5 WWE SummerSlam matches where the wrong person won

One of WWE's biggest pay-per-views is up next on the calendar, in the form of SummerSlam. The 'Biggest Party of the Summer' has been a WWE staple since 1988, providing us with countless memorable moments.

It gradually earned the reputation of being the WrestleMania for hardcore fans, with the actual 'Show of Shows' being directed towards casual viewers. Multiple classics have taken place on the big stage of SummerSlam.

However, for all of the good surrounding SummerSlam, WWE has made some questionable booking decisions at the event. Several big matches and moments were compromised due to the wrong person winning.

These outcomes killed the momentum of the Superstar in question, or the story being told. In some cases, they never recovered again. Every match on this list would have likely been so much better had the finish been different, improving each of their respective SummerSlam events.

Here are five WWE SummerSlam matches where the wrong person won.

---

#5 Shawn Michaels def. Vader (WWF SummerSlam 1996)

The beginning of the end of Vader's WWF career.

The period between WrestleMania and SummerSlam in 1996 was pretty interesting for WWE, with quite a few Superstars picking up steam. Shawn Michaels was the WWF Champion, while names like Mankind and Vader were being built up following their respective debuts earlier in the year.

The latter had a legendary run in the business to his name, with it seeming like a no brainer that he would succeed in Vince McMahon's crazy world as well. Vader challenged Michaels for the world title in the main event of SummerSlam. A Vader win would have instantly made him a megastar in WWF, but it wasn't to be.

Over the course of three separate falls, two of which were disqualifications, Vader was unable to pin the 'Sexy Boy'. He ultimately lost in a convoluted manner, severely diminishing his aura and ruining his momentum.

The big man was also the cause of a Shawn Michaels temper tantrum after their mutual tension boiled over in the ring. Following this damaging defeat, Vader would never be the same monster again.

#4 Hulk Hogan def. Randy Orton (WWE SummerSlam 2006)

The legend that did not get killed.

To this day, Hulk Hogan's last ever match in WWE came at SummerSlam 2006, against the 'Legend Killer'. But, unfortunately for Randy Orton, he was unable to kill the legend of the Hulkster. He would have benefited greatly from a victory over Hogan, no matter how old he was at the time.

Orton spent the build-up to SummerSlam simply beating up various legends, setting himself up for superstardom in WWE. However, like many other times in the past, Hogan refused to lose a match. This was particularly detrimental to the rising 26-year-old star.

While the stage was set for a monumental Orton victory, Hogan came out on top. This was as questionable as the previous year's SummerSlam main event, where the Hulkster defeated Shawn Michaels in one of the most infamous matches in WWE history.

However, HBK was already an established star by then. Orton was fairly new, yet to become the top guy that he is today. It all worked out in the end, but Randy Orton was seemingly robbed of a major career-making moment at SummerSlam 2006.

#3 The Miz def. Daniel Bryan (WWE SummerSlam 2018)

Bryan should have convincingly beaten The Miz during this feud.

One of the most intriguing and personal feuds of WWE's brand split era came between The Miz and Daniel Bryan. Beginning due to a passionate rant on Talking Smack shortly after SummerSlam 2016, the then-Intercontinental Champion was at constant odds with the SmackDown general manager.

It was the best WWE rivalry that wouldn't have a match. That was until Bryan got cleared to wrestle again. And just like the years of hatred beforehand, SummerSlam was the place the two of them would finally have their match. And while a Miz victory was expected and even welcomed at the time, hindsight proves otherwise.

Bryan never got that one major victory over the A-Lister during this feud, with a small package victory in 90 seconds in Australia not exactly setting the WWE Universe alight. With the way the feud played out, he should have made The Miz tap out at SummerSlam.

It would have been the satisfying conclusion we were all hoping for. This loss for Bryan contributed to his character being a little stale, considering he didn't get to properly beat Miz. Daniel Bryan would not recover until his sudden heel turn on AJ Styles in November.

#2 Triple H wins the Elimination Chamber Match (WWE SummerSlam 2003)

The one world title match Goldberg should have won.

While it is now part of its own annual pay-per-view on the road to WrestleMania, the Elimination Chamber was only brought out in unique circumstances in the early 2000s. One such case was at SummerSlam 2003, where Triple H was set to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg.

The Game suffered a groin injury, forcing WWE's hand to change the one-on-one at SummerSlam into a Chamber match. Triple H and Goldberg were joined by Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Kevin Nash. And it seemed like the perfect time for Goldberg to win the world title, a few months after his WWE debut.

The WCW legend went on a massive tear in this match running through Orton, Michaels, and Jericho. Goldberg then turned his attention to Triple H, who was unable to do much work in this match. However, the Game picked up the victory with a sledgehammer shot to the head, followed by a Pedigree.

This result stunned the fans, who were ready for Goldberg to win at SummerSlam. This defeat ruined his first WWE run, even though he did win the big gold belt a month. For somebody who has had some controversial world title victories, this was supposed to be Goldberg's moment.

Also, how weird were those biker shorts Triple H wore?

#1 Team WWE def. The Nexus (WWE SummerSlam 2010)

Barrett should have been a main-eventer in WWE.

In mid-2010, WWE was in desperate need of a shot in the arm following various stars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Batista ending their full-time careers. So when the eight rookies from NXT debuted on RAW and wrecked the arena, it sparked a major buzz. Suddenly, the road to SummerSlam became a very compelling one.

As the Nexus, these young upstarts were the focal point of Monday Night RAW. They attacked WWE Superstars and legends alike. Wade Barrett proved to be a formidable leader and was set to become a major player in WWE at SummerSlam, as his clan took on John Cena's team of WWE Superstars in a 14-man Elimination Tag Team Match.

The Nexus was built expertly, even without the fired Daniel Bryan. They were a proper shock to the system and it only made sense for Barrett to go over at SummerSlam. He would have been made, following a victory over a team featuring the likes of Cena, Edge, and Chris Jericho among others.

However, in the interest of having a 'happy ending' to SummerSlam, John Cena went over the Nexus. And the way he won left a really bad taste in everybody's mouths. Left in a 2-on-1 situation, Cena took a DDT from Barrett onto the exposed concrete and eventually rallied to pin Justin Gabriel and make the Englishman tap out.

This was a horrible decision, as the momentum of the hot new group was almost immediately squandered in favor of "sending the kids home happy". WWE tried to save the Nexus after SummerSlam, even booking Cena to join the group, but this defeat was too significant of a blow for Wade Barrett and co. to recover from.

This was Super Cena at his absolute worst, single-handedly burying the promising stable. Once looking like a certain future WWE Champion, Wade Barrett never won a world title in WWE. A real shame.