WWE SummerSlam: 5 titles change hands, but Brock Lesnar retains WWE Universal championship

It was a night of title changes as World Wrestling Entertainment brought SummerSlam back to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

WWE crowned five new titlists Sunday night. The tag team and women’s titles on both brands and the Cruiserweight championship changed hands — two of the title changes happened on the SummerSlam Kickoff Show before the 10-match main card began.

Universal champion Brock Lesnar, WWE champion Jinder Mahal and United States champion A.J. Styles all retained their title.

MORE:

Watch: Brock Lesnar endures brutal table smash

WWE's Seth Rollins makes film debut

NXT's Asuka is changed women's wrestling

In the tag team divisions, The Usos won their fifth tag team titles and second Smackdown championships. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose – two of the three members of The Shield — reunited to win the RAW crowns.

In the women’s divisions, Natalya won the Smackdown title, her first championship she held the Divas crown in late 2010 and early 2011. Sasha Banks became the RAW champion for fourth time since the brand split in July 2016.

Neville regained the Cruiserweight championship from Akira Tozawa, six days after losing it to Tozawa on RAW.

SummerSlam often serves as an inflection point for story lines and is the second biggest WWE event of the year beyond WrestleMania.

Here is a rundown of the evening:

KICKOFF SHOW

Six-man tag team match: The Miz, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel defeat The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan. In one of the tougher assignments of the night to open a long show when most of the crowd has not arrived yet, the six managed to put on a good opener. The Miz made the blind tag and hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Jordan for the pin.

WWE Cruiserweight championship: Neville defeated Akira Tozawa to win the title. Tozawa’s title reign lasted six days as Neville regained the championship that he lost last Monday on RAW. Neville had been the champion since January. Tozawa hits the Shining Wizard twice – Neville kicked out of the first one and Tozawa was unable to make the cover on the second. After collecting himelf, he goes to the top turnbuckle for a senton but Neville gets his knees up, bending Tozawa’s spine. Neville hustles to the top turnbuckle and hits a gorgeous Red Arrow for the victory. Expect this fued to continue.

Smackdown tag team championship: The Usos defeated The New Day to win the title. Any concern about this match being minimized because it was on the Kickoff Show was unfounded as both teams delivered standout performances. The Usos win back the titles that they lost last month, downing the team of Xavier Woods and Big E. The Usos begin their fifth reign as tag team champions and second with the Smackdown titles.

Action was inside and outside the ring, leading to a chaotic finish. Woods and Kofi Kingston — who was shoved into the steps while tending to Woods after Woods took a flying Samoan drop from inside the ring to the floor — were both down. Big E speared Jimmy to the outside and then rolled Jey back into the ring. Jimmy tags in and they double team Big E with kicks. With Big E down, The Usos hit the double splashes from the top turnbuckle for the victory.

MAIN CARD

John Cena defeated Baron Corbin. In what was expected to be Cena’s final Smackdown performance before he moves to RAW, Cena was on the losing end for much of the bout. Corbin was thrown out of the ring and tried to slide back in for a second clothesline – that move worked earlier in the bout. This time, Cena hit the clothesline. He scoops up Corbin for the Attitude Adjustment and the pin in a relatively short match.

Smackdown women’s championship: Natalya defeated Naomi to win the title. For the first time since losing the Divas title at the 2011 Royal Rumble, Natalya is a champion. The longest tenured woman on the roster, Natalya used the Sharpshooter to get Naomi to tap out and get a long-deserved turn with the crown.

Natalya had the Sharpshooter on once, but Naomi escaped by driving Natalya into the corner. Naomi went for the split-legged moonsault but landed hard on Natalya’s knees. Natalya put on the Sharpshooter again and got the victory.

After a rematch with Naomi, Natalya could meet Charlotte Flair in a rematch of their bout in NXT that was viewed as a key step in what would become known as the women’s revolution.

While some expected Carmella to cash in the Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam, she was shown backstage watching the bout and did not attempt a cash-in.

Big Cass defeated Big Show. Cass’ former tag team partner, Enzo Amore, was suspended above the ring in a shark cage, at least that’s where he started. While the match went on below, Amore took off his shirt, then his shorts and then oiled his body to slither out of the cage. He dropped down to the ring and got kicked in the head for his troubles by Cass. Cass hit Show with a boot and then another boot. He finally dropped the Empire Elbow for the victory to help solidify his claim as the best of the big men.

Randy Orton defeated Rusev. On a show with a lot of matches, this was a quick one. Rusev jumped Orton from behind after Orton made his way to the ring. When both men eventually got into the ring, the referee asked Orton if he was ready to start. The bell rang; Rusev charged and missed; Orton hit a devastating RKO and got the pin. A match added to the card with seemingly no buildup was over essentially as it began.

RAW women’s championship: Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss to win the title. The fourth title of the night changed hands when Banks got Bliss to tap out to the Banks Statement to become champion for the fourth time. Bliss was extremely popular with the Brooklyn crowd, but leaves without the title.

Bliss nailed her Twisted Bliss finisher, but Banks kicked out. Bliss threw a temper tantrum in the ring, allowing Banks to lock on the Banks Statement. Banks’ shoulder, injured earlier in the match, gave way and she can’t lock in the move fully. Bliss was able to get a two count. Afterward, Banks went back to the Banks Statement for the win.

Finn Balor defeated Bray Wyatt. “The Demon” is back. For the first time since Summer Slam last year, Balor had the body point, the elaborate entrance and mannerisms of his alter ego. At Summer Slam last August, Balor won the inaugural Universal title but suffered a shoulder injury during the bout and then forfeited the title the next day. He missed nearly nine months and has been languishing a bit since returning.

Wyatt had the early edge, but the match turned when Wyatt used his spider walk, thinking he could potentially finish off Balor after a clothesline and two count. As Wyatt approached, Balor popped up, went for the Slingblade and a dropkick and then climbed the top rope for the Coup De Grace for the pin.

Hopefully, the win puts Balor on a more meaningful path than he has recently been on.

RAW tag team championship: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose defeat Sheamus and Cesaro for the title. The hoped-for reunion of two of the three members of The Shield ended up with the fifth title change of the night. The fans have been wanting to see them together, and WWE delivered after weeks teasing an alliance. Now, they have the tag team titles.

The end of the match featured bodies all over the ring. With Ambrose on Sheamus’ back and Cesar climbing the ropes for the super White Noise, Rollins climbed and used a hurricanrana to knock Cesaro off the top rope, tumbling Sheamus and Ambrose. Rollins hit superkicks on Cesaro and Sheamus and then delivered a knee to Sheamus’ jaw. Ambrose locked in the Dirty Deeds for the victory. The new champions then did the Shield fist bump and celebrated with the titles.

United States championship: A.J. Styles defeats Kevin Owens to retain the title. In yet another great battle between Styles and Owens, guest referee Shane McMahon played a key role, as expected. At one point, McMahon was knocked out of the ring and missed Owens tapping out to Styles’ Calf Crusher. Later, Owens believed he had the title won when McMahon counted to two and then stopped when he saw Styles had a foot on the rope.

Eventually, after a shoving match between Owens and McMahon, Styles delivered a Pele kick, a Phenomenol Forearm and the Styles Clash for the pin. This won’t end here, with Owens likely to turn his ire to McMahon.

WWE championship: Jinder Mahal defeats Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the title. A year ago in the same building, Nakamura won the NXT title. He left without a championship this time. Ass has become the pattern, Mahal continued his title run, but again got help from the Singh Brothers. Nakamura had control but was distracted by the Singhs, eliminating them with kicks. That allowed Mahal to lock on his finishing move, The Khallas. He got the pin and then headed up the ramp without even bothering to gather the fallen Singh Brothers.

WWE Universal championship Fatal Four-Way: Brock Lesnar defeated Roman Reigns, Brawn Strowman and Samoa Joe to retain the title. Lesnar was thrown through two tables and had another table overturned on him by Strowman, was speared into a barricade and left ringside on a stretcher before coming back to successfully defend the title. Lesnar would deliver an F-5 to Roman Reigns for the victory.

Lesnar’s first attempt at the F-5 on Reigns was broken up by Samoa Joe, who put the Coquina Clutch on Lesnar. Lesnar managed to escape and then hit the F-5 on Joe. Lesnar pin attempt was broken up by Reigns, who rolled in from the outside.

Lesnar ate three Superman punches from Reigns before Reigns went for the spear. Instead, Lesnar scooped up Reigns and delivered his finisher. After the match, Lesnar rolled out of the ring and was on the floor with the title belt before gathering himself and heading up the ramp.

Follow Josh Barnett on Twitter @ByJoshBarnett.

PHOTOS: Day in sports