10 Biggest WWE Summerslam Controversies

2. The Ultimate Warrior Wants More Money

Chris Jericho Brock Lesnar Randy Orton Paul Heyman WWE SummerSlam 2016
WWE

When: SummerSlam 1991

What Happened: He might've been the perfect character to adorn every pre-teen's school lunch box, but The Ultimate Warrior was an almighty pain in the butt to WWF officials. Warrior had flopped as top champ following WrestleMania VI the year prior, but he was still one of the company's biggest acts afterwards.

Heading into SummerSlam '91 though, the face-painted fave decided to hard ball Vince McMahon for more money. Warrior actually felt like he merited a bigger payoff for 'Mania VII months before, and demanded an extra $500,000 to even show up for August's show.

Left with no choice (Warrior had already been heavily advertised as part of a handicap main event alongside Hulk Hogan), McMahon paid the fee then immediately fired one of his top acts right after SummerSlam. This messy situation almost cost the WWF its headliner for the event.

Warrior wouldn't be spotted again until the following spring's WrestleMania VIII.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.