It could have been Paul Heyman who came up with SummerSlam's controversial main event finish, Dave Meltzer has suggested on Wrestling Observer Radio. "The second that thing happened I thought it was a Paul Heyman," Meltzer said, "he has came up with a lot of finishes based off MMA." Bryan Alvarez added "It was a UFC finish with a Steve Mazzagatti referee." Mazzagatti was the UFC referee who missed Brock Lesnar tapping repeatedly to Frank Mir at UFC 81. The often criticised ref did eventually see Brock's tap, but the incident left Lesnar furious. The other MMA themes in Lesnar and Taker's match were obvious, they did a lot of boxing and submission styles, with both men using MMA techniques as finishers. Heyman was likely the one who suggested it, as it is pretty notorious that Vince McMahon and others in WWE creative are completely ignorant of UFC. That's what makes it so funny when they are courting Ronda Rousey for a WrestleMania role, they haven't a clue about her sport. But Heyman does. He perhaps suggested the finish, in a nod to Lesnar's UFC days. However, it went down to the sound of groans. Yes, it was meant to be controversial, but it came off as confusing and cheap. It didn't help Taker much, but it did protect Lesnar's aura.
