The 8 Ball: The Top 16 WWE Summerslam Matches (#16-9)

My name is Daniel Wilcox, a 411 writer for the best part of a decade and a regular contributor to the Music, Movies and Wrestling Zones. Your regular 8-Ball host Mike Hammerlock is unable to bring you the column for the next two weeks, so I shall be filling in. And because I have a two-week run with this bad boy, I decided I might as well make it a two-parter and go with the most topical theme. WWE’s biggest event of the summer is right around the corner so we’ll be counting down the Top 16 Summerslam matches of all time, starting with 16 through to 9 this week.

It was as tricky a subject as I could pick, and a hell of a lot of great matches missed the cut. I imagine there’s going to be a lot of disagreement on this one, and that’s OK. We’re all fans, and we’re all entitled to our opinions. But to help you guys understand my list a little bit better, I’ll fill you in on the criteria I used. It’s pretty obvious, and it’s very simple, but just for reference…

1. Match Quality
2. Historical Significance
3. Personal Preference

I told you it was simple. Among the matches that missed the cut, in no particular order, were Undertaker/Hart (’97), Triple H/Lesnar (’12), Cena/Orton (’07), Cena/Edge (’06), McMahon/Test (’99) and Foley/Flair (’06). There were plenty more, of course. But without further ado, this is the Top 16 Summerslam Matches of All Time!

16. Team WWE vs. Team Nexus [2010]

I think the end soured a few people on this match and that’s fair enough, but it’s a tremendous match nonetheless and one that put a spotlight on eight fresh new faces in the main event of the second biggest show of the year. Most of those faces are still doing pretty well for themselves four years later. Daniel Bryan’s return and performance in this match was and still is a great moment. The Nexus angle was one of the hottest things WWE has done in years and years, and while there are numerous detractors who criticise the way the storyline ended, nobody can claim that this isn’t a great match.

15. Undisputed WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk [2011]

Of all the high-profile John Cena/CM Punk matches there have been, this is arguably the most disappointing. Luckily these two create magic every time they lock up and this was another terrific match in their long rivalry. While it wasn’t on the level of the Money in the Bank classic the previous month, it’s still one of the better Summerslam main events in history. CM Punk went over once again to cement himself as the Best in the World before the post-match shenanigans kicked in. If you tack a clean finish on the end of this, you have another classic and this would be nearer the top ten.

14. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton [2004]

This is a stellar main event match up fought over the World Heavyweight Championship, and that should come as no surprise considering the people involved. Orton had been having a fantastic year and deserved to be the guy to get the strap off Benoit, even if his reign and subsequent face turn would be short-lived. Lots of simple wrestling and good psychology on offer here, and the Toronto crowd was into the match. Significantly, this was Randy Orton’s first of many world titles and the end of Benoit’s only reign on top.

13. Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk [2009]

The CM Punk/Jeff Hardy angle in the summer of 2009 was one of the company’s best rivalries in recent years and the Tables, Ladders and Chairs match was probably the highlight. It was certainly their best match together. Obviously the stipulation was suited to Hardy but CM Punk is no slouch in this type of match either. The high spots were breath-taking, the action was fast and furious and both guys played up their roles perfectly. Punk was such a good heel around this time, and Hardy was beloved by pretty much everyone. Many people rate this as one of the best matches of its kind, and that’s not an unfair assessment by any stretch of the imagination.

12. No Disqualification Match: CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar [2013]

There were people who questioned the plausibility of a big time match between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar considering the size difference between the two, but any doubters were proved wrong when the Best and the Beast beat the holy hell out of each other at Summerslam 2013. Both main events from this show delivered big time, and they were both presented in different manners, which helped. This was a hard-hitting, brutal affair that saw Punk stand toe-to-toe with his much larger opponent before ultimately falling short of victory. The Punk/Heyman angle was all south from here, but this was such a brilliantly written chapter that gets better and better with repeated viewings.

11. WWE Undisputed Championship Match: The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar [2002]

There are matches already listed that have a high in-ring quality, but this is a fantastic bout nonetheless and one that saw Lesnar climb to the top of the WWE mountain in record time. Brock would defeat The Rock to become the youngest WWE Champion of all time, having only been a member of the roster for about five months. The Rock was already half way to Hollywood at this point, but it was still a massive deal at the time to see him fall prey to the WWE’s newest superstar. Rock did a wonderful job of making Lesnar look like the dominant force that he is, and it’s a tribute to this match’s quality that over a decade later, there are people clamouring for a rematch.

10. WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect [1991]

There are people who hail Bret Hart as the greatest of all time. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the guy but it’s matches like this that go a long way in backing up Bret’s supporters. In the ring, there have been few better from a technical standpoint. Mr. Perfect was of course no slouch himself and on his day, was every bit as good as Bret. These two had a number of classic matches, and this has to be considered one of their best. There was a tremendous atmosphere for this match and the two men in the ring told a great story. Bret Hart would eventually win the title via submission in what was probably his biggest career achievement at the time and remains one of his best matches.

9. WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan [2013]

This is the second half of last year’s double main event. Initially I thought this match was a little low on the list, because since the first time I saw it I have touted it as a five-star classic, but looking at the eight matches to come next week, ninth is about right. It’s rare that a wrestler gets on the kind of roll that Daniel Bryan was on in the summer of 2013, but the fans were rabid to see Bryan dethrone Cena, who was the absolute perfect opponent. Both guys played their part in delivering one of the best matches in recent memory and the conclusion of the match was one of wrestling’s greatest feel-good moments. Of course, some of that good work was undone seconds later with the Randy Orton cash in, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the in-ring product here. This was also the catalyst for the next year’s worth of storylines, so there’s plenty of historical importance here as well.

And that concludes the first half of our countdown. What do you think of our list so far? Agree? Disagree? What do you expect/want to see in the Top 8 next week? Leave a comment below. I’ll be here again next week to conclude the countdown before your regular host Mike Hammerlock returns.

Thanks for reading.