TKO board of directors.
Vince McMahon (or Mr McMahon) is now gone from WWE and there’s another wrestling company that’s home to Edge, Billy Gunn, Jim Ross, Jeff Jarrett, and Dustin Rhodes.
And the little girl who couldn’t sleep with excitement is now watching SummerSlam from the press box.
WWE was hot in 1998, it was hot in a way I couldn’t comprehend at that age and in a way I would never see again.
Once the Attitude Era died those of us who were locked in for life stuck around but many of the people who had been hitting stunners in the playground and telling their teachers to ‘Suck it’ dropped off.
But WWE kept on going, through the Ruthless Aggression Era to becoming PG. There were plenty of highs over the next two decades but the company never really felt hot again. Sometimes a spark would be ignited (like Daniel Bryan and the Yes movement) but usually, Vince was there to stomp out the flame with his bad creative.
Now, in 2024, WWE is once again hot. It’s not Attitude Era hot but hotter than I’ve seen it in over two decades.
SummerSlam was the second WWE PLE I’ve attended this summer and the first US stadium show I’ve been to.
Stepping into Cleveland Browns Stadium was like entering a small but highly populated city. Here the colloquialisms were ‘Yeet’ and ‘Yeah,’ the local fashion was leather vests with ‘Mami’ painted on the back or title belts worn on the shoulder, and the traditional music is ‘Whoa Ohh Ohh’ on repeat.
Looking down from the press box I saw a sea of over 55,0000 people who were invested and excited. It felt huge.
During the show, I also took the opportunity to walk around the stadium and found the number of people overwhelming. Concession queues were always long and most people were decked out in some degree of WWE merch.
The press box was also pretty packed and sitting in there for the show was quite the experience. Inside the box felt more like being at a social mixer than attending an event as press.
While I appreciate everyone is there for their own reasons, I was struck by the amount of people who spent the show talking, socialising, doing chants and cheering. It’s hard to know how to feel about this as every single one of us started as fans or we wouldn’t be doing this. I know I just wrote about watching SummerSlam 26 years ago.
But I do wish more people would show a little more professionalism when they’re essentially at work. I’m sure WWE wants the most enthusiastic media members there but it is absolutely possible to love WWE and also act like a professional doing a job at these events.
I’m not talking about asking tough questions at the presser, that’s a different issue. But there’s a fine line between covering the event purely as entertainment and barking for Bron Breakker or holding up a 1 for Roman Reigns.
Plus these things stand out more when you realise John Pollock wasn’t granted access to the presser while others who lack his professionalism and integrity were given a seat.
That is not to dunk on anyone in particular, as I said we’re all here for different reasons, but everyone, including myself, can always do better and it would benefit WWE if wrestling was taken more seriously by those who chose to cover it as their job.
When it comes to the presser I was very happy to be there but of course disappointed I didn’t get to ask a question but that’s never a guarantee at these events.
SummerSlam was a seven-match card, two more matches than at Money in the Bank and, in my opinion, the sweet spot.
As a show, I thought SummerSlam was excellent and every match was well built and deserved its billing.
It was a show more about stories than match quality but that isn’t a negative and it isn’t to say any match on the night was bad.
Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan’s storyline had been well-built. While the soap opera melodrama isn’t for everyone I at least appreciate how it moved forward on every episode of Raw leading to SummerSlam.
It was predictable that Dom would turn on Rhea but predictable isn’t always a negative. As a match and as a chapter in Rhea’s story I felt it delivered exactly what was needed while also setting things up for the larger Judgement Day implosion.
Bron Breakker vs Sami Zayn was too short to be a good match and too long to be a squash. I believe this one had its time cut and it showed. Still, it was the right result at the right time.
LA Knight and Logan Paul also delivered. Paul (more on him below) put on another objectively good performance while Knight finally got the reward he deserved for how incredibly over he’s been for over a year.
Nia Jaxx continued to show she’s finally worked out exactly the character she needs to portray in-ring to make the most of her attributes. Bayley’s title reign has been disappointing so switching the title to Nia makes sense, if only as a vehicle to get Tiffany Stratton more ready to take the top spot in the division.
The match I was most waiting for was, of course, CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre. Last week I waxed lyrical about how much I’d been enjoying the build but, as much as it pains me to say it, the match did not live up to my expectations. My problem was Seth Rollins. To me, Seth was an unnecessary distraction and that has nothing to do with his Sabu pants.
This feud felt so real, so intense, and so visceral. We didn’t need the third man. The bracelet MacGuffin I could have also done without just because Punk was doing a fine job at hating Drew for injuring him without the need to conjure more hate based on a trinket. I can only hope these two will continue their 1997 reenactments and do Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood (as long as no one has to play Kane).
Priest and Gunther was my match of the night. Gunther is incredible and will be one of Triple H’s greatest success stories. Priest won the belt with many doubting him but I believe he has risen to the occasion of being champion. I would have rather Gunther won clean and the Balor drama was done in the post-match but at least the turn was earned and well executed.
The main event was a mixed bag and a great example of the fortunate place WWE has found itself in with this current hot streak. Most people will admit Solo Sikoa just doesn’t have it as a main eventer so making the match Bloodline Rules was a smart way to tell the fans to expect more.
The times when it was just Cody and Solo did drag but the fans’ anticipation managed to carry it. Jacob Fatu is an absolute star and I really hope he’s not badly hurt. Roman’s return was well done (though I think Jacob getting hurt changed the spot) and it felt like a big moment.
Overall the show was really enjoyable, there was nothing I disliked and I had a great time being there and experiencing it live in such a huge setting.
I left SummerSlam with a lot to think about. The past few months have been really transformative for me, with moving to Toronto, losing my job covering wrestling for Digital Spy, and forging my own path to continue doing what I love and am passionate about. So the fact I was there at SummerSlam is a win I’m going to take to spur me on.
As for the business - WWE in 2024 is not WWE in 1998 but nothing is the same 26 years on. I do believe we’re currently experiencing another wrestling boom and it will only get bigger when WWE arrives on Netflix.
Hot streaks don’t last forever but it feels like we have a while left until WWE starts running cold.
So that UK Dynamite…
AEW Dynamite comes to the UK for the first time on August 21st in Cardiff, Wales. The show hasn’t sold out yet and ticket prices are being reduced.
Just thought I’d give it some free advertising since AEW doesn’t seem to want to.
RePaulsive
For the past few years, I’ve been more of a YouTube watcher than a TV watcher and, because of this, I’ve never had trouble telling the Paul brothers apart.
Their content has never been for me and I have never watched a single one of their videos but through commentary channels and just YouTube osmosis, I knew a lot about the Paul brothers before Logan came to WWE.
I knew of the incident in 2017 when he filmed what appeared to be a dead body inside what is known as ‘suicide forest’ in Japan.
That controversy did not end Logan’s career. Instead, he seemed to pivot away from being the once Vine guy, now YouTube guy, to becoming a podcaster with the launch of ImPaulsive in 2018.
Podcasting may have seemed like the more mature medium for Logan and in many ways it did do some heavy lifting in rebuilding his image even if the red flags were always there.
But let’s not forget the podcast’s title: Impaulsive. Is it called this because Logan often acts without thinking? Or because he knows he can never get over his bad impulses?
On Thursday Logan decided to ‘impulsively’ tweet about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif without doing any research on her or her background.
Khelif had won her Olympic match in 46 seconds after her opponent Angela Carini quit the fight following punches to the face.
Believing Khelif to be trans, Paul tweeted: “This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes.
“A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father. This delusion must end.”
Not only was Khelif born a woman but she is also from a country where being LGBTQ+ is actually illegal.
Paul has 6.8million followers, that’s 6.8million people who read misinformation about Khelif, adding to the absolute pile-on that she experienced.
When Paul finally realised he was wrong he didn’t offer any apology. Instead, he made it clear to the MAGA fanbase he’s courting that, this woman might not be trans but he is definitely transphobic.
Paul tweeted: "OOPSIES. I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app.
"Although she’s been previously disqualified for failing a ‘gender test’ and has XY chromosomes, some sources say Imane Khelif was born a biological woman
“I stand by my sentiment that biological men should not compete against biological women in any sport and if you disagree you’re a sick fuck.”
He then followed this up with a poll that asked: ‘Is my opinion that men shouldn’t be allowed to compete against women transphobic?’
Paul couldn’t even bring himself to apologise to Khelif or admit he was wrong.
If Paul wanted a villain of the 2024 Paris Olympics he could have done some reading and found out about Steven van de Velde, the Dutch volleyball player who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014.
If Paul wanted a villain of SummerSlam weekend he could have done some reading and found out that Rob Feinstein, who he posed for a photo with, was allegedly the subject of a sting operation aimed at paedophiles who were contacting young boys in chat rooms.
I’ll note that Feinstein was never charged but the incident led to him resigning from Ring of Honor. I’m not going to give Paul the benefit of the doubt regarding Feinstein or look into whether or not he was aware of him because Paul himself wouldn’t offer anyone else that grace.
I wish WWE had made a statement condemning Paul’s actions. What he did goes against their anti-bullying campaign and stops wrestling from being a space that is truly inclusive and welcoming to all.
When it comes to Feinstein, who was seen on camera during SmackDown sitting behind the commentary desk, Fightful Select reported that, ‘several WWE talents notified WWE that Rob Feinstein was lurking around lobbies.
The report added: ‘He got a ticket from a comped friend, with WWE unaware he’d attend, much less on camera. WWE sources say Feinstein wasn’t invited, had no backstage access, and wasn’t given a ticket under his name. He found the talent hotel and approached wrestlers for photos.’
I am very glad that Feinstein wasn’t invited by WWE (not that I thought he would be) but I can’t believe everyone who took a photo with him was oblivious to his past, that’s just not possible.
I have previously spoken about wanting to ensure wrestling is a safe space and, not only free from abusers, but those who platform them for clicks, clout, or support them because of a previous relationship.
For wrestling to be this safe space it sometimes means doing difficult things and having uncomfortable conversations. I’m glad Feinstein was named and shamed and the situation was brought to WWE’s attention.
Now let’s keep that energy across all companies and towards anyone supporting, platforming, or defending these despicable men.
Here comes the money?
I once told one of Tony Khan’s loyal employees that I thought their boss needed a ‘poor’ friend.
One who would explain hotel prices to him, public holidays, how trains don’t run 24/7, you know, regular people stuff.
Well, it seems Tony has made a new friend but rather than an everyman he’s picked another son of a billionaire businessman - Shane McMahon.
Tony and Shane O’Mac had a meeting at a private airport where, somehow, a photo of them was taken and then ‘leaked’.
The pic reminded me of all the times rich people have been caught on camera having secret meetings —Dominic West and Lily James, Kristen Stewart and that director guy.
Shane later released a statement through Bully Ray of all people, saying: “Tony and I were connected through a mutual friend and we had a great meeting.
“We talked about many things, but mostly about our shared love for the business and the rewards and challenges of working with family. I congratulated him on the five year anniversary of AEW and look forward to how he evolves the business moving forward,”
So what does it all mean? Well if the photo was leaked on purpose to get people talking, it didn’t have any positive effect on the Dynamite rating.
Shane arriving in AEW will be a moment, a funny one that will get people talking, but would I take the risk? No.
I’ve often wondered how many cards Khan has left to play, after bringing in CM Punk, Danielson, Mercedes etc., and I guess Shane is the final card.
My reasons for not wanting Shane have nothing to do with his father’s crimes. It’s more just that it will be another example of AEW moving further and further away from its original mission statement.
I also don’t have any faith in how this would all be executed. Earlier this year I thought AEW was taking a big swing when Tony Khan took an EVP Driver from The Elite, leading to a power struggle storyline.
We then had Tony on the NFL draft in a neckbrace and him on NFL TV relating WWE to Harvey Weinstein.
But soon enough Tony was back on Dynamite without a neckbrace.
AEW was never brave enough to go all in on the Elite storyline. It has never felt like AEW was being taken over instead it’s just if a heel needs something they ask the Elite, if a babyface does they ask Khan.
Team Elite won Anarchy in the Arena and got nothing to show for it, they then lost Blood and Guts but still seem to have power.
Let’s also mention my favourite topic, Ric Flair. He was brought in and AEW immediately seemed to get cold feet and he was barely used and has since disappeared.
Bringing in Shane would be a risk though I do think it would cause an immediate ratings bump.
But to ensure it doesn’t come off as a desperate act, he’ll need to have a purpose with his arc set up.
At this point, I’d bin off all the Elite stuff so I wouldn’t use him there. I’ve heard theories he could be brought in as Mercedes’ manager/backer and that’s not an idea that excites me.
If Shane really does genuinely love the wrestling business and misses it he should ask his brother-in-law to get him back in WWE.
Khan being the fairy godmother that gets Shane back in the business just makes him part of some kind of McMahon family dispute.
Shane is either saying: ‘I’ll show you dad,’ or ‘I’ll show you Paul,’ and I don’t know why Tony would want that headache.
But it would be funny. It definitely would be funny.
Best/worst of the week
Match of the week: Gunther vs Damian Priest, WWE SummerSlam
Wrestler of the week: Gunther, WWE
Prop of the week: Tiffany Stratton’s MITB briefcase
Hot topic of the week none of us actually know about: Britt Baker vs MJF
Stuff I did this week
Check out my podcast
My podcast serves as a companion to this newsletter where I expand on topics, give some juicier takes and tell the stories I can’t write down. This week I’m talking about:
The SummerSlam press box
How I ‘met’ CM Punk
SummerSlam match-by-match
Logan Paul’s transphobia
Rob Feinstein at SummerSlam weekend
AEW Dynamite Cardiff
Shane McMahon meeting Tony Khan
Britt Baker and MJF AEW drama