WWE
Joey Koontz 7y

10 stats to know about the Lesnar-Reigns-Joe-Strowman SummerSlam main event

WWE

The 30th annual WWE SummerSlam takes place on Sunday, Aug. 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. While this year's card is stacked with high-profile matches, the bout that has generated the most buzz and will likely be the main event will be Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship defense against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe in a Fatal 4-Way match.

Here are the 10 facts you need to know heading into the match.

1. This will be the fourth Fatal 4-Way match in SummerSlam history, but the first in which a world title is on the line. Additionally, none of the previous three SummerSlam Fatal 4-Way matches was the main event on the card.

2. Only four times in WWE history has a world champion lost his title in a Fatal 4-Way match. While much has been made about Lesnar not having the "champion's advantage," the champion entering the match was actually pinned in three of those four title changes.

3. If this match closes the show, it will be Lesnar's sixth SummerSlam main event appearance, tying John Cena for most all-time. Lesnar could also become the first superstar in SummerSlam history to win in the main event five times.

4. Lesnar competed in the main event of SummerSlam each of the previous three years. No superstar has ever been in the SummerSlam main event four years in a row.

5. Despite his "part-time" status in WWE, this will be Lesnar's sixth consecutive SummerSlam appearance, tied for the second-longest active streak in the WWE.

6. Both Strowman and Joe will be competing at their first SummerSlam. Only two superstars in WWE history have won a world title in their SummerSlam debut. Lesnar defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship in 2002, and Finn Bálor defeated Seth Rollins to become the inaugural Universal Champion in 2016.

7. SummerSlam will be Strowman's third career world title match. He was denied victory in each of the previous two matches by opponents he will face this Sunday:

  • Strowman competed in the 2016 Royal Rumble match in which the WWE Championship was on the line. He eliminated five superstars, tied for most in the match, but was eliminated by Lesnar after lasting more than 18 minutes.

  • Strowman then challenged Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship on Monday Night Raw early in 2017. He appeared to have the match won, but Reigns interfered and attacked him. Strowman picked up the victory by disqualification, but Owens retained the title.

8. Strowman has never competed in a Fatal 4-Way match. He did participate in a Fatal 5-Way on Nov. 7 on Monday Night Raw. That match also involved Roman Reigns, but was won by Kevin Owens.

9. Reigns is the only challenger in this match that has previously defeated Lesnar. Reigns won a triple threat match at Fastlane in 2016, but pinned Dean Ambrose, not Lesnar, to win the match.

10. Reigns is 2-0 at SummerSlam, defeating Randy Orton in 2014 and teaming with Dean Ambrose to defeat Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper in 2015.

Only 10 WWE superstars have won each of their first three career SummerSlam matches, the most recent being John Morrison who improved to 3-0 in 2011. The record for the most SummerSlam wins without a loss to begin a career belongs to Hulk Hogan, who finished his storied career 6-0 at SummerSlam.

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