10 Most Shocking Moments In SummerSlam History

3. The Fiend Makes his Debut – SummerSlam 2019

Bray Wyatt has always been a creative character but it wasn’t until The Fiend debuted at SummerSlam 2019 that fans were truly shocked.

The Fiend was set to take on Finn Balor but fans didn’t know what to expect. Wyatt’s character had been shown briefly on Raw leading up to the match but this was his first match.

Balor was dominated in this match. Whereas future Fiend matches have struggled with his opponents unable to get believable offence, this match didn’t have that problem.

As Balor was just getting squashed, The Fiend just needed to look dominant. Mission accomplished. The Fiend put Balor to sleep and left the Toronto fans in awe.

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2. Steve Austin Breaks his Neck – SummerSlam 1997

Who knows where the business would be if this moment did not happen. Steve Austin’s momentum was akin to a tidal wave heading for shore. There was just no way to stop it. Or so we thought.

At SummerSlam 1997, Austin challenged Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship and things were going fine until Hart went for a Tombstone Piledriver.

Hart sat-out on the move and Austin’s head hit the mat, compressing his neck. It was immediately clear things had gone awry. Austin was in bad shape and eventually managed to crawl and hit a schoolboy to win the match.

Austin’s ascent was delayed by the injury and eventually, he would need neck fusion surgery to repair the damage. If this happened today, he would almost undoubtedly have retired.

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1. Brock Lesnar Splits Randy Orton Open – SummerSlam 2016

There wasn’t a ton of momentum behind the Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton match at SummerSlam 2016. From a storyline point of view, it was simply Orton trying to be the one to beat The Beast Incarnate.

Nothing mind-blowing but it was simple. The match itself? Equally as simple. There wasn’t much to write home about regarding this match until the finish.

At a point, Lesnar simply decided he was done wrestling Randy Orton. He took off his gloves and teed off on Orton’s head, splitting him wide open.

This level of violence and blood had not been seen in WWE in quite some time. Lesnar left Orton in a bloody mess and fans in the building and watching at home were left to wonder if this had been the plan.

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