10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 2016 Facts
For every WWE superstar, wrestling is art. And Randy Orton bleeds for his.
After stringing together three good-to-great SummerSlams between 2013 and 2015, the 2016 show didn't quite deliver as strongly. It's not a good show, it's not a bad show, it's....well, it's certainly not the show, but it was a show. A rather average SummerSlam, to be sure.
The high energy of the 2015 show went unmatched in Brooklyn. You could feel the positive vibes get sucked out of the building just as soon as WWE had the gall to put somebody over the untouchable Sasha Banks. Once "The Boss" went down in the second main card match, there wasn't much chance at winning the crowd back. Fortunately, there was a red velvet cake in the mold of a championship belt that the fans could take their rage out on later.
But the most enduring image of SummerSlam 2016 was the gruesome sight of Randy Orton losing enough blood to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool, courtesy of his main event match with Brock Lesnar. Lesnar was one month removed from being informed of a failed USADA drug test in conjunction with his UFC 200 fight, and was part of a controversy once more with a questionable match finish.
SummerSlam 2016 was a noteworthy show, even if it couldn't match the preceding brilliance of its namesakes.
Here are ten facts about SummerSlam 2016 you may not have known.
10. Sheamus Vs Cesaro Was A Late Move To The Pre-Show
Sheamus and Cesaro, before becoming brothers-in-kilts (as well as brothers-in-overdone-ring-entrances) had one of those textbook "tough guy feuds", where two wrestlers bring the lumber in some hard hitting matches with each other. There would be plenty of time to bring said lumber, as Sheamus and Cesaro were taking part in a best-of-seven series, beginning with the first match at SummerSlam.
Did we say SummerSlam? Because we meant to say the SummerSlam pre-show. Up until a few days before the pay-per-view, Sheamus and Cesaro were fixing to slug it out on the main card. That was before WWE announced some notable Wellness suspensions that were unrelated to their match.
One of those suspensions led to WWE substituting for one performer on the show, and that led to the sliding puzzle game that led to this match getting bumped to the pre-show. This will make more sense later in the list.