The WORST Moment From EVERY WWE SummerSlam
31. ‘King’ Mabel Injures WWF Champion Diesel (1995)
Don't let anybody tell you that the WWF wasn't size-obsessed during and after the steroid trials of the mid-90s. Lex Luger was pushed on physique alone, Diesel became champ for a year because he was a large dude who hit the gym, and the lumbering Mabel became King Of The Ring purely based on girth.
At least others had qualities one could point to beyond size. Kevin Nash had charisma, Luger could click with the right opponents, and the aforementioned Yokozuna could shift despite his bulk. Mabel...couldn't do much of anything. He was fine as a comedy tag-team wrestler, but as a solo star at the top of the card? Forget it.
That was a disaster waiting to happen. In 1995, the WWF made Mabel 'King' then booked him against top man Diesel at SummerSlam. Ignoring backstage warnings, Mabel kicked his legs out from underneath him and sat his full weight right down on the champ's back. That could've easily put Nash on the injured list and threatened his coming feud with Bret Hart.
Mabel had been injuring folks left, right and centre. It was too much. According to Kev himself, he had to go to bat for Mabel so Vince didn’t fire him immediately after this match. Who knows if that's true? Regardless, people were getting real sick and tired of how clumsy and irresponsible the big man was inside the ring.
He never had the chops to headline, but he was massive and steroid free so took a turn in main events. That could've led to the end of Diesel's career. No joke.