10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 2009 Facts
9. People Within The Company Began Calling It "SummerFest"
When Raw was hosted by a celebrity that "got it" (Shaquille O'Neal), or was dynamic enough to carry the show (Bob Barker), or was an ex-WWE star, it had the potential to be watchable (or in Barker's case, be awesome). Bring in Jeremy Piven from Entourage, however, and watch him become an unintended meme.
Clearly, Ari Gold hadn't a clue what he was getting into when referred to the August pay-per-view as "SummerFest", thus killing the appeal of outsider guests with a swift and forceful nudge. Even Shawn Michaels had a dryly-delivered poke at the gaffe the following week on Raw.
Michaels wasn't the only one mocking Piven. Not only were fans internet-wide lambasting WWE and Piven for the stunt-casting of somebody that had no interest in WWE, but the Wrestling Observer reported that a number of people within the company began mockingly calling the show "SummerFest". Apparently, guest hosts weren't that popular with WWE personnel, either.