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SummerSlam has always been the WWE's answer to the hardcore fans, just as WrestleMania is for the casuals. There have been countless classics at the annual August super-show over the years, ever since SummerSlam started to exist.
We have seen so many fabulous moments happen at this historic pay-per-view, from The Ultimate Warrior quickly beating The Honky Tonk Man to The Match Made in Heaven. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we would find out in later years. We would be provided with an absolute gem of a match almost every year at SummerSlam.
In recent times, we have gotten so many more memorable matches and moments. A few that pop up are the incredible double header of barn burning classics in 2013, the merciless destruction of John Cena by Brock Lesnar in 2014, and the match that made AJ Styles in 2016.
There are so many more. But sometimes these great matches may go unnoticed. There are a host of reasons, from being hidden without a story or being overshadowed by the bigger matches.
Quite a few shows have had such matches not remembered by the fans just as matches such as a Rock vs Lesnar, or a Cena vs Styles are fondly remembered.
SummerSlam is one of the biggest opportunities for wrestlers to impress. WrestleMania may see certain individuals shine and receive their 'WrestleMania moments'. SummerSlam could give the wrestlers more time to go out and perform.
It is basically a WrestleMania without the grandeur and stadium-sized magnitude. There has always been a ton of stellar in-ring work at SummerSlam. Here we dig into some of the recent editions of the Summer Spectacle and find the matches that are not talked about enough.
#5 Alberto Del Rio vs Christian (2013)
Alberto Del Rio spent most of 2013 as the World Heavyweight Champion, as both a face and a heel. It was incredibly frustrating especially since we got that incredible moment of Dolph Ziggler cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Raw after WrestleMania.
Del Rio faced the likes of the Big Show, Rob Van Dam and John Cena over the course of the year but his standout match for the Big Gold Belt might just be his bout against Christian at SummerSlam.
The pair has had good matches in the past, particularly their Ladder Match for the same title at Extreme Rules 2011, and this one was right up there with the best of them. Del Rio was vicious and ruthless throughout the match as he targeted Christian's shoulder.
There were some really fun exchanges during this match, which would be expected when the Latino star decides to put in his best. Christian was also extremely smooth and brought out the best in many opponents.
The finish of the match came when Christian hit The Spear but could not capitalise due to the previously injured shoulder which Del Rio targeted, thus creating an opening for the Mexican Aristocrat to slap on the Cross Arm-breaker and make Christian tap out.
It is always satisfying when the psychology and certain avenues of a match play an important role in the finish. These two did really well on a card which had Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk and John Cena vs Daniel Bryan. A very commendable job indeed.
#4 Roman Reigns vs Randy Orton (2014)
This match was the first big pay-per-view singles match Roman Reigns had since The Shield broke up. It was evident that he was being groomed to become a main event star, this was evident even when the stable was still functioning in full effect.
Randy Orton was tasked with handing Reigns his first big singles outing in such an environment and the match did not disappoint. The match may not have been as impressive on first viewing because it happened just before a monumental main event between John Cena and Brock Lesnar.
It isn't even an extremely fast-paced match but it did do a solid job of making Roman Reigns look like a star. WWE was preparing him to be the next John Cena, something that would eventually doom him. But on this night, he was mightily impressive.
Both men got all their big moves in, as we saw some truly incredible spots. The Viper seamlessly countered a Spear attempt into a beautiful looking Power Slam. But that was not even the best one of this match.
As Reigns was going for The Superman Punch, Orton caught him with an RKO from out of nowhere. This stunned everybody in the crowd. It is one of the best RKOs of all time. The Big Dog would eventually recover and win the match, showing how well he can perform when he gets the chance to.
He was incredibly over as well. Unfortunately WWE botched their booking of him heading into 2015, this would turn Reigns into one of the most universally hated wrestlers perhaps in WWE history, despite the fact that he is genuinely great in the ring. This is one from the catalogue of really good singles matches he has had, even if it does go under the radar.
#3 Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett (2011)
The summer of 2011 was an incredibly exciting period for WWE. Along with the intrigue-filled and gripping 'Summer Of Punk' angle, SmackDown was putting on a great show for the fans.
Randy Orton and Christian were in the middle of an all-time classic feud for the World Heavyweight Championship while many other secondary stories were blossoming on the blue brand. One of them was the underrated program between two upcoming standouts - Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett.
Bryan had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, kicking Barrett off the ladder last. This sparked a feud between the two which would be featured at SummerSlam. This was a match fueled by envy and the history between the two competitors.
Barrett and Bryan were part of the first season of NXT and had finally crossed paths for the first time since the Nexus storyline. They did not disappoint at all, as we saw some fine hard-hitting action between two wrestlers who showed brilliant chemistry with each other.
This match is severely underrated due to the fact that it was hidden under two monumental World Title bouts which closed the show, but don't sleep on this match. It made two future stars ready to take the next step in their respective upward career trajectories.
Wade Barrett picked up the win with The Wasteland but both men were mightily impressive on the night. Injuries would ultimately rob the Englishman from attaining a very high level of success, but Barrett did look like the real deal here against the future multi-time World Champion.
#2 Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose (2014)
In the modern era of WWE, there have been only a very few numbers of consistently compelling and storied rivalries. One of these rivalries is Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose. Everybody expected Ambrose to be the one who would turn heel on his Shield brethren, but it was Rollins instead.
It turned out to be a revelation as Ambrose and Rollins feuded with each other, giving us a really fun time watching Raw. These two would never disappoint with their shenanigans all through their 2014 feud. It was certainly the best installment of their seeming never ending story.
Their match at SummerSlam is always overshadowed by their later clash at Hell in a Cell, or other matches between the pair in 2015. It is genuinely underrated despite receiving rave reviews as one of the best bouts on a night filled with gripping entertainment and massive moments.
This match must also be appreciated for the fact that it was possibly the only good Lumberjack Match in WWE history. The story was great, with Rollins trying to escape his betrayed brother and the entire roster trying to contain the two.
They brawled in the stands till they eventually entered the ring, where Dean Ambrose fought off Corporate Kane before getting nailed in the head with Seth Rollins' Money in the Bank briefcase.
It was an extremely fun match to watch, especially Ambrose's performance. He may have lost, but his antics throughout this feud with The Architect would make him a beloved member of the roster.
We cannot wait to see him return to action, possibly he could turn heel on Rollins and give us a different version of this feud we have loved for years. This Lumberjack Match should always be remembered for being the first match in what should really become one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history.
#1 The Usos vs The New Day (2017)
The current state of both the Raw and SmackDown tag team divisions is genuinely sad. The level of competition is nowhere near what it can be and the teams are not really given much of an opportunity to show how good they are.
What makes it even more depressing is the fact that exactly last year, the two best storylines going into SummerSlam were the two tag team rivalries. The Raw Tag Team Championship match of Sheamus and Cesaro against Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins could have easily made this list but it did get enough love. Not as much as this blockbuster of a match.
The Usos and The New Day were stuck on the Kickoff Show, presumably to give some breathing space for the other matches on the card and to amp up the overall quality of the pre-show.
But that did not stop them from giving everything they had. The two teams went to war for about twenty minutes just before the main show was to start, but this felt part of it. It was that good.
Xavier Woods was exceptional in this match, as he had been in the previous bout at Battleground. Everybody else did their part phenomenally as well, including Kofi Kingston who was at ringside.
In the end, it was The Usos who got the shocking victory to regain the SmackDown Tag Team championships. This match really showed us how excellent the set of Samoan twins really are.
The previous few months had been great for them, but SummerSlam was Jimmy and Jey's true coming out party. The Usos' victory meant that we also got an additional few matches from this stellar feud, including an arguably better one inside Hell in a Cell.
The action in this match was fast-paced, exciting and intense, exactly why it is probably the best match to ever take place on a pay-per-view Kickoff Show.
Do yourself a favour and watch this incredible match, if you haven't already!
Entrances begin at around 1:27:00
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