WWE SummerSlam 2017: Biggest Breakout Performances in PPV History

Over the course of its three decades, SummerSlam has been home to some incredible performances by the industry's top stars.

From John Cena to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock to Hulk Hogan, the event has been a showcase of sorts for Superstars already established as the top attractions in sports entertainment.

It has also been the breeding ground for the Superstars of tomorrow, the setting of some of WWE's biggest and most impressive breakout performances.

Future Hall of Famers announced to the world their impending stardom by grabbing the moment and making it their own.

Bret Hart, The Rock and The Ultimate Warrior are just a few of the men to emerge from the summertime spectacular better and more ready to succeed at the highest levels of competition than they were upon entering.

Who joined them, and what varying degrees of success did the eight men documented herein go on to enjoy?

The answer to those questions can be found within, ranked according to historical significance and post-SummerSlam success.

8. Test (1999)

In 1999, Test was openly courting Stephanie McMahon, a personal decision that infuriated the Billion Dollar Princess' brother, Shane McMahon. Irate over his sister's choice in men, Shane-O-Mac issued a challenge to the big Canadian for a Love Her or Leave Her match.

If McMahon won, Test would be forced to stop dating Stephanie. If Test won, McMahon would have to leave the happy couple be and stop interfering in their affairs.

The story connected with fans and created anticipation. By the time the bout took to the squared circle in Minneapolis, the audience was eager to see the culmination of the live-action soap opera unfold before its eyes.

It did—in epic fashion.

Test withstood interference from the Mean Street Posse and tremendous physical punishment. Thanks to some assistance from Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, he was able to fight back, planting Shane with a pump-handle slam before finishing him off with a diving elbow drop.

The warm embrace of Stephanie in the wake of the bout gave fans their much-desired happy ending, and many were left believing they had just seen the first extraordinary performance in what was sure to be Test's journey to greatness.

That did not happen.

Though Test delivered a fantastic breakthrough performance at the event, he would never achieve main event status on a consistent basis at any point in his WWE career. Always an upper-midcard talent, he was unable to smash through the proverbial glass ceiling. As a result, his SummerSlam performance against McMahon is a footnote rather than the foundation for an enormous push.

7. Dolph Ziggler (2009)

Dolph Ziggler was not always The Showoff. He wasn't even all that great. Long before he won World Heavyweight Championships and established himself as one of the best in-ring workers in WWE, he was forced to shake off the stigma of The Spirit Squad. 

Until he delivered that one performance that inspired trust among WWE fans, he would always be Nicky.

The 2009 SummerSlam kicked off with Ziggler challenging Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. The Master of the 619 was already an all-time great and a future Hall of Famer. He had the respect and admiration of the WWE Universe.

Hanging with him, in a high-profile title bout, would go a long way in confirming Ziggler had left behind the days of pompoms and somersaults and was instead ready to establish his own identity in the company.

He delivered and, even in defeat, enhanced his stock in WWE.

Riding the wave of momentum he created for himself, he would become a five-time intercontinental champion, win the United States Championship and the Money in the Bank briefcase and, above all, hold the world title on two separate occasions.

That match against Mysterio demonstrated Ziggler's workhorse tendencies, and over the next decade, he would prove himself willing and able to fill whatever position on the card management needed him in while routinely delivering quality matches for fans to invest in.

6. Razor Ramon (1993)

Razor Ramon was already on his way to great things in WWE in 1993. But to fully cement his babyface turn, he needed to beat the despicable "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the opening match of SummerSlam.

The showdown between the two would be DiBiase's final match as an active, in-ring competitor, and he went out of his way to make The Bad Guy look strong.

Ramon withstood a targeted attack early, fought back and delivered the Razor's Edge for the clean, impressive victory.

Firmly established as an upper-midcard babyface by way of his win, Ramon rode a wave of momentum to his first Intercontinental Championship. By 1996, he was one of the biggest stars in wrestling and a red-hot free agent.

That year, he jumped to WCW, ignited the New World Order storyline and was at the heart of wrestling's greatest renaissance.

In 2014, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

5. Finn Balor (2016)

Finn Balor was already a pretty big deal when he made the jump from NXT to the main roster in July 2016, but wins in developmental are merely OK when compared to victories on the grandest stages known to professional wrestling.

In August 2016, Balor rolled through the top stars on the Raw brand and into SummerSlam, where he would battle Seth Rollins to determine the first universal champion. The match, one of the most prominent on the card, would go a long way toward determining what sort of success Balor would find on the main roster.

It would not be easy for The Demon to get through, though.

The Irishman suffered a significant injury, tearing his shoulder and the surrounding areas to shreds following a nasty powerbomb into the safety barricade at ringside.

Balor fought through the immense pain and delivered the Coup de Grace to win the match and the title. He would unfortunately be forced to relinquish the belt the following night, but his star on Monday nights was no longer in doubt.

Seemingly set to battle Bray Wyatt at the 2017 edition of the pay-per-view spectacular, Balor figures to resume his run in the main event scene sooner rather than later.

4. The Ultimate Warrior (1988)

The worst thing Honky Tonk Man could have done for his Intercontinental Championship reign was to arrogantly issue an open challenge to any Superstar in the locker room at the inaugural SummerSlam, way back in 1988.

The fans inside the historic Madison Square Garden came unglued and the Elvis impersonator's jaw dropped as the face-painted enigma known to fans as The Ultimate Warrior sprinted to the ring, unloaded a limited-yet-effective arsenal on to his opponent and brought the ungodly long reign of WWE's most hated bad guy to a satisfying end.

Warrior had done what no other popular babyface was able to do to that point: beat Honky, bringing an end to a title reign that had been infuriatingly preserved through cowardly victories, spineless disqualifications and cheap count-outs. He was a new hero to fans looking for an alternative to the red and yellow of Hulkamania.

Within two years, he would be the WWE champion and one of the few Superstars to have pinned Hulk Hogan clean in the center of the ring in Vince McMahon's company.

3. Brock Lesnar (2002)

It is difficult to suggest someone fresh off a clean, dominant and bloody victory over Hulk Hogan has not already broken out, but the argument can be made that Brock Lesnar did not truly break out until he proved he could hang with the elite the industry had to offer in a pay-per-view main event.

In the marquee match of the loaded SummerSlam 2002 spectacular, Lesnar matched The Rock's speed, power and agility and even surpassed it in several instances. Lesnar survived the best The Great One had to throw at him and managed to hoist him for the F-5 that would end Rock's full-time WWE career forever and relieve him of the WWE Undisputed Championship.

Lesnar effectively removed the Next Big Thing moniker and announced to the world that he was, without a shadow of a doubt, the big thing.

The ruthlessly aggressive brute would tear through the WWE roster, defeating the likes of Kurt Angle, Big Show, Chris Benoit and John Cena en route to establishing himself as the face of SmackDown. That is until he abruptly walked away from WWE at the height of his push in 2004, with his passion for the industry not where it needed to be.

After building his own star beyond the squared circle, becoming a box office attraction in the UFC, Lesnar returned to WWE and embarked on the second half of his amazing, awe-inspiring and unflinchingly brutal career.

2. Bret 'The Hitman' Hart (1991)

Bret Hart had embarked on one failed singles run prior to 1991, but by the time that year's SummerSlam rolled around, his ability to get over and achieve greatness without tag team partner Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was put to the test as he challenged Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship match.

The second match on a loaded card, and with Perfect suffering from a near debilitating back injury, no one could have expected the ramifications the championship clash would have on WWE for the rest of the 1990s.

On a night when Hart absolutely needed to perform, he went above and beyond even the loftiest expectations. He sold every bit of Perfect's offense, then outsmarted the cocky second-generation star, catching him in the Sharpshooter and forcing a quick submission for his first singles title.

The quality of the contest and the strength of the win catapulted Hart into a whole new stratosphere. After years of being referred to as The Excellence of Execution by Gorilla Monsoon, The Hitman would finally have the opportunity to showcase his abilities in an expanded role and, more importantly, prove few were better than him.

By the time November 1992 rolled around, Hart was the WWE champion and the epitome of WWE's New Generation campaign. His career, rivaled only by a select few, culminated with enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006.

1. The Rock (1998)

The greatest crossover star in WWE history began his journey to greatness at the 1998 SummerSlam pay-per-view, at which The Rock defended his Intercontinental Championship against Triple H in a ladder match.

The Great One had held the title for eight months by the time the annual summer extravaganza rolled around, but one could not help but think he was in need of one legitimate, show-stealing breakout match to firmly establish himself as a next-level performer.

He got it in Madison Square Garden as he battled one of his most hated rivals.

Rock unleashed a new side of himself on the unsuspecting New Yorkers. The third-generation Superstar was meaner, nastier, more ruthless and vicious than they had ever seen. He was meticulous and calculated as he targeted the injured knee of the D-Generation X leader and the fans responded favorably.

Despite being the clear heel in the match, chants of "Rocky" erupted throughout the arena.

Bloodied and battered, he lost the match but earned the respect of a WWE fanbase that was begging to cheer for him but waiting for the right moment.

Within three months, Rock was the WWE champion and one of the two biggest stars in the promotion. He would eclipse even the star of Steve Austin by the time the new millennium dawned and become a movie star within four years of the ladder match.

Today, Rock is one of Hollywood's biggest box office attractions and still makes time to return to WWE when the opportunity arises.