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#8 SummerSlam 2005
WWE SummerSlam 2005 should have been remembered for an epic 'Icon vs. Icon' clash. it won't be due to what actually transpired, but it was still a solid event, none the less.
The show opened up with Chris Benoit challenging Orlando Jordan for the WWE United States Championship.
Benoit would make Jordan tap out in just 25 seconds to win the gold. Benoit would go onto defeat OJ in a few more similar timed matches on SmackDown in the following weeks.
Up next was a match that so many fans had been looking forward to as it was from WWE's biggest rivalry at the time, the real-life feud of Matt Hardy, Edge and Lita. We expected an epic revenge battle, instead, Edge won after a bloody Hardy couldn't continue. Fortunately, they made up for this shambles with an epic Street Fight and Cage match over the next month.
In another extremely heated but also uncomfortable storyline, Rey Mysterio battled Eddie Guerrero in a Ladder match for custody over his son, Dominick.
It was flawed at times and Eddie had a very noticeable freak-out tantrum when Vickie Guerrero missed her cue to interfere, but overall it was an exciting match. Mysterio has called it his all-time favorite WWE match.
Kurt Angle squashed Eugene to retain his gold medal, while Randy Orton toppled The Undertaker in a decent match after daddy Bob Orton Jr. distracted the referee.
John Cena retained the WWE Championship over Chris Jericho in a thrilling and heated match with the live crowd being hot for this one.
Batista retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a short but passable No Holds Barred match. JBL seemed to be working a bit limp with The Animal.
Although not what fans expected, the match of the night was still the 'Icon vs. Icon' main event with Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels. Allegedly, upon learning that Hogan was pulling out of their planned rematch, HBK decided to go into business for himself and put on a one-man show where he took on the role of a hyperactive pinball on speed.
Despite Shawn Michaels overselling almost every Hogan move, it was still otherwise a very entertaining match.
