WWE SummerSlam 2017 Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

Source: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match
Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Result: Jinder Mahal defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall to retain the WWE Championship.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Shinsuke Nakamura, fine, but four months ago, if you were to bet on Jinder Mahal getting the second-to-last spot on the WWE SummerSlam card, otherwise billed as the second most important match, you would have been laughed at. Now he’s doing it, but defending the WWE Championship.

This turned into Nakamura’s first main roster loss by pinfall. He remained perfect from the day he debuted in April, along with TV matches and everything he’s done at PPVs. It was bound to happen, but in his first WWE Championship match, it’s an awkward timing.

Mahal’s reign has been plain, dull and lacked any type of spark. His matches never went to the next level you’d want out of a main event-caliber bout, and his finishing move is rarely done clean. That remained at SummerSlam, as his performance was unspectacular, at best. Nakamura did most of the heavy lifting and took the clean loss, despite the presence of the Singh Brothers.

With WWE’s tour of India set for September, look for Mahal to remain WWE Champion through its completion. Afterward, he’ll drop the title at the next SmackDown Live PPV. That’s not breaking news, but a case of business. Mahal as champion brings drawing power into India when the company goes there. Without that, it takes some of the allure away. WWE is capitalizing on the money they might make from this, like it or not.

I’d look for a rematch between Mahal and Nakamura. The finish was clean, but with the Singh Brothers’ interference, it gives WWE an opening for more.