Summer Slam (2001) - Background

Background

The main rivalry heading into SummerSlam was between The Rock and Booker T, battling over the WCW Championship. After losing the WWF Championship to Steve Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven, The Rock took a hiatus from professional wrestling to film the movie, The Scorpion King. On the July 9, 2001 edition of Raw, campaigning for The Rock's return began. Following the campaigning, The Rock returned to the WWF on the July 30, 2001 edition of Raw, where he chose to align himself with the WWF instead of The Alliance for The Invasion. This action was shown by The Rock delivering a Rock Bottom and the people's elbow onto Shane McMahon, The Alliance leader. Later that week on SmackDown!, Booker T and The Rock cut a promo, where Booker T challenged The Rock to a match at SummerSlam; the beginning of the The Rock-Booker T rivalry. Seeking revenge for the attack on the July 30, 2001 edition of Raw is War, McMahon fought The Rock in a Street Fight on the August 6 edition of Raw is War, where The Rock pinned McMahon. The rivalry between The Rock and Booker T intensified after the match, where Booker T and Shane McMahon double-teamed The Rock. Later that week on SmackDown!, in retaliation, The Rock accepted Booker T's challenge. On the August 13 edition of Raw is War, The Rock was involved in a tag team match, where he teamed with Chris Jericho in a loss to Booker T and Rhyno. After the match, Booker T delivered his variation of the Rock Bottom on The Rock, a move dubbed, The Book End. On the final edition of SmackDown! before SummerSlam, McMahon announced that Booker T would defend the WCW Championship at SummerSlam against The Rock. Later that night, the rivalry continued to intensify during a Light's Out match between Booker T and The Rock, after Booker T delivered a Book End onto The Rock through a commentators announce table.

The other main match on the card was Steve Austin versus Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship. The previous month at Invasion, Team WCW/ECW (Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rhyno and Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) defeated Team WWF (Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker and Kane). Team WCW/ECW won after Austin turned on the WWF when he executed a Stunner on Angle. On the following night's edition of Raw Is War, Austin stated that he did this because he felt that Vince McMahon was grooming Angle to take over his spot, and that he was "unappreciated" when McMahon insisted he return to the old Austin. Later that evening, Austin interfered during six man Elimination Tables match by assaulting Angle. Then on the July 26, 2001 edition of SmackDown!, Angle appeared at his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA and challenged Steve Austin for the WWF title but Austin, instead, chose Booker T to defend his WCW Championship against Angle. Later on that night, Angle won the WCW title from Booker T despite of Austin's interference. On the July 30, 2001 edition of Raw Is War, Angle dropped the championship back to Booker T with the help of Steve Austin and Shane McMahon. Afterwords, Angle challenged Austin for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, which Austin accepted. This would be the 2nd time that the two would meet one-on-one for the WWF title with the first being January 8 on Raw Is War. The feud between Austin and Angle would escalate in the following couple of weeks leading up to SummerSlam esp. in a Six Man Tag Team Elimination match pitting Austin and the Dudley Boyz against Angle and Matt and Jeff Hardy, which Austin's team won.