10 Things WWE Regrets About SummerSlam

F-bombs, wasted opportunities, child custody, divorce, and Shawn being Shawn.

by Andrew Pollard
Shawn Michaels Hulk Hogan
WWE

It's that time of the year when WWE is gearing up for its summer bonanza, SummerSlam.

To some fans, the annual SummerSlam event is seen as the second-biggest PPV of the wrestling calendar - only behind WrestleMania in those stakes - and so often audiences have been treated to all-time classic matches or hugely memorable segments and moments.

Since debuting live on PPV in 1988, SummerSlam has given fans some spectacular events, and WWE will clearly be hoping for another special night come August 11th. The annual show hasn't always been perfect, mind.

When looking back through the history of SummerSlam, there are clearly some moments that stand out for the wrong reasons. And it's on those moments that we're going to hone in on here.

WWE may champion SummerSlam as a huge deal and an event filled with wonderful moments, but on the other side of that coin are a whole host of SummerSlam happenings that Vince McMahon and WWE would love for you to forget ever happened.

With that in mind, then, here at ten such examples of things that WWE regrets about their summer extravaganza.

10. The Match Made In Heaven Was Already In Hell (SummerSlam 1991)

Shawn Michaels Hulk Hogan
WWE.com

Famously, SummerSlam '91 was advertised as "A match made in heaven... a match made in Hell."

The heaven part of this tagline was the wedding of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth - the pair due to tie the knot live on PPV.

While we did indeed get to see Liz say "Oh yeah", the part of this that WWE regrets is that, not only were the real-life Randall Mario Poffo and Elizabeth Ann Hulette actually married since 1984, but the couple's marriage was on the rocks.

Just a year after that August 1991 PPV, Savage and Elizabeth divorced.

What was rare about this break-up, however, was that WWE actually acknowledged the real-life split as Savage penned a heartfelt letter in WWF Magazine that saw Macho thank for the fans for their support of him and Liz over the years, but that the couple had indeed split.

Miss Elizabeth's final appearance with WWE came in April 1992 - just eight months after her storyline wedding.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.