6 major WWE SummerSlam matches that got canceled

WWE SummerSlam is considered one of the major Premium Live Events the Stamford-based promotion hosts annually, which is why most of the company's top stars are featured on the show. However, despite matches being scheduled involving some of the biggest names in the sport, sometimes the clashes get removed for different reasons.

This year's WWE SummerSlam will occur on August 3, 2024, at the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. As of this writing, seven matches are already confirmed for the card, but as history has shown, it's possible that they could be removed or altered en route to the event.

For this list, we will look at six major WWE SummerSlam matches that got canceled.

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#6. Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus at WWE SummerSlam 2023

Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch stole the show at the 2023 Payback PLE [Image Credit: WWE.com]

Last year's Biggest Party of the Summer featured nine matches, with five being for a championship. The event saw the conclusion of many high-profile feuds, like Ronda Rousey vs Shayna Baszler, Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar, and more. However, there was no place for Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch on the card.

En route to SummerSlam, former partners Trish and Becky were feuding against each other and many thought they would finally have their match at the event, but they didn't, which Lynch also wasn't a big fan of. As per Fightful Select, the company was adamant about limiting the runtime for PLEs. The two women finally had their match inside a Steel Cage at Payback, which received much praise.

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#5. Seth Rollins vs Matt Riddle in 2022

Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle in a heated brawl at the 2022 SummerSlam PLE! [Image Credit: WWE.com]

Seth Rollins vs Matt Riddle was one of the most personal feuds in recent memory. However, a personal matter was also the reason why their bout at the 2022 event was postponed.

On the RAW episode before the 2022 PLE, Solo Sikoa attacked the former superstar and it was announced that he would be out of action for six weeks. However, it was later reported that he was written off of television because he failed a WWE drug test. Instead, Seth and Matt brawled during the event and their match eventually took place at that year's Clash at the Castle.

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#4. Bianca Belair vs Sasha Banks in 2021

Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 37 [Image Credit: WWE.com]

Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks (AKA Mercedes Mone) made history in 2021 as they headlined the first night of WrestleMania 37, making them the second women's match to main event the show and the first black female stars to achieve the feat. However, their supposed match at The Biggest Party of the Summer was chaotic.

The 2021 SummerSlam was supposed to feature Bianca defending the SmackDown Women's Championship against Sasha, but it was announced that she wouldn't compete and that Carmella would instead take her place. However, another twist was involved in the match as Becky Lynch made her grand return and defeated Belair in 27 seconds to become the new champion. Rumors suggested that Banks didn't show as she wasn't cleared to compete.

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#3. Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar in 2014

Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar in 2018 [Image Credit: WWE.com]

Daniel Bryan (AKA Bryan Danielson) is no stranger to David vs Goliath matches and has been the underdog many times. Interestingly, he was supposed to be an underdog in 2014 against Brock Lesnar.

In May 2014, Bryan was written off of WWE television due to a neck injury. Due to the injury, the match between the two men at SummerSlam did not happen and The Beast Incarnate faced John Cena instead, whom he defeated. As for Bryan, he returned in November of that year.

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#2. The Shield vs Brothers of Destruction at SummerSlam 2013

The Shield is arguably one of the most memorable and well-liked groups formed during the 2010s. They faced several legends during their time as a group, and they almost added The Undertaker and Kane to their list of enemies.

In 2013, The Undertaker appeared on WWE RAW to pay respect to Paul Bearer but was interrupted by The Shield. However, Team Hell No came to the rescue. The Hounds of Justice eventually had a match against Team Hell No and The Deadman. On the following SmackDown episode, The Phenom faced Dean Ambrose (AKA Jon Moxley) in a singles match, which ended in the trio delivering their triple powerbomb to the veteran.

The Deadman suffered an injury and had to undergo a shoulder injury. As a result, the reported match he had with Kane against The Shield at WWE SummerSlam did not happen.

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#1. Dean Ambrose was supposed to have his main roster debut against Mick Foley

Mick Foley vs Dean Ambrose is a dream match that fans almost got to see. The two men have a similar never-back-down attitude, and chaotic character, and are unafraid to put their bodies on the line. However, the feud got a bit too personal.

Before the now Jon Moxley debuted with The Shield in 2012, there were initial plans for him to debut on the main roster in SummerSlam against Mick Foley. In the Inside the Ropes live show, the Hall of Famer shared that the idea was for their feud to begin on social media, with Dean tweeting criticisms of Foley, which eventually turned personal as Ambrose targeted Mick's family and children.

Foley requested Ambrose not to mention his children, but the latter thought it was an angle and began to target Mick's children further instead. Mick messaged the star again to tell him he wasn't joking, but the tweets only worsened. Foley later added that his feud with Ambrose required him to get into dark places, which he struggled to escape.

Ambrose eventually apologized to Foley and their match was supposed to be pushed through, but the WWE Hall of Famer wasn't cleared by his doctors, and he announced his retirement not long after.