10 Things That Made Us Embarrassed To Be Wrestling Fans In 2016
6. Randy Orton Vs. Brock Lesnar
SummerSlam 2016’s main event made perfect sense on paper. Randy Orton was coming back from a lengthy injury absence, and needed a big, high-profile opponent to help shoot him back into the spotlight. Brock Lesnar, meanwhile, had just demolished Mark Hunt at UFC 202, but was still reeling from his failed post-fight drug test. A knockdown main event would have completely revitalised both men, and while it always looked likely that Brock would win, Orton could at least look strong in losing to WWE’s most dominant force.
Unfortunately, Brock vs. Randy was everything it shouldn’t have been. It felt more like a street brawl than an actual wrestling match, which is fine if well-executed, but the contest was sloppy and lifeless. It came at the end of a deeply disappointing PPV and did neither man any favours, particularly Randy, whose return was off to the worst possible start.
The ending was the absolute worst. For some reason, WWE decided to allow Brock to slice Orton’s forehead open with a series of bludgeoning elbows, eventually forcing a referee stoppage through bloodloss. Not only did they put Orton’s health at risk at a time when 51 different wrestlers are suing them for concussion-based injuries, but it ended SummerSlam on an unnecessarily grizzly visual.
A shoddy attempt at further Brock’s monster aura, and an embarrassing way to close one of the year’s biggest shows.