WWE SummerSlam: Ranking every main event in history

22. SummerSlam 2016: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

The 2016 edition of SummerSlam had a lot of things go right. The match between AJ Styles and John Cena was an instant classic, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor had a great match to crown the first WWE Universal Champion and Charlotte and Sasha Banks had one of their many good battles. The main event of the evening, however, was not a solid part of the night. It’s not that it was completely horrible but it could and should have been so much better.

Billed as the first-ever meeting between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton, two superstars who debuted pretty close to one another, this main event did not have the big-fight feel that it should have and certainly should not have gone on last, especially with how things played out. As per usual, Lesnar took control early and pummeled Orton with knees and suplexes and all of the other things that Lesnar does. It was a nice surprise to see Orton get at least some offense in as he was able to connect with a solid RKO on the announce table and another back in the ring but his night was over from there.

After missing a punt attempt, Orton took an F-5 from “The Beast” and then Lesnar just went off. He removed his UFC-style gloves and proceeded to absolutely annihilate Orton with fists and elbows and actually opened him up something fierce the hard way. The match was called and Lesnar was given a TKO win, something you certainly don’t see every day in WWE. The match was apparently scheduled to end that way but it looked so confusing that not even Chris Jericho knew if that was actually the case or not. He confronted Lesnar in the back following the match for injuring his friend and the two had to be separated by Vince McMahon.