10 Biggest WWE Missed Opportunities In SummerSlam History

1. Alberto Del Rio Cashes In On CM Punk In 2011

Look up the definition of momentum and you will find a pic of CM Punk from 2011. It was during that year fans witnessed one of the biggest moments in WWE history, when Punk sat cross-legged on the Raw stage and dropped his first WWE pipebomb. In that promo, Punk attacked the company hierarchy and insulted everyone that he felt had stood in his way or sought to hold him down. He also laid the groundwork for the Summer of Punk, an angle that ran for the next several months and made him a star in the process. During the course of that angle however, a very confusing twist took place when Alberto Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Punk at the end of the SummerSlam main event. Punk had just won the match against John Cena, establishing the one true WWE champion. Suddenly Kevin Nash unexpectedly came down to the ring and powerbombed Punk, opening the door for Del Rio to cash in and get the pin. The move left fans bewildered, in shock over what had happened. CM Punk had risen to the top of the company and just like that, he was left looking defeated in a ridiculous situation. The angle with Nash did nothing but slow Punk down and it all began at SummerSlam. That night could have been the crowning achievement in the Summer of Punk; it was the second time Punk had pinned Cena and that should have been the image fans were left with. WWE had it right with Punk, everything was going so smoothly and fans were buying into every moment of it. However, Nash's involvement led to Punk having even more heat with Triple H and that eventually led to a match between the two men, which Punk lost. That moment in particular stands out for many as being the one black eye on an otherwise perfect storyline.. Using Del Rio at SummerSlam was bad timing. Even though Punk continued on his path at the top of the main event scene, it was never quite the same for many fans that expected The Best in the World to overcome that night.