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With only a couple of weeks to go for the biggest party of the summer – SummerSlam, we take a ride down memory lane. SummerSlam has always been a memorable PPV, whether it was because of Shawn Michaels’ return to professional wrestling or because of the much hyped Undertaker – Stone Cold Steve Austin confrontation, capping it off with the ever so memorable ‘Highway to Hell’ theme.
SummerSlam is regarded as the second biggest PPV in the WWE, and hence, WWE pulls out all the stops going into the PPV. In this article, I take a look at the top 5 memorable moments in SummerSlam history.
Paul Bearer turns on The Undertaker at SummerSlam 1996 When you think of the legendary Undertaker, you immediately think of the aura surrounding him. The magical presence of the Undertaker has captivated all the fans for over two decades, and one constant being associated with the Undertaker has been his storyline uncle/ half father, and his real life good friend, Paul Bearer.Paul was regarded as the piece of the puzzle which completed the Undertaker, and as such, has been monumental in the career of the Undertaker. So in ’96, when Bearer turned on the Undertaker and sided with the deranged Mankind at SummerSlam, the crowd and the WWF fans all around the world were shocked! This easily became the talk of the year in the WWF, and led to some memorable matches and storylines in years going forward.
Brock Lesnar wins the WWF title at SummerSlam 2002
With the meteoric rise of Brock Lesnar in the WWE, everyone expected Lesnar to achieve bigger and better things. But very few would have imagined in their wildest dream that he would defeat The Rock to win his first WWE title merely months after debuting on the main roster!
Brock Lesnar was a force to be reckoned with, but even the biggest fans of Lesnar would have found it hard to believe the way Brock dominated the WWE scene, winning the King of the Ring tournament and the WWE title merely months after debuting in the company. When Brock defeated The Rock at SummerSlam 2002, the place went nuts as it was the usher of a new era in the company, the era of Brock Lesnar.
British Bulldog defeats Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental championship at SummerSlam 1992
Going into SummerSlam 1992, Bret Hart told British Bulldog that he would give him the best match of his life at Wembley, London when the two real life brother – in – laws collide for the prestigious WWF Intercontinental championship. During the PPV, there was excitement and anticipation in the air like no other, as Bret’s sister and Davey’s wife watched the two put on one of the best matches in wrestling history!As the 80,000+ fans got behind Davey to pick up the upset victory, they exploded in elation when Bulldog reversed Bret’s move for the pinfall victory. As his wife hugged him with tears in her eyes, the fans witnessed the unfolding of real life emotions in the ring. Bret and Davey embraced each other, and the moment remains engraved in the minds of the fans who witnessed that once in a lifetime spectacle.
Shane McMahon’s falls from the top of the entrance props at SummerSlam 2000 Shane McMahon is better known to the WWE management and his peers as the local daredevil. Although he was born with a silver spoon, Shane has done some crazy spots in his day, and the biggest of them being at SummerSlam 2000 and Backlash 2001.
Shane defended his WWF Hardcore title against ‘The lethal weapon’ Steve Blackman, and during the bout, he fell from the top of the entrance props, taking a dive from nearly 30 odd feet! With the crowd roaring on top of their lungs, Shane once again proved why he was truly one of a kind.
Randy Savage – Miss Elizabeth – A match made in Heaven – SummerSlam ‘91 There has never been, nor ever will be a couple in the WWE more loved by the fans than Savage – Miss Elizabeth. With the grace of Elizabeth and the aura of the Macho Man, the couple could connect with the fans like no other. When the couple got married on – screen at SummerSlam ’91, it was arguably the most memorable instance in the company’s history.
With the fans being reduced to tears, this segment crossed the line between reality and acting. With the thousands of screaming fans, this segment will remain the most popular SummerSlam moment in WWE history.
