The Biggest Controversies In WWE SummerSlam History

One of WWE’s original Big Four pay-per-views, SummerSlam has established itself across decades as a place to see some of the most memorable angles, matches, and moments in WWE history. 

The so-called Biggest Party of the Summer has also been no stranger to controversy, both for things that happened in the ring and behind the scenes. 

These are the biggest controversies in WWE SummerSlam history.

10. The WWE 2K14 Panel Debacle - 2013

While it didn’t take place at the SummerSlam event itself, it was still a notorious incident that happened around the pay-per-view. 

Just one night before SummerSlam 2013, Jim Ross hosted a panel discussion to promote the WWE 2K14 video game, featuring the likes of Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Daniel Bryan, Ric Flair, Paul Heyman, Rey Mysterio, and Dolph Ziggler.

From the beginning, however, it was clear that something was amiss as Jim Ross openly mocked the pre-written comments he had been scripted to say. The event then only increasingly went off the rails, especially when an inebriated Ric Flair went on wild tangents over and over again with anything from how attractive he found Jim Ross' wife to stories from his career.

WWE officials were furious with how the event turned out, and Jim Ross’ contract was duly allowed to expire by Vince McMahon for his apparent failure, as moderator, to keep the panel moving along. 

Ross ultimately took responsibility for the event getting out of hand and accepted his punishment. He would eventually return to WWE in 2017 and remain with the company until 2019, when he left to join All Elite Wrestling.

9. Road Warrior Hawk - 1992

For most of the WWE stars who wrestled at SummerSlam 1992, the experience of performing in front of 80,000 fans inside Wembley Stadium was one they would never forget. For Road Warrior Hawk, it was one he couldn’t remember. 

Deep in the throes of drug addiction, Hawk was intoxicated behind the scenes before the Legion of Doom’s scheduled match with Money Inc., which was set to be the semi-main event of SummerSlam. 

When Vince McMahon saw how messed up Hawk was, however, the match was moved to the opening slot for the American pay-per-view version of the event following a backstage argument between McMahon and Hawk. 

A barely coherent Hawk, clearly out of his mind and very sluggish, then went out and wrestled what would turn out to be his last WWE match for more than four years. 

Under the influence and upset with his lot in McMahon’s company, Hawk opted not to board the flight back to the United States and quit the promotion. He opted instead to stay in the United Kingdom with John "The Berzerker" Nord, as the duo joined up with the London chapter of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang. 

8. Steve Austin Refuses To Drop The WWE Title To Triple H - 1999

After Steve Austin won the WWE Title for the first time and became the biggest superstar in the business, he did whatever he had to do to protect his spot and his character. If that meant turning down programmes or matches with certain stars that he didn’t see as being on his level – as he is reported to have done with the likes of Jeff Jarrett, Billy Gunn, and Marc Mero – then so be it. 

One star who may not have been on Stone Cold’s level but was on his way to becoming a main event fixture was Triple H, with the two talents set to clash over the WWE Title in the main event of SummerSlam 1999. 

The creative direction initially called for The Game to go over on The Texas Rattlesnake, but Austin didn’t like that scenario and had those plans changed. 

Instead of dropping the belt to Triple H in a singles match, Austin asked for Mankind to be added to the mix. He would then happily do the honours for Mick Foley’s alter ego, with Helmsley free to win the title from Mankind the next night on Raw, which is exactly what happened.

7. Shawn Michaels' Selling For Hulk Hogan - 2005

Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan were notorious within the industry for playing the creative control card and doing whatever they could to get their way, which usually meant not losing high-profile matches.

When they met inside the squared circle at SummerSlam 2005, something had to give, however. HBK had agreed to momentarily turn heel for what he believed was to be a three-match programme, but Hogan preferred the one-and-done approach with him going over at SummerSlam.

Michaels did not take this change of course well and reverted to the HBK of the 1990s, entering a performance full of blatant overselling that many thought was The Showstopper’s way of mocking The Hulkster. 

Michaels himself claimed that was just the way he always sold for much bigger opponents when he was a heel, but the evidence was there for all to see. 

His real feelings were pretty much confirmed during his promo on Raw the next night, where he sarcastically put over Hogan’s ‘cat-like reflexes’ while taking other shots at the Hall of Famer. 

6. Kurt Angle Is Knocked Out - 2000

SummerSlam 2000 was set to be the scene of the biggest match in the career of Kurt Angle to that point as less than a year into his full-time in-ring run on the main roster, he was scheduled to challenge for The Rock’s WWE Title in a Triple Threat also featuring Triple H.

Embroiled in a love triangle with The Cerebral Assassin and his only-kayfabe wife at the time, Stephanie McMahon, it was clear to see that WWE saw big things in Angle’s immediate future and his first pay-per-view main event was testament to that. 

Prior to The Rock’s arrival, however, Triple H attacked Angle and set him up for a Pedigree through the announce table. Regrettably, the table buckled under their collective weight right as The Game was about to execute the move, sending Kurt crashing down hard with no time to protect himself.

The gold medallist was immediately knocked out and when he emerged later in the match, it was obvious that he was out on his feet, later admitting that Stephanie had to call all of his spots to him from ringside as he couldn’t remember anything. 

Given what we now know about the seriousness of concussions, this is not a good look for WWE, and nor was sending Angle out to wrestle at a SmackDown taping two days later.

5. Brock Lesnar Gives Randy Orton A Concussion - 2016

While Brock Lesnar is often a safe opponent inside the squared circle, there have been occasional moments where Brock has hurt people in the ring for real, with possibly the most infamous instance of this taking place at SummerSlam 2016.

The main event of the pay-per-view saw Randy Orton go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar in a fairly run-of-the-mill affair, right up until the finish. After almost beating The Viper with an F5, Brock removed his gloves and began cracking Orton in the head with heavy elbow strikes, drawing blood and giving Randy a concussion that kept him out of action for the best part of a month as Lesnar won the bout via TKO.

In the confusion of what was a shoot and what was a work, an enraged Chris Jericho, demanding answers, almost got into a backstage fight with Brock before the situation was diffused.

4. John Cena Buries The Nexus - 2010

WWE really had something going with The Nexus, the band of renegade rookies from the first season of NXT the game show who used strength in numbers to run roughshod over the WWE roster during the summer of 2010. 

The angle was working and the black-and-yellow gang were good value for a SummerSlam main event against the all-star team of Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, Bret Hart, a returning Daniel Bryan, and John Cena. 

A win over team WWE - and Cena in particular - would have put The Nexus on another level and established group leader Wade Barrett as a major player. That’s not how things turned out, however, as Cena overcame the odds (yet again), surviving a DDT on the concrete floor to easily dispatch Justin Gabriel and then Barrett to win the match for Team WWE. 

Gabriel, Barrett, Jericho, Edge and others have since been outspoken in how the wrong wrestler went over in the wrong way, essentially killing The Nexus off as a legitimate threat and torpedoing a storyline that had a lot of juice left in it.

3. Becky Lynch Squashes Bianca Belair - 2021

At WrestleMania 37, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair made history as the first African American women to headline the Showcase of the Immortals. Their SmackDown Women’s Title meeting was a genuine classic, too, as the EST of WWE beat The Boss to bag the belt in a match that more than lived up to its main event billing.

Given how good their first meeting was, anticipation was high for the sequel, which was booked for SummerSlam 2021. In the days leading up to the show, however, reports surfaced that WWE officials were worried the match wouldn’t happen as advertised. 

It was only minutes before the match was due to begin that WWE announced that Banks would not perform as scheduled and announced Carmella as her replacement. Then came the swerve, as Becky Lynch returned after more than a year away, took out Carmella and pinned Belair to win the title in less than 30 seconds. 

This whole scenario was controversial not just because of the murkiness surrounding Sasha’s absence, but due to how Bianca’s title reign ended. This would ultimately kick off a one-year feud between Belair and Lynch, though, which ended with Belair being put over. 

2. Steve Austin Breaks His Neck - 1997

Heading into SummerSlam 1997, Steve Austin was well on his way to becoming the hottest wrestler on the planet. 

Stone Cold had been on an upward trajectory since cutting his iconic Austin 3:16 promo more than a year prior, but it really felt like there was no stopping the Texas Rattlesnake as he prepared to battle Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship, with the caveat that Austin would have to kiss Owen’s bottom if he failed to win the title. 

The match was going great, as you would expect for two superior workers, when something went terribly wrong as Hart spiked Austin with a sit-out tombstone piledeiver, causing Stone Cold to temporarily lose feeling in his lower extremities. 

After stalling for time, Austin was able to pin Owen with the weakest roll-up in history, but it was clear that he was in a very bad way. 

Truthfully, Austin never was the same after the injury. Though he still became the biggest star in the business, he was forced to alter his in-ring style and later underwent major neck surgery, which shortened his career. 

Austin also held a grudge against Owen, not just for causing the injury, but for failing to adequately apologise or check up on him afterwards.

1. The Ultimate Warrior's Ransom Note

When he defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WWE Title in the main event of WrestleMania VI, the hope and expectation within the company was that The Ultimate Warrior would replace The Hulkster as their top star and biggest drawing name. 

Things didn’t quite turn out that way, though, and, a year later, The Hulkster was back to win the WWE Title once again at WrestleMania VII. While Warrior was back to playing second fiddle, he was still a huge star and teamed with Hogan against Sergeant Slaughter, General Adnan, and Colonel Mustafa in the main event of SummerSlam 1991.

A month before the show, however, Warrior sent Vince McMahon a letter outlining various demands for his participation, which included a $550,000 payoff for his WrestleMania VII match with Randy Savage, more days off, and higher royalties for Warrior merchandise. 

Having already advertised the match for SummerSlam and feeling as if he was over a barrel, McMahon acquiesced to his star’s demands and Warrior performed in Madison Square Garden as scheduled. 

When Warrior arrived backstage afterwards, McMahon handed him a letter telling him, among other things, that he was suspended. 

Warrior would later return, but his ransom essentially signalled the beginning of the deterioration of the relationship he had with McMahon and WWE.