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The 2019 WWE SummerSlam PPV is just one week away and boasts a stacked card featuring Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Universal title against Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston defending his WWE title against Randy Orton, and more.
SummerSlam is widely considered the number two PPV in WWE behind WrestleMania, with the annual classic typically featuring a loaded roster and hype similar to that of 'Mania.
As we near this year's PPV, let's take a look at 5 almost unbelievable facts you didn't know about SummerSlam.
#5 Randy Savage rejected Miss Elizabeth's planned SummerSlam '88 outfit
WWE SummerSlam in 1988 was headlined by an unforgettable tag team match, and helped set the tone for the legacy of the summer PPV classic. The bout saw Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage, know as the Mega Powers, team up to face Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant, known as the Mega Bucks.
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The bout finish saw interference from Miss Elizabeth, who climbed up on the ring apron and ripped off her clothes, revealing an outfit which temporarily distracted Andre and DiBiase, along with the referee. The distraction helped Hogan and Macho Man score the victory in a classic SummerSlam match.
According to Bruce Prichard on his Something to Wrestle podcast, Miss Elizabeth was originally supposed to wear a much more revealing bikini for her distraction at the end of the match, but the idea was soundly shot down by Randy Savage.
Savage was known to be very protective of Miss Elizabeth, who was Savage's real-life partner at the time of SummerSlam in 1988, and he was apparently not a fan of Elizabeth showing off too much skin to a worldwide audience.
By the time the SummerSlam PPV rolled around, Prichard notes that Savage ended up okaying the outfit which Elizabeth ultimately wore to the ring for the main event match.
#4 Ultimate Warrior threatened to no-show SummerSlam if Vince didn't pay him $500k
There is a long-standing myth in WWE that Ultimate Warrior "held up" Vince McMahon for $500,000 in cash or he would not compete at SummerSlam in 1991.
In the 2005 WWE released documentary "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior," Vince McMahon claims Ultimate Warrior informed him on the day of SummerSlam '91 that he would not perform unless McMahon paid him $500,000 in cash.
The story told by McMahon, however, was later debunked by The New York Post, with the publication unearthing letters written by Warrior and McMahon weeks before SummerSlam took place.
In a letter written to Vince McMahon six weeks before SummerSlam '91, Warrior said he was unhappy with his WrestleMania pay that year, and demanded three things at SummerSlam: $550,000 in WrestleMania backpay, guaranteed days off and equal pay to Hulk Hogan for events and merchandise.
In a letter responding to Warrior, McMahon cordially agreed to Warrior's demands, however, immediately after Warrior's match at SummerSlam, McMahon served Warrior with a suspension notice and never gave in to Warrior's demands.
#3 Randy Orton owns SummerSlam
WWE's apex predator, Randy Orton, will step inside the ring at SummerSlam next week and compete for the WWE Championship against Kofi Kingston.
Orton and Kingston have a history together which dates back nearly a decade, but Orton is also no stranger to the SummerSlam PPV, as he is the most decorated WWE Superstar in the history of the event.
Orton might not have the most wins at WWE SummerSlam, as that distinction is held by another superstar which we will cover later in the article, but The Viper does hold an equally impressive record at SummerSlam, having won 3 World titles at the event.
Should Randy Orton successfully defeat Kofi Kingston at SummerSlam next week, he will top the mountain in WWE with a record four title wins at the PPV.
Orton is currently on vacation in the Maldives, and although he has posted several Tweets indicating that his mind is preoccupied while on vacation, he did Tweet on July 28th that he is looking forward to his 4th title win next Sunday night.
#2 John Cena does NOT own SummerSlam
Unlike Randy Orton, John Cena has seen little success at WWE SummerSlam, recording the most losses at the PPV in the history of WWE.
John Cena has 9 losses at WWE SummerSlam, and an astonishing 7 of the losses have been in WWE World title matches.
In addition to the number of losses Cena has at WWE SummerSlam, the leader of the Cenation suffered one of his most humiliating losses back at SummerSlam 2014, when he was essentially squashed by Brock Lesnar.
The match shocked pro wrestling fans, as The Beast manhandled John Cena throughout the entire match, with Cena hitting virtually no offence on Lesnar. The bout ended with Lesnar soundly defeating Cena and winning the WWE Championship.
It's worth pointing out that John Cena has come up on the winning end at SummerSlam several times in his career, unlike WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy, who has yet to win a match at the PPV, losing in all 7 of his previous outings.
#1 Hulk Hogan is undefeated at SummerSlam
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, known as The Immortal, is certainly immortal when it comes to SummerSlam, as he is currently undefeated at the big event.
It is unlikely that The Hulkster will ever compete at a WWE SummerSlam PPV again in his career, meaning he will retire having never recorded a loss at the event.
Hulk Hogan has competed at WWE SummerSlam 6 times in his career, winning all 6 matches.
Hogan's first match at WWE SummerSlam came when he teamed up with Randy Savage to defeat the team of Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase, and interestingly enough, Ultimate Warrior trails Hogan at SummerSlam by just one win, having won all 5 of his bouts at the PPV.
Hogan also competed at WWE SummerSlam 2005 against Shawn Michaels, in a main event which garnered a small amount of controversy when HBK infamously "oversold" for Hogan in the match.
Do you know any other unbelievable facts about WWE SummerSlam? Let us know in the comment section!
