One MIND-BLOWING Secret For Every WWE SummerSlam

21. 2005 | The Pre-Matt Hardy Plan

Edge Matt Hardy Summerslam 2005
WWE.com

On April 11, 2005, WWE released Matt Hardy from his deal. 

His partner, Amy ‘Lita’ Dumas, had engaged in an affair with Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland. The fall-out was vicious and bleak. As awful as this must have been for Hardy, his public meltdown, of which WWE wanted no part whatsoever, brigaded countless fans into slut-shaming Lita. It was deeply unpleasant business. Hardy’s sympathy eroded as Edge, belatedly, generated momentum as an actual heel. He got to have Lita, and you didn’t. He got to keep his job, and Matt didn’t. This proto-incel stuff was ugly, but no less fascinating, and, because this is wrestling, an angle was born. Hardy returned on the July 11 episode of Raw. And, because this was WWE, Edge beat Hardy in less than five minutes at SummerSlam. Hardy’s return wasn’t planned. Like a good carny, he worked a work out of his heartbreak and got his gig back after an online campaign. So what was planned for SummerSlam before the midcard was hurriedly revamped to accommodate this half-real blood feud?

Per the July 18, 2005 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Edge was meant to challenge John Cena for the WWE title. He was replaced by a wantaway Chris Jericho, who fancied exploring avenues outside of wrestling and, never fussed about doing a job, happily put Cena over on the way out. 

A returning Triple H Vs. Ric Flair was also scheduled for SummerSlam - but Meltzer reckoned that Triple H removed himself from the show. There were two working theories in play here: either Triple H wanted to take time off to refresh his character after a long old run on top, or he was scared that Hulk Hogan’s return, originally envisioned to be full-time, would force him down the card. 

You decide. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!