WWE SummerSlam: Power Ranking Every Show

2010

If this night had been booked correctly, this night could have gone down in history as one of the most pivotal SummerSlams in history. Instead, it fell into a damp squib which set in motion the destruction of arguably the PG Era’s most memorable debut. In the main event, the Nexus, a collective of rookies from NXT’s first season and had burst onto the scene in a wave of devastation, faced Team WWE, led by John Cena. Although it saw Daniel Bryan re-enter the company with purpose as part of the WWE unit, the conclusion of Cena pinning Wade Barrett was a monumentally stupid creative decision. It ruined their momentum, and was the catalyst for their downfall.

The remainder of the card also contained a number of odd choices from the booking team. Another faction essentially fell to pieces, as the Big Show steamrolled CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society in a three-on-one handicap match. The two World title matches were also lacking in overall star power. Although Kane and Rey Mysterio produced a competitive clash of styles, the WWE Championship bout between Randy Orton and Sheamus simply didn’t have that excitement factor that has crippled many of the Celtic Warrior’s main event feuds.