Ranking the 8 greatest SummerSlam main events of all time

There has been a bunch of stellar matches to end SummerSlam from time to time.
There has been a bunch of stellar matches to end SummerSlam from time to time.

#2 Daniel Bryan vs John Cena (2013)

Bryan vs Cena
Bryan vs Cena

Daniel Bryan was rapidly rising in popularity. After WrestleMania 28, where he got beaten by Sheamus in 18 seconds, the Yes Movement caught on like a wildfire. Since then, crowds have been chanting "Yes" more and more. It contributed to the success of Bryan's championship-winning team with Kane, called Team Hell No.

Despite how popular Team Hell No was, bigger things were yet to come for Daniel Bryan. He was selected to be John Cena's opponent for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam in 2013.

The feud was based around the model Wrestling vs Sports Entertainment story and did wonders into getting the crowd more and more into Bryan. Triple H was installed as the guest referee of this monumental clash and promised to be fair during the match. Meanwhile, Cena was carrying a pretty gruesome tricep injury that would require surgery. He still managed to play his part in this enthralling story.

The match was an instant classic, playing its part to perfection along with the equally brilliant CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar match earlier on the show. Daniel Bryan's superior wrestling skills were on full display as he showed why people wanted him to be the WWE Champion.

Cena held up his end of the bargain excellently, considering the extent of the pain he was wrestling with. This was one of the unreal things Cena has done in his incredible WWE career. The match ended when Bryan debuted his new finisher, hitting Cena with the Running Knee.

After the match, the celebrations were wild as the WWE Universe's beloved goat-faced warrior became WWE Champion. There were confetti and pyro to compliment the fine moment it was.

However, the moment would turn sour as Triple H double-crossed the new WWE Champion and laid him out. Randy Orton would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the title and begin the reign of the Authority. This also set the stage for Bryan's eventual victory moment seven months later, at WrestleMania.

Quick Links