That put the main fight in question.

He came out victorious, winning their third classic of a match.

But if you might stomach it, the main event was incredible.

It had to be, too, since this was close to a one-match show.

Bianca Belair retained her Raw Women’s Championship in the opening bout, defeating Asuka and Becky Lynch.

It was a terrific match.

Between the opener and the closer, though, was a lot of fluff.

Cody Rhodes beat Seth Rollins

What a doozy this was.

WWE announcers told us that Cody Rhodes had injured his pec coming into this match.

“For the love of the game.”

The bruising is disgusting, as you might see.

The Chicago crowd at first seemed too disturbed by the injury to be into the action.

The opening minutes of the main event were the quietest the crowd had been all night.

Seth went straight for the injury too, kicking the shoulder and yanking at Rhodes' arm.

The crowd’s silence all changed when Rollins brought out a table.

They got their wish.

Rollins attempted a Frog Splash through the table, but Cody rolled off and Rollins crashed through alone.

Cody put one on, then threw the rope to Seth, daring him to put it on.

Rollins did, which began a mini Bull Rope match.

Cody got the best of it, clocking Rollins with the cowbell for a near fall.

Rollins set it up in the corner of the ring.

Rhodes tried to follow up, but Rollins attacked the injured shoulder by jerking the arm.

Rollins hit Rhodes with a Superkick and then Powerbombed Rhodes through the table for a two count.

The crowd chants “This is awesome!”

With Cody down, Rollins went outside to retrieve a sledgehammer.

He took a swing, but Rhodes avoided it.

Rhodes picked up the sledgehammer and chased Rollins around the ring with it.

Rollins slipped inside the ring and, when Rhodes followed, caught Rhodes with a Curbstomp.

Another nearfall, another “This is awesome!”

@CodyRhodes@WWERollins#HIACpic.twitter.com/bZckbttgRG

@CodyRhodes#HIACpic.twitter.com/Zt986BLcnu

THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!

@WWERollins@CodyRhodes#HIACpic.twitter.com/w4R4YIXhbc

Rollins went for another Curbstomp, but Rhodes got out of the way.

Rollins then managed to land a Cross Rhodes.

He tried to roll into a second one, but Cody countered with a Cross Rhodes of his own.

Both were laid out in the ring, then both started crawling to the sledgehammer.

Cody got there first, but his injured pec stopped him from being able to lift it up.

Rollins snatched it and tried to hit Cody with it, but Cody kicked it out of his hand.

Rhodes hit two Cross Rhodes, then managed to pick the sledgehammer up.

He hit Rollins with it for the win.

Rating: 4.75 stars.Cody Rhodes injury is pretty gross, there’s no getting around that.

But what’s inarguable is that his performance was Herculean.

Mustafa Ali was a hometown hero to the Chicago crowd, who was solidly behind him.

Anyone who watches WWE knows, however, that hometown heroes typically don’t get happy endings.

@AliWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/q5HlNMh72i

@AliWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/dZASMmT2NY

@_Theory1#HIACpic.twitter.com/ndQmORLOHF

This was an above-average Raw-level match.

Ali did well, but was hamstrung by his booking.

Ali and Theory also didn’t click particularly well.

Ali countered an A-Town Down attempt into an STF, which the crowd was into.

At one point Ali backflipped from the second rope, and tweaked his leg on the landing.

Rating: 2.75 stars.

Madcap Moss started with a bang, beating Happy Corbin all around the ring.

But Corbin stopped Moss' momentum by chucking a chair straight into Moss' face.

From there this was a No Holds Barred version of their match at WrestleMania – pretty much all Corbin.

Corbin smashed Moss several times with a chair as the crowd chanted “We want tables!”

@MadcapMosshas been waiting a long time to do this to Happy Corbin.

@BaronCorbinWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/VIUoupvKY1

@MadcapMoss#HIACpic.twitter.com/92EAHoy677

MADCAP MOSS WINS BIG AT#HIAC!

@MadcapMoss@BaronCorbinWWEpic.twitter.com/jlSyU6r70j

The crowd’s chants for tables grew more vociferous, but they got no tables.

But Corbin got the upper hand again after chop, blocking Moss on the outside.

Corbin then wrapped a chair around Moss' neck and pushed him into the announcer’s table.

Moss then wrapped the chair around Corbin’s neck and crushed it with the steel steps.

Pretty gnarly spot, one that got Moss the win.

Rating: 3 stars.Hopefully Madcap Moss can move on to something fresh now.

AJ launched Liv Morgan into the air, and she landed a Hurricanrana on Ripley.

From then on, Ripley and Morgan started as the legal women.

Morgan tried to build momentum, but was cut off by Ripley when Ripley decked her with a headbutt.

Balor tagged in Styles for the hot tag as Damian Priest tagged in Edge.

Styles ran wild with great intensity, leading to a Phenomenal Forearm on Edge.

The pin was interrupted by Priest, who pulled AJ out of the ring.

Styles tagged Morgan back into the ring, who had showdown with Ripley again.

@AJStylesOrg#HIACpic.twitter.com/Y5uz9iosXT

NO NO NO!

@RheaRipley_WWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/HigY8eBywJ

THIS IS AWE-SOME!

Inside the ring, Balor hit Priest with an Eziguri kick.

Priest tagged in Edge, who tried to Spear Balor but instead ate a kick.

AJ took out Priest with a Phenomenal Forearm, then Edge tossed AJ outside.

Edge tried another Spear on Balor, but Balor countered it into a sick Inside Crade.

Liv Morgan jumped on Ripley’s back, getting her out of the way.

Edge’s faction continues its winning streak, though it still feels like it hasn’t fully developed yet.

It’s good that WWE is committed to something, forgoing the typical 50-50 booking.

At the same time though, the Judgment Day faction feels a little pointless so far.

Kevin Owens pins Ezekiel

Kevin Owens beat Ezekiel with a Stunner.

Owens turned things around for himself by slamming Ezekiel into the turnbuckle, busting him open a little.

From there it was the Kevin Owens Show, as he took most of the match.

Ezekiel got another surprise high-knee strike, but Owens got his knees up for the second Flying Elbow attempt.

After two failed Stunners, Owens hit it on his third try for the win.

@IAmNotEliasWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/0ayVr0FOit

“SMILE, ELIAS!

“@FightOwensFight#HIACpic.twitter.com/F7ruBLB1wV

The KO Special!

@FightOwensFight#HIACpic.twitter.com/YzYy4itIYa

The match was fine, or maybe a little better than fine.

But Kevin Owens and the Chicago crowd made it fun.

Owens was fanatical, yelling at every chance “It’s Elias!

“, and in general making a spectacle of himself.

Then there was the Chicago crowd.

At first they chanted “Zeke!

but later we got dueling chants of “He’s Elias” and “No he’s not!”

Rating: 3.25 stars.It’s been a cute storyline.

Hopefully this match is the end of it.

Also, Kevin Owens issogood.

Bobby Lashley beat Omos and MVP.

This was what you’d expect.

Omos beat Lashley down, then tagged MVP in for a quick bit of offense.

MVP and Omos alternated beating Lashley down.

@The305MVP#HIACpic.twitter.com/G7P5ruuFD7

@TheGiantOmos#HIACpic.twitter.com/d7euc1LCGI

Impeccable timing as always,@CedricAlexander.

@TheGiantOmos#HIACpic.twitter.com/AyLY6eSMkA

The finishing sequence began when Lashley was in the ring with MVP.

Lashley knocked Omos off the ring apron, then speared MVP.

Lashley went for a pin, but Omos broke it up.

For some reason the ref didn’t call for a disqualification.

Omos caught Alexander, but the distraction allowed Lashley to bump Omos out of the ring.

Lashley then put MVP in the Hurt Lock for the win.

Rating: 2 stars.Bleh.

It was a match filled with great action, and each woman got a chance to shine.

Belair ended up winning by pinning Asuka.

It was a good-but-standard triple threat match at first.

They traded positions, and it was good.

The crowd was mega into this from the beginning, with huge “E-S-T” chants.

The match went up a gear when Asuka and Lynch were in the ring.

Asuka attempted a rollup, but Lynch kicked out.

Asuka rewarded her with a series of blistering strikes: a few spinning backfists and a glarly mid kick.

It sounds like not much, but it was an intense flurry that got the crowd super into it.

As Lynch and Asuka started grappling for submissions after, we got our first “This is awesome!”

chant of the night.

She then locked both into an ankle lock at the same time, which was a little preposterous.

@BiancaBelairWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/wJIWtepJF7

DOUBLE ANKLE LOCK!

@WWEAsuka#HIACpic.twitter.com/Z3uOxxjBEg

#SummerSlamFlashbacks!

@BeckyLynchWWE#HIACpic.twitter.com/CxhmvOkWUt

Is it@WWEAsuka’s time?#HIACpic.twitter.com/J1xnacspZ0

BELAIR WINS!

Belair attempted a KOD, but her leg gave out.

With Belair out, Lynch and Asuka had a great sequence where they traded rollup pinfall attempts.

Belair dropped Asuka head-first into the turnbuckle, then Lynch threw Belair out.

Rating: 4.25 stars.Great action that was terrifically paced.

But this was awesome.