WWE Summerslam 2013: 5 Greatest WWE PPV's Held in Los Angeles

SummerSlam has found a home in Los Angeles, CA.

This year’s event marks the fifth straight time L.A. has hosted WWE’s answer to the summer blockbuster. In addition, WrestleManias, No Way Out and Unforgiven have used the City of Angels as a backdrop.

Los Angeles' history has been marked by classic matches, emerging stars and history being made. Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, CM Punk and Randy Orton have all put on shows there that John Cena and Daniel will have to work to outdo.

Ranked on the quality of the main event and the rest of the card’s entertainment value, here are the best pay-per-views in Los Angeles so far.

5. WrestleMania VII

Main Event: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter

Notable Matches: Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage, Nasty Boys vs. Hart Foundation

Los Angeles' first experience with WrestleMania came in 1986 when the event was split into three venues. The city's first shot at hosting solo was a success in several ways.

The undercard featured some exciting tag team action with The Rockers taking on Haku and Barbarian, and The Nasty Boys battling The Hart Foundation for the tag titles. Virgil defeated his former boss Ted DiBiase.

The best match of the night belonged to Warrior and Savage who both put their careers on the line in a retirement match.

Warrior defeated Savage in an emotional bout. The drama in the ring followed by Elizabeth and Savage's reunion outdid the main event.

Hogan clashed with turncoat Sgt. Slaughter in a match that isn't a classic, but was powered by one of the most controversial angles in WWE history. Who didn’t want to see Slaughter, the Iraqi sympathizer in the heart of the Gulf War, get clobbered?

4. Unforgiven 2002

Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker

Notable Matches: Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge, Triple H vs. Rob Van Dam

Lesnar and Undertaker followed this anticlimactic championship match with a classic in Hell in a Cell. Their Unforgiven match was too cluttered and unfinished to truly entertain, but the matches that led to it were fantastic for the most part.

Guerrero and Edge delivered an underrated bout. Van Dam had an intriguing chemistry with Triple H.

Adding those good matches to the all-time great that Benoit and Angle produced makes this a must-watch pay-per-view even today. Benoit and Angle almost always created a masterpiece when paired together and this intense, fluid match is among their best.

3. SummerSlam 2009

Main Event: CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy

Notable Matches: DX vs. Legacy, Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler

Los Angeles' recent run of hosting consecutive SummerSlams began in 2009.

The TLC match that ended this event was one of the best of the year in a feud between Punk and Hardy that no one else in WWE could match that year. Hardy and Punk's intensity and chemistry was the rare kind that overshadowed everything else.

Still, SummerSlam 2009 gave us a solid tag match between DX and Legacy and a fun, fast-paced opener from Mysterio and Ziggler.

2. SummerSlam 2011

Main Event: CM Punk vs. John Cena

Notable Matches: Randy Orton vs. Christian, Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan

Two great matches powered this SummerSlam.

Barrett and Bryan put on a solid show, but it was two world title matches that made this an instant classic pay-per-view.

Christian and Orton had one of the better feuds of the year and this No Holds Barred match perfectly captured the hatred that had been brewing between these men. They worked together seamlessly to create a violent piece of theater that ranks among each man's best match.

The main event saw WWE champ go up against WWE champ after Punk left WWE with the title to complicate the picture. Their rematch wasn't as spectacular as their Money in the Bank effort, but a great way to end a pay-per-view.

The addition of a surprise Alberto Del Rio Money in the Bank cash in added to the fun.

1. WrestleMania 21

Main Event:  Batista vs. Triple H

Notable Matches: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio, Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Randy Orton vs. Undertaker, Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

Longtime rivals and friends, Guerrero and Mysterio entertained with this match. Randy Orton took on Undertaker's streak with a battle that ended in a flurry of excitement. WWE showcased its first ever Money in the Bank ladder match.

Those bouts alone might earn this a high spot on the list, but the passing-of-the-torch moment of Batista winning the world title and the masterpiece produced by Michaels and Angle has it reign among Los Angeles' greatest WWE pay-per-views.

Angle and Michaels are known for producing great matches, and so putting them together amidst the prestige and hype of WrestleMania made it one of the best WWE matches ever.