Written By: Mark Armstrong
Running Time: 166 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: November 5 2012
After more than 20 years, SummerSlam 2012 marked the final PPV release on DVD by Silver Vision. That makes this quite the historic title from a collector’s standpoint, and the main event – the first televised clash between Brock Lesnar and Triple H – suggests that this is a must-see. But while the show certainly isn’t bad, it still feels like something is missing which reduces the appeal of this particular card.
It starts with a bang, mind you, as Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho put on one heck of a match, in arguably Y2J’s best bout of his third WWE run (which Dolph would end the next night on Raw). Kane vs. Daniel Bryan is an odd styles clash, which would soon set up the incredibly entertaining Team Hell No combo.
The Miz’s Intercontinental Championship defence against Rey Mysterio sees Miz benefit from strong crowd support for a change (with the show taking place in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles). While Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship is well-worked, it feels second-rate in part due to the never-ending feud between the two (Randy Orton, who had recently returned from suspension, would have been an ideal candidate to make this a three-way, but he wasn’t even booked).
Similarly, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth’s defence of the WWE Tag Team Championships against The Prime Time Players was set up well enough, but it doesn’t have enough oomph nor crowd interest to justify existing on such a major supershow. Then we do get a Triple Threat contest: Big Show dominates much of his WWE Title battle against CM Punk and John Cena, though it’s Punk who triumphs in a fairly forgettable contest. Punk’s Bret Hart-themed gear is arguably the most memorable aspect of the match.
Finally, we have Brock vs. HHH, which had been built up for months. The unusually quiet crowd suggests that this is not an enjoyable main event, but it’s a very physical and compelling clash, and coming before Suplex City had become a thing, Brock worked much harder here than he does in most of his WWE bouts in 2018. The result is the correct decision, too, as Lesnar submits HHH to the Kimura Lock. Overall, though, the seemingly disinterested audience negatively impacts one’s enjoyment of an otherwise strong headline attraction.
This is an odd show. The opener and the main event are excellent, but the crowd reactions couldn’t be any more different. While the action is largely adequate for the bouts in between, nothing truly leaves a lasting memory. So, SummerSlam 2012 is worth watching, but it feels inferior to what one would expect given the occasion. Still, for UK collectors, this DVD has a lot more value for the aforementioned reasons.
Overall Rating: 7/10 – Respectable
