It is incredibly difficult to persuade fans to care about a rivalry between two Superstars when one of men involved is portrayed by the writing staff and perceived by fans as being a step below the other. That was the case entering SummerSlam 2001, an event sold on the triumphant return of The Rock and his match with WCW champion Booker T. What should have been a dream match, one of the biggest money matches of the entire Invasion angle, was quickly becoming just another contest on a stacked card. The fact that Booker, one of the most decorated stars in WCW history, was treated like a joke and played second fiddle to Shane McMahon only hurt the feud's potential. In one of the most predictable matches in SummerSlam history, The Rock soundly defeated Booker and captured the WCW Championship. It was the culmination of a feud that never once felt like Booker was the equal to his opponent. He was treated as lesser that the Great One and that is how the fans in San Jose reacted to him. With one of the competitors overshadowed by his opponent and manager McMahon, it was never as effective as it should have been.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
