The 2022 SummerSlam card has been celebrated for its excellent booking and in-ring action, something that AEW’s Jim Ross has also acknowledged.
The 35th annual SummerSlam was the first premium live event following the shock retirement of Vince McMahon, which was extremely notable within the first hour. Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, as a result, has received immense praise for his handling of the show.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has even given his kudos to ‘The Game’, discussing the event on his Grilling JR podcast:
“I watched it from start to finish. I enjoyed it; I thought they did a great job. I enjoyed the show, and hats off to Triple H and his staff for circling the wagons as quickly as they did, coming up with an outstanding effort on pay-per-view. Their talents stepped up.
A lot of the younger guys and other guys stepped up, and it’s always encouraging to see that happen. In any event, it’s been a good week to be a wrestling fan starting for me on Saturday night and then Sunday night with [Ric Flair’s Last Match].”
Although a lot of the ideas for SummerSlam were Vince McMahon creations, seeing as he retired with just one week to go before the event, Triple H’s creative power was evident. Most notable was the promotion of Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to the main roster.
The real-life Paul Levesque had discussed prior to SummerSlam how he wanted to make a “creative splash” at the Nashville, Tennessee event. Given the perception of both this and the subsequent edition of Monday Night Raw, it’s safe to say he achieved his goal.
Monday’s Raw was one of the highest-viewed episodes in recent memory, with the likes of Ciampa and Mustafa Ali being booked far more superiorly than when Vince McMahon held the pen.