WWE SummerSlam 2015: Top Missed Opportunities with Show's Booking

The build to the 2015 edition of SummerSlam was better than expected—and that resulted in the WWE Universe being more excited for the pay-per-view than most originally expected.

From the convoluted ending in the main event between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar to former host of The Daily Show Jon Stewart getting involved to help Seth Rollins earn a huge victory over John Cena, twists and turns filled this year’s SummerSlam.

Here are the top missed opportunities from the booking of WWE SummerSlam 2015.

Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

When Undertaker and Lesnar fought each other at WrestleMania 30, the match itself was not as great as many wrestling fans expected. On Sunday at SummerSlam, though, the WWE Universe got the back-and-forth bout most fans expected the first time.

Until the finish, this was a great match that proved Undertaker still has fuel in the tank.

The problem was neither Superstar could afford to take a clean loss, and WWE essentially allowed both men to lose clean. Not only did the referee miss Undertaker tapping out to Lesnar, but the bout also featured The Beast—one of the strongest characters in wrestling history—passing out as a result of a submission move from a 50-year-old man.

There were several outside forces who could have gotten involved on Sunday, including Kane and Sting, but WWE Creative decided it was the best booking decision to have both men lose by submission in the same match.

Instead of WWE booking the sloppy ending fans saw at SummerSlam, adding Kane or Sting could have helped produce a dirty finish that would have gone over with fans much better than Lesnar passing out.

John Cena vs. Seth Rollins

Every member of the WWE Universe fantasy booked how the John Cena vs. Seth Rollins champion vs. champion match would go down, but few saw interference from Jon Stewart coming.

Even fewer fans thought Stewart would attack Cena and cost him the match.

Despite Cena’s broken nose, both competitors put on a great match, but it was Rollins who stole the show. Wrestling more like a face than ever, Rollins hit several high spots and received a positive reaction in his bout against the hated Cena.

The question now is what prompted Stewart to get involved. Most interference leads to some kind of match or moment, but Stewart likely won’t be stepping in the ring against Cena or anyone else.

The hope now is WWE has a long-term plan for this angle and that it’s not just a publicity stunt. While there is no doubt Stewart’s interaction with Cena is far from over, the fear is that the real reason writers added the TV host to the mix was to get casual fans excited.

Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro

Inside the ring, there were few matches on Sunday’s card as technically sound as Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro, but the ending of the bout left a lot to be desired.

Owens and Cesaro are two of the most popular wrestlers on the WWE roster, and the battle lived up to expectations. Each man got ample opportunities to show his strength and skill, but it felt like WWE officials forgot about Cesaro’s momentum when booking the end.

In just a matter of moments, Owens reversed the momentum Cesaro had built up and started to dominate, putting The King of Swing on the ropes. After a series of moves, Owens simply won clean without any dirty tactics.

While the victory makes Owens look strong, the fact that he did it clean makes Cesaro look bad. How hard would it have been to have Owens grab a handful of trunks or put his feet on the ropes to earn the victory?

A small heel move like that would have made both men look strong after Sunday’s match.

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