10 Big Mistakes WWE Made At SummerSlam 2016
1. Yet Another Non-Ending Ending
For the second straight year, SummerSlam ended with a Brock Lesnar main event match that ended with some controversy. In 2015 Brock and Undertaker took part in a match with a shady finish, and this year saw Lesnar win by TKO against Randy Orton. It seems that WWE is frequently trying to incorporate more UFC-inspired aspects into its shows, and this for me is a mistake.
The ending of last night's show is case in point. The TKO finish isn't such a terrible idea, but in professional wrestling there is too much of a gap between the KO and the finish itself, time in which the audience disconnects from the action in front of them. Legitimate combat sports are as much about the ending as the action, and whilst we do love the finishes of wrestling matches it is the story that matters.
As mentioned earlier, if this leads to Orton cleanly defeating Lesnar down the line then, okay, it is excellent. It also really solidifies Lesnar as a heel, but the problem with Lesnar as a big heel is that the likelihood of a babyface vanquishing him grows smaller all the time. Sure, this could make it a huge deal if someone beats him, but does anyone believe that will happen?
This was WWE's second biggest show of the year, and it ended with a 'oh, right, that's the end of the match?'. That is merely lazy booking, a lack of desire to make the sort of decisions that will be remembered for years to come. That is the central issue of Brock Lesnar headlining WWE shows right now and the biggest mistake of SummerSlam 2016.