10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 2009 Facts

6. A Certain UFC Star Didn't Make The Celebrity "Cut"

The Undertaker CM Punk
ImpactWrestling

The WWE/Hollywood connection was evident at SummerSlam, given the celebrity roll-call that viewers were treated to. The likes of Luke Perry, Robert Patrick (T-1000!), and Maria Menounos, among others, were easily found by the TV cameras, as WWE spotlighted those glamorous folks that for whom professional wrestling wasn't too good for.

One of the few celebrities that escaped mention was iconic former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, who scored front row seats for the biggest event of the summer. Before Brock Lesnar's 2012 return, it didn't behoove WWE to mention UFC on their broadcasts. When Rampage Jackson was part of the hosting entourage on a June 2010 episode of Raw (he was promoting The A-Team movie), the letters "UFC" were never mentioned once, nor were they allowed to be.

Considering that UFC 100 the previous month (headlined by Lesnar) more than tripled the buyrate of SummerSlam 2009, it's pretty easy to figure out who among WWE brass wasn't so keen on name-dropping Lesnar's then-employer.

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.