SummerSlam (2011)

SummerSlam (2011)
Promotional poster
Tagline(s)	"The Biggest Party of the Summer"
Theme song(s)	"Bright Lights, Bigger City" by Cee Lo Green featuring Wiz Khalifa[1]
Information
Promotion	WWE
Brand(s)	Raw SmackDown
Sponsor(s)	7-Eleven
Date	August 14, 2011
Attendance	17,404[2]
Venue	Staples Center
City	Los Angeles, California
Pay-per-view chronology
Money in the Bank (2011) SummerSlam (2011) Night of Champions (2011)
SummerSlam chronology
SummerSlam (2010) SummerSlam (2011) SummerSlam (2012)

SummerSlam (2011) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on August 14, 2011. It was the twenty-fourth annual SummerSlam event^[3] and the third consecutive SummerSlam at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This was also the last WWE pay-per-view where Raw and Smackdown would be brands.^[4][5][6] Six matches were scheduled for the event, with a seventh was added during the show when Alberto Del Rio cashed in his "Money in the Bank" briefcase and defeated CM Punk. SummerSlam attracted a sellout crowd of 17,404 fans at Staples Center in Los Angeles, grossing more than $1 million, marking the highest grossing SummerSlam held at Staples Center. The event garnered 296,000 pay-per-view buys, down from 350,000 buys the previous year.^[7]

Background

The professional wrestling matches at SummerSlam featured professional wrestlers performing as characters in scripted events pre-determined by the hosting promotion, WWE.^[8][9] Storylines between the characters were produced on WWE's weekly television shows Raw and SmackDown with the Raw and SmackDown brands—storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its employees to different programs.^[10]

The main feud headed into SummerSlam was from the SmackDown brand was between Christian and Randy Orton, over Christian's World Heavyweight Championship. At Extreme Rules in May, Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship for the first time, only to lose it to Orton on the May 3, 2011 tapings of SmackDown (aired on May 6). After two unsuccessful attempts at regaining the title from Orton at the Over the Limit and Capitol Punishment pay-per-views, Christian finally won the championship for the second time at the Money in the Bank event in July, after he spat in Orton's face, provoking the latter to kick Christian in the groin and get himself disqualified; as per pre-match stipulations enacted by Christian, he won the title. At the July 29, 2011 episode of SmackDown, the new Chief Operating Officer of WWE, Triple H, scheduled a title defense by Christian against Orton in a No Holds Barred match at SummerSlam.

The main event from the Raw brand for SummerSlam would pit John Cena against CM Punk for the WWE Championship. In the weeks leading to the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in July on Raw, Punk announced the expiry of his WWE contract on the night of the July 17, 2011 event, en route lambasting WWE for failing to promote him as the "best wrestler in the world", and threatened some high authority figures like WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, of defeating Cena and leaving WWE with the championship. At Money in the Bank, Punk pinned Cena to win the title, and even after McMahon tried to have Alberto Del Rio – who had won the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase earlier that night – cash in his contract against Punk. The latter nevertheless left the arena with the championship. The following night on Raw, McMahon dismissed Punk's claim to the title, and announced an 8-man tournament to decide the new WWE Champion. Also, on the same night, Triple H relieved McMahon of his duties, and assumed control over WWE as the Chief Operating Officer. On the edition of July 25, 2011 of Raw, Rey Mysterio, Jr. defeated The Miz in the finals to become the WWE Champion but lost it later on the same night against Cena. After the match, Punk returned to WWE with the title belt he had won at Money in the Bank. As they were now two wrestlers with a claim to the WWE Championship, a one-on-one match between Punk and Cena was scheduled for SummerSlam to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. On August 8, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H made himself the special guest referee for the Undisputed WWE championship match.^[11]

The Divas rivalry heading into SummerSlam was between Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix over the WWE Divas Championship. On the edition of August 1 of Raw, Phoenix won a Divas battle royal to become the #1 Contender for the Kelly's Divas Championship at SummerSlam. After her victory, Phoenix turned into a villainess and attacked Kelly in and out of the ring, and later told Kelly that "her days as the cute, blonde little bimbo are over."^[12] On the following week, Phoenix defeated Eve Torres in singles action, but was attacked by Kelly after the match.

Event

Preliminary matches

The first match of the night was a six-man tag team match pitting Kofi Kingston, John Morrison and Rey Mysterio against The Miz, R-Truth and Alberto Del Rio. The match started slowly, but then Morrison and Kingston double teamed Miz. Morrison was then tagged in and nailed Truth with the Flying Chuck. Then Kofi used his aerial attacks on Miz, and executed the Boom Drop and The S.O.S. After a hard neckbreaker to Kofi from Miz, the other team started dominating. But then Mysterio used his aerial techniques to turn the tables and Morrison took out Del Rio, and after a double 619 to Miz and Truth, Kofi took out Miz and finally Mysterio performed a splash from the top rope for the pinfall victory for his team.

Next, Sheamus faced off against Mark Henry. Both the wrestlers attempted to gain momentum, but Henry threw Sheamus out of the ring, threw him back in again and followed up with his series of body splashes. After dodging a second rope slam, Sheamus gained the upper hand, and nailed his powerful clotheslines. After a double clothesline, both wrestlers were down, but then Sheamus performed his top rope shoulder block. He then nailed Henry with a massive Brogue Kick, propelling him out of the ring. But on the outside Henry dominated and slammed Sheamus through the security barricade, breaking it apart. Henry went back into the ring, but Sheamus couldn't get back into the ring by the count of ten. This led to a count out victory for Henry.

In the next match, Kelly Kelly defended her Divas Title against Beth Phoenix. Beth dominated most of the match, but Kelly Kelly retained her title after reversing the Glam Slam into a roll up for the victory.

Wade Barrett faced Daniel Bryan in the next match. The match started slowly but then Bryan nailed a series of drop kicks. After that Barrett dominatated with various slams. Then Barrett threw Bryan to the outside, but Bryan performed a high knee from the apron to Barrett's head on the outside. Back into the ring, Bryan performed a missile drop kick, and followed up with a series of kicks to the skull. Barrett kicked out of the pin attempt, but then Bryan locked in the Lebell Lock. Barrett was able to get to the ropes, and after Bryan had failed top rope maneuver, and was thrown onto the ropes, Barrett performed a clothesline from the top rope, and finally executed a Wasteland for the pinfall victory.

Main event matches

In the SmackDown! main event, Christian faced Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship in a No Holds Barred match. Christian had Edge return to be in his corner for his title defense against Randy Orton. Edge came down to the ring but was disappointed by the cowardly tactics Christian used to win his second World Heavyweight Championship. Edge berated him before walking out on him. Orton then came into the ring and the match started. Christian hit aerial attacks but Orton retaliated by performing a high angle back drop. After some time Christian attempted to escape the arena, leaving the match and going into the crowd with the title. But Orton followed him and they fought in the crowd, and Orton took him back into the ring and hit a series of punches in the corner. But Christian drove Orton shoulder first into the steel post and brought in kendo sticks. Christian then began his assault with the kendo sticks, but after dodging a clothesline Orton attempted a roll up only for a two count. Christian then performed a spinebuster, and Orton was visibly bleeding from the mouth. But after countering Christian's top rope kendo stick attack into a drop kick, Randy hit his backbreaker and gained the upper hand. After some time Orton brought in two tables, setting one on the outside, and taking one in. Then Randy nailed Christian with a superplex in the ring, onto an unopened table, and went for the pin only for a two count. After Orton set the table in the corner, Christian gained the upper hand and attempted a Spear through the table, but Orton countered and again the match spilled on the outside. Then Orton threw Christian on the steel steps, but Christian then slammed Orton's head on the steps. Then Christian hit a TV monitor right on Randy's head and attempted Orton's finisher, RKO, on the announce table . But then Orton countered, and nailed Christian with the RKO through the announce table. But back into the ring, Christian executed a KillSwitch, but the challenger still kicked out at two. After this Christian brought in two chairs, spat on Orton's face, and attempted a con-chair-to, but Orton moved out of the way, and then used the steel chair on him, and after Christian was on the apron, slammed into him with the chair, sending him through the table set up on the outside. Orton then brought in steel steps and metal garbage cans, and back in the ring, countered Christian's clothesline into his scoop slam, sending the Champion through the table set up in the corner. Orton then repeatedly hit the Champion with the kendo sticks, and then nailed Christian with his rope hung DDT, but onto the metal garbage can. But at the corner, Christian hit a kendo stick shot, but as he went for a sunset flip, jumping from the turnbuckle, Orton caught him in mid air and blasted him with a thunderous RKO on the steel steps. Following this Orton pinned him, and regained the World Heavyweight Championship. This started Randy Orton's third WHC reign, and was his ninth World Championship overall.

In the main event, John Cena wrestled CM Punk to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. Triple H served as guest referee. The match started slowly and was much reminiscent of their encounter at Money in the Bank. Both the champions tried to gain the upper hand and started executed their signature maneuvers. At one point in the match, both the wrestlers were outside and were unable to answer the ten count, but Triple H brought them back in as he wanted a definitive undisputed Champion. Later, Cena executed the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk kicked out. CM Punk then attempted his finisher, and nailed Cena with the GTS, but Cena kicked out. After a back and forth match, the end came when Punk nailed a second GTS, and followed up for a pinfall, but Cena had his leg on the ropes, which should have resulted in a rope break, but Triple H didn't see that, and thus allowed CM Punk to pin Cena. With this CM Punk became the Undisputed WWE Champion.

As Punk celebrated his WWE Championship win, Cena and Triple H left the ring, and Kevin Nash, a long time friend of Triple H then returned, and attacked CM Punk, and laid out the Champion with a Jackknife Powerbomb. This allowed Alberto Del Rio to hurry down to the ring with a referee to take advantage of the chaos, and he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. After a Shining Wizard to the already fallen Champion, Del Rio pinned him to become the WWE Champion, his first title in WWE and his first World Championship. Thus the night ended with Alberto Del Rio winning the WWE Championship.

Production

Much like the previous year's SummerSlam, WWE promoted the event with its SummerSlam Axxess fan convention, held at the Nokia Plaza in LA Live on August 13 and 14.^[13][14] R&B singer Cee Lo Green performed both "'Bright Lights Bigger City", the official theme song for the event, and his hit "'Forget You" during the broadcast.^[1] The commentators for this event were Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Booker T.

Results

See also

• List of WWE pay-per-view events

References

External links

• WWE Live Tour: SummerSlam website
• Official SummerSlam minisite
• Official SummerSlam site