10 Ways WWE Screwed Up At SummerSlam 2017

5. Scheduling Blunders

Jinder Mahal Shinsuke Nakamura
Twitter/@bryanalvarez

You've probably seen the pictures by now, but the Barclays Center was deserted for SummerSlam's early stages. The announcers tried to explain the lack of noise ("the fans are still trickling in for this SOLD OUT show!"), and the cameramen purposefully shot from angles that didn't expose the lack of audience, but there was an embarrassingly small number of people in the building for the opener.

This wasn't down to a universal lack of interest in the Kickoff Show (though you could be forgiven for skipping the Hardys/Jason Jordan vs. The Miztourage), but due to a huge scheduling screw-up. The first pre-show match kicked off just after 5pm, which is exactly when the doors were opened. Thus, Miz and his gang walked out to a barren building.

There's more to it than that, though. WWE had supposedly circulated an email advertising a 6:30pm bell time, so thousands of fans would have set off to arrive at Barclays for that time, only to find out they'd already missed 2-3 matches upon arrival. If true, WWE are just as complicit in this screw-up as anyone else, and should probably find a way to recompense those who lost out.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.