WWE SummerSlam 2017 review: What we learned, takeaways, future projections

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

Naomi (c) vs. Natalya

What we learned: I think we learned here that Natalya still has plenty of great days and matches ahead of her. After all these years and only one stint with that horrific butterfly belt, she’s finally got some gold around her waist and I, for one, couldn’t be happier about it. I’ve been a big fan of Natalya for a long time, and getting a big win at a big event like SummerSlam says a lot about the faith WWE has in her as a brand ambassador.

This was the better of the two women’s matches on the evening and one of the top five matches of the night. Both Natalya and Naomi went out and worked hard to put on a good show following the boring affair that was John Cena vs. Baron Corbin, and I enjoyed it. The early blockbuster from the steps to the floor from Naomi early on was impressive, and Natalya always impresses with that technical style. They had some nice back and forth before heading to the finish line, and I really thought that once Naomi escaped that first Sharpshooter that she would come back to get the victory, but a good surprise is always a good thing.

What’s next: I really hope that they don’t start with the title swapping on Tuesday nights. Natalya has earned a lengthy run with all she’s given WWE over the years, but I fear the worst. Naomi is obviously entitled to a rematch, and hopefully that can wait until the next pay-per-view so Nattie can enjoy at least some time with the belt. They teased the Carmella cash-in quite a bit but nothing ever came from it, so it could happen during the rematch. But I also haven’t seen the numbers on how many of the glow belts they’re selling, so they might want to put the title back on Naomi soon.