10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 1995 Facts
1. It Was Lex Luger's Last Televised WWE Appearance Before Infamously Jumping Ship
When Luger made his mis-timed run-in during the WWE Championship match at SummerSlam, he was working without a contract, and was not happy with his diminished role in the company. While it looked like feuds with Mabel and Bulldog were imminent, only Luger and Eric Bischoff (and perhaps Sting) knew that Lex was a week away from leaving McMahon high and dry.
Luger had taken secret meetings with Bischoff in the weeks before Nitro's September 4, 1995 launch. Luger wanted to come aboard, but Bischoff imposed some strict conditions, including a lower take-it-or-leave-it salary, and a promise to not tell anyone he was leaving WWE, not even McMahon. Especially not McMahon. This was war.
Luger kept his mouth shut, and worked the next week's worth of WWE shows, finishing up with a show in St. John, New Brunswick just 24 hours before Nitro's debut show. He then flew to Minneapolis, where he would stun the viewing world, McMahon especially, when he popped up on Nitro, kicking off The Monday Night Wars with a bang.