After much hype, the list is finally here. I spent a weekend watching a variety of SummerSlam matches from years past. I probably watched about 40 total. And I’ve narrowed the list down to 25. I really didn’t have a set criteria for how I determined my list. I was just loooking for good wrestling, good story telling and good entertainment.
I didn’t assign a star rating to any of these matches. All of them are at least ***1/2 stars, and the majority are probably at least **** stars. This isn’t meant to be a play-by-play of everything that happened. It is just my list of 25 with a brief recap and reason as to why they made the list.
This is my list and I’m sure everyone will have their disagreements, so feel free to share yours.
25. 1989- Brain Busters vs The Hart Foundation
-The job of any opening match is to get the crowd into the action. If you have a good opener, and the crowd is alive for it, that’s usually a sign that the crowd will be hot all night. These two teams did a good job of getting the crowd going. Of course, with guys like Bret Hart, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson in the ring that makes the job easier. These two teams went on to have some good matches together. This of course was at a time when the tag team division mattered.
24. 2006- I Quit Match: Ric Flair vs Mick Foley
-Yeah the ending may have been lame with Melina getting involved, but these two deserve a spot on this list for going all out at their age in a match like this. Sure Mick Foley is insane, and Ric Flair is crazy as well. But going through thumb tacks? These guys put on an entertaining brawl. It may have been short but it was fun to watch. Two legends in the business putting on a bloody brawl for our entertainment.
23. 2005- Ladder Match for the Custody of Dominic: Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero
-First of all, maybe more social workers should let custody of kids be determined in ladder matches. There were a couple of clearly blown spots in this match, including Vickie Guerrero missing her cue and Eddie visibly swearing and over-reacting to it. But there were also some very good spots, including Rey reversing an electric chair attempt into a powerbomb off the ladder. Eddie did a great job of playing the sadistic heel here and that is what made this over the top program work.
22. 2009- D-X vs Legacy
-There were a handful of people who had hesitations with Legacy feuding with DX. Two young guys going up against veterans. The WWE usually is hesitant to put younger guys over. And while Legacy may not have won this match, they came out of it looking strong. HHH and Shawn Michaels did a good job of making Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase’s offense look effective. Legacy came off looking well prepared in the match and always coming up with something when DX looked like they would get the upper hand. And the announcers actually did a good job of putting over Legacy throughout.
21. 1996- WWF Championship: Shawn Michaels (c) vs Vader
-I’ve always considered Vader one of the best, if not the best, big man worker in wrestling history. He was very agile for his weight and could go with whoever was put in the ring with him. I’m a big Shawn Michaels fan, and even I will tell you that Vader should have won the Title here. HBK chasing Vader would have been much better than losing the Title to Sid a few months later. But these two put on an entertaining match despite the two false finishes that happened. It was a bit over booked because HBK didn’t want to lose. But Michaels was over at the time and the crowd was into the match.
20. 2008- John Cena vs Batista
-To this day I’m still surprised they did the first ever match between these two here. I thought for sure it would have been at Wrestlemania. People were skeptical on how good of a match these two could have, but they did a damn fine job putting on a good one. It helped that it was a match the crowd wanted to see, so they were into every big move and near fall. The Batista Bomb with Cena jumping off the ropes had everyone. Solid outing from both men.
19. 1998- WWF Championship: Steve Austin (c) vs The Undertaker
-The WWF was reaching the Attitude Era at this point in time. And these two put on an entertaining brawl. The highlight of the match was Taker’s leg drop off the top rope onto Austin out on the table. They also brawled through the crowd and Austin took a hard backdrop on the floor. Taker shook Austin’s hand after the match, showing Austin the respect he thought he deserved. These two have put on some entertaining matches throughout their careers and this may have been the best of the bunch.
18. 1992- Randy Savage (c) vs The Ultimate Warrior: WWF Championship
-Everyone always remembers another match from this show for obvious reasons. But this match delivers as well. These two put on a classic at Wrestlemania 7, and they put on another strong match here. And of course, with Randy Savage involved, that is almost a given. The storyline played up in this match was that Mr. Perfect was going to be in one of the guys corners. That’s because Ric Flair wasn’t in the match. If this happened nowadays, it would have been a Triple Threat Match. Heenan does a great job playing the angle up on commentary. The crowd was behind the challenger Warrior here. A good wrestling match that the crowd was into the entire time, with a strong angle to carry it as well.
17. 2002- Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio
-The second opening match on the list. But of course, with these two guys involved, would you expect anything less? It was a fast paced match throughout and the crowd was into it. It was a great choice to get the crowd going. Rey had just debuted so he was over. And we all know how good Angle is in the ring. Rey hit an awesome rolling senton over the ref onto Angle on the outside that garnered a “Holy Shit” chant from the audience. A good ending too with Angle countering a hurricarrana attempt into an Ankle Lock.
16. 2000- Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit: 2 out of 3 Falls
-I liked this match because it was non-stop, intense action throughout. They started with a brawl early on. Jericho did a great job selling a shoulder injury the entire match. These two had a pretty intense feud building up to this match. And of course we got the great promo with Jericho saying he would wrestle Benoit anywhere, including on a boat or with a goat. These two had good chemistry in the ring and I would have liked to see this match go a little longer. It probably would have been higher on the list if it did.
15. 2001- Ladder Match for the Hardcore Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs Rob Van Dam
-Fans had been used to seeing TLC Matches from the WWF in the last few years leading up to this match. It was different with these two, and it was a nice change of pace. RVD was the only member of the Alliance over at the time. And these two were still motivated so they put on a good match. RVD hit a nice rolling thunder from one corner to the other. RVD hit a nice suplex off the ladder, but also missed a spinning heel kick with Jeff hanging in the air. It wasn’t an over the top spot fest, but it was a solid ladder match that the crowd was into.
14. 2003- WWE Championship: Kurt Angle (c) vs Brock Lesnar
-This match wasn’t as good as their Wrestlemania 19 encounter, but it was still fun to watch. Lesnar this time had Vince McMahon trying to help him win the Title. But the attempt failed and Lesnar tapped out to the Ankle Lock. Angle was just coming back from a broken neck and you could tell he didn’t risk too much here. Lots of the bumps were quite simple and he didn’t do anything crazy. But basic, psychological mat wrestling can be good if done the right way, and these two did it here.
13. 2000- Triple Threat Match for the WWF Championship: The Rock (c) vs Triple H vs Kurt Angle
-It’s weird, but sometimes the Champion plays second fiddle in a Title match. And that is what kind of happened here. The Rock may have been the WWF Champion, but the main story was between Kurt Angle, HHH and Stephanie McMahon. In the weeks up to the match Angle had been making overtures at Stephanie, including kissing her at one point. The match was mostly between HHH and Rock after Angle left early due to a concussion. It picked up once Angle returned, at the request of Stephanie. Angle’s return added to the intensity of the match. Lots of close near falls before The Rock retained. Angle left carrying Steph away after she took an inadvertent punch from Triple H.
12. 1995- Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Shawn Michaels (c) vs Razor Ramon
-Forget the ladder spots in this match. To this day, I still find it nuts that HBK took that suplex spot to the outside. He could have risked a bad back injury, or even injured his ankle hitting the guard rail. One thing I like about these early ladder matches is that they weren’t really a spot fest (not that I have a problem with that nowdays, it could just be different sometimes). Instead, there was actual wrestling and psychology involved. Razor worked over HBK’s leg for a good ten minutes. The ladder was only used about half the match as a weapon. HBK was originally suppose to face Sid here, but thankfully it was changed. People still argue to this day which ladder match was better between these two. I think I would give this one a slight edge. Better ring psychology early on.
11. 2011- WWE Championship: John Cena vs CM Punk (w/Triple H As Special Guest Referee)
-The match isn’t as good as their Money in the Bank match, but these two still have great chemistry in the ring. Despite my colleague Matt Harrak’s disagreements, I still Punk is Cena’s greatest rival, not Edge. The match was a bit slow paced in the beginning but picked up in the final ten minutes or so. One problem I have today is wrestlers far too often kick out of other’s finishers. Both Cena and Punk did it here. I wasn’t a big fan of the finish either. Cena had his foot on the rope before the one count. It should have been done after two to make it more believable that HHH missed it. Despite those minor flaws, these two still put on an entertaining match. I could watch these two wrestle all day.
10. 2011- No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Christian (c) vs Randy Orton
-This is another match that tends to get looked over by some people. Everyone remembers the CM Punk/John Cena match from this show, but I think this match was just slightly better as you can tell by my rankings. Randy Orton and Christian put on a series of good matches during 2011 and this was the culmination of it. Their feud had gotten to the point where a No Holds Barred match was a proper conclusion. Christian did most of the bumping during the match. He went through two tables, got a DDT on a garbage can and took an RKO on the steps. I put this higher than Cena/Punk mainly because this was a clean finish.
9. 2009- TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs CM Punk
-Despite these two going on to fight one more time on Smackdown, this was for all purposes the blowoff to what was a great feud in the summer of 2009. CM Punk grew so much as a heel character in the WWE during this time period. The match itself was very brutal. Everyone remembers Jeff Hardy’s Swanton Bomb off a 20 foot ladder. But there were many other brutal spots, including a superplex onto a ladder and a handful of violent looking chair shots. I’m glad this got the main event slot of this show because nothing else could have followed it. A great showing from both men in the match, with each putting their bodies on the line.
8. 1991- Intercontinental Championship: Mr. Perfect (c) vs Bret Hart
-During the 1980s and 1990s of the WWF, the Intercontinental Title was often seen as the workhorse belt in the company. While the WWF Champion was often the biggest star and the one who drew the most money, the IC Champ was often considered the best worker in the company. And with Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect fighting over that Title here, they put on a classic fight. It was a breakout match for Bret. There were a handful of excellent counters and near falls throughout, and they kept a solid pace going the whole match. Bret also kicked out of the Perfect Plex. Kicking out of a finishers was very rare during that time period.
7. 2000- TLC Match for the Tag Team Championship: Edge and Christian (c) vs The Dudleys vs The Hardys
-This match may have been nothing but a spot fest, but it was a damn entertaining one. It was a precursor of what was to come when we got more TLC matches. You cringed with every bump that was taken in this match. Whether it was Bubba going through four tables on the outside, Matt Hardy going through a table, Jeff’s dive off the top of a ladder through a table or D-Von and Jeff dangling in the air and taking hard falls. All six of these men risked life and limb to put on an entertaining match and they didn’t disappoint. These six had great matches with each other throughout their careers.
6. 2001- WWF Championship: Steve Austin (c) vs Kurt Angle
-There are a lot of people who like to block out the Invasion angle time period. And rightfully so. That was so poorly booked as a whole that it should be forgotten. But this match was the gem of that time period. Kurt Angle was hot going into the match. The crowd wanted to see Angle win the WWF Title. The match itself was just a brawl. No technical wrestling here. Angle kicked out of three Stunners and was a bloody mess after being ran into the ringpost. I think the trigger should have been pulled at this show and Angle should have won the Title. But they decided to go with a screwy ending and Austin retaining via DQ. Had it not been for that finish, this match might have been in the Top 3.
5. 1998- Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: The Rock (c) vs Triple H
-Yes, there was once a time when these two men weren’t main eventers in the WWE. Both men were considered up and comers at this point. But their respective performances in this match pretty much guaranteed them a bright future in the company down the line. The Rock dominated most of the match, catapulting HHH into a ladder on the outside as well as back dropping HHH onto a ladder. He also hit the People’s Elbow with HHH on a ladder in the ring, which drew strong applause and a “ROCKY” chant from the audience. HHH did a great job selling his injured leg. The crowd was into every move of the match. Once this one was over, there was no doubt that these two would soon be at the main event level in the WWE. I had this as the highest ladder match on my list for the simple reason that you wouldn’t expect these guys to put on such an entertaining ladder match, but they did.
4. 2008- Hell In A Cell: Edge vs The Undertaker
-Another match that was the culmination of a lengthy feud between these two. One thing I liked was that Edge no sold any fear he had going into the match. His look and actions showed he wasn’t intimidated. There were a handful of good spots in the match, including Edge spearing Taker through the cell wall. Then on the outside, Edge ran across the announce tables and speared Taker through the final one. While the match didn’t have a Title on the line, I definitely agree that it should have main evented the show. The intensity of the feud carried over into the match, and nothing would have been able to top it.
3. 1992- Intercontinental Championship: Bret Hart (c) vs British Bulldog
-When you have over 80,000 people in Wembley Stadium into a match, you’re doing a good job. The IC Title was the main event of this show, and Bret Hart and the British Bulldog but on a great display of wrestling. Consider an early but tamer version of John Cena/CM Punk from Money in the Bank as far as crowd reaction goes. The crowd was firmly behind Bulldog and against Bret Hart. The atmosphere alone makes this a Top 5 match on this list. The match itself was great as well. It was the best of Bulldog’s career, and it showed that Bret could be a big time player in the WWF. And only a couple of months later, he would become WWF Champion.
2. 1994- Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship: Bret Hart (c) vs Owen Hart
-These two had a great brother vs brother feud in 94. I’m sure there were actually a lot of people who knew what Owen was going through, always living in the shadow of their older brother. One thing I like about this match is you could only win via escaping the cage, and it added to the drama of the match. The crowd was into every move to the open door or climb over the top. It’s a match that today’s wrestling fan might not enjoy as much but it was GREAT for the time period it took place in. You could tell both men worked a long time on how the match would play out. There weren’t a lot of big spots. But the superplex hit from the top of the cage was great and unique for the time period. A great match that ended an almost year long feud between these two.
1. 2002: Non-Sanctioned Match: Shawn Michaels vs Triple H
-I think you could make arguments for any of these Top 3 matches to be #1 on this list. This one gets my vote for #1. The crowd was emotionally invested into every move in this match. Everytime HBK took a bump on his back the crowd cringed. Shawn Michaels also proved that after being away from the wrestling ring for over 4 years, he still had it. And that is why he is one of the best ever. Triple H and Shawn Michaels work so well together, whether it is as partners or adversaries. This match is the best of the bunch between these two. For HBK to come back and wrestle a match like this was simply amazing. When HBK started his comeback the crowd never sat down for the last ten minutes. HBK’s look on his face when he jumped off the top through HHH on the table on the outside was great. A great match with a great ending, and Triple H got some nuclear heat for his post-match attack. Jim Ross added so much on commentary as well.
So what do you say? Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below. All feedback is appreciated.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
