As explored in the WrestleMania article earlier this year, many matches from recent years are overlooked. Due to nostalgia, older matches are looked at fondly and usually take top spots in greatest matches of all time lists. Matches like The Undertaker - Bret Hart and The Mega Powers - The Mega-Bucks are looked on as all-time greats, matches that defined an era, but this article looks at the matches that have defined our recent era. Matches that aren’t given the credit they are due solely due to the matches being fresher in the fans mind.
Now with all that said let’s take a look at the five greatest SummerSlam matches of the last decade.
5. Seth Rollins - John Cena (Winner takes all match for the United States and WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Seth Rollins was in the middle of his spectacular run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion when he came across a roadblock in John Cena. The United States Champion looked like he was going to capture his sixteenth world championship. Thankfully this wasn’t the case.
Now unlike the others on the list, this match did not have a good ending, but what saved the match and made it great was in the in ring chemistry and abilities of both men. Seth Rollins showed that he more than deserved the world title and showed off his near perfect technical abilities. He pulled off many spots perfectly including his patented superplex into suplex spot which looked stunning.
What stops this match going higher in the list is the fact that Jon Stewart screwed John Cena. Enough said.
4. Daniel Bryan - John Cena (for the WWE Championship)
The match that started Daniel Bryan’s meteoric rise to superstardom. His first major main event ended in spectacular storyline telling and started one of the greatest storylines in WWE’s history. The match felt huge due to the involvement of John Cena and Triple H. With two already established main event stars it helped elevate Bryan’s status and he proved that night that he belonged in the ring with the biggest superstar of the 21st century, John Cena.
What made this match great was not just the spectacular in ring work of both men, it was the ending. Daniel Bryan going over John Cena clean. Something that was barely seen in the WWE at this time. It established Daniel Bryan as more than just a B plus player and made him look like a main event star, which he was.
The aftermath was even better. Despite being the start of the terribly stale Authority stable it spawned the start of one of Randy Orton’s greatest runs as world champion as he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and turned heel in the process with the help of Triple H. A very emotional match indeed.
3 Brock Lesnar - John Cena (for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
When this match happened at SummerSlam 2014, many fans and critics legitimately couldn’t believe what they just saw. John Cena was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at the time and he was facing The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar fresh off of ending The Undertaker’s undefeated streak.
Now the only way to properly describe this match is simple, a squash match. A squash match in the main event of SummerSlam for the top title in the company against the ‘face that runs the place’ John Cena. Brock Lesnar destroyed John Cena. One suplex at a time.
Now this is on the list purely due to the sheer unexpected one sided nature of the match. It is something that we have never seen before and most likely will never see again. It solidified Brock Lesnar as one of the greatest of all time and made John Cena for one night only look like the weaker man. What a match!
2. CM Punk - Jeff Hardy (for the World Heavyweight Championship)
If there was one match to show off Jeff Hardy’s in ring prowess, it would be this match. He proved that he deserved to be the main event and despite his demons outside of the ring, he was still a terrific performer. The fans loved him and this showed when he squared off against the hottest heel in the company CM Punk. The two had perfect chemistry and there styles mixed together effortlessly.
The match, which this author believes elevated CM Punk’s career, was a career defining bout for both men. They both showed that they were the rightful stars to end such a big event and despite both men being overlooked for the majority of their careers they finally captured their moment in the spotlight. The ladder match included several false finishes and high spots the most notable one being the Swanton Bomb off of the ladder through the announce table.
Both men gave it everything they had and the crowd bought into everything they did. CM Punk left victorious, not without The Undertaker showing up and marking CM Punk as his next victim.
1. The Undertaker - Edge (Hell in a cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship)
This match is the greatest Hell in a Cell match of the last decade and it took place on the SummerSlam 2008 card between two of WWE’s biggest stars ever, The Rated R Superstar and The Deadman.
This feud was one of the best things about WWE in the lackluster year of 2008 and was one of the main draws for WWE SmackDown.
What made this match great was the fact it was the pinnacle of a yearlong feud between The Undertaker and Edge and the story telling was WWE at its finest. The slimey champion trying everything to get one over on The Phenom. After getting screwed constantly The Undertaker finally unleashed hell on the champion.
This author can’t do this match justice in words, so you’ll just have to watch it and see The Undertaker and Edge at the peak of their careers putting on a WWE classic that will be looked back on in many years as one of the greatest matches of all time.
Thank you for reading, do you agree with this list? leave your opinions in the comment section below!