WWE SummerSlam 2017: Ranking Every Card in PPV's Illustrious History

WWE SummerSlam has been one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year since its inception in 1988, when it was created to capitalize on the popularity of both Vince McMahon's wrestling promotion and star Hulk Hogan.

Some of the greatest, most iconic and unforgettable matches the company has produced have taken place at The Biggest Party of the Summer and given way to a handful of breakthrough stars.

Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, CM Punk and Randy Orton are just a few of the Superstars who seized the moment presented to them by the summertime spectacular, with their contributions strengthening any card they appeared on.

Over the course of three decades, SummerSlam has been the best show of the calendar year on numerous occasions. From Match of the Year candidates to suitably epic grudge bouts and quality undercard work, it has presented fans with overall productions that even rival WrestleMania.

Not every one of the broadcasts was phenomenal, though, as you will see soon enough.

As WWE prepares for its 30th SummerSlam event, relive the 29 that preceded it, ranked from worst to best, based on historical significance, match quality, build, star power and, when necessary, show format.

29. SummerSlam 1995

Card

• Hakushi defeated The 1-2-3 Kid.
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Bob "Spark Plug" Holly.
• The Smoking Gunns defeated The Blu Twins.
• Barry Horowitz defeated Skip.
• Bertha Faye defeated women's champion Alundra Blayze to win the title.
• The Undertaker defeated Kama in a Casket match.
• Bret Hart defeated Isaac Yankem via disqualification.
• Intercontinental champion Shawn Michaels defeated Razor Ramon in a ladder match.
• WWE champion Diesel defeated King Mabel.

The worst card in SummerSlam history is, without a shadow of doubt, the debacle produced in 1995.

At a time of great turmoil for WWE, its roster thinner than it had ever been, the show exposed every one of the company's weaknesses. From ridiculous characters to poorly written stories, even worse in-ring workers and a complete disconnect with the audience, the show was the perfect example of why WCW was able to seize control of the wrestling world from McMahon and Co.

Diesel and Mabel stank the joint out with a main event that would not be suitable toward the bottom of the card today, let alone in the marquee position. Too much punching and kicking, not to mention a black abyss of athleticism, helped the bout rank among the worst main events SummerSlam has housed.

Wasting Bret Hart on a young, inexperienced evil dentist who had yet to walk through hell, fire and brimstone was a poor decision, as was utilizing The Undertaker in a meaningless, going-nowhere rivalry with Kama.

Only the ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon could rescue this card from "worst PPV ever" discussions. But even then, the event was much closer than it should have been to such debates given the future Hall of Famers at work here.

28. SummerSlam 2003

Card

• WWE world tag team champions La Resistance defeated The Dudley Boyz.
• The Undertaker defeated The A-Train.
• Shane McMahon defeated Eric Bischoff in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
• United States champion Eddie Guerrero defeated Tajiri, Rhyno and Chris Benoit in a Fatal 4-Way match.
• WWE champion Kurt Angle defeated Brock Lesnar.
• Kane defeated Rob Van Dam in a No Holds Barred match.
• World heavyweight champion Triple H defeated Goldberg, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash in an Elimination Chamber match.

Almost everything about 2003 sucked.

WWE, in a ratings tailspin, resorted to using the stars of yesteryear to help rebuild its sports-entertainment supremacy rather than turning its focus toward the young talent within. The result was Kevin Nash, Goldberg and Shawn Michaels fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match while an injured Triple H laid around a plastic pod, unwilling to relinquish a title he had no business still holding.

Shane McMahon returned to television to battle Eric Bischoff in a Falls Count Anywhere match born of a bad C-level soap opera involving his mother, Linda.

Even when WWE attempted to push someone not named Triple H, it settled for the wrong man (A-Train), beat the guy it should have been pushing (Brock Lesnar) or settled for a tired retread (Kane).

SummerSlam was a reflection of everything wrong with the promotion at the time.

At least Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Tajiri and Rhyno were their typical awesome selves, saving this show from the bottom of the barrel.

27. SummerSlam 2010

Card

• Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston fought to a no-contest when The Nexus interfered.
• Melina defeated Divas champion Alicia Fox to win the title.
• The Big Show defeated CM Punk, Joseph Mercury and Luke Gallows in a 3-on-1 Handicap match.
• Randy Orton defeated WWE champion Sheamus via disqualification.
• World heavyweight champion Kane defeated Rey Mysterio.
• John Cena, Bret Hart, R-Truth, John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Edge and Daniel Bryan defeated The Nexus (Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Darren Young, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Skip Sheffield) in a 14-Man Tag Team Elimination match.

The entire 2010 card centered around the rise of The Nexus and what should have been the group's defining moment.

At SummerSlam, Wade Barrett captained a team consisting of David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver and Darren Young into battle. The renegade group of rookies had made Raw an unpredictable, unruly and unsafe land of chaos and brutality since arriving in June and were looking to silence the brand's elite on the second-biggest stage known to WWE.

To do so, they would have to defeat a team captained by John Cena and consisting of Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Edge, R-Truth, Chris Jericho and the returning Daniel Bryan.

All signs pointed to a Barrett-Cena finale in the humongous elimination tag team main event, and it appeared to be heading in that direction late, as Cena was faced with a two-on-one disadvantage.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Cena channeled his inner superhero and defeated both Barrett and Gabriel, overcoming the odds one more time and infuriating diehard fans in the process.

Anything else on the card is almost irrelevant based on the amount of time leading into the broadcast that was spent on establishing Nexus as a threat.

26. SummerSlam 2004

Card

• The Dudley Boyz & Spike defeated Billy Kidman, Paul London and Rey Mysterio.
• Kane defeated Matt Hardy in a Till Death Do Us Part match.
• John Cena defeated Booker T in a United States Championship Best-of-Five Series match.
• Intercontinental champion Edge defeated Chris Jericho and Batista in a Triple Threat match.
• Kurt Angle defeated Eddie Guerrero.
• Triple H defeated Eugene.
• Amy Weber, Christy Hemme, Joy Giovanni, Maria Kanellis, Michelle McCool and Tracie Wright defeated Molly Holly, Nidia, Gail Kim, Jazz, Stacy Keibler and Victoria in Divas Dodgeball.
• WWE champion John Bradshaw Layfield defeated The Undertaker via disqualification.
• Randy Orton defeated world heavyweight champion Chris Benoit to win the title.

It is almost ironic that SummerSlam 2004 carried Rush's cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" as its theme song because WWE was very much in the midst of its own summertime blues by the time the August 15 pay-per-view arrived.

The John Bradshaw Layfield character was still relatively fresh, but his lack of in-ring skills were becoming apparent with every match he wrestled not involving Eddie Guerrero. A rivalry with The Undertaker was not going to alter anyone's perception of ol' JBL as a worker.

Randy Orton had captured the No. 1 contender's spot in a Battle Royal fairly close to the show, robbing fans of any real backstory to his World Heavyweight Championship match against Chris Benoit.

The oversaturation of the Eugene character, boredom with the over-pushed, unevolved Edge and ridiculousness involving Kane, Matt Hardy and Lita led to a show that often felt lethargic, both in build and execution.

Mediocre in-ring production did not help matters.

25. SummerSlam 1997

Card

• Mankind defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a Steel Cage match.
• Goldust defeated Brian Pillman.
• The Legion of Doom defeated The Godwinns.
• WWE European champion The British Bulldog defeated Ken Shamrock via disqualification.
• Los Boricuas (Jesus Castillo Jr., Jose Estrada Jr., Miguel Perez Jr. and Savio Vega)  defeated The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Chainz, Skull and 8-Ball) in an Eight-Man Tag Team match.
• "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defeated intercontinental champion Owen Hart to win the title.
• Bret Hart defeated WWE champion The Undertaker to win the title.

There was a lot to hate about the 1997 edition of SummerSlam.

The rivalry between Los Boricuas and The Disciples of Apocalypse was a boring, incredibly long take on gang warfare that was supposed to be WWE's answer to the New World Order but was, instead, a not-so-subtle reminder of why McMahon's company was a distant No. 2.

The in-ring product was not particularly good, either.

Though The Hart Foundation was awesome in every other facet of its performance, neither Brian Pillman nor Davey Boy Smith was the performer he was earlier in his career and The Legion of Doom vs. The Godwinns will never inspire tremendous buzz regarding either team's work rate.

The neck injury suffered by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin hurt his and Owen Hart's chances of stealing the show in the night's penultimate match.

Luckily, some superb storytelling involving The Undertaker, Bret Hart and special referee Shawn Michaels led to an unforgettable and unfortunate steel chair shot to The Dead Man, leaving The Heartbreak Kid no other choice but to count his shoulders down and award the WWE Championship to The Hitman.

A phenomenal Steel Cage match between Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley ensured the show would be bookended by quality in-ring competition, if nothing else, leaving audiences with a more favorable opinion of a fairly awful event.

24. SummerSlam 1996

Card

• Owen Hart defeated Savio Vega.
• WWE tag team champions The Smoking Gunns defeated The Bodydonnas, The New Rockers and The Godwinns in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match.
• Sycho Sid defeated The British Bulldog.
• Goldust defeated Marc Mero.
• Jerry "The King" Lawler defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
• Mankind defeated The Undertaker in a Boiler Room Brawl.
• WWE champion Shawn Michaels defeated Vader.

In 1996, WWE was creatively bankrupt and reeling. WCW had just debuted the New World Order faction and was enjoying tremendous success on the back of Hulk Hogan's heel turn. McMahon and his bookers had nothing to counter with beyond dated stories and uninteresting rivalries.

Even WWE world heavyweight champion Shawn Michaels, arguably the best wrestler in the world by the time August rolled around, did not look nearly as motivated to put an exclamation mark on the show with a classic against Vader. Instead, the match was merely good, an example of Michaels just a step below what fans were used to from him.

Sycho Sid vs. British Bulldog, Goldust vs. Marc Mero and the tag team Fatal 4-Way were boring romps that did little to advance any storylines those competitors involved may have been in.

Even Owen Hart, one of the best wrestlers to ever lace a pair of boots for WWE, was lethargic as he battled Savio Vega in an overly long match that served no benefit to either man.

Slow, boring and uneventful, the 1996 event felt far too much like a glorified house show than a major pay-per-view.

23. SummerSlam 2007

Card

• Kane defeated Finlay.
• Intercontinental champion Umaga defeated Ken Kennedy and Carlito in a Triple Threat match.
• Rey Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero.
• Beth Phoenix defeated Maria Kanellis, Brooke Adams, Jillian Hall, Kelly Kelly, Kristal Marshall, Layla, Michelle McCool, Melina, Mickie James, Torrie Wilson and Victoria in a 12-Woman Divas Battle Royal.
• ECW champion John Morrison defeated CM Punk.
• Triple H defeated Booker T.
• Batista defeated world heavyweight champion The Great Khali via disqualification.
• WWE champion John Cena defeated Randy Orton.

The 2007 edition of SummerSlam was the epitome of a one-match show, and even then, that match was not up to the standard of other marquee bouts in the event's annals.

John Cena vs. Randy Orton was a dream match of sorts before the spectacular. Yes, the Superstars had worked with each other before, but this was to be their first high-profile, one-on-one encounter with the WWE Championship up for grabs.

The crown jewels of WWE developmental clashed in a strong, unpredictable main event that so many were certain Orton would win. When he did not, the wrestling world was left stunned by the ballsy decision to keep the title on Cena despite Orton's steady build throughout the summer months.

Unfortunately, that would be the one talking point to come out of the broadcast.

Triple H and Rey Mysterio returned from lengthy injury absences, sure, but they looked rusty and won nondescript matches against the ice-cold King Booker and Chavo Guerrero, respectively. CM Punk and John Morrison had yet to discover their in-ring chemistry, working a sloppy and disjointed match, while the women's battle royal was a testament to the cluster the division had become since the Diva Search had started dictating which competitors made it on to TV.

A show with promise that was overwhelmed by lethargy, the 2007 event will go down in SummerSlam history as more "meh" than "yeah."

22. SummerSlam 2006

Card

• Chavo Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio.
• ECW champion The Big Show defeated Sabu.
• Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Orton.
• Ric Flair defeated Mick Foley in an "I Quit" match.
• Batista defeated world heavyweight champion King Booker via disqualification.
• D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) defeated Vince & Shane McMahon.
• WWE champion Edge defeated John Cena.

A failing ECW relaunch. The rebirth of D-Generation X. The rise of The Rated R Superstar and the reign of King Booker. 

There were a number of storylines for fans to track heading into SummerSlam 2006, and while some of the most talented and entertaining stars in WWE history were at the heart of them, it still did not make for a terribly strong show. 

John Cena and Edge had undeniable in-ring chemistry, and the former's quest to regain the WWE Championship from his hated foe only added to what was the hottest rivalry on the red brand. Their match at the event was quite easily the best of night. Unfortunately, fans had to wade through two-plus hours of mediocrity to get there. 

Ric Flair and Mick Foley had a good, old-fashioned bloodbath of a match, but it was abundantly clear midway through that neither man should have been doing what he was at that point. Ditto Sabu, who looked even slower and more beat down as he challenged Big Show for the ECW Championship. 

Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio was the same match every fan who ever watched them wrestle before had already seen. SmackDown's other offering, Batista's challenge for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship, was but another example of the complete and utter lack of chemistry between those two Superstars.

For a show with so many future Hall of Famers floating around, there was no sense of urgency or a single match that made the show feel like the second-most important of the year.

21. SummerSlam 1988

Card

• The British Bulldogs fought to a time limit draw with The Fabulous Rougeaus.
• Bad News Brown defeated Ken Patera.
• Rick Rude defeated Junkyard Dog via disqualification when Jake Roberts interfered.
• The Powers of Pain defeated The Bolsheviks.
• The Ultimate Warrior defeated intercontinental champion Honky Tonk Man to win the title.
• Dino Bravo defeated Don Muraco.
• Tag team champions Demolition defeated The Hart Foundation.
• Big Boss Man defeated Koko B. Ware.
• Jake Roberts defeated Hercules.
• The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage) defeated The Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase & Andre the Giant).

The inaugural SummerSlam was a test run.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Intended to capitalize on the immense popularity of Vince McMahon's company and the unbridled star power of Hulk Hogan, the event emanated from New York's Madison Square Garden and featured the culmination of the monthslong rivalry between The Mega Powers and The Mega Bucks.

That match was, thankfully, immensely entertaining. Had it not been, the event may have been a titanic failure.

A one-match show, the remainder of the card was designed to showcase individuals or further storylines that would be paid off at a later date.

Except for the Intercontinental Championship match.

After one full year of sneaking his way to victories or cowardly disqualification and count-out defeats, IC titleholder The Honky Tonk Man rode a wave of obnoxious confidence into the world-famous arena after it was revealed that No. 1 contender Brutus Beefcake would be unable to compete because of injuries suffered at the hands of "Outlaw" Ron Bass.

An open challenge and the emergence of The Ultimate Warrior would not only spell the end of Honky's title reign but also launch the face-painted enigma into superstardom and, over 25 years later, a place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

20. SummerSlam 1994

Card

• Bam Bam Bigelow & I.R.S. defeated The Headshrinkers via disqualification.
• WWE women's champion Alundra Blayze defeated Bull Nakano.
• Razor Ramon defeated intercontinental champion Diesel to win the title.
• Tatanka defeated Lex Luger.
• Jeff Jarrett defeated Mabel.
• WWE champion Bret Hart defeated Owen Hart in a Steel Cage match.
• The Undertaker defeated The Underfaker.

The 1994 incarnation of the event may forever be remembered as "that show at which Undertaker fought Undertaker," but right before that monstrosity came a five-star Steel Cage match between WWE champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "The King of Harts" Owen Hart.

The brothers, still deeply embroiled in a sibling rivalry, battled with the top prize in the company up for grabs. In the process, they introduced the fanbase to a different style of cage match. There was no blood or barbarism. Instead, Bret and Owen opted for drama, using near-escapes to keep fans inside Chicago's United Center on the edges of their seats.

Smart storytelling and clever spots made for a thoroughly enjoyable match that Bret won.

Razor Ramon and Diesel locked horns in a solid representation of their in-ring chemistry, while Jeff Jarrett and Mabel had a surprisingly fun, southern-style sprint of a match.

Even women's wrestling was well-represented, as Alundra Blayze defended the WWE Women's Championship against Bull Nakano in a match that would be the finest representation of what female performers were capable of inside the squared circle until the 2016 showdown between Charlotte and Sasha Banks.

Their match, a hard-hitting, strong-style bout that saw Blayze successfully retain the gold, gave fans a taste of what fans in Japan had long known: women's wresting kicks ass too.

19. SummerSlam 1989

Card

• Tag team champions The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) defeated The Hart Foundation in a non-title match.
• Dusty Rhodes pinned The Honky Tonk Man.
• Mr. Perfect defeated Terry Taylor.
• The Rougeau Brothers & Rick Martel defeated The Rockers & Tito Santana.
• The Ultimate Warrior defeated intercontinental champion Rick Rude to win the title.
• Demolition & Jim Duggan defeated The Twin Towers (Big Boss Man & Akeem) and Andre the Giant.
• Hercules defeated Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
• "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase defeated "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.
• Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake defeated "Macho King" Randy Savage & Zeus.

The first truly great match in SummerSlam history occurred in 1989, when Ultimate Warrior, seeking vengeance for a controversial loss at WrestleMania V, challenged "Ravishing" Rick Rude for the Intercontinental Championship.

Warrior withstood the best Rude had to offer and, with the assistance of a well-timed distraction by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was able to defeat the charismatic villain and regain a title he probably never should have lost in the first place.

That year also saw the release of the first major motion picture to star Hulk Hogan. Entitled No Holds Barred, the film was a critical and financial bomb, but that did not stop McMahon from trying desperately to capitalize on interest surrounding the movie.

He enlisted actor Tiny Lister to resume the role of Zeus in the wrestling ring, partnering him with the evil and vindictive "Macho King" Randy Savage to battle Hogan and Brutus Beefcake.

The match itself was a train wreck, carried by the electrifying chemistry between Hogan and Savage, but the build and heat were off the charts, creating a memorable cap to what was a fun, if forgettable, broadcast.

18. SummerSlam 2012

Card

• Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler.
• Daniel Bryan defeated Kane.
• Intercontinental champion The Miz defeated Rey Mysterio.
• World heavyweight champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio.
• Tag team champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated The Prime Time Players.
• WWE champion CM Punk defeated The Big Show and John Cena.
• Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H.

Given the wealth of talented in-ring performers on the 2012 card, it is incomprehensible that the show was not better than it was.

Part of that can be attributed to a Triple H-Brock Lesnar match that, while entertaining enough in spots, was not good enough to rescue the show from the mediocrity it had settled into.

The chemistry between CM Punk and John Cena could not overcome the presence of Big Show, as the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship failed to impress. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio worked what felt like their 9,000th match against each other that year to little fanfare or buzz.

Daniel Bryan and Kane wrote the latest chapter of their rivalry, but it would be the anger-management storyline that proceeded the match that would be far more memorable and enjoyable than anything that occurred between the ropes at this show.

Boring is often the last word one wants to associate with a major pay-per-view of any kind, but that was the case here, as it often felt like things happened only because they were scheduled to rather than for a good, plausible reason.

17. SummerSlam 2016

Card

• Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens defeated Enzo Amore & Big Cass.
• Charlotte defeated Raw women's champion Sasha Banks to win the title.
• Intercontinental champion The Miz defeated Apollo Crews.
• AJ Styles defeated John Cena.
• Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated WWE tag team champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) by disqualification.
• WWE champion Dean Ambrose defeated Dolph Ziggler.
• Alexa Bliss, Natalya and Nikki Bella defeated Becky Lynch, Carmella and Naomi.
• Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins to become the first universal champion.
• United States champion Rusev fought Roman Reigns to a no-contest.
• Brock Lesnar defeated Randy Orton by technical knockout.

The 2016 incarnation of SummerSlam serves as a cautionary tale on how not to format a show.

The event kicked off with an energetic tag team match, pitting Jeri-KO against Enzo Amore and Big Cass, that did its job and got the fans in Brooklyn, New York, excited about the rest of the card. It followed up with a bout between Sasha Banks and Charlotte that may well have stolen the show on any other night. 

A bit later came a five-star match between John Cena and AJ Styles that was hot enough to have headlined the show. The Phenomenal One, proving he not only belongs in WWE but is probably the best wrestler on the planet, pinned Cena's shoulders to the mat and firmly established himself as an elite star in Vince McMahon's company.

From there, Finn Balor battled through a demolished shoulder to become universal champion, beating Seth Rollins in another superb match.

The problem with the layout of the card is it peaked with Styles and Balor's wins. The quality of the show from an in-ring standpoint dropped tremendously, with a questionable no-contest between Roman Reigns and Rusev and a Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton match that never got on track.

What was shaping up to be one of the best SummerSlams of all time ended on a sour note, descending into mediocrity because of the layout of matches and a bloated card that featured too many contests that simply did not need to exist.

16. SummerSlam 2009

Card

• Intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio defeated Dolph Ziggler.
• MVP defeated Jack Swagger.
• WWE unified tag team champions Chris Jericho & The Big Show defeated Cryme Tyme.
• Kane defeated The Great Khali.
• D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) defeated Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase.
• ECW champion Christian defeated William Regal.
• WWE champion Randy Orton defeated John Cena.
• CM Punk defeated world heavyweight champion Jeff Hardy in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match to win the title.

There was a time before the infamous Pipebomb promo when CM Punk was a damn fine wrestling heel whose knack for pissing off audiences was second to none. He was a phenomenal villain whose holier-than-thou approach irritated fans no end. It also made for the perfect foil for the "Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy, whose laid-back demeanor often rubbed The Straight Edge Savior the wrong way.

Openly questioning how fans could pledge their support to an admitted addict, Punk denounced the past of the then-WWE champion and vowed to win the title, rescuing it from the filth that was Hardy.

To do so, he would have to beat Hardy at his own game: a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match.

The Superstars beat each other down relentlessly, using the weapons to subdue each other long enough to attempt a climb up the ladder. Unfortunately for Hardy, his storybook run would have an unhappy ending, as Punk retrieved the title and concluded the event in dramatic fashion.

Or so he thought.

The Undertaker put an exclamation point on things by returning and laying out Punk, drawing a huge ovation and setting up their program.

Two tag teams consisting of veteran stars of a bygone era thrived, as D-Generation X's Shawn Michaels and Triple H defeated up-and-comers Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, while unified tag team champions The Big Show and Chris Jericho retain over Cryme Tyme.

It was Dolph Ziggler, though, who would set himself up for a decade-long run with the company by way of his breakthrough performance against Rey Mysterio in the night's opener.

15. SummerSlam 1990

Card

• Power & Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma) defeated The Rockers.
• The Texas Tornado defeated intercontinental champion Mr. Perfect to win the title.
• Sensational Sherri defeated Sapphire via forfeit.
• The Warlord defeated Tito Santana.
• The Hart Foundation defeated WWE tag team champions Demolition in a 2-Out-of-3 Falls match to win the titles.
• Jake "The Snake" Roberts defeated Bad News Brown via disqualification.
• "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & Nikolai Volkoff defeated The Orient Express.
• "Macho King" Randy Savage defeated Dusty Rhodes.
• Hulk Hogan defeated Earthquake via countout.
• WWE champion The Ultimate Warrior defeated "Ravishing" Rick Rude in a Steel Cage match.

The Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude settled their yearlong rivalry inside the confines of a cage at SummerSlam 1990. Their match, the technical main event, was not the marquee contest of the pay-per-view extravaganza.

A heated grudge match between Hulk Hogan and Earthquake, in which The Hulkster sought vengeance for a near-career-ending attack, took precedence and was, in the minds of a rabid fanbase eager to see the hero get his revenge, the real main event of the evening.

Both matches were fine for what they were, but neither was the blockbuster in-ring spectacle that would have paid off the story involved.

The strength of the 1990 show can be found in the undercard.

Power & Glory are oftentimes overlooked, thanks to perceptions about Paul Roma and Hercules. While neither was a particularly great singles competitor, both were excellent tag team wrestlers. That was on display in their showcase squash against The Rockers.

The Hart Foundation vs. Demolition was easily the match of the night and featured a cool bit of interference from Legion of Doom, teasing a high-profile tag team rivalry between face-painted duos that never really materialized.

The story of Sapphire selling her soul to "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was another solid addition to the card and gave meaning to two separate matches, a sign of strong booking.

14. SummerSlam 1993

Card

• Razor Ramon defeated Ted DiBiase.
• WWE tag team champions The Steiner Brothers defeated The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Rey and Tom Prichard) to retain the titles.
• Intercontinental champion Shawn Michaels defeated Mr. Perfect via count-out.
• I.R.S. defeated The 1-2-3 Kid.
• Bret Hart defeated Doink the Clown via disqualification.
• Jerry "The King" Lawler defeated Hart via disqualification.
• Ludvig Borga defeated Marty Jannetty.
• The Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzalez in a Rest in Peace match.
• Tatanka and The Smoking Gunns defeated Bam Bam Bigelow and The Headshrinkers.
• Lex Luger defeated WWE champion Yokozuna via count-out.

WWE was in the midst of transition in 1993. Gone were the days of the iconic figures who defined the 1980s and helped carry the company. In their place were young, unproven wrestlers looking to make the most of their opportunities.

Lex Luger was the hot new thing in Vince McMahon's promotion. While he had previously starred for WCW, he was tasked with becoming the babyface around whom the entire company was run. He worked hard to live up to the pomp and circumstance the boss created for him, and in the main event of the broadcast, against the massive Yokozuna, he delivered an inspired performance in a solid match.

The Undertaker, Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, Diesel and Shawn Michaels were all prominently featured throughout, insinuating the company knew the Superstars it wanted to build the brand around. It consequently put them in high-profile spots, even if their dance partners were not always ideal.

From an in-ring perspective, the match that stands out most from the event is an oft-forgotten contest that saw The Smoking Gunns and Tatanka defeat Bam Bam Bigelow and The Headshrinkers. No one will ever confuse any of those six with being the most talented workers on the card, but they had a chemistry that helped produce a legitimate four-star match that is criminally underrated when discussing hidden gems in SummerSlam history.

13. SummerSlam 2000

Card

• Right to Censor (Steven Richards, Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather) defeated Rikishi & Too Cool.
• X-Pac defeated Road Dogg.
• Chyna & Eddie Guerrero defeated Trish Stratus & Val Venis in a Mixed Tag Team match. Chyna pinned Stratus to win the Venis' Intercontinental Championship.
• Jerry "The King" Lawler defeated Tazz.
• Steve Blackman defeated hardcore champion Shane McMahon to win the title.
• Chris Benoit defeated Chris Jericho in a Best 2-Out-of-3 Falls match.
• WWE tag team champions Edge & Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match.
• The Kat defeated Terri Runnels in a Stinkface match.
• The Undertaker fought Kane to a no-contest.
• WWE champion The Rock defeated Triple H and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match.

There is just enough right about SummerSlam 2000 to rescue it from the bottom half of this countdown, with the five-star inaugural Tables, Ladders & Chairs match between The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian and The Dudley Boyz at the top of the list. 

The Rock and Triple H valiantly saving the main event that lost Kurt Angle to a severe concussion early and the superb Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit bout are two more examples of things WWE Creative did correctly that year.

That is about where the praise ends and the criticism starts, however.

Much as it did with the WrestleMania 2000 card, management threw so many Superstars and matches on the lineup that it was bloated with stories, Superstars and contests that simply did not deserve a place on the show.

X-Pac and Road Dogg may have been staples of the Attitude Era but the blowoff to their rivalry was not needed. Nor was the monthslong feud between Jerry Lawler and Tazz, which culminated with The King going over The Human Suplex Machine—with the assistance of Jim Ross, of course.

The Stinkface match between The Kat and Terri Runnels was as objectifying as it gets, and Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman is memorable only for the mind-blowing bump taken by Shane-O-Mac at its conclusion.

What should have continued the trend of extraordinary pay-per-views at the turn of the century was, instead, merely good.

12. SummerSlam 2014

Card

• Dolph Ziggler defeated intercontinental champion The Miz to win the title.
• Paige defeated Divas champion AJ Lee to win the title.
• Rusev defeated Jack Swagger in a Flag match.
• Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose in a Lumberjack match.
• Bray Wyatt defeated Chris Jericho.
• Stephanie McMahon defeated Brie Bella.
• Roman Reigns defeated Randy Orton.
• Brock Lesnar defeated WWE champion John Cena to win the title.

Brock Lesnar obliterated John Cena in the most one-sided pay-per-view main event in WWE history at SummerSlam 2014. Treated like a marquee match, a true main event in an era when varying degrees of star power makes them somewhat rare. Instead of a back-and-forth epic, fans witnessed The Beast Incarnate follow up ending The Streak at that year's WrestleMania by smashing his way to victory over Cena, collecting the WWE Championship in the process.

Earlier in the night, Stephanie McMahon returned to the ring for the first time in 11 years, battling Brie Bella in a hotly anticipated match. The build toward the battle was superb, but there were questions surrounding their ability to live up to the hype. Thanks to an extraordinary heel performance by Stephanie, the match exceeded expectations.

A quality opener from Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, a wild Lumberjack match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose that lived up to the tone of their rivalry and an underrated gem between Roman Reigns and Randy Orton helped round out a card that may not appear dazzling on paper but, in execution, was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

11. SummerSlam 1999

Card

• Jeff Jarrett defeated intercontinental and European champion D'Lo Brown to win the titles.
• The Acolytes (Faarooq and Bradshaw) defeated Edge & Christian, The Hardy Boyz, Hardcore & Crash Holly and Droz & Albert in a Tag Team Turmoil match.
• Al Snow defeated hardcore champion The Big Boss Man to win the title.
• Women's champion Ivory defeated Tori.
• Ken Shamrock defeated Steve Blackman in a Lion's Den match.
• Test defeated Shane McMahon in a Love Her or Leave Her match.
• The Big Show & The Undertaker defeated WWE tag team champions X-Pac & Kane to win the titles.
• The Rock defeated Billy Gunn in a Kiss My Ass match.
• Mankind defeated WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H in a Triple Threat match to win the title.

The 1999 SummerSlam event was arguably the biggest WWE had produced to that point. A week of promotional shows on MTV got both diehard and casual audiences excited while strong storytelling in the night's top matches only served to enhance the buzz surrounding the event.

The show backed it up.

In one of the stronger efforts of 1999, WWE pulled out all stops to ensure its talented crop of Superstars was put in the best position to succeed while booking finishes that made sense in the context of most stories.

Except for in the main event, that is.

After weeks of television that pointed toward Triple H defeating Mankind and Steve Austin in the Triple Threat main event for The Texas Rattlesnake's WWE Championship. Instead, Mankind pinned Austin and won the title, his arm raised high in the air by the special guest referee (and then-Minnesota governor) Jesse Ventura.

That one debatable decision aside, one could not argue that matches like Test vs. Shane McMahon, Jeff Jarrett vs. D'Lo Brown and even the underrated Al Snow vs. Big Boss Man showdown helped lay the foundation for the heavy hitters to build upon later in the show.

10. SummerSlam 1991

Card

• Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, British Bulldog and Texas Tornado defeated Power & Glory and The Warlord.
• Bret Hart defeated intercontinental champion Mr. Perfect to win the title.
• The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) defeated The Bushwhackers.
• Virgil defeated "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase to win the Million Dollar Championship.
• The Big Boss Man defeated The Mountie in a Jail House match.
• The Legion of Doom defeated WWE tag team champions The Nasty Boys in a Street Fight to win the titles.
• I.R.S. defeated Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
• Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior defeated Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa and General Adnan in a 3-On-2 Handicap match.

There are few wrestling shows as unadulteratedly fun as SummerSlam 1991.

Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior formed a dream team to take down Sgt. Slaughter, General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa.

Virgil stuck it to former employee "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, getting back at him for years of verbal abuse, degradation and servitude by beating him for his custom-made Million Dollar Championship.

The Big Boss Man's victory over The Mountie earned the Canadian authority figure a trip to a New York City jail, where he was fingerprinted and locked in a cell overnight. Jacques Rougeau, the man behind The Mountie, was hilarious in the various pre-taped segments that aired following the bout, whining and crying like a spoiled brat.

A grand wedding between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth capped off a widly entertaining show, but it was the Intercontinental Championship match between Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect that defined the show.

Perfect was the arrogant heel who had been to the mountaintop and reigned as intercontinental champion for the past year. He was cocky and unbearable. Worse yet, he was damn good—and he knew it. That arrogance would prove his undoing late in his title defense against the relatively unproven singles competitor Hart, whose main successes in Vince McMahon's company had come in tag team wrestling.

Hart was a master technician and countered a late attempt at a legdrop to the solar plexus to trap Perfect in his Sharpshooter submission, forcing a quick tapout. The Hitman's coronation remains the most vivid moment on a card full of them.

9. SummerSlam 2015

Card

• Sheamus defeated Randy Orton.
• The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) defeated Los Matadores, The Lucha Dragons and WWE tag team champions The Prime Time Players to win the titles in a Fatal 4-Way match.
• Rusev and Dolph Ziggler fought to a double count-out.
• Neville & Stephen Amell defeated King Barrett & Stardust.
• Intercontinental champion Ryback defeated The Big Show and The Miz in a Triple Threat match.
• Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper.
• WWE champion Seth Rollins defeated United States champion John Cena to win the U.S. title.
• Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Paige defeated Team Bella (The Bella Twins & Alicia Fox) and Team B.A.D. (Naomi, Tamina and Sasha Banks) in a Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match.
• Kevin Owens defeated Cesaro.
• The Undertaker defeated Brock Lesnar.

The Undertaker sought revenge for his WrestleMania 30 loss to Brock Lesnar in New Orleans, and at SummerSlam in 2015, he would get a measure of it as he squared off with the man who ended his streak at The Showcase of the Immortals. The Dead Man took the fight to The Beast Incarnate in the night's most anticipated bout.

Feeling pressure to improve upon a match that was not good a year earlier, they pulled out all stops and brought their epic rematch to a close with a controversial submission finish that earned Undertaker the win, but only after a low blow.

John Cena and Seth Rollins tore the house down with a match in which both the WWE and United States Championships were up for grabs. While the interference of comedian Jon Stewart may have hurt the finish, it was still a hotly contested bout that saw Rollins become a dual champion.

An underappreciated match between Kevin Owens and Cesaro, thrown into the so-called death spot on the card, coupled with quality performances from the usual suspects like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Sheamus, Randy Orton and The New Day, rounded out a show that had little excitement surrounding it but ended up being one of the better presentations of 2015.

8. SummerSlam 2005

Card

• Chris Benoit defeated United States champion Orlando Jordan to win the title.
• Edge defeated Matt Hardy by referee stoppage.
• Rey Mysterio defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Ladder match for custody of his son, Dominic.
• Kurt Angle defeated Eugene.
• Randy Orton defeated The Undertaker.
• WWE champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho.
• World heavyweight champion Batista defeated John Brashaw Layfield in a No Holds Barred match.
• Hulk Hogan defeated Shawn Michaels.

SummerSlam 2005 is an interesting show in that, at the time it happened, it felt inconsistent and somewhat lackluster. In hindsight, though, the show was tremendously entertaining.

The tone was set right from the get-go, as Chris Benoit puts an end to one of the worst United States Championship runs in history, tapping Orlando Jordan out in seconds. The war between Matt Hardy and Edge, the result of the latter's very real affair with his opponent's on- and off-screen girlfriend, Lita, was a brutal, hard-hitting and unforgiving display.

Randy Orton and Undertaker built nicely on their encounter from WrestleMania 21, while John Cena proved he did not need the bells and whistles of hardcore matches to have a quality pay-per-view bout, beating Chris Jericho in one of Y2J's final bouts before his first departure from WWE.

The event will always be remembered for Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan, though—and rightfully so.

The battle of icons was the result of The Heartbreak Kid's brief heel turn, and a scathing series of promos by Michaels only elevated the heat between the two. Every great rivalry has some sort of real-life tension attached, and that was the case here, as demonstrated by HBK's laughable overselling on all of Hogan's signature offense.

With no bad or lethargic matches and a show-stealing ladder match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, SummerSlam 2005 capped off what was a remarkably solid summer for both Raw and SmackDown.

7. SummerSlam 1992

Card

• The Legion of Doom defeated Money, Inc.
• Nailz defeated Virgil.
• Shawn Michaels and "The Model" Rick Martel fought to a double count-out in a match where punches to the face were illegal.
• WWE tag team champions The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) defeated The Beverly Brothers.
• Crush defeated Repo Man.
• The Ultimate Warrior defeated WWE champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage via count-out.
• The Undertaker defeated Kamala via disqualification.
• The British Bulldog defeated intercontinental champion Bret Hart to win the title.

Some 80,000 fans packed Wembley Stadium in London for the biggest SummerSlam WWE has ever, and likely will ever, produce.

There was a ton of mystery leading into the event as to which Superstar Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect would throw their support behind in the WWE Championship match pitting Randy Savage against The Ultimate Warrior. Weeks of speculation and innuendo suggested one of the beloved babyfaces would be turning heel, aligning themselves with the devious duo.

Fans kept waiting for Flair and Perfect to strike, but in the end, Warrior picked up a victory via count-out and the title did not change hands. The Nature Boy and his perfect manager revealed there was no alliance formed and that, instead, they were attempting to drive a wedge between Savage and Warrior in order to conquer them individually.

The match was another strong showing between two future Hall of Famers, but on that night, the heavyweight title was not at the forefront of the conversation. Instead, it was the Intercontinental Championship, which was headlining a pay-per-view for the first time.

Bret Hart defended against real-life brother-in-law The British Bulldog, who had an electric audience on his side as he took to the squared circle for the night's main event. The family members and longtime in-ring rivals turned in one of the greatest matches in WWE history, a five-star classic that would forever prove Hart's acumen between the ropes.

The Hitman carried Bulldog to a defining match, one that would earn Hart the respect of his peers and the attention of management, which labeled him ready to become the guy in WWE. Within two months, The Hitman would be WWE champion.

Major props are in order for Shawn Michaels vs. Rick Martel, a match in which neither man was allowed to use a punch to the opponent's face. Their work, along with Sensational Sherri's antics at ringside, made for some extraordinary entertainment.

6. SummerSlam 1998

Card

• WWE European champion D'Lo Brown defeated Val Venis via disqualification.
• The Oddities (Giant Silva, Golga and Kurrgaan) defeated Kaientai (Dick Togo, Men's Teoh, Sho Funaki and Taka Michinoku) in a 3-on-4 Handicap match.
• X-Pac defeated Jeff Jarrett in a Hair vs. Hair match.
• Edge & Sable defeated Marc Mero and Jacqueline in a Mixed Tag Team match.
• Ken Shamrock defeated Owen Hart in a Lion's Den match.
• The New Age Outlaws defeated Mankind to win the WWE Tag Team Championships in a Handicap match when Mankind's partner, Kane, failed to show up.
• Triple H defeated intercontinental champion The Rock to win the title in a ladder match.
• WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker.

In 1998, WWE rode the Highway to Hell into Madison Square Garden for SummerSlam, a show headlined by the monumental clash between WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and No. 1 contender The Undertaker.

The promotion for the event was superb, and the execution of the night's most anticipated bouts was outstanding.

The war of attrition between D-Generation X's Triple H and The Nation's The Rock over the latter's Intercontinental Championship came to a head in what was one of the most brutal ladder matches in WWE history. A bloodied Rock may have lost the battle, but he won the war, channeling the fan support he earned that night into a main event run by year's end.

The question of Kane's loyalties hung over the event like a dark cloud, many wondering whether he would show up to help Mankind defend the tag team titles or whether he was more concerned with standing by The Undertaker's side later in the night.

When he no-showed the tag title bout, fans got their answer.

A fun pay-per-view debut for Edge, who teamed with Sable to defeat Jacqueline and Marc Mero, a fantastic Lion's Den match between Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart and an underrated contest between European champion D'Lo Brown and Val Venis rounded out one of the best cards of the Attitude Era.

5. SummerSlam 2001

Card

• Edge defeated intercontinental champion Lance Storm to win the title.
• The Dudley Boyz & Test defeated The APA & Spike Dudley.
• WCW cruiserweight champion X-Pac defeated WWE lightheavyweight champion Tajiri to win the title.
• Chris Jericho defeated Rhyno.
• Rob Van Dam defeated hardcore champion Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match.
• WCW tag team champions The Undertaker & Kane defeated WWE tag team champions Diamond Dallas Page & Kanyon in a Steel Cage match.
• Kurt Angle defeated WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin by disqualification.
• The Rock defeated WCW champion Booker T to win the title.

The Invasion and everything that was wrong with it has become such a hot-button topic to so many wrestling historians that it is often forgotten just how great the shows that period produced were. Case in point: SummerSlam 2001.

Headlined by a double-header of Kurt Angle vs. WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock vs. WCW champion Booker T, it was a show whose quality was overshadowed by the many booking mistakes Creative made on a seemingly nightly basis.

Edge proved himself to be a suitable singles star-in-the-making as he went toe-to-toe with Lance Storm and never once looked out of place or unprepared for the opportunity in front of him. Chris Jericho and Rhyno delivered a fun, if sloppy, match that furthered the constantly intensifying rivalry between Y2J and Stephanie McMahon and Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy in a ladder match to become hardcore champion, nearly stealing the show in the process.

The aforementioned match between Angle and Austin, though, was an epic that saw Angle bleed buckets but never quit in the face of a furious onslaught by The Texas Rattlesnake. When chicanery reigned supreme and Angle was screwed out of the title, he snapped and beat the ever-loving hell out of crooked official Nick Patrick, enhancing the moment and awakening a beast inside the Olympian.

The Rock's triumphant return put a nice cap on a show that is often underrated when discussing some of the better SummerSlam events.

4. SummerSlam 2008

Card

• MVP defeated Jeff Hardy.
• Beth Phoenix & Santino Marella defeated women's champion Mickie James & intercontinental champion Kofi Kingston in a Mixed Tag Team match to win the titles.
• Matt Hardy defeated ECW champion Mark Henry via disqualification.
• World heavyweight champion CM Punk defeated John Bradshaw Layfield.
• WWE champion Triple H defeated The Great Khali.
• Batista defeated John Cena.
• The Undertaker defeated Edge in a Hell in a Cell match.

The Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer, the 2008 show featured several huge main events, not the least of which was the first pay-per-view meeting between John Cena and Batista.

The two megastars had been linked since their days in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where they trained for the bright lights of WWE together. At the 2005 Royal Rumble, The Animal eliminated The Doctor of Thuganomics, winning the annual 30-man namesake match. Two months later, they both marched into WrestleMania 21 and left with heavyweight championships.

The faces of WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era, they were kept separate until that summer, when the two fatefully ended up on the Raw brand.

A battle of fan favorites, the match was a brilliant heavyweight contest that tossed technique out the window and kept the fans in Indianapolis hanging on every high spot and near-fall. When Batista caught a flying Cena with the Batista Bomb, then followed up with a second, the leader of the Cenation had no choice but to stay down for the count.

Not to be outdone, SmackDown countered with an epic of its own.

The Undertaker and Edge wrapped up a rivalry that dated back to WrestleMania 24 and had seen The Dead Man screwed over on countless occasions by The Rated R Superstar, general manager Vickie Guerrero and La Familia.

Without the backup of his cohorts, Edge was forced to do battle with The Phenom inside Hell in a Cell, a match made vengefully by Guerrero after she caught her would-be husband engaging in an affair with Alicia Fox.

The resulting contest was a barbaric bout inside The Devil's Playground. Undertaker won, bringing the program to a close, but Edge was every bit the victor, with another monumental pay-per-view main event on his resume.

3. SummerSlam 2011

Card

• John Morrison, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio, R-Truth and The Miz.
• Mark Henry defeated Sheamus by count-out.
• WWE Divas champion Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix.
• Wade Barrett defeated Daniel Bryan.
• Randy Orton defeated world heavyweight champion Christian to win the title in a No Holds Barred match.
• WWE champion CM Punk defeated WWE champion John Cena in a match to determine the undisputed champion.
• Alberto Del Rio defeated WWE champion CM Punk to win the title.

Leading into SummerSlam 2011, the story was CM Punk and how WWE had finally gotten it right by capitalizing on his popularity and elevating him to the top of the card. Leaving the show, a sense of impending doom fell over the WWE Universe and reality set in: Punk was never going to be allowed to be the face of the company, no matter how over or mainstream he became.

Just moments after another classic encounter with John Cena for the WWE Championship, a match he won, Punk found himself receiving a Jackknife Powerbomb from the returning Kevin Nash. From there, Alberto Del Rio hit the ring, cashed in Money in the Bank and won the title.

Suddenly, the latest in a string of fantastic matches between Cena and Punk over the top prize in sports entertainment was erased in favor of two massively unpopular and nonsensical booking decisions. While those choices proved troublesome in the long run, and probably undid a great deal of the momentum both Punk and WWE had built for the Chicago native, it was not enough to bring down what was a phenomenal show.

Prior to Punk and Cena's encounter, Christian dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton in a fantastic No Holds Barred match. After months of feuding, The Viper struck and brought the ordeal to a close with a vicious RKO on to the ring steps.

The continued growth and evolution of Mark Henry into a main event monster saw him roll over Sheamus via count-out after a thorough ass-kicking.

Despite the massive blunder that closed out the show and left fans less excited about the product, the in-ring activity was enough to keep the 2011 event firmly among the best SummerSlam events ever.

2. SummerSlam 2002

Card

• Kurt Angle defeated Rey Mysterio.
• Ric Flair defeated Chris Jericho.
• Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero.
• WWE tag team champions Christian & Lance Storm defeated Booker T & Goldust.
• Rob Van Dam defeated intercontinental champion Chris Benoit to win the title.
• The Undertaker defeated Test.
• Shawn Michaels defeated Triple H in an Unsanctioned Street Fight.
• Brock Lesnar defeated WWE undisputed champion The Rock to win the title.

To say creative in WWE was disjointed, uneven and nonsensical by the time SummerSlam 2002 rolled around would be an understatement. The brand extension had been a miserable failure. Rosters were uneven, trades and other on-screen deals had gone down to cover up for the fact Vince McMahon was always changing his mind, and it did not help that the iconic "Stone Cold" Steve Austin had departed the company in June. 

Yet amid all of the chaos, which played out on television screens in millions of homes on a weekly basis, the immensely talented Superstars and all-time greats who made up the SummerSlam card ensured that year's event would be one of the greatest of all time. 

Brock Lesnar capped off his rise to the top of the wrestling world by dethroning The Rock and firmly establishing himself the king of the WWE mountain. Shawn Michaels returned from a four-year injury-enforced hiatus to defeated Triple H in a wild, violent Street Fight that was easily the best bout of the night and a Match of the Year contender.

Supporting bouts like Rob Van Dam's Intercontinental Championship win over Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle's clean win over the unorthodox Rey Mysterio and Edge's come-from-behind victory over Eddie Guerrero helped bolster one of the more star-studded offerings in SummerSlam history. 

1. SummerSlam 2013

Card

• Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire match.
• Cody Rhodes defeated Damien Sandow.
• World heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio defeated Christian.
• Natalya defeated Brie Bella.
• Brock Lesnar defeated CM Punk.
• Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn defeated Big E Langston & AJ Lee in a Mixed Tag Team match.
• Daniel Bryan defeated WWE champion John Cena to win the title.
• Randy Orton defeated WWE champion Daniel Bryan to win the title.

The 2013 SummerSlam event is the best in company history.

Bar none.

Sure, it started off on the wrong foot with a pathetic Ring of Fire match between Kane and Bray Wyatt, but it picked up quickly, giving way to a quality grudge match between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, a World Heavyweight Championship match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian and building to the moment Brock Lesnar entered the arena for the night's first main event.

The Beast Incarnate defeated CM Punk in a five-star classic that demonstrated the mastery of Punk's storytelling abilities and the sheer brutality and ferocity with which Lesnar performs. The match was easily the best of the pay-per-view, an all-timer in the annals of SummerSlam and the moment Punk's greatness was no longer in doubt.

Even if critics will find a way to credit Lesnar with the match's quality.

The Daniel Bryan-John Cena WWE Championship match was another five-star classic that saw Bryan realize his boyhood dream and beat an obviously injured Cena to win the title. Rather than the happy ending, though, he found himself on the receiving end of a pedigree by Triple H and a Money in the Bank cash in, leading to another new champion in the form of The Viper.

A stunning, gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring night of action that finally lived up to the enormity of the SummerSlam pay-per-view.