WWE SummerSlam 2013: Examining Greatest Matches in PPV History

SummerSlam's best matches don't have the glow of WrestleMania classics, but Superstars have told many of WWE's greatest stories at the August event.

From the pay-per-view's early days to today, friends have morphed into adversaries, brothers have battled brothers and challengers have become champions. As the 2013 edition of SummerSlam nears, one has to wonder if CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar or John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan will be masterpieces at the level of the pay-per-view's best.

Can they join Bret Hart's trio of classics? Can they top Randy Orton and Christian's world title bout?

Picking apart what made them great and contemplating who and if those elements can be repeated, here is a look at the greatest matches in SummerSlam history.

Davey Boy Smith vs. Bret Hart: 1992

Unfortunately for WWE, what made this great isn't something it can tap into at will.

"British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and Bret Hart had real-life ties and the drama of this story propelled itself from those ties. The brothers-in-law battled for the Intercontinental title with Smith's wife and Hart's sister watching on.

WWE also wisely made this the main event despite not being for the top title.

It was a way to showcase Smith in London and end the night with the English fans' ear-splitting celebration.

John Cena and Daniel Bryan have a similar dynamic in terms of mutual respect and a more powerful man facing a more accomplished mat wrestler, but the drama between those men doesn't compare to Smith and Hart. Cena and Bryan are both dating a Bella Twin, but though that angle was and still is up for grabs, WWE hasn't addressed it.

Smith and Hart's familiarity and closeness in real life, Smith's enormous home-field advantage and the talent of both competitors merged to create a classic some consider the greatest SummerSlam match ever.

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart: 1994

What beats brother-in-laws battling for the Intercontinental tile? The answer is apparently two brothers clashing over the WWE Championship inside a steel cage.

Bret and Owen Hart are two of the best technical wrestlers ever. Their counters and array of wrestling holds was part of this match's greatness, but it was more about the explosiveness of their sibling rivalry.

Owen had long been frustrated about wrestling in his brother's shadow and a more aggressive side of him began to come out in this feud. Inside the cage, the brothers fought intensely, slamming each other into the cage and holding on desperately so that the other couldn't escape.

WWE currently employs two brothers in The Usos, but Jimmy and Jey aren't nearly as elite in the ring as the Hart brothers. It may be a long time until we see so perfect a feud as Bret versus Owen. Or we may never see anything like it again.

Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels: 1995

Just a few months earlier, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon fought over the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania X in a Ladder match. The rivals attempted to outdo their previous effort at SummerSlam 1995.

The Ladder match, as exciting as it is today, is not as novel as it was when Ramon and Michaels popularized it. They thrilled the audience by using the ladder as a weapon, leaping from it and being creatively violent.

Unless WWE creates a new type of match that rivals the Ladder match in thrills, the chances of the company recreating the feeling of this bout are slim. What WWE can learn from this is how important the IC title felt back then.

Michaels and Ramon seemed willing to damage their bodies and drain themselves past exhaustion to win that championship. Having such talented stars fight over that belt in a gimmick match like this at a future SummerSlam would do wonders for its prestige.

Tables, Ladders and Chairs 3-Way Tag Team Match: 2000

Take the adrenaline-churning power of the Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels ladder match and multiply it by six. That’s how you get the first-ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs match’s ability to take away our collective breath.

The Ladder match had been around, but inserting this many foes and throwing in tables and chairs made for a new, stirring experience. The TLC concept will never be as novel as it was in 2000, but perhaps the WWE creative team can come up another pioneering gimmick match.

Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudleyz were the right blend of fun-loving and serious contenders. They came off as endearing leading up to matches, goofing around and being themselves. When the bell rang, though, aggression and risk-taking replaced all else.

This was a match built on jaw-dropping spots, bent steel and broken tables.

The audience barely had time to breath between big moments. While no one may top these teams’ efforts, it’d be fun to see a new crop of hungry tag team stars give it a try.

Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H: 2002

Best friends make the best enemies.

Shawn Michaels and Triple H proved that in 2002 when Michaels made his return from a back injury that took him out of wrestling for years. Their "unsanctioned" Street Fight gave the audience a look at a relationship deteriorated, hatred and an entertaining usage of weapons.

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow have a surplus of bad blood going into their SummerSlam bout.

They are not nearly as established as Michaels and Triple H were in 2002, and WWE isn't likely to make Rhodes vs. Sandow as vicious a fight. Still, the passion and intensity that Michaels and Triple H exhibited that night is something every rival should aspire to reach, at SummerSlam or elsewhere.

Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk: 2009

The best rivalry of 2009 pitted two opposites against each other in a match with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line.

Jeff Hardy was the flawed hero and CM Punk played the self-righteous villain. Their differences were a perfect fit and this match showed that off. Every blow that Hardy landed seemed to be inspired by seething hate.

High spots off the ladder, risks and shattered furniture were the highlights of this bout.

Hardy's Ladder match experience and Punk’s two Money in the Bank wins made this a difficult match to call. That's what has John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan feeling somewhat similar. Bryan and Cena's rivalry is much tamer, but their juxtaposition and the uncertainty of how this plays out could have it borrow from Punk and Hardy.

Punk and Hardy's rivalry sizzled more than Cena and Bryan's has so far. This is the type of classic one should appreciate as it's the type of match that doesn't come around often.

Randy Orton vs. Christian: 2011

The 2011 feud over the world title saw Christian and Randy Orton put on a number of good matches, but this was their magnum opus.

Their rivalry exploded at just the right moment as SummerSlam's bright lights shone on these two rivals. Orton stalked his opponent; Christian relied on craftiness to stay ahead.

Dented trash cans, weapons spread out around the ring and blood pooling in Orton's mouth made for a dramatic story and an unforgettable match.

The foes with the best chance of creating a similar feeling are CM Punk and Brock Lesnar. Punk's hatred for Paul Heyman and Lesnar could have this battle mimic Orton and Christian's intensity.

As of now, though, Punk and Lesnar must attempt to match this classic within the limitations of the rules since their match is not a Street Fight. Even so, look for Punk, Lesnar, Cena and Bryan to strive to compose something that is spoken of as highly as the matches on this list.