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Summerslam is widely considered the second biggest pay-per-view of WWE's calendar year. Over the past 33 years, the event has been the epicenter of so many memorable matches and moments that have stood the test of time. The show has seen career-defining performances and accomplishments that are still talked about by fans to this day.
At the first Summerslam, The Ultimate Warrior became a star, ending Honky Tonk Man's record-breaking Intercontinental Championship reign. In 1996, Paul Bearer betrayed his long-time associate The Undertaker, aligning with Mankind to help him win the first Boiler Room Brawl. Seth Rollins defeated John Cena to become a double champion with the WWE and United States Championships in 2015.
With such a rich history full of amazing moments, it is truly a difficult endeavor to single out the best of the best. In this article, let's take a look at the top ten greatest Summerslam pay-per-view events of all time.
#10. Summerslam 2020
Last year's Summerslam was the first pay-per-view to take place inside the WWE ThunderDome. The state of the art arena created an amazing visual with multiple screens with the WWE Universe all around the world watching this major event. This turned out to be a great show that had noteworthy moments and set things up for the weeks and months to come.
The opener saw Bayley retain the SmackDown Women's Championship over Asuka with help from Sasha Banks. However, Bayley couldn't do the same for her Golden Role Models partner when Asuka defeated Sasha to win the Raw Women's Championship later in the evening.
Drew McIntyre walked out of Summerslam 2020 with the WWE Championship after beating Randy Orton in a very good back and forth contest. Dominik Mysterio made his WWE debut in a losing effort against Seth Rollins in a street fight, while Mandy Rose defeated Sonya Deville in a Loser Leaves WWE Match, ending their lengthy rivalry.
The main event saw The Fiend Bray Wyatt defeat Braun Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to win the Universal Championship, but the post match had to be the most memorable part of the pay-per-view. Roman Reigns made his return, attacking both men and kickstarting his 'Tribal Chief' run in the company. It was quite the Summerslam show that set the tone for the ThunderDome era.
#9. Summerslam 2019
Summerslam returned to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the first time in 15 years in 2019. The main event saw Seth Rollins defeat Brock Lesnar to regain the WWE Universal Championship in a great main event that outdid their previous clashes. Becky Lynch beat Natalya to retain the Raw Women's Championship in the opener.
The other title matches saw Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton go to a double countout in the WWE Championship Match, Bayley retained the SmackDown Women's Championship over Ember Moon and AJ Styles defeated Ricochet to successfully defend the United States Championship. Kevin Owens overcame the odds by defeating Shane McMahon.
Summerslam 2019 also had the return of Goldberg after his much maligned encounter with The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia. The former WCW Champion destroyed Dolph Ziggler within minutes. The Toronto faithful also got to see Edge show signs of his return, spearing Elias on the Kickoff show.
Charlotte Flair defeated Trish Stratus in an epic dream encounter. The two women were the faces of two different generations of the WWE women's division and showcased their skills in a brilliant clash. This proved to be the match of the night and showed that Trish still got it.
However, the highlight of Summerslam 2019 had to be the debut of The Fiend Bray Wyatt. After months of vignettes in the Firefly Funhouse, the former Wyatt Family leader debuted the latest invention from his creative mind. The entrance captivated the Toronto fans and his destruction of Finn Balor firmly established what was the best character in WWE at that time.
#8. Summerslam 2016
Summerslam 2016 followed the brand split with Raw and SmackDown Live, so there were a lot of big matches. The main event featured a first-time ever dream match with RAW's Brock Lesnar facing SmackDown's Randy Orton. This became a battering as Lesnar assaulted Orton with brutal elbows that split open The Legend Killer for a referee stoppage victory for The Beast Incarnate.
The showstealer of the night was John Cena vs. AJ Styles. It was a rematch from Money In The Bank, but they took what they did there and elevated everything here. It was truly an all-time Summerslam classic that saw Styles defeat Cena clean, propelling him to the WWE Championship scene.
Summerslam 2016 saw the crowning of the first WWE Universal Champion as well. Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins in a very good contest that is often forgotten due to Balor being injured in the match. For SmackDown's top prize, Dean Ambrose beat Dolph Ziggler to retain the WWE Championship.
Charlotte Flair defeated Sasha Banks to win the Raw Women's Championship in an underrated encounter. This show put a spotlight on the individual rosters of both brands and showed who would be the next stars in the months and years to come. Summerslam 2016 stands as a memorable show all around.
#7. Summerslam 1997
Heading into Summerslam 1997, WWE was on fire with many exciting feuds and stars firing on all cylinders. The biggest angle of the summer would center on the top faction in the company, the Hart Foundation. The most memorable moment was one that would change the course of wrestling history and shorten the career of who would become the biggest superstar in WWE.
Stone Cold Steve Austin faced Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship. The added stipulation for this contest was if Austin lost, he would kiss Owen's ass. In an almost fatal incident, Owen dropped Stone Cold on his neck with a tombstone piledriver that paralyzed the Texas Rattlesnake. Austin still won with one of the ugliest rollups ever, but this neck injury shortened his legendary career.
The main event of Summerslam 1997 was the most anticipated contest of the night with The Undertaker defending the WWE Championship against Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. Bret's arch rival Shawn Michaels served as special guest referee and would be the deciding factor.
After Bret tried to use a chair and Shawn stopped him, Hart spit in his face and made HBK swing, but Shawn hit Taker instead of Bret. This led to Hart winning the WWE Championship for the fifth time. Other Hart Foundation matches saw Goldust beat Brian Pillman and The British Bulldog retain the European Championship via disqualification over Ken Shamrock.
Summerslam 1997's opener saw Mankind get a huge win over Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a fun steel cage match. This was the latest chapter in their summer series of matches. This event foreshadowed what the Attitude Era would offer and was one of the best pay-per-views of that year.
#6. Summerslam 2001
Similar to how 1997 was centered around the Hart Foundation, Summerslam 2001 was all about the WWF vs. The Alliance feud. Both the WWE and WCW Championships were on the line in headline matches. The Rock defeated Booker T to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. This was the first time two African Americans headlined a WWE pay-per-view.
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle battled in a bloody war for the WWE Championship. It was the best match at Summerslam 2001 with both men bringing their A-games in a terrific showdown. Angle defeated Austin via disqualification, so Austin retained his title.
Rob Van Dam retained the Hardcore Championship in a breathtaking battle against Jeff Hardy. The two high flyers put their bodies on the line in a rollercoaster of a bout. Edge defeated Lance Storm to win the Intercontinental Championship in the 2001 Summerslam opener. The fun bout was part of a big-time singles push for the future Rated-R Superstar.
The Brothers of Destruction decimated Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon to unify the WWE and WCW Tag Team Championships, while Chris Jericho got revenge on Rhyno in a solid affair. Summerslam 2001 was a quality major show that furthered the feud between WWF and The Alliance as well as offering plenty of good wrestling.
#5. Summerslam 1992
The most famous edition of Summerslam took place in 1992. For the first and only time to date, WWE took a major pay-per-view to the United Kingdom with this show taking place in London, England at Wembley Stadium. The company put their home country hero in the main event with The British Bulldog challenging Bret 'The Hitman' Hart for the Intercontinental Championship.
Bret and Bulldog put on a masterpiece that had the full investment of the 80,000 fans in the building. The Hitman put on one of the single greatest performances of his career, crafting a superb bout that elevated himself to main event status and Bulldog to the next level.
It was a family feud with Bulldog married to Bret's sister Diana. That added another layer of story to what was a great technical wrestling clinic. The British Bulldog defeated Bret Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship. The visual of Diana raising both men's hands is one of the best moments to happen at any Summerslam event.
The other big title match featured Macho Man Randy Savage defending the WWE Championship against The Ultimate Warrior in a rematch from WrestleMania 7. The two babyfaces had Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect play mind games with both heading in and got involved in the encounter. Warrior defeated Savage via countout and then fought side by side with Macho Man to fight off the heels.
The Summerslam 1992 opener saw Legion of Doom with an iconic entrance on their motorcycles face Money Inc. LOD got the win to a huge response from the fans. What this event lacked in quality bouts, it more than made up for in atmosphere and a fantastic main event.
#4. Summerslam 2013
Summerslam 2013 was headlined by a star-studded double main event. Brock Lesnar faced CM Punk in a No Disqualification Match that had a lot of intriguing story behind it. Following Punk's loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, he returned at Payback and wanted to do things on his own without the help of his manager and friend Paul Heyman.
Heyman didn't take this lightly and had Brock Lesnar assault Punk the night after Payback. Although Paul convinced Punk that he wasn't behind this, he still maintained his distance until Money In The Bank when Heyman cost The Best In The World the titular briefcase. This led to a confrontation with Brock Lesnar at Summerslam 2013.
The two men put on a blistering battle that was hard-hitting and had two great performances. Brock was the perfect monster, while Punk played a spectacular underdog babyface. The action was stellar and told a logical story with Lesnar defeating Punk with an F5 on a steel chair.
The other headline match saw John Cena defending the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. This was the culmination of Bryan's journey to the top of WWE with the McMahons being against him being the face of the company. Triple H was a supporter and served as special guest referee. He called things down the middle and counted three when Bryan defeated Cena to win the title.
This tremendous Summerslam main event led to a shocking post-match with Triple H giving the Pedigree to Bryan and Randy Orton cashing in the Money In The Bank contract to win the WWE Championship. This led to the Authority and a long storyline ahead of WrestleMania XXX.
Alberto Del Rio beat Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. This one told a brilliant story with Christian bringing out the best in Del Rio. Bray Wyatt made his debut, defeating Kane in a Ring of Fire match thanks to help from the Wyatt Family, while Cody Rhodes beat Damian Sandow in a battle of former partners. This show was the best Summerslam event of the 2010s.
#3. Summerslam 2000
2000 was arguably the best year of pay-per-views for WWE with Summerslam being one of the better shows. The summer spectacle featured many iconic feuds that are fondly remembered from the Attitude Era. The main event witnessed The Rock defending the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Triple H and Kurt Angle.
The challengers were in a deep bitter love triangle rivalry with Stephanie McMahon at the center. Angle was the love struck friend of the Billion Dollar Princess with Triple H playing the jealous husband. Things only got more hostile when Kurt shared a kiss with Stephanie on the go-home SmackDown ahead of Summerslam 2000.
Triple H came out hot and attacked Kurt Angle before The Rock even entered the ring for the Summerslam 2000 main event. He gave him a Pedigree on the announce table that gave Angle a concussion. This led to a mostly one-on-one bout between Hunter and The Rock. Angle re-entered, leading to The Rock getting the win on Triple H with the People's Elbow following a steel chair shot by Kurt.
The showstealer featured Edge and Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boys to successfully defend their WWE Tag Team Championships in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. This TLC bout was the latest chapter in a revolutionary feud that elevated tag team wrestling in the WWE. It was a thrilling car crash that featured incredible spots and awe-inspiring action.
Chris Benoit beat Chris Jericho in a two out of three falls match that was a technical wrestling clinic. Steve Blackman defeated Shane McMahon to win the Hardcore Championship after a stunning 20-feet drop from the titantron. There were so many magnificent moments that Summerslam 2000 has to be in the conversation for the best event in its history.
#2. Summerslam 1998
Heading into Summerslam 1998, WWE promoted the leadup as 'The Highway To Hell' specifically for the huge main event matchup. The two top babyfaces Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker went head to head after a lengthy buildup that also featured Vince McMahon, Kane and Mankind. Austin defeated Taker in a good battle that didn't live up to either man's expectations.
The best match of the night saw The Rock defend the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match against Triple H. The leaders of the two top factions, The Nation of Domination and D-Generation X, were at each other's throats for months.
This was an excellent grudge match that saw both men utilize the ladders as weapons. It had drama, hate and awesome action in front of a molten hot crowd that stole the show at Summerslam 1998. Triple H defeated The Rock thanks to Chyna to win the Intercontinental Championship.
X-Pac defeated Jeff Jarrett in a very good Hair vs. Hair Match. The DX member got revenge after weeks of animosity and humbled the cocky Jarrett. Ken Shamrock beat his rival Owen Hart in his speciality, the Lion's Den Match. The mock octagon created a wonderful visual. Edge made his WWE pay-per-view debut, teaming with Sable to beat Marc Mero and Jacqueline.
The Attitude Era was in full steam heading into Summerslam 1998 and this event showed a company that was soaring. It was a night to be remembered for star-making performances and the Madison Square Garden crowd was loud for everything on the night. It was such an exceptional event after a masterful buildup.
#1. Summerslam 2002
There are good Summerslam events and then there is Summerslam 2002. This event had so much going on with it being the first Big Four pay-per-view after the first ever brand split. From the opener on, the Nassau Colisseum crowd witnessed the best superstars that WWE had to offer at this time.
That opener may go down as one of the best in WWE history. Kurt Angle faced Rey Mysterio in a first-time matchup. It was a marvelous sprint that was all action and proved Rey Mysterio could go hold for hold with any heavyweight in the WWE. It also foreshadowed what would become the SmackDown Six as did another bout on the show.
Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero in a good back and forth clash. The two men are experts in psychology and showed that off here. It kickstarted a series of matches that proved both men could be top stars. Rob Van Dam beat Chris Benoit to win the Intercontinental Championship in another really good contest.
The main event featured a passing of the torch encounter with Brock Lesnar solidifying that he was in fact 'The Next Big Thing' by defeating The Rock for the WWE Undisputed Championship. The Long Island fans were firmly in Lesnar's corner and cheered him on to victory.
The bitter rivalry between former friends Triple H and Shawn Michaels came to a head at Summerslam 2002. Triple H betrayed Michaels and bloodied him in a Parking Lot in the leadup. This led to an Unsanctioned Match in HBK's first match in four years. This was a damn near perfect brawl that had outstanding storytelling and showed absolutely no ring rust on Michaels.
HBK defeated Triple H in shocking fashion, but The Game got the last laugh after striking Shawn with a sledgehammer to the back. Other bouts saw The Un-Americans beat Booker T and Goldust in a solid contest for the WWE Tag Team Championships, Ric Flair defeated Chris Jericho and The Undertaker over Test.
Summerslam 2002 was a top 10 all-time WWE pay-per-view. There was a Match of the Year candidate, a passing of the torch in the main event, new champions crowned and star making performances. 2002 was easily the greatest Summerslam event of all time. Go out of your way to rewatch this one if you haven't in a while!
