Ranking the 8 greatest SummerSlam main events of all time

It is no secret that SummerSlam is the WWE's second biggest annual event. They put in a lot of effort to make every edition feel worthwhile and big, some do not succeed but the majority of SummerSlam pay-per-views have been a raging success in terms of both quality and reception. The most important aspect of the success of any pay-per-view, let alone SummerSlam, is not only consistent action throughout the event, but it is getting the main event right.

The final match of the night is the one that determines how good a show can be. Some say that a wrestling event can only be as good as its main event. While not entirely true, it still holds some sense. You'd rather have a SummerSlam headlined by Undertaker vs Steve Austin than one headlined by Diesel vs Mabel. It just holds up better. These facts are backed up by figures as pay-per-view buyrates were heavily dependent on the main event of the show.

As evidenced by this list, a good main event severely drags up the quality of a show. Every single one of the SummerSlam events on this list has ranged from decent to legendary, thanks in no small part to their main event. There have been some absolute bangers to cap off WWE's Summertime Spectacular, including some not on this list. Before we get to the greatest main events in SummerSlam's history, here are a few honorable mentions.

Bret Hart vs The Undertaker (1997)

The Rock vs Triple H vs Kurt Angle (2000)

Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker (2015)

Let us now get to the main list.

#8 Steve Austin vs The Undertaker (1998)

In the summer of 1998, WWE was hot as ever. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was finally on top of the mountain, looking directly down at the likes of Kane, Mick Foley and The Undertaker. Bar one day, Steve Austin was reigning supreme in the then-WWF as the champion. 'Taker decided not to play by Vince McMahon's demands and assisted Austin in retaining his title against Mick Foley, in his Dude Love persona.

A month later, the most infamous in-match moment in WWE history occurred. That Hell in a Cell match between Undertaker and Mankind, the second Face of Foley. After Austin fended Kane off, the two biggest stars in the company were set to be on a collision course inside Madison Square Garden, at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

SummerSlam 1998 was the most-bought one in the history of the pay-per-view and the second-most bought non-WrestleMania pay-per-view, behind the Invasion pay-per-view featuring the initial brawl between WWE and WCW. The match also did not disappoint. On a show which featured two future legends, The Rock and Triple H, in a Ladder Match, it would have been easy to be overshadowed.

However, Austin and 'Taker most certainly did not. They carved out an excellent main event worthy of the number of buys this pay-per-view got, as the champ retained his title. The fact that the Texas Rattlesnake was concussed mid-way throughout the match makes it all-the-more impressive. Throw in the setting of the legendary MSG and this match will forever be remembered as a legendary war between two of the biggest stars in the company.

#7 Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (2014)

This match was one of the most shocking, but fresh outcome, in WWE history. Brock Lesnar had ended The Undertaker's WrestleMania undefeated streak at WrestleMania XXX and was entitled to a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Original plans saw Daniel Bryan being the one to enter the war zone with the Beast, but injuries forced WWE to put the belt on John Cena.

The match was excellently built up to with a perfectly produced video package. Lesnar claimed that he would leave Cena in a pile of blood, urine and vomit. While none of that exactly happened, the Cenation leader was in for the beating of a lifetime. Dubbed as the Biggest Fight of the Summer, this was one of the most hotly anticipated matches on this list. And it would not disappoint one bit.

What we saw was the ultimate destruction of WWE's resident Superman, in around sixteen minutes. Lesnar hit the F5 within 30 seconds of the match and would go on to dominate the Champ in one of the most one-sided World Title matches in WWE history. The Beast hit an unprecedented 16 German Suplexes en-route to an unbelievably satisfying and convincing victory.

Nobody had ever seen Cena get beaten so badly before, that's what makes this one of the most unique matches in WWE history. The shocking visual of John Cena being completely brutalized in the middle of the ring was a sight to behold for older fans, while it was a nightmare for the younger ones. This was Brock Lesnar at his best and most destructive self. He truly left Cena beaten, victimized and conquered.

#6 Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar (2017)

Last summer, the main event scene of Raw's male division was heavily occupied by some of the most dominant dudes in the WWE. Brock Lesnar was the Universal Champion, he still is (Sigh!). He made his first title defense at July's Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view (RIP) against a very game Samoa Joe, in a match where he merely escaped from the Samoan Submission Machine. Meanwhile, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns were trying to kill each other every week.

It culminated in an Ambulance Match which was won by Strowman, who outsmarted Reigns and got brutally assaulted for it. The Big Dog crashed the Ambulance, with Strowman inside, to a truck backstage in what was clearly an attempted murder (in reel sense). Strowman survived (Why wouldn't he, he's a monster) and entered the already crowded Universal title scene. The stage was set at SummerSlam for a slugfest between the four baddest men on the roster.

Lesnar was taken out of the match but returned to cause some more pain. He ended up retaining his title, much to the disappointment of the fans in Brooklyn and elsewhere. But the match was so good, that the result did not matter. We saw four monsters cause a hell of a lot of carnage in New York City. The action was brutal, intense and pulsating. We saw chairs being flown, barricades being broken and tables being destroyed.

Braun Strowman was the star of the show as he went on a mid-match tear and put the Universal champion through two announcers' tables, dumping the third one onto him. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns also put in good shifts.

WWE could always redeem the big red belt from its current irrelevance by having similar matches to this all-out slugfest. All three challengers in this match would have separate matches against Lesnar for the Universal Championship, but none of them was anywhere as good as this combined effort.

#5 CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy (2009)

Jeff Hardy in WWE is synonymous with one thing, and one thing only. Ladders. The former United States Champion made his name in a whole host of Ladder Matches alongside his brother, Matt. He was also a huge part in the triple threat trifecta of such car-crash style matches. Hardy also challenged WWE Champion, The Undertaker in a terrific Ladder Match in 2002, a match that made him famous.

It is poetic justice that the Charismatic Enigma made his big return to WWE in a Ladder Match at WrestleMania. However, the connection does not end there. Jeff Hardy's last pay-per-view match before leaving WWE in 2009 was a TLC Match, and what a match it was! Brother Nero defended his World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk in a match that was more than worthy of main eventing SummerSlam.

Hardy and Punk had been embroiled in a bitter feud, which began at Extreme Rules and spanned multiple pay-per-views. It became extremely personal towards the end, involving Hardy's consumption of drugs and alcohol, along with Punk's Straight Edge lifestyle. It warranted a special match to cap off this story in style. This match was like any Jeff Hardy match involving ladders. You just know he will go to extreme lengths to impress his fans.

Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb from the top of a gigantic ladder in one of the craziest stunts in WWE history, but it would prove to be his downfall. His head and neck injuries in the build-up, coupled with the ridiculous Swanton he executed, meant that Hardy was on borrowed time.

CM Punk won the match and ended the feud on the following SmackDown when he ousted Hardy from the company and became a mega-heel that fans legitimately hated. All-in-all, this was the perfect ending to the best feud of 2009.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs The Rock (2002)

2002 was a year of transition for the WWE. They were getting out of the Attitude Era the previous year when they were met with the Invasion Era. After WrestleMania X8, WWE was in a rare identity crisis. The company went through a name change and almost saw disaster strike heavily, with the Plane Ride From Hell. The rosters split and it was time for new talent to flourish. We saw new superstars graduate from OVW, none being as impressive as Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar was the fastest-rising star in the history of the company, as he won the King of the Ring tournament and absolutely manhandled Hulk Hogan on SmackDown. The WWE Undisputed Championship was changing hands left, right and center as we saw four different champions between WrestleMania and SummerSlam, truly a transitional period. The latest Champion The Rock was on his way to Hollywood and would leave after SummerSlam. This caused the fans to turn on him and side with the Next Big Thing.

We had a big-match feel for this collision between eras in the Nassau Coliseum. The Rock, who had seen it all in the WWE, against the new big star in town, Brock Lesnar. If there is anything we learned from this, it is that Brock Lesnar is a freak of nature. But we already knew that. Lesnar would end up conquering the People's Champ in an emphatic and decisive victory.

At 25 years of age, Brock Lesnar had become the youngest ever WWE Champion in history and solidified himself as a legitimate main-event star. SummerSlam marked the end of the transition, WWE was now in the Ruthless Aggression Era. The rosters were split and new talent was being groomed to become greats. Brock Lesnar vs The Rock was the match that symbolized the rise of the new talent in the company.

#3 Edge vs The Undertaker (2008)

SummerSlam has been a place where months-long storied rivalries come to a definitive conclusion. Similar to CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy, Edge and The Undertaker had a legendary rivalry that ended at SummerSlam. Only this one was going on for a much longer time. It technically started inside Hell in a Cell, when Edge cost 'Taker the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista at Survivor Series 2007. Edge then captured the title in a triple threat to end the year on top.

Undertaker and Edge came face-to-face in the main event of WrestleMania XXIV in a phenomenal match for the title. The Deadman won there and retained his belt at Backlash, but he was stripped of the title when his Hell's Gate submission was deemed too violent. The Ultimate Opportunist would win the belt in a TLC Match at One Night Stand which banished 'Taker from the company. Edge lost the title and was set to face a returning Deadman inside the devilish structure at SummerSlam.

The match was widely excellent, the first of its kind in the PG Era. It was still brutal, as we saw many innovative spots in the match. The side wall of the cage even broke, as Edge speared Undertaker through it. However, the end came when the Deadman hit a Spear of his own and finished Edge off with the Tombstone Piledriver. That was not it though. The main reason why this match is so memorable is because of what happened after the match.

Undertaker climbed a ladder, taking Edge with him, and chokeslammed him through the ring in a moment that ranks up as one of the most memorable in SummerSlam history. It had the perfect ending to a legendary feud as the Rated-R Superstar finally got his comeuppance for his dastardly ways throughout 2008. Undertaker vs Edge also remains as the only pairing to main event a WrestleMania and a SummerSlam in the same year, a feat that is going to be repeated on August 19th between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.

#2 Daniel Bryan vs John Cena (2013)

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.

#1 British Bulldog vs Bret Hart (1992)

In 1992, WWE decided to have SummerSlam take place outside North America. They went with Wembley Stadium in London, England and put on a show that remains fondly remembered more than 25 years later.

One of the main reasons for SummerSlam '92 being such a wild success was the main event. The Intercontinental Championship was originally supposed to be won by Shawn Michaels, but the decision to have the show over in the UK sparked a change in plans.

Plans were made for homeboy "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith to challenge brother-in-law Bret Hart for his IC Championship in a highly personal match. The build-up to the summer event saw the Hart family "fall apart", making this match even more personal. It would be the first Intercontinental title match to main event a pay-per-view and the only one until last month's countdown fest between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins. This match truly had a big fight feel.

The stage was set for this titanic clash with the dark blue skies of London just above the two Harts. They had an incredible back and forth match which went for close to 30 thrilling minutes, as the British Bulldog would valiantly fight and ultimately triumph after countering a Sunset Flip.

After the referee's hand hit the mat for the three count, the Wembley crowd erupted into one of the most surreal reactions to a WWE match possibly in history. It was a stunning match, one fitting of the only WWE event at Wembley.

What makes this match so astonishingly legendary was the fact that Bulldog actually forgot everything in the match just when it started. Hart had to carry his brother-in-law through the entire half an hour match, doing most of the work. You couldn't tell though, signifying just how good the Hitman was in the ring.

This by far was the greatest carry-job in WWE history bar none. It was that good. After the match, the crowd popped immensely for their local hero winning the Intercontinental Championship in the main event of SummerSlam. It truly was the greatest main event in SummerSlam history.