Reliving Summerslam 2003: Fifteen years on

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Goldberg dominated the Elimination Chamber match

In one of the most memorable Summerslam events ever, the main event saw only the second ever Elimination Chamber match take place.

The favorite to win prior to the match was recent superstar signing, former WCW Champion, Bill Goldberg.

Goldberg contested the match with former WWF and WCW Champion Kevin Nash, former WWE and World Champion, Shawn Michaels, former Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho, rookie Randy Orton and the World Champion, Triple H. After Nash was eliminated by Jericho, Goldberg tore through, Orton, Jericho and Michaels to leave him one on one with the champion, Triple H.

The crowd were wild for Goldberg's dominant display, with his incredible power moves and in the most memorable moment, he smashed Jericho through the supposed bulletproof glass Elimination Chamber pod. The audience were then equal parts deflated when Goldberg was pinned by the Champion, Triple H minutes later, when his buddy, Ric Flair passed him a sledgehammer which he used to knock out the challenger for the pinfall victory. Triple H's Evolution team-mates, Flair, and Orton then took out Goldberg post-match. This wasn't Goldberg's night but he would get his revenge one month later when he finally defeated Triple H one on one for the World Heavyweight Championship.

In the semi-main event spot, Rob Vam Dam took on the recently unmasked Kane in a decent Hardcore match-up, which originated when Kane had unmasked for the first team in his career. The unmasking so affected Kane mentally, that he took his anger out on his tag team partner, Van Dam. Van Dam came for revenge, however, it would be the monster's night and he won after tombstoning Van Dam on the steel steps after RVD missed a Van Terminator attempt.

In the best match of the night, Brock Lesnar challenged Kurt Angle one on on in a rematch of their Wrestlemania classic. This encounter was even better. With neither man carrying injuries in this version of the match, they exchanged wrestling holds with fluid counters to each others counters. Angle secured victory and defended the title, defeating Lesnar clean with the ankle lock.

Kurt 
Kurt Angle locks in the
match winning
ankle lock on Brock Lesnar

Earlier on the card Shane McMahon defeated Raw General Manager in a Falls Count Anywhere match, in an encounter memorable for announcer, Jonathan Coachman's wholly unexpected heel turn. Coachman helped Bischoff gain the upper hand on McMahon which led to the other Raw General Manager, Stone Cold Steve Austin marching down to the ring, laying out both Bischoff and Coachman. McMahon placed Bischoff on the announce table and hit him with his patented flying elbow for the pinfall victory.

The Undertaker defeated A-Train in a culmination of their long running feud. This match interlinked the ongoing feud between Smackdown General Manager, Stephanie McMahon and former Women's Champion Sable. Sable was Stephanie's father, Vince McMahon's mistress in the storyline.

That was the most significant action at the 2003 edition of Summerslam. One of the best in-ring Summerslam events ever.


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