The Staples Center played host to WWE's SummerSlam for the fourth straight yer on Sunday. Fans came from far and wide for the pay-per-view and for the weekend-long Fan Axxess event at L.A. Live. The card turned out much better than some (including us here at SB Nation Los Angeles) expected.
Here are the full results from Sunday's pay-per-view
United States Title Match - Santino Marella (c) vs. Antonio Cesaro: Before the main card started, this match was offered for free on the live streaming pre-show. In his first significant match, Cesaro defeated Marella to capture the United States title. Marella tried to go for the Cobra, but was distracted by Cesaro's valet, Aksana, allowing Cesaro to hit his finisher, the Neutralizer, for the pin and the title.
Chris Jericho Vs. Dolph Ziggler: The main card kicked off with two of the best wrestlers in the world showcasing their stuff in what was meant as a sort of passing of the torch. While Ziggler put on a great show, the torch was only passed so far, as Jericho was able to overcome injured ribs and pick up the victory via submission after Ziggler tapped out to the Walls of Jericho.
Kane vs. Daniel Bryan: For a while, it looked as though Daniel Bryan's cockiness would be his undoing. After a back-and-forth match, Bryan went for the flying headbutt off the top rope ... only to be caught by the neck and choke-slammed. It looked as though Kane was going for overkill with another big move, but Bryan managed to reverse and grab a small package for the pinfall and the victory.
Intercontinental Title Match - The Miz (c) vs. Rey Mysterio: Rey Mysterio looked like he had he big return match won a couple times, but the chance to reclaim the Intercontinental Title slipped through his fingers. In the end, The Miz retained the belt with a pin after the Skull-Crushing Finale.
World Heavyweight Title Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio: The most controversial finish of the evening came in the World Heavyweight Title match. Alberto Del Rio attempted to cheat to win, but when his butler Ricardo threw his shoe into the ring, Sheamus caught it and struck Del Rio with it. Sheamus then hit the Irish Curse backbreaker on Del Rio and the referee counted the pinfall -- even though Del Rio's foot was on the bottom rope. Sheamus retains, but it appears as though the feud is destined to continue.
Tag Team Title Match - R-Truth & Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Prime Time Players: In the most forgettable match of the evening, the reigning champions retained as Kofi Kingston took out Titus O'Neil on the outside and R-Truth pinned Darren Young in the ring. The match was not bad, but absolutely nothing stood out in this one, either.
WWE Championship Match - CM Punk (c) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show: There was almost some controversy in the other world title match. Both Punk and Cena put Big Show in submission holds at the same time and Big Show tapped, ending the Triple Threat match. But there was no clear winner, so General Manager AJ came out and ordered the match to restart. After a short back-and-forth, Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on Big Show, but CM Punk tossed Cena out of the ring and stole the pin on the giant to retain the WWE title. Punk's lengthy reign continues.
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H: This was the most physical and intense match on the entire card, as both men really laid into one another throughout. Both men traded finishers, but Lesnar was finally able to lock in the kimura and forced Triple H to submit. After the match, Triple H had a long, slow walk to the back. They were playing it up as though this might be the swan song for "The Game."
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