The WORST Moment From EVERY WWE SummerSlam
36. “200lbs Of Harlem Sewer Rats” (1990)
Fresh off a flat feud with Roddy Piper (one that included some regrettable choices by 'Hot Rod' at WrestleMania VI), snarling heel Bad News Brown locked up with Jake Roberts in time for SummerSlam 1990. Seeking something interesting to frame the story, the creative nucleus led by Vince concocted a wild sewer rat story.
Yes, you're reading that correctly.
Brown said he was from 'the mean streets of Harlem, New York', and claimed the place had rats bigger than Jake had ever seen. There's a joke in there somewhere, but it's probs for the best if we leave that one alone. The WWF agreed, because they were talking about literal vermin riddled with disease and ready to gnaw away at Roberts and his pet snake 'Damian' if they had to.
Come the pay-per-view, Bad News said he'd bring a cage containing "200lbs of Harlem sewer rats". It was a pretty rubbish story, in all honesty, and nothing really came of the gimmick. Thus, the world was denied the first ever, 'Sewer Rat Steel Cage' match. Oh what could've been, eh?
Big Boss Man was installed as the special guest referee, presumably because he was the only one who could maintain law and order with such a lawless individual as Brown, but the entire match ran less than 5 minutes. In short (ahem), it was a complete and utter waste of time on a show that certainly didn't need more like it.
Hadn't fans sitting through bouts like The Warlord vs. Tito Santana and Jim Duggan teaming with Nikolai Volkoff vs. The Orient Express suffered enough?!