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SummerSlam is widely known as the WrestleMania of the summer, although the difference between the two could not be greater. WrestleMania is an institution in itself, an entirely different ball-game. The size and grandeur relating to the spring spectacular are untouchable, along with the host of events surrounding WrestleMania week.
WWE has attempted to give SummerSlam the feeling of 'Mania. There are various events in the lead-up to the August extravaganza but it is nowhere nearly as celebrated as the Showcase Of The Immortals.
Making SummerSlam bigger could make it seem as long as a modern-day 'Mania but there is only one thing that could make SummerSlam as big as WrestleMania. The quality of the show. If the WWE can pull out all the stops from a creative and technical perspective, they would be able to produce a better show for the viewers.
Bigger and better matches on the SummerSlam card certainly go a long way in making the overall show feel much grander. They should treat it like a WrestleMania in terms of card quality because that is the one thing that could help it actually beat WrestleMania.
Over the years, there has been a handful of scenarios where SummerSlam exceeded the WrestleMania of that year. It could be down to many things. Maybe the 'Mania that year did not live up to expectations, or WWE actually made an effort to make SummerSlam a show which would be as grand and celebrated as WrestleMania.
Most of the time, it is a mixture of both. There have been some stellar SummerSlams in the past and these five editions show that WWE could really up their game when it comes to the summer.
#5 2009
At WrestleMania XXV we saw arguably the greatest match in WWE history as Shawn Michaels faced The Undertaker in a show-stealing all-time classic. The rest of the show was highly average, with a few good bits in the middle. Like WrestleMania 13, which featured the equally legendary Steve Austin vs Bret Hart Submission Match, WrestleMania XXV is widely considered as a one match show. It was certainly a disappointing event, considering how good the build-up to some of the matches was.
SummerSlam 2009 was a much different story. The event featured a clash between the two biggest stars of the current generation when Randy Orton successfully defended the WWE Championship against John Cena. The show also saw the final reunion of the original D-Generation X, as Shawn Michaels teamed with Triple H to take on the young Legacy duo of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The opener was also worth watching, with the Intercontinental Championship up for grabs in a back-and-forth bout between Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler.
Finally, a great main event TLC match between the World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, in his last pay-per-view match until WrestleMania 33, and CM Punk gave way to both the crowning of a new champion and another SummerSlam return of The Undertaker, who immediately went after Punk and the big gold belt.
WrestleMania XXV may have been the more prestigious event, and a high watermark show for the company, but SummerSlam 2009 delivered more in terms of the booking, storytelling and surprises to provide a higher quality show.
#4 2011
WrestleMania XXVII featured the return of The Rock to WWE after a 7-year absence, as he would be the host of the grand spectacle in Atlanta. However, it turned out to be a mere setup for his match and eventual program with John Cena next year.
The People's Champion might have taken the shine of 2011's WrestleMania back with him to Hollywood but in the meantime, another performer would steal the spotlight during the summer and become the biggest star of the year.
The entire Summer was built around CM Punk and his expiring WWE contract, an insanely compelling story. The peak of the angle at Money In The Bank in Punk's hometown of Chicago when he successfully defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship in the last WWE main roster match to be rated 5 stars.
Punk headlined SummerSlam 2011 in a rematch against Cena, where he again won in controversial fashion. While the match was good, it did not reach the heights of their titanic title clash in Chicago.
SummerSlam '11 also featured a classic feud-ending No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Christian and Randy Orton and a criminally underrated match between Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett. However, WWE did find a way to botch their Summer Of Punk angle by involving Triple H, Kevin Nash and Alberto Del Rio, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, at the end of SummerSlam.
Luckily it did not bring the show down a whole deal as the overall unpredictability of the event coupled with some great in-ring action surpassed the disappointment of a card that comprised WrestleMania XXVII less than 5 months earlier.
#3 2013
When The Rock finally met John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII, the outcome left many fans shocked when Cena took the loss. Their rematch at the following Show Of Shows did not do anyone any favours. WrestleMania 29 also saw Triple H handing Brock Lesnar his second clean loss in only 3 matches since returning to WWE a year prior and Jack Swagger challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship, among other baffling booking decisions.
Despite featuring The Undertaker's last great 'Mania match, this was not an all-time great WrestleMania.
SummerSlam did not have to do much to end up being the better show. However, fans were treated to a classic pay-per-view. Coming off an exciting few months of storylines, WWE gave us an event that was absolutely great.
We got an instant classic in the main event that saw Daniel Bryan capture his first WWE Championship by defeating John Cena before Triple H turned heel on him and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
This and the one in 2011 were the only cash-ins to have taken place at the Biggest Party Of The Summer. Fingers crossed we get another one at the end of this year's SummerSlam.
The rest of the show was jam-packed as we saw another classic dream match take place between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, a brawl that delivered perfectly. SummerSlam 2013 also featured a solid World Title match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian, along with the pay-per-view debut of Bray Wyatt.
This was one of the best pay-per-views in a very long time and one that blew the WrestleMania of that year out of the water as well.
#2 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was a disappointment, becoming the first 'Mania to not feature a single traditional one-on-one match. There were some bright spots, particularly the Triangle Ladder Match, but WWE did improve on it in the summer. SummerSlam 2000 took place at the height of the Attitude Era but, like WrestleMania, did not feature the company's flagship performer in "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
He had been away since the Fall of 1999 recovering from neck surgery that had been needed ever since his match with Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997.
Despite the absence their top star for the majority of 2000, WWE had an excellent year in terms of in-ring quality and storytelling as several performers like The Rock, Triple H and surprising newcomer Kurt Angle stepped up big time.
These 3 men headlined that year's SummerSlam in a triple threat Match that had to be adjusted in mid-action due to Angle suffering a concussion. In addition to the main event, the show featured numerous grand moments and matches like Chis Benoit vs. Chris Jericho in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match, Jerry Lawler's first ever WWE face turn when he battled Tazz and that ridiculous Shane McMahon vs Steve Blackman match.
However, only one match could take the cake as the best one at SummerSlam 2000. It was the first-ever TLC Match pitting Edge and Christian, the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz against each other between two WrestleMania classics featuring the same cast.
As mentioned earlier, 2000 was a stellar year for WWE and shows like SummerSlam are a major reason why. While WrestleMania was a rare misstep in a golden year for the company, SummerSlam might have been the best pay-per-view of the entire year.
#1 2002
2002 was a complete transitional year for WWE. This was between the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression era. Coming out of WrestleMania X8, the company was on the verge of a complete, top-to-bottom overhaul which even included a change to the company's name.
WrestleMania X8 was not a poor show at all, but outside of the over-achieving Icon vs Icon match between Hollywood Hogan and The Rock, the event had several matches that failed to live up to expectations, particularly the main-event involving Triple H and Chris Jericho.
By the time SummerSlam came around, most of the stars from WrestleMania X8 had vanished. The nWo was no more, and none of the three members even appeared on the SummerSlam card. The Rock was one day away from a full-time return to Hollywood, and Steve Austin was no longer a part of the company.
It really was a period of change, but what a change it was. In addition to The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar main event, SummerSlam 2002 saw the in-ring return of Shawn Michaels after a 4-year absence. He battled Triple H in a brutal, but brilliant Unsanctioned Match. We were also treated with possibly the greatest opening match in WWE history as Kurt Angle took on Rey Mysterio in a minor classic.
In many ways, WrestleMania X8 was the end of an era, the Invasion era if you may, while SummerSlam 2002 brought us the foundation for the future. The show ushered in a new age of talent and youth that focused on stars like Lesnar, Angle, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
If only WWE could build stars the way they did back then.
Even though 2002 featured a solid WrestleMania, SummerSlam that year was unbelievable. It is hard to find a non-WrestleMania event that tops this one, as the card was well-rounded with good-to-great-to-excellent matches. Truly one of the greatest pay-per-views of all time.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
