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We are a few weeks away from SummerSlam, The Biggest Party of the Summer. It is the second most important pay per view for the WWE after WrestleMania. Many marquee storylines reach their climax at the event, with new storylines being set up for WrestleMania the following year.
Like any other pay per view, the main event is the most important match on the show. Over the years, the SummerSlam main event has proven to be on par, or in some cases better than the WrestleMania main event of that year.
This trend is especially true in recent years as WWE seems hell-bent on giving Roman Reigns the WrestleMania main event. This year however, the Roman curse seems to have hit SummerSlam as well, because it is almost a guarantee that Roman vs Brock will be the main event this year.
But how good was each main event relative to each other? That is something this slideshow will address.
#8 Brock Lesnar vs Randy Orton (SummerSlam 2016)
Out of all the main events, this might be the most controversial one.
The build to this match was heavily hampered by the brand split that occurred just a month before the event as Brock went to Raw and Randy went to SmackDown. But that didn't stop Randy from hitting Brock with a surprising RKO.
In all honesty, this moment was the only good thing about the build-up for this match as the retaliation by Brock as he appeared on SmackDown was predictable.
They did not have any in-ring confrontations after this until their match. The match itself, except the finish (which warrants a whole paragraph) was nothing to write home about.
It was a slow match with Brock having the upper hand for the most part and Randy showing signs of life here and there. These two did not have chemistry, and it showed.
And finally, the controversial finish. Have a look at it for yourselves.
The fact that Randy allowed himself to be subjected to this kind of a beating from a former UFC Champion is a testament to his dedication towards the company. The sight of Brock hammering on Randy's skull repeatedly with his gigantic fists was unpleasant to watch (to say the least).
It left many wondering if it was part of the show. According to reports, Chris Jericho had a confrontation backstage with Brock regarding the finish, and Vince McMahon and Triple H had to intervene by telling Chris that it was part of the show.
#7 Triple H vs Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2012)
This match was historical in many ways. The first SummerSlam match for Brock in 9 years, the last SummerSlam main event for Triple H (well, as a competitor at least) and the last match Triple H had with his long hair.
The build to this match was very good. Brock still had this mystique to him during this time as it was only around 4 months removed from his return to the company.
Brock hadn't faced Triple H before this as they were on different brands during the original brand split. They were actually very close to facing each other in 2002 before Brock took the WWE Title with him to SmackDown.
So here we were, 10 years later with the two flag bearers for Raw and SmackDown in 2002 and 2003.
The match was different from a typical Lesnar match that you would see today, with Brock actually doing some moves other than spamming suplexes (this was a time when suplex city wasn't a thing).
Triple H tapping out as a babyface was surprising, but it really put over the Kimura as a lethal submission maneuver, and Brock as an unstoppable machine.
#6 Team WWE vs The Nexus (SummerSlam 2010)
This match was a perfect example of how annoying WWE can get. John Cena was in the middle of his Super Cena run, where he rarely lost and if he lost, it was never a clean loss (save for one or two instances).
If this ranking were based on build-up alone, this match would most probably be number 1. It was refreshing to see WWE give so many newcomers such an important spot. The whole aura behind The Nexus was something that we had not seen in WWE for a long time.
They brought a sense of chaos and unpredictability to the scene at a time when WWE desperately needed it (remember when R-Truth main evented a pay per view). Coming into this event, The Nexus had a lot of momentum riding on its back and it seemed that the only way they could go was upwards. Boy oh boy, was everyone wrong!
The match started off strong with the reveal of Daniel Bryan, it had a Survivor Series elimination match feel to it.
Where the match loses a lot of points is the ridiculous finish of Cena once again overcoming the odds and winning from a 1-2 disadvantage. It literally killed all of the momentum that The Nexus had with it.
The finish was so ridiculous that when Wade Barrett first heard it, he thought it was a joke. It was reportedly Cena's idea to have that finish, a finish that had the likes of Edge and Chris Jericho repeatedly trying to convince Cena that it was bad. In the end, Cena himself acknowledged what he did was wrong.
#5 John Cena vs CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship (SummerSlam 2011)
Let me get this out of the way. This match was nowhere near their epic encounter at Money in the Bank a month earlier. But still, given these two's amazing chemistry with one another, they were bound to deliver an exciting match even during their off days.
The build for this match was all CM Punk, and rightfully so. There was no other superstar who even came close to his popularity during this time. He gained a cult following and essentially a demi-god status during this run.
Cena was merely standing on the sideline and raising his championship belt when required. In fact, Triple H (the referee for this match) played more of a role in the build to this match than Cena.
There was a lot going against this match, but these two despite all of those hindrances put up a solid match.
#4 The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2015)
What is it with SummerSlam main events and controversial finishes. This match was miles ahead of their infamous bout at WrestleMania 30 where the streak ended.
The build to this match was what it had to be. Undertaker out to get revenge for Brock ending the streak and constantly gloating about it. The highlight however was a pull-apart brawl.
This was a kind of trendsetter, as WWE has many a time tried to replicate the same kind of pull apart brawl. But none have been able to match it.
One word to describe this match is insanity. Just pure insanity from start to finish, and I mean this in a positive light. This might not be a wrestling clinic, but it didn't need to be. It was a complete slobber knocker from two brawlers.
Suplex City was in its early stages, and hence the WWE Universe ate all the suplexes up, demanding for more, unlike today where they are just sick and tired of it.
The end might have upset a lot of people, but it still did not take away from the match a lot. The controversy set things up for an eventual rematch down the line.
#3 John Cena (c) vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship (SummerSlam 2014)
There is probably no better sight in pro wrestling than seeing John Cena getting pummeled in a one-sided match, especially after such a long run at the top.
The build was pretty much straightforward. Cena lives and breathes for the company and Lesnar lives and breathes for money and accomplishments. Two polar opposites going at it for the top prize in the industry.
Nobody could have predicted what went down in this match. This match was basically a very long squash match. A squash match usually involves a heel squashing a jobber or an enhancement talent.
But in this case, the one getting squashed was the FACE OF THE COMPANY! The sheer magnitude of Super Cena getting manhandled was something unprecedented. Ending the streak 6 months prior, this match really put over the fact that Lesnar was the man to beat.
#2 John Cena (c) vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship (SummerSlam 2013)
We are taking a small break from Brock Lesnar matches and seeing something totally different from an unstoppable beast, killer instinct etc.
Remember what I said about CM Punk in 2011? Replace him with Danial Bryan and 2011 with 2013. There was no other superstar as popular as Danial Bryan in 2013. The build was similar to the first time Austin won the WWE Title and Vince wanted to do a corporate makeover for him.
This match was very good, even more considering Cena was nursing an injury on his elbow during the time. He once again proved his critics wrong. But more than the match itself, it is what happened after the match that people still talk about.
Triple H turning heel and screwing Danial Bryan out of the title by helping Randy Orton to cash in Money in the Bank on Bryan, this led to a huge angle called The Authority.
It also led to another angle - though WWE cannot claim it as theirs. It was at this point that fans started voicing their opinion in support of Danial Bryan which eventually led to him winning the title at WrestleMania.
#1 Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship (SummerSlam 2017)
The most recent one on this list, this match saved the show from being a complete dud. There was a lot of speculation surrounding this match as to if Brock would really leave the WWE if he loses. The build also was revolving around this fact.
The crowd was hot for the entirety of this match. They went ballistic as Braun man-handled (or rather monster-handled) Brock. Speaking about Braun, he was the MVP of this match. The whole match was centered around what he did.
He made the crowd crave for more. It set up for a one-on-one match between him and Brock, it was a complete let down compared to this. The other participants played their roles perfectly.
It was nice revisiting all these matches and promos. Hope you had a good time as well. Where will this year's main event rank? Let us wait and see.
