10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 1999 Facts
WWE's Attitude Era insanity is presided over by a strong governing Body.
For the first time since WrestleMania 6 in 1990, a WWE pay-per-view was graced by the presence of the blustery, dominant-spirited Jesse "The Body" Ventura. This time around, Ventura was not merely a former wrestler-turned-broadcaster. A lot had changed in the previous decade, and by the time SummerSlam 1999 rolled around, the brash Ventura was serving his term as Governor of Minnesota. Professional wrestling was enjoying a mainstream revival, but even the grappling resurrection didn't "shock the world" quite like Ventura's election win.
SummerSlam 1999 was booked at the Target Center in Minneapolis, and WWE reached out to the estranged former announcer to see if he would participate. After breaking on bad terms with Vince McMahon nine years earlier, Ventura agreed to the deal, unifying two unlikely media sensations that had once shared the same roads.
While much of WWE's 1999 fare has aged about as well as a block of Swiss behind the radiator, SummerSlam 1999 is one of those shows that still (mostly) holds up today. The event blends quality wrestling with some unexpected breakout performances (looking at you, Shane McMahon and Test), not to mention some notable controversy surrounding the main event. Because a Jesse Ventura-related endeavor has to have a little controversy.
Here are ten facts about SummerSlam 1999 you may not have known.
10. The Opener Gave Mark Henry His First And Only WWE Belt In His First 12 Years As A Wrestler
Mark Henry's WWE career has reached a staggering 21 years. Fans saw Henry at his absolute best in 2011, when he was portrayed as a straight-forward ass-kicker with not an ounce of remorse in his 400-pound body. Life for Henry prior to that was well-paid (he'd signed a 10-year contract with WWE in 1996, despite having no wrestling experience), but not exactly creatively satisfying.
Henry turned on Intercontinental and European Champion D-Lo Brown in the opener of SummerSlam 1999, allowing Jeff Jarrett to win both belts. The next night on Raw, an Attitude Era staple of "belts changing hands through illegitimate means" was carried out when Jarrett simply gave the European title to Henry as a gift.
This not only marked the first belt that Henry would hold, but it was also the only piece of gold he would claim up until 2008. Injuries, along with the struggle to improve, stunted the first decade-plus of Henry's WWE life. It wouldn't be until Night of Champions 2008 that Henry actually won a championship through a legit victory, becoming the ECW Champion after beating two other men that wrestled at SummerSlam 1999: Kane and The Big Show.