I enjoyed SummerSlam 90. It was a fun show. It wasnt a bad show at all but I feel it could have been better. I think a better main event could have made a huge difference. If youre reading this you probably know the actual main event featured The Ultimate Warrior defending the WWF title against Rick Rude in a steel cage match. I know Rude is a favorite around here and this was his only WWF ppv main event and only televised title shot. A lot of people would have been happy to see Rude win the title. I like Rude as much as anybody but I dont think he even belonged in the main event. Its not that I think he didnt have the talent to justify that spot. I just think Rude vs. Warrior was played out by that point. They wrestled each other at both WrestleMania V and SummerSlam 89. I think Warrior needed a fresh challenger. So who should have challenged Warrior for the title? The answer is pretty obvious but some of you might not like it. It should have been Randy Savage.
I know what some of you are thinking because the same thought entered my mind too. If Savage wrestled Warrior at SummerSlam 90 their WrestleMania VII match wouldnt have been as special. Normally I like the big mania matches to be fresh new matches but I think this would have been an exception. Lets think about how the storyline between Savage and Warrior started at the end of 1990. Savage wanted a title shot against Warrior and Warrior refused to give it to him. Ive always hated that. Why would a babyface champion, someone that is almost unbeatable and cleanly defeated Hulk Hogan to win the title, refuse to give a worthy contender a title shot? The fans seemed to like it because it came off as the good guy sticking it to the bad guy but even at 11 years old I looked at it as Warrior being afraid of Savage. If the two wrestled each other at SummerSlam 90 they could have had a great match making it a better show, Warrior could have beaten a fresh challenger making his title reign more meaningful, and he could have then refused to give Savage a rematch because he had already beaten him instead of dodging him all together. Then everything that actually did happen between them could have gone down exactly as it did and made more sense. Their WM7 match would have still been as special as it was with their careers on the line and the reunion with Savage and Elizabeth. I dont think it would have taken anything at all away from WM7 and may have even helped it.
Savage was just in a throw away match against Dusty Rhodes at SummerSlam. Their feud had really died down by then and Rude could have easily feuded with Rhodes during the summer leading to Rude vs. Rhodes at SummerSlam. For those of you old enough to remember 1990 just imagine going into SummerSlam with Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake and The Ultimate Warrior defending the title against Randy Savage. Thats a blockbuster.
I know what some of you are thinking because the same thought entered my mind too. If Savage wrestled Warrior at SummerSlam 90 their WrestleMania VII match wouldnt have been as special. Normally I like the big mania matches to be fresh new matches but I think this would have been an exception. Lets think about how the storyline between Savage and Warrior started at the end of 1990. Savage wanted a title shot against Warrior and Warrior refused to give it to him. Ive always hated that. Why would a babyface champion, someone that is almost unbeatable and cleanly defeated Hulk Hogan to win the title, refuse to give a worthy contender a title shot? The fans seemed to like it because it came off as the good guy sticking it to the bad guy but even at 11 years old I looked at it as Warrior being afraid of Savage. If the two wrestled each other at SummerSlam 90 they could have had a great match making it a better show, Warrior could have beaten a fresh challenger making his title reign more meaningful, and he could have then refused to give Savage a rematch because he had already beaten him instead of dodging him all together. Then everything that actually did happen between them could have gone down exactly as it did and made more sense. Their WM7 match would have still been as special as it was with their careers on the line and the reunion with Savage and Elizabeth. I dont think it would have taken anything at all away from WM7 and may have even helped it.
Savage was just in a throw away match against Dusty Rhodes at SummerSlam. Their feud had really died down by then and Rude could have easily feuded with Rhodes during the summer leading to Rude vs. Rhodes at SummerSlam. For those of you old enough to remember 1990 just imagine going into SummerSlam with Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake and The Ultimate Warrior defending the title against Randy Savage. Thats a blockbuster.