5 Controversial SummerSlam Booking Decisions That Hurt WWE Stars Forever

Shinsuke Nakamura had strong momentum following his jump from NXT. A clean win over John Cena placed him in a WWE Championship match against Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam 2017.

But instead of rewarding Nakamura’s rise, WWE extended Mahal’s run. The decision didn’t just stall Nakamura’s rise, it ended any serious title talk for a while. Though Nakamura bounced back briefly in 2018, this loss is still seen as a massive setback.

The Nexus invaded WWE in 2010 and instantly made waves. Their SummerSlam match against Team Cena should’ve launched their dominance.

Instead, John Cena survived the odds, and the loss permanently stalled the faction’s momentum. Even Cena later admitted the wrong call was made. Nexus never recovered, and several members never found footing after this.

Goldberg’s WCW legacy centered on dominance. WWE seemed to understand this briefly. He defeated The Rock early in his run, building fan hype.

But by SummerSlam 2003, Triple H halted the momentum, ending Goldberg’s undefeated streak just five months in. The match wasn’t memorable, and Goldberg’s run quickly faded. WWE could’ve done more, but they didn't.

The Summer of Punk was red-hot. His promo shook the industry. His win over John Cena at SummerSlam 2011 should’ve capped a wild arc.

Instead, Kevin Nash and Triple H got involved, leading to a cash-in by Alberto Del Rio. Fans were confused. Punk still had a lengthy reign later that year, but this twist felt unnecessary and killed the Summer’s edge.

In 2006, Randy Orton was still “The Legend Killer.” A win over Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam would’ve cemented that persona. But WWE booked Hogan to win in his final match, stalling Orton’s momentum. It took another year for Orton to reach the main event scene. A simple win here could’ve sped things up.