wrestling / Columns
The Magnificent Seven 8.6.13: Best Summerslam Opening Matches
Welcome to the latest edition of The Magnificent Seven, where we break down the top seven wrestlers or matches of a specific topic. With the hype for Summerslam in full swing, we’ll be discussing the seven best opening matches in Summerslam history. Many great wrestling minds like Lance Storm and Jim Ross have stated the opening match of a PPV is the second most important on the show. It sets the tone of an audience’s emotion for the rest of the night and the tone of a PPV buyer’s mindset as the show goes on. If it stinks, you may end up dealing with a dead crowd and unhappy customer going into the rest of the event. If it delivers, it does the opposite and can spark a show. With a big show like Summerslam, there’s an added importance on the opening match so let’s list! Here are The Magnificent Seven Best Summerslam Opening Matches.
7. The Dudleys (Bubba Ray, Devon and Spike) vs. Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman and Paul London (Summerslam 2004)
Two of the original Magnificent Seven article choices ( Mysterio and Kidman in the Goldberg streak topic) and my favorite wrestler, Paul London made an appealing team. The ex WCW guys known for their high flying styles for years and two of the pioneers for cruiserweights and a newcomer of the same genre teaming against the big bad Dudleys. The smallest Dudley, Spike, was in a rare role as a heel and the leader of the Dudleys for the first time. It made for an interesting dynamic. The match was very fun and delivered some cool high spots from the faces as you’d expect. Watching this for the first time since 2004, I didn’t remember the winner and honestly thought the finish came after the faces hit their finishers but it was indeed a false finish with the Dudleys ending up getting the win. After a 3D by the larger and more regarded brothers, Spike demanded he get the pin and secure the victory. If you’re looking for a quick, enjoyable spurt of wrestling while reading, I definitely suggest watching the match. Spike playing the little dictator added to the match and made for a very good Summerslam opener.
6. Lance Storm vs. Edge for the Intercontinental Championship (Summerslam 2001)
This was in the middle of “The Invasion” angle where WCW and ECW waged war on the WWF. With the rightful legacy of a colossal flop, there weren’t many positives to take from it. Two of the rare bright spots were showcased in this match. Lance Storm was one of the few WCW wrestlers to have a consistent role on television during the storyline and he rewarded fans with good matches. Known as one of the best in ring technicians, Storm lived up to his reputation with impressive performances in tag team matches (teaming with Mike Awesome vs. Edge and Christian at the month prior’s PPV Invasion and teaming with The Hurricane vs. The Hardys at No Mercy 2001) and had a short Intercontintental title run culminating in this match. On the other side, Edge and Christian were the most successful WWE tag team in years and this was the time they would break apart, with Edge getting a big push. He won the King of the Ring two months prior and went on to defeat Lance Storm to win the Intercontinental title. Obviously, his career turned out to be a massive success as one of the best WWE stars of the last decade. The match was very good as you’d expect between these two and built up the suspense to give Edge’s IC title win a feel good moment.
5. 123 Kid vs. Hakushi (Summerslam 1995)
Sean Waltman as 123 Kid was a groundbreaking talent in WWF. As highlighted with the Mysterio, Kidman and London in the first selection this list, he opened that genre to the WWF with awe inspiring quickness and high flying spots that were very rare at the time. Hakushi was a Japanese wrestler who had a very short but memorable stint in the WWF. The matches most memorable were with Bret “the Hitman” Hart but this match was also up there. The two talented wrestlers worked the opening match and delivered the second best match on this show, after Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon in a Ladder Match sequel. Listening to the crowd marvel at the finishing sequence is quite enjoyable. 123 Kid delivers some great high risk moves and ends up getting caught by Hakushi before he puts him away for the win. It’s really a shame 123 Kid never had many high profile singles matches and Hakushi had such a short run in WWF. Fun fact – Sean Waltman in 123 Kid gimmick led a team vs. Hakushi’s team at indy promotion’s CHIKARA King of Trios 2011 Night 1 in what was a very cool moment.
4. Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title (Summerslam 2009)
Unlike his past Summerslam gems, Rey Mysterio was starting to show his age and wear and tear around this time. However, he still had enough to give another great performance. Dolph Ziggler was still somewhat new and looking to make an impact in WWE. His feud with Rey Mysterio started that. I remember having a slight like for Ziggler at the time but not really caring until this time period. They had an awesome match a month prior to Summerslam, at Night of Champions. The rematch took place here and was a little step down from that match but still very good. Ziggler is one of the most gifted in ring performers of the last few years in WWE and Rey Mysterio has a knack of having very good matches with good wrestlers and in this case, great matches with very good wrestlers. This match was no different as they went back and forth before Mysterio pulled out the victory. Don’t feel bad for Ziggler’s mid-card title loss as he would go to be the Intercontinental champion and United States champion many, many, many times after this.
3. D’Lo Brown vs. Val Venis for the European Title (Summerslam 1998)
Just a flat out good wrestling match. One of the most memorable Summerslam events, it opened with these two going all out for fifteen minutes. In the Attitude Era, as loved and missed as it is by many, good wrestling was harder to find than it was in most WWF/WWE eras. Wacky gimmicks running amok, Val Venis known for the porn star gimmick and even more specific, the “chopee choppe your pee pee” segment on Raw but the man was a pretty good wrestler. D’Lo was one of the most underrated wrestlers in that era and probably of all time. The guy could work his ass of and was my favorite Nation of Domination member at the time. The Rock would become a bigger deal to me once he left the group but that’s another story. This match took place in Madison Square Garden, a crowd who appreciates good wrestling and they seemed to enjoy this match. Back and forth, two guys giving their all for a title will always be a positive to a wrestling show. The only negative from this match was the ending in a DQ. The last few seconds doesn’t take away from the first fifteen and this still holds up today.
2. Mankind vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a Steel Cage Match (Summerslam 1997)
Mick Foley and Triple H were arguably the other person’s best opponent. Their best matches would come in 2000 including a more memorable steel cage match but this one was really a gem to watch. This was probably the first really good match Triple H had in WWF. A back and forth good ol’ fashioned fight between the two in the cage with the end spot culminating in Mankind having a chance to climb out and win the match deciding to climb back in a dive off the cage onto Hunter channeling his inner “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka. This was a very nice throwback as WWF showed footage of Foley as a teenager imitating Snuka in home footage of himself wrestling. After that, the token 90s cage match spot ended it as Mankind climbed back out as Chyna failed trying to help Helmsley crawl out of the cage door before Mankind could touch the floor. It happened just about every cage match in the mid 90s but it was always a fun spot. Post match, Foley laid on the ground as his alter ego Dude Love’s music played. Still in pain, he started to move his foot in a dancing motion before getting up and becoming the light-hearted Dude Love. This was a cool moment signifying the more cerebral Mankind could leave after taking care of his business overcoming Hunter and the cage.
1. Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio (Summerslam 2002)
My favorite overall Summerslam event of all time. Remembered for the awesome double main event of The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar and Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, it also had the best opening match. Rey Mysterio was at his prime peak of his WWE tenure still able to show his best work and Kurt Angle was just now entering his prime of being one of the best in ring performers of all time. The two clicked for a wonderful ten minute match here that started with Rey coming from behind and surprising Kurt with a springboard and some fancy spots using his speed to his advantage. Kurt would catch up and we’d see the two legends go at a high level bringing out their best moves. When Mysterio was on his A game, no one took great wrestler’s moves better than him. Like mentioned before in the Ziggler match, a great wrestler looks even more great when paired with Rey and the same can be said for Angle. Rey’s finishing sequence of the 619 and West Coast Pop lead to a very well done false finish before Angle found a way to apply the Ankle Lock and make Rey tap. If I remember right, this was Mysterio’s first PPV match in WWE and boy, did it deliver. I can see it being a major reason in WWE giving him the ball in a way they never did to performers under 6 feet tall. All that being said, the best Summerslam opening match ever was Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of The Magnificent Seven where we’ll return next week with a brand new list. If you have any suggestions for future editions or feedback to this or past editions, you can get ahold of me a few ways.
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