The Greatest Hits and Misses of Summerslam
For 26 years, Summerslam has been a special event for wrestling fans. Once Wrestlemania has passed us by, we always look ahead to what Summerslam will bring us. It's an event that has given us countless great matches and moments such as CM Punk and Brock Lesnar's battle from 2013, or the first ever TLC match in 2000. That's not to say that it's always great as there have been many bad moments as well. I think Diesel vs Mabel, and Undertaker vs Undertaker speak for themselves.
The first part of this review will deal with the greatest matches and moments in the pay-per-view's history, whereas the second part (which will come right after John Cena vs Daniel Bryan) will look at the worst moments and matches in the event's history.
So sit back, relax, and relive 26 years of wrestling history. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed compiling it.
The Greatest Hits
The British Bulldogs vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers
From the 1988 edition. The first ever match in Summerslam history. These teams have a bit of a backstory as it was said in Bret Hart's book that Dynamite Kid had been acting like an ass backstage to the Rougeaus and one of them punched Kid right in the mouth causing him to lose some teeth. I'm not sure if that happened before this or after this match though. This was a nice, old-school tag match that was exciting from start to finish and had the crowd's interest the entire way through. I wish it would have had a definitive finish instead of a draw, but I guess they had to keep both teams strong. Still it was a great tag match. ***1/2
The Ultimate Warrior vs The Honky Tonk Man
From the 1988 edition. I'm not a huge fan of squashes in wrestling, but this may be the only exception. This was a fantastic moment that did two things: it pushed Warrior way up the card and finally ended the WAY too long reign of Honky in a perfect end to his Title run. The match is only thirty seconds long so I'm not gonna rate it, but it's a match worth watching and a great moment for the late Warrior.
The Mega Powers vs The Mega Bucks
From the 1988 edition and here we have Savage and Hogan taking on Dibiase and Andre. I could replay Miss Elizabeth taking off her skirt for years on end. I assume that this is Dibiase and Andre trying to get revenge for their defeat at Wrestlemania. Jesse Ventura is the referee for some reason. The crowd was very hot for this one. This match was a hell of a lot of fun and all four guys seemed motivated. A very good main event that ensured that more Summerslam events would take place in the future. A match that will make you feel like a kid again. ***1/2
The Brainbusters vs The Hart Foundation
From the 1989 edition. Two of WWE's greatest ever tag teams going at it on PPV? Yes please! This match is non-title for some reason. If the Hart Foundation lose then they don't get a Tag Title match for another year according to Jesse Ventura. This match seemed different from most formulaic tag matches at the time and it gave this one a nice, unique feeling to it. A terrific tag contest that had non-stop action from start to finish, and a great example of how to have a tag team match. It might even be the Match of the Year for the WWE. ****
The Ultimate Warrior vs Ravishing Rick Rude
From the 1989 edition and the IC Title is on the line. No offense to the late Warrior, but Rick Rude had to work his ass off to make him look like a good competitor. Rude had stolen the Title from Warrior at Wrestlemania, so this was Warrior's chance for revenge. This is easily Warrior's best match up to this point in time. Why wasn't Warrior DQ'd for hitting Rude with the belt? A strange bending of the rules. The crowd was hot for this one the entire time. The drama towards the finish was awesome. A great match and great job by Rick Rude to make the Warrior look like a star. ***3/4
The Hart Foundation vs Demolition : 2/3 Falls
From the 1990 edition and the Tag Titles are on the line. These teams also had a good match during the first Summerslam event, but I thought that this one was even better. This might also be Demolition's best match ever and it also almost started the dream feud between Demolition and the Road Warriors, but it wasn't to be. Demolition hit their finisher to win the first fall. A DQ gives the Foundation the second fall. The referee looked dumb when he didn't notice Ax replacing Smash to cheat. They don't look very similar. A great tag match though that never became dull or boring during its entire runtime and featured a hot crowd and an exciting finish. Bret rolls up Crush to win the Titles. ***1/2
Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect
From the 1991 edition and the IC Title is on the line. A lot of people prefer the King of the Ring match these guys had in 1993, but I personally think that this match is the better one. Perfect performed brilliantly considering that he was supposed to be having surgery to fix his injured back. Hart was even allowed to kick out of the perfectplex, showing just how much respect Perfect had for Hart. This was a technical classic as these guys went back and forth in a battle for the gold and there were some awesome dramatic nearfalls as well. The ref kind of screwed up the finish by calling on the bell too early, but that's just a minor point to what was a fantastic contest. A great job by both guys. ****1/2
Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior
From the 1992 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. A rematch from Wrestlemania VII except both guys are babyfaces this time. The storyline here was that one of these guys had joined up with Ric Flair, but it wasn't revealed. In fact I don't think it was ever revealed. This would be Warrior's last WWF PPV appearance until 1996. The crowd was behind Warrior and some were against Savage. This was a long one but a good one and the crowd was hot throughout. It did get a little overbooked at times with Mr Perfect and Ric Flair, but it was still an awesome match overall as these guys have incredible chemistry. ****
Bret Hart vs The British Bulldog
From the 1992 edition and the IC Title is on the line. Quite possibly the best match in Summerslam history and even one of the best in wrestling history. Bret says that this is his favourite match, and it's not hard to see why. Bret basically carried this whole match and managed to get an all time classic out of the Bulldog who wasn't ready for a match of this caliber. The huge crowd helps as well and they were loud for the entire contest. Just an amazing technical match, that made Bulldog look great and made Bret look like the best in the world (sorry Punk). Amazing match that led to Bret winning his first WWE Championship a few months later. A timeless classic. *****
Bret Hart vs Doink The Clown
From the 1993 edition. This was meant to be Bret vs Jerry Lawler, but Lawler came out with crutches and said he couldn't compete as he was injured due to a car crash, so Doink is out to replace him. Lawler is just awesome at drawing heat. This match was pretty solid with Hart getting distracted due to his hatred for Lawler and that gave Doink the advantage at times. Bret managed to get the upper hand until Jerry came in to cause the DQ and showed that he wasn't injured. **1/4. And this leads us to...
Bret Hart vs Jerry Lawler
Jack Tunney immediately orders this match to take place since Lawler just proved that he wasn't injured at all. The crowd goes nuts for that decision and Bret beats the crap out of him. What an awesome story this is. The intensity for this is off the charts. It was very short but it got the job done and told a great story. The match itself is about **1/4 but I'll give the whole segment ****. Just fantastic.
Tatanka & The Smoking Gunns vs Bam Bam Bigelow & The Headshrinkers
From the 1993 edition. These really don't seem like six guys (besides Bam Bam obviously) that could go out there and have a great match, but here we are. The pacing was surprisingly quick as the action was just non-stop throughout. A terrific forgotten gem in which everyone performed spectacularly. How come this was the only time they ever had this amazing kind of workrate? Anyway an awesome bout worth watching. ***3/4
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart : Steel Cage
From the 1994 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. The best steel cage match ever? Quite possibly. The best one without any blood? Absolutely! The drama was amazing as the crowd went crazy whenever either guy would try to climb out of the cage. Their brilliant chemistry together showed as well and every single move hit perfectly. The superplex from the top of the cage looked fantastic and safe as well which was great. Another terrific contest from the Hart brothers and a MOTYC/all time classic to boot. Absolutely amazing stuff. *****
Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon : Ladder Match
From the 1995 edition and the IC Title is on the line. I have to admit that I prefer this one to their Wrestlemania match. The original is more memorable but I do think that this was the better contest. The ladder bumps were just as good as the original match, but this one had a lot more psychology to it thanks to Shawn's injured leg. In fact I would have given this one the full five stars if it wasn't for Shawn's temper tantrum at the very end as he can't grab the Title belt. Kind of ruins it for me. Still this was an excellent match and probably the best one on one ladder match ever. ****3/4
Shawn Michaels vs Vader
From the 1996 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. Apparently Vader was supposed to be winning this match and the Title, but Shawn threw one of his infamous temper tantrums backstage and thus the result was changed. 90's Michaels is an asshole, but damn he put on some classics, including this one. HBK was a perfect opponent for someone like Vader as he always performed well against smaller opponents like Sting and Ric Flair. Just a terrific big man vs small man match and even Vader was bumping very well. The multiple match restarts towards the end were a bit annoying but they weren't too distracting from what was a great match. ****1/4
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Mankind : Steel Cage
From the 1997 edition. I think this feud had been going for a while at this point and they had just had the match at Canadian Stampede where they fought all around the arena. After that it was time for this feud-ending match. Mankind's elbow from the top of the cage was awesome and a nice tribute to the Snuka splash that inspired Foley. Mankind taking the cage door to the head looked brutal and he may have been concussed after it. A very good cage match that had the crowd hot for the entire duration and their best match until the year 2000. ***3/4
The Undertaker vs Bret Hart
From the 1997 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. Shawn Michaels is the guest referee. One of the most historical matches of all time as it led to the first ever Hell in a Cell match, which in turn led to the Montreal Screwjob. This was a very long match clocking in at almost half an hour. It started slowly but it really built up to a great finish. Taker was the first guy to kick out of a sharpshooter here which was cool. HBK cost Taker the match and set up their great feud. Great match that would be topped at One Night Only. ***1/2
The Rock vs Triple H : Ladder Match
From the 1998 edition and the IC Title on the line. Two years later this could have main evented any show in the WWE. These guys were still mid-carders, but this was the match that showed that they would one day become superstars. An exciting ladder match that was a ton of fun all the way through and the fans at MSG loved it too. A show stealing performance from both guys and a match that will go down in history as one of their best. The next time they'd steal the show would be at Backlash in 2000. ****1/2
The Undertaker vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
From the 1998 edition. Billed as the Highway to Hell, here we have the two biggest stars of the time (or even maybe all time) going at it for the top prize. This one had a lot to follow after the ladder match, but I think they managed it fine. It seemed like Taker was carrying Austin here. Taker's leg drop through the announce table was awesome. Just a great match between these two megastars and an appropriate main event for Summerslam. Weirdly enough it's the only really good match between the two. ***3/4
Shane McMahon vs Test : Greenwich Street Fight
From the 1999 edition. This was billed as a "Love her or Leave her" match. If Test wins he stays with Stephanie, if he loses he leaves Stephanie. I think this might have been the first time that Shane used the elbow drop through the announce table. Man, Test would never be this over with a crowd again. RIP big guy. A surprisingly intense match that might be the best in both guys careers. Definitely Test's best anyway. Test looked great here and just when he looked to be beaten he would always get up again and fight. A great match. ***1/2
Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit : 2/3 Falls
From the 2000 edition. This is definitely one of the best feuds during this time period as they always managed to top their last performance. This was their best yet and even this was topped at the Royal Rumble. You would never believe that these two were best friends because they looked like they had such hatred for one another. An awesome match that had a fantastic pace from start to finish. The arm psychology was very well done too. The match ended 2-1 to Benoit. Incredible stuff. ****1/2
Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz : TLC
From the 2000 edition and the Tag Titles are on the line. Here we are, the first ever TLC match and it was in the Hardy Boyz's hometown. Still makes me wonder why E&C won the thing. This could be the greatest TLC match ever. It's between this and the TLC at Wrestlemania 17. I never wanted this match to end. It feels much shorter than 15 minutes thanks to how much fun it is to watch. Edge and Christian win after taking out all other competitors. Amazing is the word to describe this. Easily the match of the night, and maybe the match of the year. *****
Kurt Angle vs Triple H vs The Rock
From the 2000 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. This was Angle's first real shot at the top and he would stay there for the rest of his WWE career. This is mainly remembered for Angle suffering a head injury as he was pedigreed through the announce table and had to be taken to the back. Luckily he was able to come back for the second half of the bout. Great match as Rock and HHH already had awesome chemistry, and Angle added a lot to the contest too once he came back to the ring. Fun stuff. ***3/4
Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam : Ladder Match
From the 2001 edition and the Hardcore Title is on the line. This must have been a dream match for its time. These guys had already stolen the show at the Invasion PPV, and they looked to do it again tonight. Hardy's Whisper in the Wind to the outside of the ring looked fantastic. I guess they didn't need ladders to wow the crowd. Naturally the ladder spots and high spots were over the top considering who's in the ring, but that didn't stop them from being awesome. A terrific ladder match that's kind of forgotten but so worth checking out. ****
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle
From the 2001 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. Now this is one hell of a forgotten gem. This one made Kurt Angle look like an absolute star. It may have ended in DQ but the DQ worked in terms of storytelling as Austin got himself DQ'd because he knew that he couldn't beat Angle on this night so he had to take the easy way out and attack all the refs. Angle kicked out of three stunners for god's sake! That was unbelievable to see. A fantastic contest that definitely deserves more recognition. A classic and one of the best in Summerslam history. ****1/2
Rob Van Dam vs Chris Benoit
From the 2002 edition. The winner of this one would take the IC Title back to their respective brand: Benoit for Smackdown and RVD for Raw. I think this is the only PPV match they've had together which is a shame because this was an awesome contest. There was some nice innovative offence here like Benoit's multiple northern lights suplexes and RVD putting on a crossface. RVD hits the five star frogsplash to win the title. An impressive showing for both competitors. ****
Triple H vs Shawn Michaels : Unsanctioned Street Fight
From the 2002 edition. I don't think anyone was expecting the quality of match that we received on this night. Shawn had been out for over four years with a major back injury, and everyone questioned whether or not he would be able to even go a full match. We needn't have worried. Shawn showed us that he was better than ever before and it seemed like he had never been gone and showed no signs of ring rust. Amazingly, Shawn would give us another eight years of classic matches and moments. The match itself is absolutely fantastic with HHH working on HBK's back most of the time and he looked like the biggest heel in the company. An all time classic and possibly the best Summerslam match ever. *****
Brock Lesnar vs The Rock
From the 2002 edition and the Undisputed Title is on the line. Up until this year's Wrestlemania, I would have said that this is Lesnar's biggest win of his career. I think it has been relegated to the second biggest win. The crowd was totally behind Lesnar here and against the Rock as he was heading back to Hollywood. An exciting, fast paced contest and Lesnar looked like Rocky's equal the entire time. A sure sign that it was his time to become the man. A fantastic match as Lesnar once again comes out looking like an unbeatable monster. ****
Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle
From the 2003 edition and the WWE Title is on the line. Angle returned from injury for the Vengeance PPV and won the Title. Now Brock had finally turned heel again and wanted his prize back. Weirdly enough, while this was a great match, it wasn't as good as their Mania match even though both guys were injured during that one. This started a little slowly but once Lesnar started getting angry it became very good. I didn't really see the need for Vince's involvement but it didn't affect the match too much. A great match with an exciting finishing sequence. ***3/4
Randy Orton vs Chris Benoit
From the 2004 edition and the World Title is on the line. At the time it did seem pretty obvious that Orton was going to leave with the Championship but that didn't stop this from being a great contest. It was a great moment for Orton (even if it doesn't exist in the mind of WWE) but unfortunately he didn't do much after this win and wasn't a major player until 2007. Orton applying his own sharpshooter was pretty cool and I'm surprised that the Canadian crowd didn't completely turn on him. A well paced match that started with some mat work and built to an exciting finish as Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere to win the Title. Fantastic main event. ****
John Cena vs Chris Jericho
From the 2005 edition and the WWE Title is on the line. This would end up being Jericho's final PPV match until Armageddon 07. This was also the first PPV in which Cena was booed by about half the audience, something that would continue almost ten years later, so I guess you could call that quite a big moment for him. These guys had a nice back and forth match and Jericho made Cena look like a star as Jericho seems to be a star-making machine nowadays. Great stuff. ***3/4
Shawn Michaels vs Hulk Hogan
From the 2005 edition. Here we have Icon vs Icon and pretty much a dream match come true, even if only one of the combatants is in fighting condition. I think the story is that Shawn was originally booked to win, but Hogan used his politics to change that decision and give himself the win. Shawn got his own back by completely overselling Hogan's offense and it was hilarious to watch. I think the match itself was really good and very entertaining, mainly thanks to Shawn wrestling himself. Good stuff and I hope that Hogan is happy with his victory. ***1/2
Mick Foley vs Ric Flair : I Quit
From the 2006 edition. Two completely opposite superstars colliding here. These guys have no love for each other and it made for a heated battle and a surprisingly brutal one at that. You could feel the hatred. Foley is always known for taking huge bumps but I've also got to give Flair props for some of the bumps he took in this match like the barbed wire board to the face or taking a body slam onto thumb tacks. He is one crazy son of a bitch. The finish was kind of lame with Foley quitting to protect Melina, but this was still an awesome match while it lasted and one of the most brutal I've seen in the WWE. ***1/2
John Cena vs Randy Orton
From the 2007 edition and the WWE Title is on the line. This is the first time these two guys have went one on one at a PPV and the first time they have fought for the WWE Title and would fight for it multiple times in the future (felt like dozens and it probably was). They would also fight two years later at the 2009 Summerslam, just with a different result except that that match sucked. Great match and quite possibly their best with one another as Cena made Orton look like a star for the first time in a while. Cena hits the FU to retain. ****
John Cena vs Batista
From the 2008 edition. This was a pretty huge match at the time, since these were two of the biggest names in the WWE, and yet they had never really had any fights, except for the ending of the 2005 Rumble. They showed with this match that they had great chemistry together, and would go on to have a good feud in 2010 as well. Batista did injure Cena here though and put him out of action for a few months. Still it was an excellent power against power contest with both guys trying to prove that they were always the better man. ****
Undertaker vs Edge : Hell in a Cell
From the 2008 edition. The final match for one of the best feuds of 2008. This is very close to being their best match, but I'd have to give the edge (no pun intended) to their Wrestlemania match. This match did have some awesome spots like the spear through the announce table and the chokeslam through two wooden tables. Taker finally giving Edge his comeuppance was awesome and beat him using moves that Edge used against him, such as a spear and hitting him with a camera. Fantastic match overall and the first of the only two truly great Cell matches in the the PG era. ****1/2
CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy : TLC Match
From the 2009 edition and the Worls Title is on the line. One of the best feuds of 2009 hits its breaking point with a TLC match. Jeff Hardy's specialty matc . Nice to see they got the main event spot, even though nothing could have followed them. Jeff being dropped onto a set-up chair looked brutal. The superplex on the ladder looked very sick and dangerous. Jeff's swanton onto the announce table was the holy shit moment of the match and still looks insane. One of the best one on one TLC matches ever. Incredible stuff. ****1/4. After the match the Undertaker returns to let Punk know that he's coming for him.
Team WWE vs The Nexus
From the 2010 edition. This marks Bryan's first WWE PPV appearance, as he was stupidly fired for strangling Justin Roberts on TV. This was also Bret Hart's first Summerslam match since facing the Undertaker in 1997. Bryan received a nice pop from the crowd and looked great during the match as he was only eliminated by nefarious means, and got a couple of eliminations himself. The crowd was hot for this one thanks to the great build-up leading up to it. A tremendous tag team match, even if it ruined the Nexus in the long run due to SuperCena making an appearance. ****1/4
Randy Orton vs Christian : No Holds Barred
From the 2011 edition and the World Title is on the line. A fantastic feud ends here in spectacular fashion. This is my favourite match from this feud (although the Over the Limit match comes very close). It's easily Christian's best singles match and one of Orton's best as well. This was insanely entertaining and exciting all the way through and they used the No Holds Barred stipulation well as they used a ton of weapons and Christian went through a total of three tables. A fantastic match with a sick ending as Christian is given an RKO onto the steel steps. ****1/2
CM Punk vs John Cena
From the 2011 edition to decide who the Undisputed WWE Champion was. There was no way in hell that these guys were gonna be able to replicate the MITB classic, but they damn sure tried their best. Both guys being Champion made things interesting, and their insane chemistry only added fuel to the fire. HHH wasn't needed here though. The counter wrestling was great and kept the match unpredictable until the controversial finish as Cena had his foot on the rope for the final pin. A classic match that really deserves more recognition. ****1/2
Brock Lesnar vs Triple H
From Summerslam 2012. This was billed as the Perfect Storm and it was pretty much anything goes as HHH told the referee not to step in at any time. I was excited to see these two go one on one at the time as it was a kind of dream match, but it was a bit disappointing. It was still a very good match but I was expecting a brawl considering the storyline between the two. It seemed like they were keeping the best stuff for Wrestlemania, but that match was more disappointing than this one. Still I'll give it props for a fun start and an exciting finish, but it did drag in the middle quite a bit. It is one that looks better after each viewing. Lesnar makes HHH tap to the arm lock. ***1/2
Christian vs Alberto Del Rio
From the 2013 edition and the World Title is on the line. Sadly this one seems destined to become a forgotten gem in the future, but I'm gonna keep it remembered here as it was a terrific match. The two main events on the same night completely overshadow this one, but on any other night this could have been the show stealing match. The match was well paced and was highly entertaining all the way through as these guys seemed very motivated and determined to have a good match. The nearfalls were well done and the arm psychology was sound. A fantastic World Title match. ****
Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk : No DQ
From Summerslam 2013. I've already heaped so much praise onto this match, but I'm gonna add some more, because this is my hundredth time watching it and it's still one of the best matches I've ever seen. The intensity is off the charts, and both guys looked extremely motivated. Lesnar deserves more credit for his work in the ring, such as his trash talk because it can make a match that little bit better, and it was awesome here. It's just a shame that the Punk/Heyman storyline didn't end here and ended up going on for way too long with guys like Curtis Axel and Ryback. Anyway this is still quite easily the Match of the Year and the only other match coming close is the main event. Absolutely fantastic stuff here and Brock was finally used properly. *****
Daniel Bryan vs John Cena
From the 2013 edition and the WWE Title is on the line. I feel so bad for not calling this the Match of the Year, but it definitely deserves like a runner up prize or a very honourable mention. What can I say about this match that hasn't already been said? This was Bryan's moment in the sun and he went over Cena completely cleanly and made himself a huge star in the process. It definitely helps that this was an amazing back and forth battle that felt like a war was being waged. Fantastic match and a fantastic moment as Bryan wins his first WWE Title, even if it was ruined by Orton. *****
The Biggest Misses of Summerslam
Time for my fun to end as I now need to watch all the awful matches.
The Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude : Steel Cage
From the 1990 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. This one is here more for disappointment than anything else considering how great their match was the year before. This really showed that Warrior was not ready for the main event scene. It did start off quite energetically, but that quickly died down. Even Rude couldn't save this one from mediocrity. The fans seemed to be enjoying it but I think they were the only ones. Not the kind of thing you would expect from a Summerslam main event as it was just very forgettable and the finish was dull as well. *1/4
Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior vs Sgt. Slaughter/Colonel Mustafa/General Adnan
From the 1991 edition. The infamous story behind this one is that Warrior held Vince up for more money just hours before the show which in turn led to his quick firing after the show and he wouldn't be seen again until Wrestlemania VIII. For some reason Sid Justice is the referee. This was just a slow, plodding match and even Warrior couldn't bring any energy to it once he was tagged in. Just a boring match overall. *
Legion of Doom vs Money Inc.
From the 1992 edition. Usually you would expect the opener of a big show to be highly entertaining so that the crowd can be fired up for the rest of the show. That's not what we got here. Hawk was pretty much out of it thanks to meds he took which he was known for doing at the time. The crowd was pretty hot for this but that didn't really help it all that much. A slow, boring match as everyone just seemed to be making sure that Hawk didn't hurt himself in some way. A disappointment. 3/4*
Shawn Michaels vs Mr Perfect
From the 1993 edition and the IC Title is on the line. I think this one deserves to be here just because of how disappointing it was. Here you had two of the greatest performers in the WWF at the time going at it on a big stage and it really just didn't live up to expectations. They just didn't have chemistry and it led to some sloppy moments and bad timing. Don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad match at all and there were some good moments, just not enough to make it memorable. The countout finish doesn't help it either. **1/4
The Undertaker vs Giant Gonzales
From the 1993 edition. As if their Wrestlemania match wasn't bad enough they somehow just had to have a rematch at the second biggest show of the year. Gonzales is just the worst wrestler in WWE history. Yes even worse than Khali. I don't know why he wasn't DQ'd for using a chair. Taker tried to make this as entertaining as he could but he had no chance in there. A very slow match with Gonzales on offense most of the time which was just so boring to watch. Paul Bearer's return was the only good part of the contest. DUD
The Undertaker vs The Undertaker
From the 1994 edition. I've really not been looking forward to this one. I've never seen it before but I've heard so many bad things about it. Undertaker took time off after the 94 Royal Rumble and Ted Dibiase introduced a new Taker that obviously wasn't the original. The original Taker came back and wanted a battle with the faker. Well that was a dumb idea. The fans started off hot but they became silent when they realised just how dumb this all was. An awful match that was just awkward to watch and went on for way too long. Stay the hell away from this one. It may be the worst in Summerslam history. Maybe. SUPER ULTRA MEGA DUD
I'll be back in a second, I'm gonna need some alcohol to get through the rest of these matches.
Diesel vs Mabel
From the 1995 edition and the WWF Title is on the line. It's no wonder Diesel's Title reign was such a failure considering he had to go through matches like this. Mabel? Freaking Mabel?! Out of all the superstars on the roster Mabel was the one that deserved a Title shot on the second biggest show of the year? Well now I know why 1995 was the worst year in company history. Diesel looked like he was trying, but Mabel was just not the right opponent for him. A very boring match that felt way too long for what it was and one of the worst WWF Title matches ever. DUD
More booze please.
Kaientai vs The Oddities
From the 1998 edition. This is a 3 on 4 handicap match. This is really just a bad comedy match that featured very little actual wrestling and went on for what felt like ages. I really don't have anything else to say about it. A bad match. DUD
The Kat vs Terri : Stinkface Match
From the 2000 edition. I was going to avoid putting divas matches on this list since they are generally bad anyway, but this one was a special kind of bad. Who the hell came up with a stinkface match anyway? The thongs do redeem it a bit but not enough to actually warrant the match. Whatever 'wrestling' that was in the match was awful. Well the match was just awful anyway. Shitty stuff here. DUD
The Brothers of Destruction vs Diamond Dallas Page & Kanyon : Steel Cage
From the 2001 edition and it will decide the Unified Tag Champs. This storyline had been going on for a while as DDP was stalking Taker's wife, Sara. The whole feud was just a way to bury DDP (including this match) and I don't think we ever saw Kanyon again. The match felt way too long and it was just a squash for Kane and Taker. A boring match that could have easily taken place on free TV. Well even then it would have been shit. *
Shane McMahon vs Eric Bischoff
From the 2003 edition. Really? This was a main match on the second biggest show of the year? It's no wonder why everyone hates the year 2003 in WWE. Shane was pissed off at Eric because he apparently slept with Linda McMahon. I think that's the whole story. Obviously the match sucked and the only highlights were a stunner from Austin and Shane's usual awesome elbow through the announce table. A contest that really didn't need to exist at all. 1/4*
Hulk Hogan vs Randy Orton
From the 2006 edition. Billed as the Legend vs The Legend Killer. Should have been the Rising Star vs The Rising Star Killer. Why Orton didn't win this is an absolute mystery to me. Why did Hogan need the win so much? Poor Orton floundered around the mid-card and tag team scene until the middle of 2007 after this. The usual Hogan crap you would expect really. 1/2*
Batista vs King Booker
From the 2006 edition and the World Title is on the line. This is Batista's first chance to win the World Title back as he has been injured since the end of 2005. These guys never had good matches together as they just had no chemistry together. I think they had heat backstage so that probably had something to do with it. It didn't take long for the boring chants to start. Booker's chinlocks went on for way too long and started putting me to sleep. The fact that it ended in DQ doesn't help it in any way. It did get a little better towards the finish but not enough to save the whole thing. *
Batista vs The Great Khali
From the 2007 edition and the World Title is on the line. Oh yeah Khali was the World Champion at that point. I'm glad to have been reminded of that nightmare-inducing fact. This doesn't seem like a World Title match worthy of any PPV ever (well maybe December to Dismember). A dull, crappy match that also featured a DQ ending. Yeah as if we didn't need another 'Fuck you' from this whole situation. Just hurry up and give Batista the Title back already. DUD
Kane vs The Great Khali
From the 2009 edition. These are two guys that we didn't really need a PPV rematch from. I'd have thought that they'd have learned their lesson after Taker/Gonzales but I guess not. Sadly they wouldn't even learn their lesson from this one and gave them a rematch at Breaking Point. Just the slow plodding match that you would expect from the giants. It wasn't DUD bad but it was still bad. 1/4*
Bonus Match
Seeing as we all know the main event for Summerslam this year, I thought this match would be appropriate for review:
Brock Lesnar vs John Cena : Extreme Rules
From Extreme Rules 2012. It had been eight years since Lesnar had been in the WWE, so it was exciting to see him back again. Everyone was wondering what the match would be like since it was Lesnar's first in a long time, but I don't think anyone was prepared for what we got. The whole match felt real, as if it was a shoot fight. Every move looked painful (yes even the AA) and the first ten seconds gave us one of wrestling's most shocking moments when Brock legitimately busted Cena open. Cena winning is still dumb and I still don't know why they went with it. Still apart from a dumb booking decision this is a must see battle. ****3/4
Let me know if you think I missed out any great matches or any bad ones. I hope you enjoyed the read.
