Storylines
The event comprised 12 matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, in which wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands, [10] [11] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw , SmackDown Live , [12] and the cruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live . [13]
At WrestleMania 35, Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship. [14] Lesnar then disappeared from television for several weeks before inserting himself in the 2019 Money in the Bank ladder match and won, earning a match for a world championship of his choice at any time within the next year. [15] After teasing some cash-ins, Lesnar finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at Extreme Rules and won back the Universal Championship right after Rollins had just retained the title. [16] On the following night's Raw, Rollins won a cross-brand 10-man battle royal to earn a rematch against Lesnar at SummerSlam. [17] During Raw Reunion on July 22, Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman stated that Lesnar cashed in on Rollins because Rollins had done the same to Lesnar back at WrestleMania 31 in March 2015. [18]
On the July 15 episode of Raw, Natalya won a fatal four-way elimination match to determine the number one contender against Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam. [17] After Lynch's match on the July 29 episode, Natalya applied the Sharpshooter on Lynch and later suggested a submission match, [19] which was made official the following week. [20]
On the July 16 episode of SmackDown, after SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley and Ember Moon won their tag team match in which Moon scored the pin, Bayley selected Moon as the number one contender for her title at SummerSlam. [21]
During the summer of 2019, Kevin Owens became furious with Shane McMahon due to the latter taking up more and more screen time each week from other wrestlers and exerting even more authority, which was in contradiction to what The McMahon Family (Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Triple H) had promised several months prior. Despite Shane's attempts to ban Owens from SmackDown, Owens would nevertheless show up and attack Shane at opportune moments. [21] During Raw Reunion on July 22, Owens challenged Shane to a match at SummerSlam and said he would quit the WWE if he were to lose, [18] and Shane accepted. [22]
On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston selected Randy Orton as his next title defense at SummerSlam. Kingston referenced their past rivalry in 2009 where Kingston defeated Orton, but claimed that Orton used his influence to keep Kingston out of the main event scene. Orton stated that he was right that he held Kingston back and accepted the challenge. Orton also claimed credit for Kingston becoming WWE Champion, as it was Orton who had injured Ali, who Kingston had replaced in the WWE Championship match at Elimination Chamber, which led to Kingston winning the title at WrestleMania 35. [22]
Following the Superstar Shake-up in April, Bray Wyatt, who had been on hiatus since the previous summer, began appearing as an eerie children's entertainer in pre-taped segments called Firefly Fun Fouse. He eventually revealed a new sinister alternate persona called "The Fiend". [23] After wild card guest Finn Bálor's match on the July 15 episode of Raw, the lights went out and Wyatt appeared as "The Fiend" and attacked Bálor. [17] The following week on SmackDown, Bálor challenged Wyatt to a match at SummerSlam. Wyatt appeared inside the Fun House and stated that he was a fan of Bálor, however, "The Fiend" was not and that "The Fiend" accepted the challenge. [22]
At Extreme Rules, AJ Styles defeated Ricochet to win the United States Championship thanks to help from his O.C. teammates, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. [16] On the July 29 episode of Raw, Ricochet won a gauntlet match, to earn a rematch for the title at SummerSlam. [19]
On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels' appearance on "Miz TV" was interrupted by Dolph Ziggler, who insulted Michaels. The Miz intervened but was pulled back by Michaels. Ziggler then attempted to punch Michaels, but accidentally struck Miz instead and then superkicked Michaels. [22] The following week, a match between Miz and Ziggler was scheduled for SummerSlam, [24] however, during the contract signing on the August 5 episode of Raw, Miz revealed that their match would actually take place on the following Raw and that Ziggler would fight someone else at SummerSlam. Ziggler presumed that this referred to Michaels but instead, WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg (whom Ziggler disparaged in his promos against Michaels) appeared and was revealed as Ziggler's opponent. [20]
Backstage during the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair voiced her displeasure that she was not scheduled to compete at SummerSlam. Despite not being on the card, Flair stated she would be part of SummerSlam to prove that she was the "greatest female superstar of all-time". [22] The following week, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus was a guest on Jerry Lawler's "King's Court". They were interrupted by Flair, who challenged Stratus to a match at SummerSlam. After disparaging comments from Flair, Stratus accepted the challenge. [25]
On the August 6 episode of 205 Live, Oney Lorcan won a six-pack challenge to earn the right to face Drew Gulak for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on the SummerSlam Kickoff pre-show. [26]
