The 10 Greatest SummerSlam Performers of All Time

The 25th edition of WWE SummerSlam is set to begin this Sunday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With that said, it's time for a look back.

Over the past three decades, wrestling fans have witnessed some of the most entertaining matches, feuds and personalities ever to grace the ring at the annual summer pay-per-view, but these events have contained perhaps only a handful of legendary performers.

From Shawn Michaels to John Cena, the history of SummerSlam is littered with great names. 

Here we run down the list of the 10 greatest SummerSlam performers of all time.

10. Hulk Hogan

So many of the great wrestling personalities over the years pale in comparison to that of Hulk Hogan.

The Hulkster had everyone wanting to be him one minute, and despising him the next. At SummerSlam 1990 Hogan took on Earthquake in an entertaining match that resulted in a win for Hulk via count-out. 

The very next summer Hogan participated in a Handicap match alongside Ultimate Warrior. The two legends defeated their trio of opponents, one of which was Sgt. Slaughter.

The match was highlighted by Hogan's dominance inside the ring as well as special guest referee Sid Justice. 

Hogan will forever be remembered as a pop culture icon, but his performances at SummerSlam in the event's early years should be respected and acknowledged. 

9. Ultimate Warrior

Ultimate Warrior was a dominant force inside the ring at SummerSlam, and will be remembered for his feuds with "Ravishing" Rick Rude and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

Warrior's 1989 SummerSlam matchup with Rude proved to be one of the legend's more memorable showdowns. After a back-and-forth battle, Warrior earned back the Intercontinental title thanks to a Gorilla Press Slam of the then-champion.

Three summers later Warrior would meet Savage in a dramatic match that ended with Warrior winning via count-out after an attack from Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect.

Warrior would save Savage in the end, who retained his championship belt.

8. John Cena

In recent years John Cena has taken over the role of top performer at SummerSlam. In 2011, his matchup with CM Punk produced tons of fireworks, and has helped propel a feud between the two that still exists at this year's SummerSlam.

Punk's defeat of Cena earned him the WWE Championship, which of course he still holds. 

But before Cena was clashing with Punk, he was attempting to destroy Batista at SummerSlam 2008. Although Cena would fall in his effort to upend Batista after being dealt not one, but two Batista Bombs, he would never fail to give the fans what they wanted. 

7. The Rock

The Rock will always be one of the most beloved entertainers in wrestling history, but he is also one of the greatest SummerSlam showmen in the event's history.

Rock's epic battle with Triple H at SummerSlam in 1998 was an unforgettable experience for those who witnessed it. The match had everything: ladders, steel chairs and two larger-than-life superstars.

Triple H would win after a destructive bout, but Rock would go on to thrill at several more SummerSlams, including in 2001 and 2002, when he took on two very unique opponents in Booker T and Brock Lesnar. 

After defeating the WCW title holder Booker T in 2001, Rock would experience pain and defeat at the hands of Lesnar.

6. Shawn Michaels

The Heartbreak Kid has had some notable performances at SummerSlam over the years. The finest might very well have come in 2002 against Triple H.

The build-up for the fight was intense after Triple H brutally attacked Michaels in a parking lot before SummerSlam.

Revenge was all HBK's in a street fight at SummerSlam, where he plummeted from ladders and connected on destructive finishers to get his revenge for the earlier attack by Triple H.

HBK's 1995 run-in with Razor Ramon was also one of his greatest SummerSlam performances. HBK was a magician on the ladders and brought fans a new kind of high-flying excitement from above the ring. Michaels would defeat Ramon to retain the Intercontinental title.

5. Triple H

Triple H has been in the middle of countless SummerSlam classics, including his 2003 Elimination Chamber battle with Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg and Kevin Nash.

Although Triple H would have the help of a sledgehammer, he would defend his championship in the chamber and end one of the more memorable performances in SummerSlam history.

Still, it's hard to say that Triple H's 2003 victory was more entertaining than some of his other SummerSlam matches. 

He squared off with Mankind in 1997, and followed that epic bout up with another against The Rock in 1998. Four years later Triple H was settling a feud with Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam.

There is just no denying that The Game is one of the best ever. 

4. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's SummerSlam showdowns in the late 90s produced enough fireworks for a lifetime. Austin battled Owen Hart in 1997, and then took on Undertaker in 1998 in what are  two SummerSlam classics that fans still remember today.

Austin defeated Hart for the Intercontinental title in 1997, and then came back a year later to edge Undertaker for the then-WWF Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 1998.

Austin won a match that took over 20 minutes to complete, overcoming Undertaker's power to prove he was the greatest wrestling had to offer in the late 90s.

Stone Cold's unique personality and intense fire inside the ring made him one of SummerSlam's favorite warriors, and there is no doubt he is one of the greatest to ever walk away with the belt at the summer's epic event.

3. Mankind

There have been few if any wrestlers in the history of the sport who have been more welcoming to pain and punishment than Mankind. 

His incredible Boiler Room Brawl with Undertaker in 1996 will forever be a SummerSlam classic. Mankind's ability to withstand such brutal battles has made him one of the greatest performers in the history of wrestling, let alone SummerSlam.

In 1997, Mankind returned to the big stage at SummerSlam, taking on Triple H. The two exchanged blows and kept the crowd guessing which way the cage fight would go. In the end, Mick Foley would prevail.

Two years later Mankind would meet Triple H again, only this time "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would be inside the ring with them in a Triple Threat match. 

Mankind would prove himself yet again though, beating both challengers for the then-WWF Championship.

2. Undertaker

For three consecutive SummerSlams, the Undertaker threw down unforgettable performances inside the ring.

The three events ran from 1996 when Undertaker was pitted against Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl that gave fans a glimpse of every kind of prop imaginable, to 1998 when Undertaker went toe-to-toe with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in a thriller.

A decade later Undertaker would cement himself as one of the all-time great SummerSlam performers with his match against Edge in 2008. 

The Hell in a Cell match made for an exciting atmosphere, and the the endless amount of weapons at the two fighters' disposal only added to the anticipation. 

Although Edge would spear Undertaker though the cage, he would return the favor by chokeslamming Edge through the actual ring.

It doesn't get any better than that. 

1. Bret "Hit Man" Hart

Bret "Hit Man" Hart burst onto the SummerSlam scene in 1991 when he defeated Mr. Perfect in one of the best singles matches of all time. 

The match lasted nearly 20 minutes, but Hart would win out in the end, taking the Intercontinental title. One year later at Wembley Stadium in London, England, Hart would fall in a nearly half-hour-long match that pitted him against The British Bulldog.

Although Hart would surrender the Intercontinental Championship, he gave British fans plenty of reason to love American wrestling. 

In SummerSlam 1994, the stage was set for another classic showdown, when Hart was scheduled to take on his brother Owen Hart in a Steel Cage match for the then-WWF Championship. The Hit Man would win in the end after more than 32 minutes of non-stop action.

Three summers later, Hart would again win a championship match, but this time over Undertaker with guest referee Shawn Michaels making things interesting. 

Hart is one of the legends of wrestling, and arguably the greatest entertainer in the sport's history. But there is no question that he is the greatest SummerSlam performer of all time. 

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