25 Lamest WWE SummerSlam Moments Of All Time
22. The Early Shows - SummerSlams 1988, 1989 & 1990
When SummerSlam was first created, it was only the third Pay-Per-Event on WWE's calendar, after WrestleMania and Survivor Series. As such, the novelty of watching stars wrestle each other on television (as opposed to squash matches) was still strong enough so that the concept carried the show -- hastily thrown-together bouts without backstories were perfectly acceptable, so long as fans were getting to see their favorite wrestlers.
Unfortunately, WWE was known more at the time for larger-than-life characters than they were for athletic in-ring action, and as such, the shows haven't held up well at all. Sure, there was the odd bout featuring The Hart Foundation, The Rockers, or Rick Rude, but the bulk of the matches featured talent the likes of Jim Duggan, The Honky Tonk Man, and The Warlord -- characters who are remembered fondly, but weren't delivering at the time.
WrestleMania shows were set up much the same way in the early days, but the aura of 'Mania has extended backwards to make the bouts seem more important than they were. For SummerSlam, the early shows are simply a chore to get through.