10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 1989 Facts
5. Big John Studd Was Originally Advertised For The Show
One of the most peculiar returns in WWE history was that of Big John Studd in late-1988. The lumbering goliath was immediately given a win in the 1989 Royal Rumble match, after which he began to rekindle an old rivalry with Andre the Giant, both now on different sides of the face/heel spectrum. However, his return fizzled dry, and Studd would quit the company in early-June 1989 over low payoffs.
Original plans for SummerSlam were to see Studd booked in a six-man tag along with Demolition, against Andre, The Big Boss Man, and Akeem. Some outlets and advertisements even had Studd listed as part of the match well into August 1989, more than two months after Studd walked out of TV tapings in Madison, WI, never to return. Hacksaw Jim Duggan would fill in instead.