Reverse Momentum Theory results for SummerSlam 2017

When it comes to predicting the winners and losers of pay-per-view (PPV) matches, there is a common belief that Reverse Momentum Theory will often play a large role in determining which wrestlers get their hands raised in victory.

This theory essentially says that the wrestler who doesn’t have momentum heading into the PPV will probably end up winning the PPV match. Alternatively, the wrestler who does have momentum heading into the PPV will probably end up losing the PPV match.

With that in mind, it’s time to find out how strongly WWE adhered to Reverse Momentum Theory in determining the winners at SummerSlam 2017.

In order to do this, I am going to use the live blogs here at Cageside Seats to determine which wrestlers had the momentum coming out of the go-home episodes of Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live. For more complicated cases such as group matches, the theory will only be tested on the winner of the match rather than every single participant.

First, here is a list of the quick results for all matches. Was Reverse Momentum Theory upheld? The answer to that question is in bold:

1. Jordan & The Hardyz vs. Miztourage - YES
2. Akira Tozawa vs. Neville - YES
3. New Day vs. The Usos - NO
4. John Cena vs. Baron Corbin - NO
5. Naomi vs. Natalya - NO
6. Big Show vs. Big Cass - NO
7. Randy Orton vs. Rusev - NO
8. Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks - NO
9. Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt - YES
10. Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Ambrose & Rollins - NO
11. AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens - N/A
12. Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - NO
13. Lesnar vs. Reigns vs. Joe vs. Strowman - N/A

Now here are the full details on each match:

Match #1: Jordan & The Hardyz vs. Miztourage

Go-home show results:

Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan vs. Miz & the Miztourage
Hardy Boyz & Jason Jordan win by pinfall with a Swanton from Jeff Hardy on Bo Dallas

These teams traded victories on Raw and SummerSlam, so Reverse Momentum Theory was upheld.

Match #2: Akira Tozawa vs. Neville

Go-home Raw results:

Akira Tozawa vs. Neville (c) (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
AKIRA TOZAWA WINS BY PINFALL WITH THE DIVING SENTON, WINNING THE WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!

Go-home 205 Live results:

Titus O’Neil Presents... Akira Tozawa’s Cruiserweight championship celebration.

While O’Neil says he knows what the former King is up to, Neville tries to attack, but Tozawa drop kicks when he tries to slide into the ring! The champ throws him off the barricade. When they enter the ring, Tozawa dumps him and then nails him with a dive! Titus and Akira celebrate in the ring as a twitchy Neville backs up the ramp.

Tozawa defeated Neville for the championship on Raw and then also sent him back up the ramp on 205 Live, so Neville clearly had no momentum heading into the PPV. Neville then reclaimed his precious title at SummerSlam, so Reverse Momentum Theory was upheld.

Match #3: New Day vs. The Usos

Go-home show result:

New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
The Usos win by pinfall with stereo superkicks on Kofi Kingston.

The Usos were victorious over the New Day on both SmackDown and SummerSlam, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #4: John Cena vs. Baron Corbin

Go-home show result:

Jinder Mahal vs. John Cena

John takes things to the second turnbuckle... AVALANCHE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! BARON CORBIN BREAKS THE PIN UP!

The match goes to a no-contest, presumably.

Baron Corbin vs. Jinder Mahal (c) (WWE Championship)

Corbin goes to make sure Cena can't intervene with another briefcase shot but it gives Mahal time to recover...

Jinder Mahal wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin, retaining the WWE Championship.

Jinder celebrates with the Singh Brothers while Corbin loses his mind, utterly apoplectic at how bad a decision he just made.

Corbin lost all his momentum by failing to successfully cash in his MITB briefcase on SmackDown. Corbin went on to also lose at SummerSlam, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #5: Naomi vs. Natalya

Go-home show result:

Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
Natalya wins by submission with the Sharpshooter.

Post-match, Nattie locks the Sharpshooter on again, leading Naomi to get up from her seat and drive her off.

Natalya gained momentum by defeating Becky on SmackDown. Naomi did run her off afterwards, but nothing physical happened and I don’t think that’s enough to override Natalya’s momentum from her victory over Becky. Natalya also went on to win at the PPV, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #6: Big Show vs. Big Cass

Go-home show results:

Big Show enters the ring but Cass keeps the shark cage between them to stop an attack. Enzo runs interference, gets knocked down, Show gets the goozle but the Club hit the ring! Show fights valiantly, laying everybody out with lariats, double goozle on Gallows and Anderson but Cass makes the save and they put boots to the giant trios-style.

Luke traps Show's wrist with his belt, stepping into the cage and pulling him in... CASS SLAMS THE CAGE DOOR ON SHOW'S HAND! Big Hoot keeps hold of the belt as the other two continue to put boots to him and referees finally hit the ring to pull them away.

Big Show was assaulted and left with a broken hand on Raw, and he also lost on the PPV. Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #7: Randy Orton vs. Rusev

Go-home show results:

Chad Gable vs. Rusev

Test of strength, Rusev with a kick right away, right hands and stomps in the corner, across to the other corner, Gable with the boot up, an overhead belly-to-belly suplex sends Rusev outside! Following after, the Bulgarian Brute puts the Olympian into the steps repeatedly as referee Bryan Nguyen counts, Rusev throws him over the table...

The match ends in a double count-out draw.

Rusev puts the Accolade on the table, where science proves that it hurts more!

He goes to get on the mic after leaving Gable for dead... RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!

The Viper stalks around the ring and poses on the turnbuckle.

Orton ambushed Rusev with an RKO on SmackDown, and Orton also won at SummerSlam. Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #8: Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks

Go-home show results:

Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks (WWE Raw Women's Championship #1 Contender's Match)
Sasha Banks wins by submission with the Bank Statement crossface

Sasha was victorious on both Raw and SummerSlam, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #9: Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt

Go-home show results:

Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor
Bray Wyatt wins by pinfall with Sister Abigail.

When the lights come back up, Bray has a bucket and Finn is seated in the corner. Wyatt says this is what happens when you send a boy to do the devil's work, and dumps the bucket out on him... IT'S BLOOD, PROBABLY! Finn rolls on the mat, clutching at his eyes!

Wyatt defeated Balor on Raw but was defeated in the rematch at SummerSlam. Reverse Momentum Theory was upheld.

Match #10: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Ambrose & Rollins

Go-home show results:

Enter the Bar, pulling Ambrose away and clubbing him before dumping him over the barricade like a sack of garbage. Seth goes into the barricade and they roll him in the ring and put boots to him. DEAN IS RECOVERED AND GOES ON THE ATTACK! Two on one, fighting desperately but Cesaro gets him trapped on the mat and caves the back of his skull in with punches!

They draw Dean up for more of a beating... ROLLINS TAKES SHEAMUS OUT WITH A DIVING CROSSBODY! THE SHIELD BOYS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK! Double clothesline takes the Celtic Warrior outside, roundhouse kick to the pendulum lariat, another double clothesline for Sheamus and Rollins and Ambrose stand tall!

Dean and Seth lock eyes for a second as they process what just happened. Dean offers his fist and retracts it when Seth doesn't immediately return it. Seth offers his in return and Dean is hot about it... THE FIST BUMP IS BACK!

On Raw, Ambrose and Rollins fought off Cesaro & Sheamus and finally completed their long-awaited fist bump, giving them momentum heading into the PPV. Ambrose and Rollins also won on the PPV, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #11: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens

Go-home show results:

But while he's out there, he wants to make it clear to Shane that unlike AJ, who has something planned, if he were to collide McMahon in any way it'd definitely be an accident, and he wants to look him in the eyes and shake his hand so he knows it's the truth, because he knows Shane will call it right down the middle, which means he's getting his title back.

McMahon refuses the handshake, saying it wouldn't be appropriate and he recommends he shake AJ's hand instead. Kev is game to offer his hand up but Styles hesitates, pointing and jawing. Things get hot, a shoving match breaks out but McMahon can't break it up at first! He pulls AJ away by his fist, Owens charges in... A SUPERKICK TAKES SHANE OUT!

Shane McMahon writhes in pain as Owens begs off and takes his leave.

AJ and KO both had some tension with Shane in this talking segment, including KO accidentally nailing Shane with a superkick. I don’t think that’s enough to clearly determine who had momentum coming out of this segment, so Reverse Momentum Theory cannot be tested.

Match #12: Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Go-home show results:

Enter Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal yells at him for daring to interrupt him on this day, but the King of Strong Style keeps his cool and says today is indeed Indian independence day, but today in Japan is a day they commemorate those who have died in war and pray for peace. And Sunday, in America, is SummerSlam! And that'll be the day Jinder loses the WWE title!

Nakamura shakes with energy and pulls faces as the crowd gets behind him and he continues, pointing out that he will be the one winning the title.

There wasn’t any clear momentum established in their talking segment to open the go-home episode of SmackDown. Later on Jinder Mahal went on to become one of the few men to survive an attempted MITB cash-in, so I’d say that gave him momentum heading into SummerSlam. Jinder went on to win at the PPV, so Reverse Momentum Theory failed.

Match #13: Lesnar vs. Reigns vs. Joe vs. Strowman

Go-home show results:

Enter Roman Reigns. No words, just a spear on Joe! Braun comes from behind, powerslam on the Big Dog! Braun and Brock face off but the security floods the ring to separate them. Lesnar and Strowman make short work of the security, of course, and the locker room empties as they start to brawl! Brock breaks free and resumes the brawl but they pull him off! Now Braun is the one that breaks loose momentarily!

It’s difficult to discern who had momentum coming out of the pull-apart brawl on Raw, so Reverse Momentum Theory cannot be tested.

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The final scoreboard for SummerSlam 2017 is that Reverse Momentum Theory was upheld 3 times, failed 8 times, and was not tested on 2 matches.

Overall, Reverse Momentum Theory has been upheld 20 times out of the 37 matches it has been tested on, which is a success rate of 54.1%.