On the Shut Up and Wrestle podcast, author James Dixon discussed his book Titan Shrinking and revealed that Vince McMahon’s original plan for the main event of SummerSlam 1992 was for The Ultimate Warrior to turn heel. The plan, which would have fundamentally changed the course of one of WWE’s most iconic events, was ultimately rejected by Warrior himself.
The main storyline heading into the Wembley Stadium show involved the WWF Championship match between champion “Macho Man” Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior, with the question of whose corner Mr. Perfect would be in. The match famously ended in a count-out with no resolution to the storyline, a finish Dixon attributes to Warrior’s refusal to turn heel.
“My understanding is that there was certainly talk and certainly thoughts in Vince’s mind that he could convince Warrior to turn,” Dixon said. “It’s my understanding… that Vince’s initial plan was for Warrior to turn and side with Perfect and Flair. That that was his original plan. But as soon as it was broached with Warrior, it was completely dismissed”.
Dixon stated that McMahon’s desire to turn Warrior heel stemmed from a lack of fresh opponents for him as a babyface and a recognition that his drawing power as a top star was not what it had been in the late 1980s. “House show attendance wasn’t good with Warrior on top, really, really poor in in some places,” Dixon explained, noting that B-shows headlined by Randy Savage were outdrawing Warrior’s A-shows. “He recognized that the reaction of Warrior wasn’t brilliant. The spark was gone… and he decided that, you know, ‘Let’s try and shake things up a bit. Let’s have Warrior as a heel'”.
However, Warrior was completely against the idea, which he reportedly felt would “destroy his character”. Because Warrior refused the heel turn, the match could not go on last. “If they had done the heel turn, that wouldn’t have gone on last. There’s no way they wouldn’t have ended the show that way, not back then,” Dixon stated. “And you know, when they couldn’t do that, it was like, ‘Well, it’s a damp squib ending.’ Like you say, there’s no resolution to it, so it can’t possibly headline”.
This creative change is what ultimately led to the Intercontinental Championship match between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog being moved into the main event slot, a decision that created one of the most memorable moments in SummerSlam history. The full story is detailed in Dixon’s book, Titan Shrinking: How Wrestling’s Muscle Lost Its Power, and the interview can be heard on the Shut Up and Wrestle podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Shut Up and Wrestle with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
