Biggest Stories Coming Out of WWE SummerSlam

WWE SummerSlam is in the books for 2016 and there are a lot of stories coming out of this six-hour show. From title wins, title changes, to injuries and beyond, the biggest PPV outside of WrestleMania definitely created buzz within the WWE bubble. Let's get to it.

Sasha Banks lost the WWE Women's Championship to Charlotte last night. The match was what it was. To the credit of both women, they set out to top previous Women's Title matches, though they did not succeed. After losing the belt, the internet exploded with rumors that Banks had failed a wellness test, thus resulting in the title change. As it stands right now, there has been no indication from WWE that Banks violated the policy. I'm leaning more toward an injury at this point. Hopefully there will be more information on this situation as the week moves forward.

AJ Styles and John Cena had a very good match early on the SummerSlam card. Many have criticized the bout on the grounds that there were too many near falls and too many simplistic sequences capped by finishers. While I agree that some of the match was simplistic, the fact of the matter is that this match accomplished its goal to the fullest. John Cena passed the torch. I realize that AJ is not young by any means, but he is now set up to be the number one heel on SmackDown Live as it can be presumed that his next program will be with Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship. Cena made AJ look very strong through notable kickouts such as one from an Attitude Adjustment from the second rope. After the match, Cena left his "never give up" armband in the ring and left to a standing ovation. Symbolic in that Cena will certainly be taking a lesser role moving forward as many outside-WWE ventures are on the horizon. This may have been the best match on the card.

In maybe the biggest story coming out of SummerSlam, Finn Balor beat Seth Rollins for the new Universal Championship. The sad news coming out of this is that Balor will be forced to vacate the title due to a shoulder injury he suffered in that same match. This is a huge blow to WWE as Balor has quickly become one of the company's brightest rising stars. The title match itself was great when you get past the fans' extreme displeasure of the look of the newly created championship. Balor will be out for six months. After an excellent debut and many good showings, it's a real shame to see a great performer out after the start he's had on the main roster. This might be an indication that WWE needs to reevaluate who stays in NXT for extended periods of time. Balor is one of many wrestlers that have a decade or more of experience that should probably move through NXT at a faster rate. Like Daniel Bryan, some of these guys and girls don't have a long shelf life arriving at WWE at this point in their careers. It might be time to give a serious look at shorter NXT runs, if not bypassing the developmental brand altogether.

Finally, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton had a pretty good match in the main event. The match itself wasn't blow away by any means, but the finish really made it special. Orton took a legitimate elbow smash to the head and gushed a pool of blood in the middle of the ring. This forced the referee to stop the match due to Orton not being able to continue. From everything I've heard and read, this was an agreed upon spot between Orton and Lesnar (Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer). I enjoyed this match for one reason. There's a certain realism that comes with Lesnar that no one else in the company can equal. When Brock wrestles, you know you're going to get something special, something that blurs the lines of a work and a shoot. This match was a perfect example of it. It's tough one for Orton, though. It's hard to see where he goes from here as a top performer on the SmackDown. 

SummerSlam was definitely a solid show despite it's long length that hurt it in many respects. The PPV at the very least created some buzz. Again, injuries have come to haunt WWE and it will be interesting to see how they handle their plans and title runs being completely derailed as a result. More answers to come on tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw.