31 Years Of WWE SummerSlam Mistakes

5. SummerSlam '13 - Daniel Bryan Beaten In 8 Seconds

SummerSlam 13 Mistake
WWE

Many fans still can't forgive Sheamus for booting Daniel Bryan into oblivion in just 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII. If that had them fuming, they must have been apoplectic when Randy Orton bested the feat with sub-100m record pace at SummerSlam '13.

Revisionist history has suggested WWE repeatedly burying Bryan like an over-eager undertaker was part of a meticulously ingenius long-term plan to grow grass-roots support for the denied American Dragon. Except this is b**locks; it was actually the opposite, designed to quash the pre-existing (and swelling) "Yes!" chants.

So having Bryan crushed in under ten seconds after claiming the WWE title at SummerSlam 2013 was a two-fold mistake. Logically, it was the wrong decision. But as a means to deflate Daniel's momentum, it backfired spectacularly. A few months later, WWE were left with no choice but to push the indy darling to the moon.

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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.