The Great Eight: Top 8 WWE SummerSlam Main Events

Last week, I covered the opening matches for SummerSlam, so that makes this week the Main Event column! I won’t spend a lot of time on the particulars of SummerSlam, since again I just did that last week. But I did notice something odd about the first 10 years or so of SummerSlam. More often than not, the main event was overshadowed by a much better match earlier in the event. Also, Brock Lesnar was in nine SummerSlam main events, with six of those being back-to-back (2014-2019). That is the record for most main events in SummerSlam history (in case anyone was about to ask Ryan Byers about that).

Plugs:

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Disclaimer:

This is my list; if you don’t like it or have a different list, awesome! Please share your own list and opinions in the comments section. I welcome open discourse about this wacky art we all love. It is an art form, so it is subjective; we all have our opinions on it, and all of them are valid. So, if you want to share your thoughts and opinions, don’t insult others for their opinion. There is already enough negativity in the world; let’s not add to it. And with that, on to the list!

The List

Honorable Mentions:

Mankind vs Triple H vs Steve Austin w/special referee Jesse Ventura – WWF Championship – 1999, Goldberg vs Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels vs Randy Orton vs Kevin Nash vs Triple H – Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship – 2003, Cody Rhodes vs John Cena – Street Fight for the Undisputed WWE Championship

8: Bret Hart vs The Undertaker w/Special Referee Shawn Michaels – WWF Championship- 1997

This was the lead-up to the infamous Survivor Series 1997 Montreal Screw Job. And not only do we have a special guest ref, but if Hart lost, he’d never be allowed to wrestle in the U.S. again. And on top of that, if Michaels showed favoritism towards The Undertaker, he would be banned from wrestling in the U.S. That sure sounds like some Russo-style booking right there.

As a kid, I remember wondering if they were going to have Hart lose to sell his anti-U.S. gimmick, and honestly, it could have been a cool way to further sell his feud with Michaels. You’d get clips of House Shows in Canada and maybe some pre-taped interviews. And in the clips, he’d constantly find ways to needle Michaels, until he begged for Hart to be reinstated just so he could fight him.

10-year-old me’s fantasy booking aside, this is a great match. Hart brought out the best of Undertaker during this time. This was before Taker found his working boots. And while he was moving into the Ministry era, he still had some of that slow plodding nature from the origins of the gimmick, and Hart is Hart; he is one of the best. He works his ass off and elevates Taker with him. The match is worth watching if you haven’t seen it before. Nothing mind-blowing, but a solid main event between two of the best from their era.

7: The Undertaker vs Steve Austin – WWF Championship – 1998

There is something about Austin’s style that is seldom matched. He knew how to go out and make it look like a fight. From the start, he lays into Taker, and it’s balls to the wall from there. I mean, yes, it is a 20-minute match, so there is going to be slower bits. But overall, this is the big, chaotic brawl that this era of the WWF thrived on.

Austin and Taker both know how to make a big match seem bigger and filled this one with a lot of big spots (Taker’s leg drop off the top to Austin on the table is pretty crazy for the time period). We are a year removed from number 8 on the list, and you can see Taker has stepped up his game a bit, something he would continue to do for the rest of his career. (Though there was a period near the end of Biker Taker that he regressed a bit). This is also before Austin’s neck issues really started affecting his in-ring performance. He isn’t the technician he was before the injury, but you can see how good he was still.

And I think that is something that gets overlooked a lot; we always talk about Austin being a ring technician and then a brawler. And his promos are always the biggest thing. But he had a lot of great matches during his run at the top, and this is a great example of how good he is.

6: Triple H vs Kurt Angle vs The Rock – WWF Championship 2000

In the wake of Austin’s body starting to break down, The Rock stepped into the Top Guy role easily. He was already building his name through his work in the Nation of Domination and then the Corporation. His feuds with Triple H and Ken Shamrock helped to elevate him even further. It was just a matter of when, not if, Rock would be the Guy.

Kurt Angle is only two years into his career, having debuted at Survivor Series 1998. And he was already a top star for the WWF. Meanwhile, the loss of Shawn Michaels pushed Triple H into a higher position. He was put in charge of a new DX and rode the momentum up the card. All three men were leading the main event scene in the WWF in 2000, and this is probably one of the best examples you can get of that era.

This is also the match where Angle got a concussion early on, and you can tell he is loopy when he comes back out. I’ll admit, that is hard to watch knowing what we know now. Concussion aside, the match itself is another prime Attitude Era Big Fight feel, and if you like that style, this is the match for you. Even if it isn’t, I’d suggest giving it a watch if you haven’t seen it before.

5: John Cena vs Edge – WWE Championship – 2006

The rivalry between Edge and Cena is probably one of Cena’s best. And this is just one more match in a series of great ones between the two. It has the stipulation that if Edge was disqualified, he would lose the title to Cena. It’s one of my favorite underused gimmicks and makes the heel get creative on how to cheat.

Edge as a heel is Edge at his best; his whole Rated R Superstar run was probably one of the best he ever had. And by this point, Cena was settled into the Top Guy role. And had made his own version of the Big Fight feel. It kind of mixed the big brawls of the Attitude Era and Hogan’s refusal to quit. And it worked — maybe not for older fans, but it made a ton of kids into lifelong fans.

And despite the LOLCena Wins meme, SummerSlam seems to be his Kryptonite. He holds a 5-11 losing record at SummerSlam and has put over talents like Edge, Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, and CM Punk at the Biggest Party of the Summer. This is one I recommend watching if you’re looking for a fun Cena match, or how good Edge was at being a dirtbag heel.

4: The Undertaker vs Edge – Hell in a Cell – 2008

Speaking of Edge being a great heel, two years later we have another Edge SummerSlam main event, and a third one for The Undertaker. This is Undertaker after his return to the Deadman gimmick, and fully in his in-ring prime. And this is an Edge who has mastered the art of being a heel and is a master at getting heat while taking everyone on a rollercoaster.

This isn’t the bloodiest Hell in a Cell, but it is one of the better worked Hell in a Cells. We are still a year away from the annual PPV watering down the gimmick. And both men know how to work the gimmick to its fullest. I’d go so far as to say this is an underrated Hell in a Cell match and probably deserves more recognition than it gets.

And while it isn’t bloody, that doesn’t mean it isn’t brutal; there are some vicious bumps in this one, and it shows a different way to use the gimmick than previous ones had. If you’re looking for a brutal affair, this is one to watch.

3: CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy – TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship – 2009

CM Punk had been World Champion before, but it never felt like the company was behind him. And to be fair, it took him leaving for over a decade for them to treat him like a big star. But this match felt like a crowning moment, where the fans finally convinced creative to get behind this guy. Jeff Hardy would leave the company shortly after (losing a Loser Leaves Town Cage match to Punk the following month).

Knowing how banged up Hardy was during this match makes it uncomfortable to watch at times. And I’m also surprised how good he still looks. Well, it’s Jeff Hardy, so maybe I shouldn’t be shocked. Punk was an undeniable talent. While he isn’t the most athletically gifted wrestler, he is a master of the psychology of wrestling. And that is the most important thing.

There are some great spots in this match (I love Punk jumping up on the stairs only to turn into a chair shot). Both men just went out there and sacrificed their bodies for our entertainment. And like so many times during this era, it really felt like a new generation was taking over. (Of course, that would not be the case. Because every time we had hope, Vince would just fall back on Cena and Orton.) But for this one moment, it felt like the fans had finally forced a change.

2: CM Punk vs Gunther – World Heavyweight Championship – 2025

From one Punk match to another. This is my 2025 Match of the Year. It’s a beautiful love letter to 1980s NWA, a slowly built work of art. It’s filled with excellent psychology and some great moments. The busted nose spot helped to protect Gunther in his loss and made Punk look like a world beater. Both men put their all into this match and left it all on the canvas.

This is a 30-minute masterpiece, and I have rewatched it a few times, and it gets better each time. I think with time, this will be looked back on as a classic SummerSlam match. One that you show new fans like you would Flair vs Steamboat or Savage vs Steamboat. If you haven’t watched it — stop reading, go watch it. And if you’ve watched it before, give it a rewatch.

The celebration was short-lived, though, because Rollins would reveal he wasn’t injured and cashed in his Money in the Bank to take the title off an exhausted Punk.

1: The British Bulldog vs Bret Hart – Intercontinental Championship – 1992

And the match that most of you probably assumed would be at the top of this list. If you believe Hart, he had to walk a very high Davey Boy through the entire match. Which, knowing how hard Bulldog was going on the drugs, I can’t say I don’t believe him. Regardless, if you didn’t know, there was very little to give it away. Because this is one of the best matches in SummerSlam history, it’s also one of the best Intercontinental Championship matches, and the best Bulldog singles match.

Of course, when you’re in there with The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be, it’s hard not to put on a great match. The Wembley crowd made this match feel even bigger; it adds so much to the match, and with Bulldog being the hometown hero, it makes sense this was the main event.

This match also has a bit of everything you want from a main event. There is brawling, power spots, and technical wrestling. And it’s all masterfully layered with drama and psychology. If you have never taken the time to watch this match, do it now. Fans’ feelings on Hart vary, but it’s hard to deny just how good he was at making every match feel so real and like he was fighting for his life out there.

I think every fan, and anyone who wants to be a wrestler, owes it to themselves to check this match out at least once.

Preview:

Tune in next week when we look at the top eight Hell in a Cell matches!