WWE brought back the pyro for the biggest party of the summer in Toronto, then they brought out The Man, Canada’s own Natalya and their submissions match for the Raw Women’s title as SummerSlam’s opener.
Becky Lynch entered first, followed by the challenger, draped in a Canadian flag. This was still a largely pro-Bex crowd, especially at the start.
CANADA PROUD #SummerSlam @NatByNature pic.twitter.com/mkEdJCY6r4
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 11, 2019
A match that would end with someone tapping started with all punches and kicks. The champ was the first to try for her signature submission finisher, the Dis-Arm-Her, but Natalya powered out, forcing The Man to go for a calf crusher. But Nat sent her into the barricade, and the beatdown was on. It brought a more mixed reaction from the crowd at Scotiabank Arena.
.@NatbyNature getting into the swing of things!
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_wrestling) August 11, 2019
➡️ https://t.co/NsQTgz3q4X pic.twitter.com/66MbVe6Vfp
A snap suplex in the ring caused Lynch’s leg to land awkwardly on the ring, and as the Queen of Harts began targeting the champ’s wounded knee, showing her ruthless side:
Sharpshooter on the ropes from @NatbyNature! #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/S8CqfdMudj
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) August 11, 2019
Back outside, The Man was able to turn the tide, sending Natalya crashing shoulder first into the announce desk. A follow up whip into the steel steps gave Becky her own body part to focus on.
A superplex left both women laying, and it was Lynch who won the ensuing sequence. Her next move was to try to beat Nattie with her own finish. The challenger rolled through the Sharpshooter attempt and sent the champ crashing headfirst into the turnbuckle.
Role reversal. #SummerSlam #TheMan @BeckyLynchWWE @NatbyNature pic.twitter.com/sfruGBmQcM
— WWE (@WWE) August 11, 2019
Then, she went for an armbar, and after Becky escaped, got a Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Not that rope breaks counted here, as Michael Cole informed us.
Lynch pulled herself all the way to the apron and forced Natalya to let go. She then reversed an attempt to reapply the hold into a Dis-Arm-Her. The Hart Dungeon graduate tried to hang on, but she eventually gave in to The Man.
Get complete SummerSlam results and coverage of every match on the card by clicking here.