Before we continue, this writer would be remiss if he didn’t mention how daunting a task coming up with this list was. Ranking 26 matches required a ton of research. It also forced us to look some of the worst matches in WWE history *cough * Mabel vs. Diesel*cough*. In some cases there where multiple main events at the ppv. For our purposes, we will consider the match that closed the show as the main event (so even though CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Big Show was great match and also happened to be for the WWE title, Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H closed the show so it would make the list, not the title match.).
26. Diesel vs. King Mabel- WWF Championship Match (1995)
The first thing that needs to be said about this match is it was awful. Usually this would be the part were the person writing would say something positive about the match or the competitors.
After being force to look this match again, this writer has nothing nice to say about anyone involved. Just... Just… Move on please.
25. Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage and Zeus (1989)
This was another pretty terrible match. You would think having Hogan and Savage involved would balance out the fact that Brutus Beefcake and Zeus were involved, but nope. Not at all. Not even Savage’s above average skills could save this from being a train wreck. Side note: “No Holds Barred” was a terrible movie. Just saying.
24. Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa (1991)
The only reason the Hogan/Beefcake vs. Savage/Zeus match landed before this one on the list is because no one taught Zeus how to fall down without looking like and idiot. If anyone took the time to teach him how to sell, this steaming cluster you-know-what would be number 25 on the list. The sad part is a match that featured Sgt. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik (Colonel Mustafa) would usually be pretty good. Not in this case. Warrior lumbered around the ring as he and Hogan decided to take turns playing their favorite game: No Sell-Monopoly. The match ended in hilariously ironic fashion as Hogan threw powder in Slaughter’s eyes. Once again, you did in fact read that correctly. The face (good guy) champion cheated to win. Yeah that makes total sense.
23. Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger- WWF Championship Match (1993)
Lex Luger was being groomed to be the next Hulk Hogan. Ok, I will give you a few minutes to get all of your laughter out. What better way to get Hogan-light over than to give him a big bad foreign nemesis. In 1993 it didn’t get much bigger or… um… foreign than Yokozuna. The tag line on this match was it would be Luger’s only shot at the title. Luger hit Yoko with his loaded elbow, which caused Yoko to tumble outside of the ring, which lead to a count out. Luger won, but Yoko kept the title. It seems at the eleventh hour Vince came to his senses and realized making Luger the face of your company was not best for business.
22. The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage) vs. the Mega Bucks (The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant) (1988)
This match took place at the inaugural SummerSlam ppv. For 1988, this was probably the biggest match you could book on any ppv. The only problem was at this point Andre wasn’t exactly in the best condition. That said it wasn’t the worst match in Summer Slam history. Savage and DiBiase carried most of the action but that is to be expected considering all of the combatants. The match ends after Elizabeth distracts Andre, DiBiase, and everyone with a heartbeat by removing her dress. Even thought the match was only so-so, seeing Elizabeth half dress makes it totally worth it.
21. The Undertaker vs. the Undertaker (1994)
It hurts to put an Undertaker match this low on the list, but this match wasn’t any where near as good as it could have been. The fake Undertaker (Prime Time Brian Lee) was decent in the ring. This whole angle just didn’t work. Jerry Lawler remarked that both Undertaker’s look identical. Someone needs to get Lawler a new prescription. Slapping white paint on someone’s face does not an Undertaker make.
20. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude-WWF Championship Cage Match (1990)
This cage match wouldn’t be confused as one of the greatest, but it was still pretty entertaining. Rick Rude used every trick in the book to make Warrior look like a million bucks. If Rude actually won, this match would have been much higher on the list.
19. Booker T vs. the Rock-WCW Title Match (2001)
People will probably have a hissy fit that this match is listed at 19, but you have to be realistic. Leave the universal love for the Rock and Booker T out of it. This match was good, but not great. One of the main things that takes away from this match is the fact that they had to follow Stone Cold Steve Austin defending the WWF title against Kurt Angle. Now that match was epic. Angle kicked out for three Stunners. If it actually closed the show, it would have probably been top three on the list. The most memorable thing about this match was the clothesline from hell Shane McMahon took from Bradshaw.
18. Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels (2005)
When you look at the two people who involved in this match you would think it would have been an instant classic. And it was, just not for the reasons you would think. It was reported that Hogan refused to put HBK over, so when it came down to it HBK chose to do the right thing and put Hogan over. In typical HBK fashion he did his best to make Hogan look as good as possible. So good Hogan seemed to have super powers. One punch from Hogan would send HBK flying to the other side of the arena. HBK overselling everything Hogan did was worth the price of admission.
17. Edge vs. John Cena-WWE Championship Match (2006)
This writer was actually in attendance for this match. It was a good one. All signs pointed to Cena coming out on top. Edge cost Cena the title a few months ago against Rob Van Dam. He also when to Cena’s father’s house and smacked the hell out of him. Against all odds, Edge managed to retain after a well-placed brass knucks shot to the back of Cena’s head.
16. Team WWE vs. Nexus (2010)
The build to this match was great. The tension between team WWE was palatable. In contrast the Nexus never looked better. Shockingly, Team WWE added Daniel Bryan and turned away the Miz, who tried to hold the team hostage. In the end everyone involved had a strong showing, especially the returning Daniel Bryan who was recently fired and rehired. In the end Team WWE prevailed. Can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the Nexus came out on top.
15. John Cena vs. Randy Orton- WWE Championship Match (2007)
What can be said about an Orton/Cena match? They are two of the most polarizing superstars in WWE history. Fact of the matter is the always have good matches. This was not an exception to the rule. Orton was on fire at this point and the logical thing would have been for him to go over. He didn’t but this was an epic contest none the least.
14. Elimination Chamber World Title Match (2003)
This match is affectionately known as the day Goldberg almost killed Chris Jericho. Jericho drew the short straw and got speared through one of the glass pods. The match was exiting, but the finish predictable. HHH pins Goldberg after Goldberg destroys pretty much everyone. This match suffered from the predictability bug.
13. Shawn Michaels vs. Vader-WWF Championship Match (1996)
First thing that needs to be said is Vader should have won this match. The fact that Vader never won the WWF title is a shame. HBK faced probably his biggest challenger (literally and figuratively) at that point. Vader and HBK went at each other. Check it out on the network. You'll be glad you did.
12. Steve Austin vs. Triple H vs. Mankind-WWF Championship Match- (1999)
This match featured three of the stars of the attitude area. This epic triple-threat match did not disappoint. It was a bit out of place having Jesse Venture as the special ref, but with three personalities this strong you need someone as tough as him to keep some semblance of order here. Shockingly Mankind walked away with the belt. He only held it for 24 hours, but a win is a win.
11. Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H (2012)
The build up to this match was pretty good. Watching Brock destroy everyone with the last name McMahon was a nice touch. This match was hard hitting. Finishing moves were buried left and right (pun intended), which is to be expected between these two. Brock spent the entire match working over Triple H’s arm. In the end, Trips was forced to tap out to Brock’s Kimura lock.
10. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar-Undisputed Title Match (2002)
Even though there was never any doubt Brock would prevail, the match still delivered. It was clear leading up to it that this match was all about getting Brock over. All of the sudden the winner of the King of the Ring would be made the number one contender for the WWE title. That has never been the case. In fact, they didn’t announce that would be the case until the ppv. Convenient much? What better way to accomplish that than to have him win the title from the Rock? In typical Rock fashion, he did his best to make Brock look like a million bucks. In the end, it only took one F5 to put down the Great One. At this moment Brock’s reign of terror in the WWE truly began.
9. The Undertaker vs. Edge-Hell in a Cell (2008)
Any match involving Edge and the Undertaker is bound to be a classic. This writer isn’t the biggest Edge fan, but man does he deliver when he needs to. This match was no different. Never mind the fact that the match only came about because Edge cheated on then Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero with wedding planner Alicia Fox (just go with it) and she wanted t punish her cheating husband.
What? You forgot about that whole “Vickie being married to Edge thing”? Lucky you. In any event, after Taker damn near killed Edge via a tombstone the match was mercifully over. Edge made the mistake of stirring in the ring as the Taker walked up the ramp. Taker noticed and decided to go back to the ring. Taker proceeded to chokeslam Edge off a ladder through the ring. If that wasn’t enough, the hole in the ring then light on fire. You know… because Edge was chokeslammed straight to hell.
8. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk-TLC World Title Match (2009)
One of the best things on the Smackdown brand in 2009 was the intense feud between CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Hardy had finally been given a world title and CM Punk was the perfect nemesis for the extreme superstar. Both competitors had a chip on their shoulder from being held back in the past. It showed in this match because they threw the kitchen sink at each other. After Hardy missed a Swanton Bomb the medical crew tried to stretcher him out of the arena. Punk tried to climb the ladder but Hardy ran back to the ring. In the end, Punk knocked Hardy of the ladder and claimed the world title for the third time.
7. The Rock vs. Triple H vs. Kurt Angle-WWF Title Match (2000)
This match featured the Rock in his prime, Triple H in his Prime and Kurt Angle in his prime. * drops key board and walks away *
6. CM Punk vs. John Cena Undisputed WWE title Match (2011)
Anytime CM Punk and John Cena lock up, you are in for a treat. This match would have rated higher, but the ending was… well kind of terrible. We were treated to an excellent wrestling match that ended with special guest ref Triple H missing Cena’s leg on the ropes after Punk hit the GTS. To compound this cluster you-know-what, Kevin “I tore my quad reading this” Nash runs in and Power Bombs Punk which leads to Del Rio cashing in Money in the Bank to win the WWE title.
5. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan- WWE Championship (2013)
This match was so important that back in 2013 this writer devoted an entire column to it. Don’t believe me? Look right here. In any event, this match had the potential to alter the fabric of the WWE Universe. Love it or hate it, it actually did. Cena and Bryan held nothing back. You know a match is serious if Cena breaks out more than five moves (just kidding. Vavel USA loves John Cena). As great as this match was (Bryan pinned Cena after the Busaiku knee to win the WWE title) it was overshadowed by HHH’s subsequent heel turn. As Bryan celebrated he infamously pedigreed Bryan, allowing Randy Orton to cash in Money in the Bank to win the WWE title. Love it or hate it, this match led to some of the most compelling story telling in recent memory.
4. Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton-World Title Match (2004)
This match was Randy Orton’s coming out party. No pun intended. Ok, maybe a little pun intended. Randy even being put in this position at this point in his career came out of nowhere. In the end, he delivered. Well during the match. His title reign itself was terrible. Chris Benoit made Randy Orton that night. Orton gets a bad wrap. Whenever someone craps on Orton’s wrestling skill tell him or her to go back and look this match, if anything for the finish alone. Benoit sold the hell out of the RKO.
3. The Undertaker vs. Bret Hart-WWF Championship Match (1997)
At this point, Bret Hart and the Undertaker were two of the biggest names in the wrestling industry. Putting them anywhere near each other equals wrestling gold. Add in the fact that Hart’s arch-nemesis Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee, and you get… you get… um… explosive gold? Sorry, didn’t know were to go with that one. Bret spent most of the match antagonizing the hell out of HBK. The three people involved in this match had one thing in common: They all know how to tell a story in the ring. In the end, Bret spat in HBK’s face, which prompted him to try to take Hart’s head off with a chair. Hart ducked and HBK KO’d Taker. The night ended with HBK having to stare Hart in the face as HBK counted the 1-2-3. Taker lost the world title and it was all because HBK couldn’t keep his cool. This match led to many things: the Montreal screw job included.
2. Steve Austin vs. the Undertaker-WWF Championship Match (1998)
This may be the most controversial placement on the list. Guess what?
This match was AWESOME. Two titans locking horns over the WWF title. Granted this wasn’t actually the first time they met for the belt, but it definitely was the best. During this period the Undertaker and Kane were attached at the hip and basically doing Vince McMahon’s bidding (kinda sorta but not really. They both just really wanted the WWF title) When things went left for Taker, Kane made his way to the ring and Taker sent him away.
In classic Taker fashion if he was going to win, he was going to do it on his terms. Neither superstar pulled any punches. The memory of Taker diving off the top rope to deliver a leg drop off the top to a prone Stone Cold never gets old. Oh and by the way, the table didn’t break!
That in itself may have been the most memorable moment in SummerSlam history. Undertaker went up top for Old School, but Stone Cold pulled him off the top rope and hit a Stone Cold Stunner for the win.
1. Bret Hart vs. the British Bulldog- IC Title Match (1992)
This match being number one should not come as a surprise to anyone. This wrestling match wasn’t about just the IC title, it was also about respect. People forget the rivalry between the British Bulldogs and the Hart Foundation from way back in the day. The seeds for this match were planted that long ago. Never mind the family ties. In the end, the two best wrestlers in the company (yes, they were in fact the best workers in the company at that time) tore the house down in Wembly Stadium.
Bulldog’s in ring work is terribly underrated. Search British Bulldog on the WWE Network and prepare to be amazed. The underlined plot theme in here was the fact that the Hart/Smith family was being torn apart because of this impending contest. Whose corner would Bret’s sister Diana be in? Her Brother or her husband?
In the end, Bulldog managed to keep Hart down for a three count. Bulldog walked away with the IC title, but Bret walked away proving he could carry a main event. Yes, you read that correctly. The IC title match was the main event at SummerSlam 1992. Even Vince McMahon knew enough that no match could follow this one.
As a fan, this writer was a huge Bret Hart mark, so naturally him loosing was both shocking and disheartening. The thing you have to keep in mind that after proving he could main event, Bret went on to win the WWF title a few months later. This was a test. With Bulldog’s help, the Hitman passed with flying colors.
Agree with our list? Take a moment to sound off in the comments section! Vavel wants to know what you think!