4. Triple H
Theres several theories surrounding the main event of SummerSlam 99. The match itself, officiated by Jesse Ventura, saw Mick Foley leave as the WWF Champion. Going into SummerSlam, Steve Austin held the gold, and its believed by many that the plan of WWF higher-ups was for Austin to lose the belt to Triple H. In fact, Foleys addition to the match was largely down to Austin being in rough shape, with a triple threat bout meaning that there was less strain on the Bionic Redneck's battered body. Some quarters say that Austin thought Hunter wasnt yet ready to take the gold, but with the Texas Rattlesnake banged up, he needed to drop the WWF Title in case his injuries proved worse than thought. Thats where Foley came in. Not only did a Mick Foley title win mean that Austin didnt have to lose to The Game, it also meant that Ventura could raise the hand of a babyface at the bouts conclusion. Regardless, WWF management got their wish the following night as Triple H defeated Foley to capture his first WWF Championship. Some agree with Austin, that Hunter wasnt ready to be WWF Champion at that time, and his run was a disappointing one, but luckily the two would feud and trade wins at various points over the following few years in some excellent battles.
Andrew Pollard
Senior Writer
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
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