SummerSlam 2005 is the show that got me back into pro-wrestling after a 3-4 year hiatus. Looking at the card, its easy to see why - this show was stacked with superstars and weighted heavily with nostalgia. Even the Guerrero/Mysterio feud felt a bit like a throwback to the 90s, when Eddie and Rey would routinely tear the house down on Nitro, while the show's main event was a legit "dream match" never seen before (a rarity these days when just about every wrestler has fought every other wrestler a dozen times on free TV).
After a performance from Lillian Garcia, a video package hypes tonight's multiple main events. Its then time for the opening match, the pseudo-notorious squash of Orlando Jordan by Chris Benoit in under a minute. This gave Benoit the US Championship and, if I remember correctly, led to another "nostalgia gimmick" as he proceeded to have a Best of 7 series with Booker T (just like they had in WCW 7 years earlier). There are "cool" squash matches - see just about any time Sid was on TV or even Benoit getting squashed by The Giant in WCW - but this wasn't cool or very fun. It was just Benoit applying the Crossface and getting a tapout victory. At least his finisher was protected. (1/5)
A video package chronicles the rivalry between Edge (and Lita) and Matt Hardy, who compete next. There are a ton of details I'm going to exclude here for the sake of brevity, but basically, Edge cheated on his wife with Lita, who had been in a long-term relationship with Matt Hardy in real life for a number of years. Hardy got fired for airing his dirty laundry on the internet, but fans would not let Edge or Lita forget their infidelity, chanting "We Want Matt" (and worse) during all of their matches and segments to the point that Vince decided to turn the whole thing into a gimmick (ending Lita and Kane's phony on-screen romance in the process) and re-hire Matt...just to put over Edge, who was holding the Money In The Bank Briefcase at the time and had become a heat magnet. This one starts off like a brawl and the crowd is absolutely into it, cheering Hardy on as he applies a choke. You gotta give credit to Matt here - even as they are clearly wrestling a scripted, staged fight, he is putting a ton of mustard on his punches, really trying to sell this as a legit fight. It doesn't quite work - especially re-watching in 2020 when even a non-fan has likely seen at least 2-3 legitimate "shoot" fights - but at least they try. At one point, Edge drops Hardy onto the ring post and Hardy takes a bad tumble to the floor, blading himself to heighten the drama even more. Edge begins to stomp Hardy in the face and the ref calls for the bell as the crowd absolutely loses their shit. What an awful finish...but genius way to keep the heat on Edge and further this rivalry. As a match, this isn't great, but as a match and angle, it accomplishes exactly what they designed it to do (which was not necessarily what the fans wanted to see). (2/5)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio in a ladder match for the paternity of Dominik Mysterio is next. This is one of the most legendary storylines in modern WWE history, maybe the most famous feud of both guy's illustrious careers. One of the things forgotten about this match is just how far Tazz and Cole go to sell it on commentary, Cole even openly discussing how he adopted both of his two sons (as a way to clarify that while Dominick was, according to Eddie, his biological progency, Rey was his real father). Dominick's expressions on the outside are terrific as well; he really seems distraught with what he's watching before even the first punch is thrown. Speaking of punches, one could argue that the fact that Eddie and Rey have a match that features so much signature offense, so much flying and lucha-style action, that they are not working this like the blood feud match it should be - but I'd disagree as, not only is there viciousness from the early going, but also because these two guys are both wrestling to their strengths and trying to grab the paternity briefcase from the first 5 minutes. In other words, the psychology is there, even if no one would confuse this for Magnum/Tully or Valentine/Piper. Comparatively, when Rollins and Ambrose start a "blood feud match" with wristlocks and side headlocks, it isn't playing to either guy's strength nor does it show any urgency. Less than 10 minutes in there is an absolutely insane spot that sees Mysterio back-body drop Eddie from atop one ladder through another one that ends with one of the nastiest series of falls I've seen (and is immediately followed by another ugly bump from Rey - and then a reverse powerbomb into a ladder as well). As Eddie goes to retrieve the briefcase, Dominick slides into the ring and tries to shake him off the ladder, only to get scolded by his "father." Eddie demands a hug and then yells in Dominick's face, only to get stopped by Rey and eventually hit with a ladder-assisted 619 and a double leg drop. Rey climbs for the briefcase, but Eddie stops him, attempting to hit him with Electric Chair off the ladder - only for Rey to reverse it into a sunset flip powerbomb off the ladder! Damn. Rey seems to have the match won, but Eddie kicks the ladder from under him and drags him down with a ridiculous power bomb of his own. That was a concussion-causer if I've ever seen one. Eddie pins Rey under the ladder and begins to climb, taunting Mysterio with each step. Eddie has trouble unhooking the briefcase, though, and Rey is able to tip the ladder from underneath. Rey pulls Eddie down and Eddie drops leg-first in a fall that looks like it could've caused him a serious ankle injury. Eddie's selling is terrific, but because he has such a size advantage he's still able to hit the Tres Amigos (including one on the ladder for good measure). Eddie goes back to the ladder, but this time, his ascent is interrupted by the arrival of his wife, Vickie Guerrero, who tips over the ladder and causes Eddie to stun himself on the top rope! Rey picks the ladder up and makes his way up, but Eddie is back on his feet too - only Eddie get's held back by Vickie, his own wife doing what's right for the Mysterio family! I'm not sure if this match is as good as what they accomplished at Halloween Havoc, but its not far off and is certainly one of the best ladder matches of all time. (4/5)
Before the next bout, Chris Jericho cuts a promo about becoming a WWE Champion that all of Raw can be proud of.
Eugene, with Christy Hemme at his side, makes his way down the aisle for his match against Kurt Angle tonight. Kurt Angle was the heel, but the Eugene gimmick had run its course by this point - but would somehow last for another 2 years. Angle comes in and just destroys him to start the match, but Eugene cuts him off with a spinebuster (that draws a chorus of boos). Eugene goes for a People's Elbow, but Angle clocks him with a nasty clothesline (that gets a huge pop). A "Let's Go Angle" chant starts up as Angle continues to wear down his opponent, the crowd loudly booing any time there's even a hint of a comeback from Eugene. After Eugene attempts to apply the Ankle Lock, Angle escapes, hits him with the Angle Slam and taps him, the match ending in under 8 minutes. The right guy won, the crowd was engaged (even if vociferously anti-Eugene), and I liked the post-match moment of Kurt Angle re-enacting the Olympic gold medal ceremony. This was pretty much exactly what is should've been, though Angle couldn't help himself from giving the fans at least two unnecessary near falls for no logical reason. (2.5/5)
In the parking lot, a number of divas are soaping up a limousine with the final reveal being that the limo has the Presidential seal on it and that, sitting in the backseat is noneother than...Vince McMahon. I totally forget if Vince running for President was ever actually a thing but we're living in the closest possible timeline with Trump in office.
Back to the ring we go for The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton. Unlike the rest of the matches on the card, this one doesn't get a big pre-match hype video, though maybe it was because this rematch from WrestleMania XXI was developed rather quickly due to some unexpected happenings going on - most notably the writing off of Muhammad Hassan. Orton gets quite a bit of shine here, holding his own against Taker. Its also fun to watch Orton throw himself fully into selling; you just don't see Orton taking this much of a beatdown in 2020 (or even 10 years ago) and its a nice reminder as to why he was considered, even more than Cena maybe, as the future of the company. When Orton takes over and goes after Taker's knee, he goes after it with verve and a clear strategy, a clearly more confident worker in every way than he was when he got his first major push (roughly a year earlier). Taker, meanwhile, is wrestling the style that he would use for a lengthy strength in the 00s and early 10s, a style less gimmicky, quicker, more athletic, and more versatile. This is the Undertaker taking himself down down a peg, showing vulnerability in order to add suspense and drama to his matches. In a match like this, it absolutely works - it isn't WrestleMania and Undertaker doesn't look unbeatable. Unlike their Mania contest, the stakes are lesser and it is entirely conceivable that Orton could "get his win back." Towards the end, a mysterious figure (obviously Bob Orton) shows up to distract Taker long enough for the Deadman to eat an RKO. Its not the cleanest of victories, but how many clean jobs did Taker ever do anyway? Less than 10? I wouldn't call this a "must see," but this is a very good match nonetheless and probably would've been even more warmly received had it not been on a show featuring so many star-studded matches. (3.5/5)
The WWE Championship is on the line next with Chris Jericho challenging John Cena. The hatred for Cena was not yet peaking at this point, but it was undoubtedly there - especially online. Jericho is in arguably the best shape of his career here, looking lean and mean. This match is much better than it probably is remembered by most fans as these two put out the best possible match considering that (a) the finish was never really in doubt and (b) Chris Jericho was heading out the door and "burnt out." Jericho is terrific throughout, his offense intense and purposeful, targeting Cena's lower back throughout the contest to weaken it for the Walls of Jericho. Cena is in "sell mode" for most of this contest, which isn't surprising as, even after being bestowed the WWE Championship, Cena was still considered fairly "green" - especially in a lockerroom like the WWE had in 2005, which was still weighted heavily with veteran workers and established stars. And so Jericho is clearly calling this match from beginning to end and doing a rather masterful job of it. By the closing minutes, a loud anti-Cena contingent lets their presence be known, but that was to be expected from a SummerSlam crowd. The predictability of the ending does hurt things, but there is at least one great moment of doubt when Jericho counters what appeared to be an attempt for a "Super F-U" into a back suplex. Cena lasting so long in the Walls of Jericho was always going to irk the "smarks," but it definitely is a great way to put a guy over on your way out - as Jericho was clearly working to do here. I'm not going to call it a "must see," but its definitely a very good title match. (3.5/5)
Hometown hero Batista defends his World Heavyweight Championship against JBL in an Anything Goes match next. JBL catches Batista in the entranceway to jump start the match, the two men brawling into the crowd with Batista eventually spearing JBL through the barricade back to ringside. JBL has always had the reputation of being a backstage bully who would work needlessly stiff in the ring (famously taking liberties during the first One Night Stand show a few months before this), but he takes a respectable beating here. Neither of these guys is known for wowing the crowds with technical prowess, so seeing them beat the hell out of each other works pretty well at keeping the crowd engaged. Bradshaw takes control and uses a belt to try to choke Batista out, but the Animal powers out with a back suplex. Batista grabs the belt and whips the hell out of his opponent, following it up with some shoulders in the corner. JBL manages to change the tide, though, with an absolutely nasty Clothesline from Hell, but Batista kicks out at 2. JBL grabs some steps and attempts a piledriver, but Batista back body drops him onto the mat. JBL attempts another Clothesline from Hell, but Batista counters it into a spinebuster. Batista calls for the Batista Bomb and nails it. Batista has the opportunity to make the cover, but instead, decides to inflict more damage as the crowd chants "One More Time." Batista lifts him up and this time he powerbombs him onto the steps to get the W. Like Jericho did for Cena, you have to give some credit to JBL for doing everything he could to further cement Batista's status. This isn't an all-time classic or anything, but it accomplished everything it needed to and didn't waste any time getting there. (3/5)
Main event time - Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan. This match has become notorious over the years, legendary for the politicking that supposedly occurred backstage and in the ring. For starters, based on reports from the time, Shawn wanted the match to be a face/face encounter, but Hogan requested for Shawn to turn heel to protect his own character. Shawn being Shawn, he did turn heel - but the exact kind of heel that made the original DegenerationX a cool stable, mocking Hogan's age (a touchy subject for the Hulkster) and trolling the Montreal crowd in one particular episode of Raw. According to rumor, Michaels wanted to have a trilogy of matches (or at least two) and was more than willing to lose the first contest as long as he'd get his win back. At some point, Hogan refused to do any more matches than this one - if you believe Shawn. Hogan's take was slightly different as he alleges that he was willing to have more matches (but that Shawn's overreaction on this night [and maybe getting too personal in his promos?] prevented it from happening). Anyway...The match starts off with Hogan sending Shawn to the mat repeatedly. Michaels applies a wristlock and then a side headlock, but Hogan powers out and we get our first bit of pinball bumping out of Shawn, the Heartbreak Kid rolling out of the ring after a shoulder block from the Hulkster. Back in the ring, Shawn takes over on offense a bit with some chest chops and an eye poke to halt Hogan's momentum (which draws some loud boos from the crowd). Minutes later, Shawn Michaels takes a clothesline on the outside and sells it by doing a somersault and a Flair flop, but really, there are lengthy stretches where Michaels is simply being his usual self - or at least the self he was in 97'. Are there some over-the-top moments? Absolutely. And they're noticeable. But there are also some legitimately intense and memorable moments - Michaels slapping Hogan across the repeatedly, a sequence built around simple post-ramming and stiff right hands that results in Hogan getting busted open, both guys masterfully milking crowd reactions with their expressions. While this match doesn't have the electricity of Hogan/Rock, its a much more physical match than that, more violent, and also built more on a clash of styles. Michaels (even at his peak) couldn't elicit the reactions The Rock could with a simple lift of his eyebrow, but he also bumps and sells and provides the speed and high-flying that The Rock couldn't. He also sinks his teeth into his heel role, at one point even busting out a Sharpshooter to further draw heat from the crowd. Like most any classic Hogan match, there's some overbooking to go with the overselling - the aforementioned blood (and there's a ton of it), a ref bump that leads to a low blow and a chairshot, a finisher kickout. And because its a Hogan match, it ends with a Hulk Up - and Hogan doing some clever "maneuvering" of his own in the final moments by hitting Michaels with the leg drop and, before making the cover, doing an extended "I Can't Hear You Bit" in order to draw out Michaels selling of his finish. Michaels takes the pin by lifting his leg straight up in the area, an absurdly cartoonish way to get pinned, but its not super jarring because he'd been doing exaggerating moves the whole match. In fact, the first time I watched this match, I really didn't catch Michaels' overselling - I just thought he was putting extra oomph into the match because, hey, his opponent is Hulk friggin' Hogan. Ultimately, though, its not Michaels' over-the-top performance that mars this match, its the fact that, in the end, it seems a bit too by the book, like Shawn Michaels saw the framework of the typical Hulk Hogan match and decided to just go with it instead of changing it up at all. Michaels is too entertaining a bumper, too interesting as a heel, too good a performer not to make this arguably Hogan's last great match - but this one doesn't touch Hogan's true classic performances. (3.5/5)
There's a reason that 2005, especially the second half of the year, felt like a "turning the corner" era for the WWE. RAW was back on USA. Gimmicks like Carlito and Chris Masters felt like throwbacks to the 80s. And, hey, with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and, by the end of the year, Jimmy Snuka and Piper back around, you didn't even need throwbacks because, hell, you got the real thing (or at least their son in Randy Orton)! While the WWE was laying the nostalgia on thick, at the top of the card, John Cena and Batista were undeniably fresh - even if, over time, much of the fan base would turn on them and even criticize the lack of "dues" they put in. Meanwhile, the rest of the roster was stacked with future Hall of Famers in the form of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H (who would return later that year), Edge, Jericho...the WWE was loaded with talent and star power and the writing actually seemed focused and purposeful. This show is not match-for-match as strong as the Vengeance show from July, but it still features at least one excellent, "must see" match in the Guerrero/Mysterio Ladder Match and a number of matches that were almost as strong - Hogan/Michaels, Cena/Jericho, and Taker/Orton. With a Kwang Score of 2.88-out-of-5, I'm going to shockingly give this a higher overall rating than the point total might indicate...
FINAL RATING - Watch It
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