10 Things You Didn’t Know About 1980s SummerSlams

10. WWE Promoted a Failed Boxing Pay Per View – SummerSlam 1988

You may not know it today, but a good portion of the inaugural SummerSlam event was dedicated to promoting an upcoming boxing pay per view. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Donny LaLonde was set for November 7, 1988, and Vince McMahon had a hand in promoting it.

The pay per view ended up being a massive flop and as a result, all mentions of the fight were edited out of the show. Add another thing to the list of failed ventures from Vince McMahon.

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9. This was Dynamite Kid’s Final Pay Per View – SummerSlam 1988

One of the very best pioneers in WWE history is Dynamite Kid. An innovator of the junior heavyweight style, Dynamite Kid left WWE in 1988. What this means is SummerSlam 1988 marked the final time he would compete on pay per view.

He and Davey Boy Smith teamed to take on the Rougeau Brothers in a 20-minute draw. Their battle was perhaps the best match on the show and Dynamite Kid left the company a few months later.

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8. ‘Mean’ Gene Curses, WWE Airs it – SummerSlam 1989

Accidents happen sometimes in WWE. This, however, was a pretty egregious error. Most backstage segments are filmed earlier in the day.

Multiple takes are done to ensure the best product possible but on the day of SummerSlam 1989, the wrong tape was aired. Instead of a flawless interview between ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund, Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan, we got this.

Peak comedy was aired instead. The SummerSlam sign behind the interview fell down and Okerlund yelled “F**k it!”. Obviously, this was not meant to air but someone in production had a snafu and played it by mistake.

• 80s
• SummerSlam
• wwe

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