The internet is currently having a collective meltdown
So, PWInsider confirmed that another match has been officially added to the SummerSlam card. Naturally, the usual suspects are already duking it out in the comments sections, and I honestly don’t know whether to grab popcorn or a hard hat. The discourse ranges from genuine excitement over the potential workrate to folks acting like this booking decision personally slapped their grandmother.
We have reached the point in the cycle where the basement-dwellers and the TV-only casuals are locked in a death match of opinions. It is the wrestling equivalent of a saloon fight where everyone is throwing chairs, but the chairs are made of pure, distilled negativity. Half of you are acting like this matches the intensity of peak 1997 booking, while the rest are convinced the sky is falling because their favorite mid-card guy got snubbed for a spot.
The enthusiasts want the ring to burn down
You have the dreamers who think every single addition to the SummerSlam main card is going to be an instant classic. They are already pulling up Cagematch ratings from three years ago to justify why this specific pairing is guaranteed to be a five-star masterclass. Their argument is usually anchored in the technical prowess of the talent involved, ignoring the fact that WWE pacing is a completely different monster than the indie scene.
One user on a popular forum mentioned that if the finish doesn’t involve a top-rope spot that leaves both guys gasping for air by the 15-minute mark, it will be a failure. It is cute, but it ignores that SummerSlam is a spectacle show, not a clinic for technical purists. I love the hustle, but these people are going to end up disappointed when the match is 10 minutes of rest holds and a flurry of finishers to get to the next commercial break.
The skeptics are sharpening their pitchforks
Then we have the cynical crowd, the folks who wouldn't be happy if the company gave them a pony. They are convinced that this addition is nothing but filler to mask a weak undercard. They love to point out that the writing staff is running on fumes and that this match could have happened on a random episode of Raw for better results.
The contrarian take here is actually pretty sharp: why build up a summer blow-off show with matches that feel like they have zero stakes? If you aren’t paying off an angle that has been simmering since mid-May, you are just throwing bodies into the ring because you lack the creativity to build a compelling program. They have a point, though the delivery is usually just pure, unadulterated bile.
My take: Who is actually winning this argument?
If you force me to pick a side, the skeptics are winning this round of the argument. I have been watching this product long enough to know that adding a match just to flesh out 4 hours of airtime is a recipe for a mid-tier outing. You don't make a show better by making it longer; you make it better by making it focused. This isn't groundbreaking insight, but let’s be real—sometimes management needs a reminder that less is often much more.
Is the talent capable of a great performance? Absolutely. But the booking team has a habit of cramping into the spotlight just when the story needs to breathe. We saw similar logistical headaches when Darby Allin was pushing his luck with those insane stunts in the AEW sphere, causing chaos for the local authorities. Sometimes the story is the stunt, and sometimes the story is just a guy trying to get noticed. Here, we are currently seeing a whole lot of effort for very little narrative payoff.
The reality of the situation
Let’s be honest with ourselves. We are all going to watch the show anyway. Whether it’s a masterclass in technical wrestling or a sloppy mess that gets roasted on Twitter before the pyrotechnics even fade, we will be there. The internet thrives on the outrage, but ultimately, the success of this match depends on whether the crowd is biting on the near-falls. If they don’t get a pop after a 2-count within the first five minutes, it’s curtains for the match regardless of who is in the ring.
I will leave you with this: Stop expecting WrestleMania-level drama from a mid-summer stopgap. Keep your expectations grounded, enjoy the spots, and maybe don't take the booking decisions as a personal attack on your childhood. It is a show about people fake-fighting in their underwear for our amusement. It’s supposed to be fun, not a sociological study on the decline of television standards. Grab a drink, stop scrolling the boards, and just watch the match. It might actually surprise you, or it might be the reason you finally cancel your subscription—either way, it’s going to be a loud ride.
