31 Years Of WWE SummerSlam Mistakes

22. SummerSlam '96 - The Heartbreak Crybaby

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WWE

Had WWE stuck to their guns and switched the world title over to the marauding 'Mastodon' Vader at SummerSlam '96, they might have made a virtue both of their new monster heel and struggling champ, Shawn Michaels. Instead, as ever, the 'Heartbreak Kid' lived up to the latter part of his name by throwing a massive tantrum, his pushover papa bowing to his whims as always.

Michaels, unhappy with Vader's rough-and-tumble style (read: hard as sh*te), made it perfectly clear 'the Mastodon' wasn't getting his sweaty gloves on his belt. The company, desperately afraid of upsetting one of their few remaining stars following the exodus to WCW couldn't say no, but nor were they willing to totally sabotage their biggest villain.

A series of false finishes were devised, allowing Vader to win the contest by count-out and disqualification, only for a teary Shawn to throw a fit and insist he continue (stupidly, considering he'd retain the belt). In the end, both guys were made to look like complete saps - and both were damaged as a result.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.