10 Times WWE Let Everyone Down At SummerSlam
Literally dousing the heat.
SummerSlam is generally touted as WWE's second biggest show of the year.
As part of the company's 'big four' pay-per-views, it benefits from a stronger promotional push than everything bar WrestleMania, which has resulted in some truly memorable events since the show's 1988 inception.
The latest edition takes place on August 20th. Highlighted by a Fatal 4-Way for Brock Lesnar's Universal Title, it'll come with an exorbitant amount of hype - though history suggests that fans would be wise to temper their expectations.
SummerSlam has a long history of letting the fans down, despite all the great memories it has created. 2016's incarnation came with 'Show Of The Year' potential, but ultimately failed to deliver on its immense promise, and finished as one of the year's most middle-of-the-road PPVs. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. SummerSlam's legacy of disappointment runs far deeper than a single show.
This event has delivered iconic moments like Davey Boy Smith's win over Bret Hart (1992) and Shane McMahon's Titantron fall (2000), but it has also left the audience dismayed on dozens of occasions.
August 20th may well succeed, but consider these famous failures before getting too excited...
10. Brock Lesnar Bludgeons Randy Orton (2016)
WWE went into SummerSlam 2016 with a ton of momentum and one of the most exciting pay-per-view cards they'd assembled in a long time, but it was a largely disappointing night. A gruelling six-hour show, it featured a great John Cena vs. AJ Styles match, but almost everything else failed to meet expectations, particularly Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton.
It was 'The Viper's' first match since suffering a serious shoulder injury in October 2015, and inexplicably headlined the show over two World Title matches. This would've been fine had the match delivered, but it didn't. Orton and Lesnar spent more time brawling around ringside than actually wrestling, working to a bloody conclusion that put Brock over as a beast, but put Orton at tremendous risk.
The finish saw Lesnar mount his opponent before battering his skull with legitimate MMA-style elbow strikes, opening up a big cut on Randy's head. It was pre-planned, but Orton suffered a concussion, forcing him to pull out of a match with Bray Wyatt at Backlash the following month.
A completely unnecessary way to end the show, it didn't provoke the desired sense of shock from the audience, and instead left us wondering what the hell WWE were thinking.