10 Triple H Orchestrated Championship Screwjobs
3. Daniel Bryan – SummerSlam 2013
In the summer of 2013, Daniel Bryan’s star was on the rise. After backstage plans for a title match at Money in the Bank had previously fallen through, Bryan’s popularity had given the company little choice but to put him on a collision course with John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
Come the 18 August show, Bryan was ultimately victorious, overcoming Cena and pinning the champ clean to win a much-deserved maiden WWE title. Except, his evening wasn’t quite finished there.
In the immediate aftermath, and with special guest referee Triple H raising his hand, Randy Orton made his way to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase in hand.
After teasing a cash-in, Orton initially appeared to back down, only for Triple H to inexplicably grab Bryan, hit the Pedigree and have Orton saunter in to pick up the pieces.
The angle played into a months-long storyline that culminated with Bryan winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXX in a title coronation for the ages, making this a fairly rare instance in which a screwjob finish led to a worthwhile pay-off down the line.