WWE SummerSlam 2017: 25 Greatest Hidden Gem Matches in PPV's History

SummerSlam is a pay-per-view spectacular recognized for its epic encounters and star-making performances that have helped define the event over its three decades.

It has also been home to some extraordinary hidden gems, those quality matches often overshadowed by a high-profile main event or some show-stealer earlier in the night.

They are the matches that do no benefit from the publicity or attention they deserve and thus become lost in the history books.

Ahead of this year's event on August 20 that appears poised to deliver a few of those matches in its own right, relive these 25 hidden gems worth your time, ranked according to match quality and historical significance.

25. The British Bulldogs vs. The Rougeau Brothers (1988)

The first match in SummerSlam history was a 20-minute draw pitting The British Bulldogs against The Fabulous Rougeaus. How can a match that delivers no winner and nothing in the way of a satisfying finish make this list of hidden gems?

The solid in-ring work by both teams, coupled with the always entertaining heel work of the Rougeaus, helped kick off the legacy of SummerSlam in suitable in-ring fashion.

Dynamite Kid may have been a shell of his former self, but brothers Jacques and Raymond Rougeau and Davey Boy Smith were able to deliver an entertaining tag bout to kick off the festivities and ensure the fans in New York City remained excited and red-hot for the inaugural pay-per-view extravaganza. 

The strength of the Rougeaus' heel act did not hurt matters either, as fans inside Madison Square Garden were able to invest themselves in the idea of the Bulldogs beating the obnoxious baddies. 

24. Virgil vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (1990)

Credit: WWE.com

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase had mistreated, degraded and humiliated his man servant Virgil for years until "Rowdy" Roddy Piper encouraged the typically silent Superstar to stand up for himself. He did, beginning at the 1991 Royal Rumble and continued through WrestleMania VII.

It was not until SummerSlam, though, that the two would meet in a straight singles match without the interference of Piper or anyone else to spoil the outcome. 

Though he took a beating from DiBiase throughout, Virgil showed tremendous heart as he valiantly fought from underneath. With the meddlesome Sensational Sherri banished to the locker room after trying to interfere, Virgil proceeded to send DiBiase into a turnbuckle that the Million Dollar Man had exposed and pinned him for the upset win.

More importantly, it earned him the Million Dollar Championship.

The story of the match was that of the classic underdog overcoming the odds and proving his worth. It was an effective one as the fans in Madison Square Garden blew the roof off the place when he pinned DiBiase for the win.

Heavy on drama, it proved that a story is every bit as essential to a strong match as one's ability to execute 19 versions of a suplex.

23. Shawn Michaels vs. Rick Martel (1992)

Sensational Sherri's love for Shawn Michaels and flirtation with Rick "The Model" Martel led to one of the most unique and thoroughly entertaining matches in SummerSlam history as the egotistical heels battled in a bout in which punches to the face were illegal.

Seeing as how punches to the face are a staple of professional wrestling and are omnipresent in every match on the card, it presented Martel and The Heartbreak Kid with the challenge of putting together a contest without striking each other in the face.

As it turned out, the outstanding in-ring talents of the Superstars involved, coupled with the Sherri storyline, resulted in an engrossing and compelling bit of pay-per-view.

When the competitors lost their cool and unloaded on each other, Sherri fainted on the ring apron. Martel returned to the locker room while Michaels carried her up the aisle. Emerging with a bucket of water, The Model doused Sherri, waking her up in a comical moment that re-established the future Hall of Famer's value to WWE during her stint with the company.

22. 1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi (1995)

Credit: WWE.com

The 1995 SummerSlam may be the worst in WWE history (it is), but the show's opener between the 1-2-3 Kid and Hakushi was a pleasant surprise that suggested to fans that not everything on the card would be hot garbage.

Cutting a quicker pace than anything else on the show, Kid and Hakushi brought the work rate to a show that touted Mabel as a valid and legitimate No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship and also featured the Blu Twins and Kama in prominent positions.

The Pittsburgh fans marveled in the athleticism of the Superstars but were none too pleased when Hakushi caught Kid's attempt at a leg lariat and planted him in a side slam for the win.

Nothing else on the match could touch the sprint of a match they just delivered. While not a Match of the Year candidate or anything, it was the polar opposite of anything else Vince McMahon's company was presenting between the ropes on a nightly basis.

It was refreshing, athletic and the silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud of the 1995 show.

21. Val Venis vs. D'Lo Brown (1998)

The 1998 SummerSlam event was the culmination of a summer's worth of storytelling, but it was the opening bout, devoid of lengthy backstory or reason for occurring, that earns a spot on this countdown.

D'Lo Brown was the European champion, defending the title on a nightly basis and restoring credibility to it after a questionable first year in existence. Demanding to be announced from a new European city every night, he embraced the title and the opportunity it presented him.

Venis was a larger-than-life character and an adult film star in an era when that worked. He was incredibly popular, and fans in Madison Square Garden legitimately wanted him to win the title.

The wildly entertaining bout those two put together in the opening match of SummerSlam earned them a spot on the countdown.

Brown repeatedly utilized his chest protector to his advantage, while Jim Ross asked why he was allowed to wear it as long as he had in the first place. It would play a factor in the bout as Brown worked over his opponent's midsection with a big splash.

An ill-advised bit of refereeing, which saw Jimmy Korderas accidentally crotch Venis on the top rope, led to tension between official and competitor that ultimately led to The Big Valbowski getting himself disqualified. Brown retained the title, and Venis sent fans home with a beautiful Money Shot to the referee.

20. D'Lo Brown vs. Jeff Jarrett (1999)

The opening match of the 1999 SummerSlam event was one of its best as D'Lo Brown defended both the Intercontinental and European Championships against Jeff Jarrett. 

In the weeks leading into the match, Brown's popularity increased significantly—to the point that he was booked to go over Jarrett for the IC title on an episode of Raw. He was also helping longtime friend Mark Henry get back into shape after he had gained significant weight.

Throw in a Debra at a crossroads who was no longer willing to be told what to do by Jarrett but not necessarily ready to leave his side, and you have the components of a blockbuster match and story.

Brown was rolling late when Debra hopped up on the apron for a verbal confrontation with Jarrett. In the ring, Henry appeared and blasted his longtime friend with Jarrett's guitar, allowing the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native to pick up the tainted victory and both titles on top of it.

The dissension between Debra and Jarrett proved to be a ruse, while Henry had turned to the dark side, angry at the workouts and what he perceived to be belittling by Brown.

The drama, the twist and the solid in-ring action throughout helped establish this match as just one of the hidden gems on the 1999 card.

19. Tajiri vs. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rhyno (2003)

Eddie Guerrero's path to the top of SmackDown rolled through SummerSlam 2003. The United States champion was forced to defend against the three men whose stories had intricately intertwined. Rhyno had cost Chris Benoit the title at July's Vengeance pay-per-view, while Tajiri was seeking vengeance on Guerrero for a shocking betrayal that left him beaten down and incapacitated.

In a Fatal 4-Way match for the U.S. title, the four competitors would unleash hell on each other, with their differences coming to a head in one physical encounter.

Guerrero, ever the resourceful and cunning villain, seized an opening presented by Tajiri. With Benoit falling to the arena floor, he finished Rhyno with a Frog Splash.

A competitive match that told a story and highlighted the red-hot Guerrero, it was one of the better bouts on an otherwise uninspiring broadcast.

18. Booker T and Goldust vs. Christian and Lance Storm (2002)

Booker T and Goldust were as popular as any act on Monday Night Raw by the time SummerSlam 2002 rolled around, and at that event, they had the opportunity to dethrone the hated Un-Americans' Lance Storm and Christian for the World Tag Team Championships.

In an entertaining sprint of a title bout, the babyface duo brought energy to the show and had the fans thinking a title change may be imminent.

Unfortunately, interference from Test late in the bout robbed the five-time WCW champion and the Bizarre One of the gold.

The manner in which the hot tag to Booker was teased throughout the match built anticipation for the moment it finally happened, and a red-hot crowd upon his entry into the bout late. It was a bit of booking genius that provided the match a spark late and left fans even more pissed off when the foreign heels emerged with their titles intact.

17. CM Punk vs. John Bradshaw Layfield

CM Punk entered the 2008 SummerSlam event as the world heavyweight champion. Rather than competing against John Cena or Batista, though, the Straight Edge Superstar found himself faced with the challenge of John Bradshaw Layfield.

The punishing Texan pummeled Punk throughout their match, wearing him down with vicious forearms and unforgiving slams. The bigger, stronger and more physical challenger overwhelmed Punk, tossing him around the squared circle with a fallaway slam and working over his ribs in the process.

The oppressive loudmouth bully appeared en route to his second world title late, but a resilient Punk popped up out of nowhere with Go To Sleep to score the win and successfully retain the gold.

The first pay-per-view title defense for Punk, the match demonstrated that Punk could succeed as the gutsy underdog consistently faced with battling from underneath to win his matches. Before he could gain any momentum as champion based on the hidden gem at SummerSlam 2008, the title was taken from him in controversial fashion at Unforgiven the following month.

16. The Steiner Brothers vs. The Heavenly Bodies (1993)

As a whole, the 1993 SummerSlam event is a hidden gem.

Coming at a time that is considered one of the worst in WWE history, the event featured solid and entertaining action from top to bottom. It is the WWE Tag Team Championship match between defending champions (and hometown boys) The Steiner Brothers and the dastardly villains The Heavenly Bodies that stands out as a hidden gem.

"Gigolo" Jimmy Del Ray and Dr. Tom Prichard were a seriously underrated team that made a name for themselves in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling. When they made their WWE debut, their in-ring abilities spoke for themselves, while the unfavorable reaction from fans suggested to management it may have a quality heel act on its hands.

In Detroit, Del Ray and Prichard attempted to dethrone Rick and Scott in front of friends and family, putting an exclamation point on their sudden rise.

It was not meant to be, though, as a hotly contested match saw a Frankensteiner put an end to the newcomers' championship aspirations.

15. The Rockers and Tito Santana vs. The Rougeau Brothers and Rick Martel (1989)

Jacques and Raymond Rougeau make their second appearance on this countdown, this time for their 1989 Six-Man Tag Team match in which they teamed with the freshly turned heel Rick Martel to battle The Rockers and Tito Santana.

The collection of talent alone suggests that match would kick all sorts of ass, but the execution of the bout is why it lands on this list.

It flowed seamlessly, kept the fans interested throughout and played up the intensifying rivalry between Santana and Martel, former teammates in Strike Force. Their issues were at the forefront of the bout, while Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty and Rougeaus' secondary tag rivalry played out in energetic, frenetically paced fashion.

The heels would pick up the win to the dismay of the fans, but not before all six turned in superb performances that would eventually be overshadowed by the great Intercontinental Championship match between The Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude.

14. Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler (2009)

Dolph Ziggler had shaken off an early suspension and stupid character development early on to become one of the more promising young stars on the SmackDown roster by the time the 2009 SummerSlam rolled around. His growth as a performer would be tested against intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio in a rematch from their Night of Champions battle.

Ziggler demonstrated his preparedness for the moment, delivering a performance that improved upon his showing a month earlier and, at the same time, proved he could hang with one of the best and most critically acclaimed Superstars of his generation.

Together, Ziggler and Mysterio delivered an energetic opening contest that set the tone for the rest of the night's show.

While D-Generation X, CM Punk and Jeff Hardy stole the headlines by show's end, it was the Intercontinental Championship bout that was the night's best traditional wrestling match.

And it was not even all that close.

13. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett (2011)

One month after Daniel Bryan knocked Wade Barrett off a ladder and won Money in the Bank, the Superstars did battle in one of SmackDown's contributions to SummerSlam 2011.

Bringing a hard-hitting physicality to the show others did not, the match was a welcome change of pace. Barrett ended Bryan's early flurry with a spinning side slam, then continued to keep him at bay with a big boot.

Bryan fought back and looked to have victory in hand, but Barrett ended his night on a sour note, planting him with Wasteland and scoring what many considered an upset victory.

There are some who still look back bitterly on the match as it proved WWE management's unwillingness to get behind Bryan even after giving him Money in the Bank. In hindsight, the match was superbly wrestled and Barrett probably needed the win to stay relevant, given Bryan would be world champion by year's end.

It's a hidden gem tucked away nicely on a 2011 card that ranks as one of the best ever.

12. The Hart Foundation vs. Demolition (1990)

The rivalry between The Hart Foundation and Demolition ignited in 1988 but suddenly and prematurely ended when Ax and Smash turned babyface in 1989. Back as heels as the new decade arrived, Demolition was still atop the WWE mountain and had added a third member in the massive Crush.

Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, denied the tag team titles for so long, were hell-bent on leaving Philadelphia with the gold in 1990, but to do so, they had to beat their rivals in two out of three falls. When Demolition scored the first fall over Hart via the Demolition Decapitation, the uphill battle became even more arduous.

But the resilient babyfaces fought their way back into the match.

Crush got his team disqualified when he stopped a referee's count, preventing Hart from scoring a pinfall on Smash.

With the score evened up, The Legion of Doom made an appearance and prevented Demolition from switching out tag team partners. Hart and Neidhart capitalized on the distraction and won only their second tag team titles.

The in-ring work, supported by superb chemistry between the teams, and the appearance of Hawk and Animal late, helped make this bout feel like a legitimate main event match—even if it was tucked away nicely in the middle of the card, where it could not possibly steal the show away from The Hulkster or Ultimate Warrior.

Or so management thought.

11. Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (2013)

Christian is one of those Superstars who never seems to get the credit he deserves for being the quality of in-ring performer he was. An incredibly smart worker, he always seemed to understand and recognize the best moments to fit certain spots into the framework of a match.

His execution of near-falls and reversals was second to none. That was on full display in 2013 as he challenged Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The champion mercilessly worked on the left arm of his opponent, picking it apart in hopes of finishing him off with the cross arm-breaker. Christian fought back into the match, delivering a big head scissors from the top rope, but at the end of the day, he was unable to avoid a dropkick to the face or the vaunted arm-breaker, falling to the latter.

Matches like the one against Del Rio in 2013 are proof positive that Christian's contributions and in-ring ability are often times overlooked when compared to that of longtime tag team partner Edge. It is unfortunate because in some ways, Captain Charisma was The Rated R Superstar's superior when it came to straight in-ring work.

10. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens (2015)

Just 24 hours removed from a physical ladder match against Finn Balor as part of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, Kevin Owens never should have been able to deliver the type of performance he did against Cesaro at SummerSlam.

In the same building he lost the night before, Owens defeated The Swiss Superman in a hard-hitting bout. Overcoming tremendous pain and punishment, he delivered the Popup Powerbomb for the win.

The back-and-forth nature of the match kept the hope that Cesaro would somehow pull off the victory and set himself up for a significant push. As is the case with every major opportunity presented to him, he performed up to expectations and was brilliant as he battled The Prizefighter. His uppercuts stunned Owens and his Cesaro Swing was impressively executed on a man of Owens' size.

Unfortunately, neither of those nor the Sharpshooter were able to defeat Owens.

The match was sandwiched in between main event matches, left for dead in a cool down spot. Unwilling to settle for that designation, the performers unloaded on the WWE Universe with a barrage of awesome, ensuring their match would not be easily forgotten.

9. Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler (2012)

Dolph Ziggler again demonstrated his ability to kick off the show with an energetic and frenetically paced match that captivates audiences and warms them up for the rest of the night's action.

In 2012, he squared off with Chris Jericho in a thoroughly enjoyable match in which they utilized dramatic near-falls, reversals and counters to keep the audience guessing as to which Superstar would emerge with their arm raised in victory.

The story of the match was Jericho's inability to win the big one. He erased that narrative by trapping Ziggler in the Walls of Jericho and forcing a tapout.

By this point, Ziggler was as good a wrestler as there was in WWE. His ability to make others look good while simultaneously controlling the pace of the match as the heel was spectacular. Jericho was his typically great self, rediscovering his babyface charm after playing heel for the majority of the year.

Their in-ring chemistry was phenomenal, and the result was one of the better SummerSlam openers in recent memory.

8. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte (2016)

Feeling the pressure to maintain the women's revolution, not to mention build upon their previous series of matches, Charlotte and Sasha Banks took to the squared circle in the second match from the bottom of the card and looked to upstage every other match on the roster.

In a furious, stiff and even dangerous match, the women provided fans in Brooklyn a preview of the history-making matches they delivered later in the year.

Banks took a few dangerous bumps that had fans gasping, with her and her opponent's eagerness to pull out all stops maybe a little too much.

The Legit Boss entered the match the champion, riding a wave of momentum following a recent victory over the second-generation competitor. Unfortunately, she would not leave the same way.

Though she trapped Charlotte in The Bank Statement, she let her own aggressiveness get the best of her. Charlotte used Banks' momentum against her, countering the submission into a rollup for the win.

Banks and the Brooklyn fans were dismayed, and Charlotte was, once again, champion.

7. Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart (1998)

Owen Hart shockingly betrayed Ken Shamrock in April 1998 and, that July, defeated him in controversial fashion in a Dungeon match that took place in the former's childhood home in Calgary, Alberta.

SummerSlam would be different.

The rivals would settle their differences inside the Lion's Den, WWE's answer to the Octagon. There, the Superstars would brutalize each other until one man was able to put an end to the feud once and for all.

Fighting from underneath, The World's Most Dangerous Man trapped Hart in the ankle lock and secured the victory.

The match was unlike anything else the company was presenting at the time. On a show increasingly wilder and more chaotic, confining Shamrock and Hart in a steel structure such as the Lion's Den felt fresh and different. It also ensured Hart had nowhere to go and his acquaintance Dan "The Beast" Severn could not interfere on his behalf.

Most of all, it provided closure to a monthslong rivalry that certainly needed it.

6. Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit (2002)

Rob Van Dam was an unorthodox in-ring competitor—a Superstar reliant on using his educated feet and unrivaled athleticism to beat his opponent. Chris Benoit was the technical wizard—a mat wrestler who was as likely to tap you out with the Crippler Crossface as he was to shatter your spine with a German suplex.

Their styles would not appear to mesh all that well on paper, but as their Intercontinental Championship match in 2002 proved, all that matters is what happens between bells. 

Benoit worked the left arm of his opponent for the majority of the match, with Van Dam's face painted with pain and anguish. The Whole Dam Show fought his way back into the match and survived the vaunted crossface submission to deliver his Five Star Frog Splash and win the title.

A rematch from a better one on Raw, the match had the makings of an all-time great, but spotty selling from Van Dam lands it on this list of hidden gems, with its quality overlooked due to its few lacking qualities.

5. Ric Flair vs. Mick Foley (2006)

There was an intense and real dislike between Mick Foley and Ric Flair.

Foley, a hardcore legend, had taken exception to Flair's claims that he was little more than a stuntman. He fired back with insults of his own. A match at Vengeance did not settle their differences, so at SummerSlam, the future Hall of Famers would do battle in an I Quit match.

A brutal, violent and bloody match played out for fans as Foley and Flair proved age is a number and that storytelling will always be essential to a quality match.

Prior to the event, it had been established that Foley and Melina were good friends away from WWE. Late in the match, the MNM manager made her presence felt, checking on Foley as he found himself on the receiving end of a Flair ass-whooping.

Flair grabbed hold of her and threatened physical violence (despite being the babyface) if Foley did not quit. He did, and the match came to an end. While some may find fault with that finish, it made sense within the context of a previously established story. It worked and proved that as big a heel as Foley may have been at that point, he still had a heart. 

4. Test vs. Shane McMahon (1999)

Test had begun dating Stephanie McMahon in the summer of 1999, drawing the ire of Shane McMahon. The prodigal son was none too thrilled with the idea of his baby sister dating a big, long-haired former bodyguard for Motley Crue and did everything in his ability to derail their budding relationship.

With no other option, he challenged Test to a Love Her or Leave Her match at SummerSlam, with the idea being that if McMahon won the bout, the relationship would be called off. If he lost, he promised to stay out of the couple's affairs.

Emotions were high as the two brutalized each other in a street fight, with the weapons and high spots waking up the Minneapolis fans and providing them with some of the most memorable moments of the entire broadcast. 

The interference of The Mean Street Posse made sense within the context of the story given how closely associated with Shane-O-Mac they were, and the arrival of Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco to neutralize them made more sense given the rivalry between them.

With no one else to save him, McMahon fell victim to the top rope elbow drop by Test, who scored the win and the right to carry on his budding relationship with The Billion Dollar Princess.

Soap opera-like storytelling mixed with surprisingly hard-hitting in-ring content delivered one of the better hidden gems in SummerSlam history.

3. John Cena vs. Chris Jericho (2005)

Chris Jericho may have been on his way out of WWE, wrapping up his first stint with the company, but that did not stop him from putting John Cena over at SummerSlam 2005.

The Doctor of Thuganomics was still in his first stint as WWE champion and, after defeating John Bradshaw Layfield in a violent I Quit match at Judgment Day, was in need of a quality basic match to convince fans he did not need the bells and whistles of a hardcore contest to deliver a damn fine pay-per-view performance.

Jericho outwrestled Cena throughout the bout, targeting the back of the WWE champion in an attempt to take his power away from him. It worked, too, as Jericho was able to counter everything the less-than-healthy Cena attempted.

That is until Cena caught him with an Attitude Adjustment from out of nowhere to win the match and retain his title.

For the first time, Cena looked like a champion could hang with the very best in-ring performers the company could throw at him in high-profile championship defenses. In hindsight, the match was more important to Cena and his growth as a performer than anyone could have imagined at the time.

2. Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam (2001)

Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam stole the show at July 2001's Invasion pay-per-view, where Mr. Monday Night defeated The Charismatic Enigma to win the Hardcore Championship. Naturally, WWE officials were eager to get them back in the same ring one month later for a rematch. This time, the death-defying Superstars met in a Ladder match, all but ensuring audiences a spectacle.

The Superstars opted not to utilize the insane spots popularized by The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz in the Tables, Ladders & Chairs matches. Instead, they settled for inventive and creative spots, mixed with a little brutality to really captivate the audience.

That does not mean the match was without risk. Everything Hardy and Van Dam executed could have ended badly for either one without precision and expertise. It was not always a visually beautiful match, nor should it have been.

In the end, it was Van Dam successfully retaining his title and Hardy falling just short of victory, something that would come to define his singles career until a magnificent 2008 push.

1. Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton (2014)

The first glimpse of the main event performer Roman Reigns would become came at SummerSlam 2014, when he squared off with Randy Orton in a brilliant match that has inexplicably flown under the radar in the three years since it took to the squared circle.

The spots were creative and popped the crowd in Los Angeles. One, in particular, saw Reigns leap into the air for a Superman Punch, only to be caught with an RKO from out of nowhere. The stunning finisher only kept The Big Dog down for a two-count, though, as Reigns demonstrated the guts that would come to define his character.

The brawl around ringside, the near-falls and the eventual spear that ended The Viper's night helped make for one of the better matches of the entire 2014 card.

It was very much Reigns' breakout performance.

After that contest, it became abundantly clear that Reigns would be able to succeed at the top of the card against established main event talent in the biggest and most significant matches imaginable. That match with Orton was his breakthrough as a singles star and catapulted him to greatness.