WWE SummerSlam 2017: Most Epic and Shocking Moments in PPV History

SummerSlam is a WWE event rich in history. With 29 events to its name, it has been home to some of the most inspiring and unforgettable moments. It has also seen its fair share of shocking and epic instances that have left fans buzzing.

From grand gestures of love to shocking acts of betrayal, the event has been a breeding ground for the unexpected, as well as the unexpectedly awesome. 

In 2017, the Superstars of today's WWE will attempt to provide their own moments of awe and wonder.

Before they take to Brooklyn's Barclays Center to do that, relive the moments that have helped make SummerSlam one of the most enjoyable and unforgettable events on the WWE calendar, ranked according to unexpectedness and general awesomeness, and settling for historical significance when necessary.

10. The Beast Has Been Unleashed (2002)

In 2002, Brock Lesnar rolled into SummerSlam the King of the Ring and an undefeated force of nature.

His opponent at that show? WWE champion The Rock, who had defeated The Undertaker and Kurt Angle in a wild, chaotic and explosive Triple Threat match a month earlier.

The Great One may have controlled the pace, his veteran experience dictating his success at one point, but it was Lesnar who fought back and delivered the F-5 to win his first major title.

It was a coronation of sorts for The Beast Incarnate.

Dubbed "The Next Big Thing" from the moment he arrived on the scene, expectations were high. He met those expectations and, on wrestling's second-biggest stage, etched his name in the history books. He would become a staple of SummerSlam after his return in 2012 and will headline the 2017 edition.

9. A Match Made in Heaven (1991)

The 1991 SummerSlam saw the grand wedding of "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.

It was a spectacle, a moment in time devised to pay off the greatest love story the WWE has ever known. The grand ceremony, the real main event of that show, was the culmination of a reunion that began at WrestleMania VII.

An emotional audience watched from the stands as the former WWE champion married the love of his life on pay-per-view, creating yet another magical moment in the career of The Macho Man.

It went off seamlessly and was every bit the storybook ending fans had sought for so very long.

One of the few feel-good moments in SummerSlam history.

8. Sisterly Betrayal (2014)

Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon in 2014 was a surprisingly high-profile match on that year's card. The story itself was well done, too, and all eyes were on the type of in-ring performance McMahon would deliver after 11 years away from the squared circle.

The Billion Dollar Princess captivated the fans in Los Angeles, generating more heat for the match and camouflaging any weaknesses the Superstars may have had at that point. She was phenomenal, a true heel working the crowd and making the inevitable babyface comeback that much more effective. 

It is the shocking betrayal of Brie by sister Nikki that ranks among the most shocking moments in SummerSlam history, though.

Left to endure the ruthless decision-making of McMahon, and beaten down by her fellow women on numerous occasions, Nikki blamed Brie and took her frustrations out on her. A big forearm set Brie up for the Pedigree that would fracture a family and tear two sisters apart.

For the time being, at least.

7. A Chokeslam to Hell (2008)

The 2008 SummerSlam event featured a Hell in a Cell main event pitting Undertaker against Edge. After months of feuding dating back to WrestleMania, they settled their issues in a violent, yet bloodless, war.

Undertaker earned the victory in dominant fashion, but he was not finished with The Rated R Superstar when the bell rang. After months of torment, Undertaker delivered a vicious chokeslam from a ladder through the ring.

Knelt on the canvas, he rose his arms, and flames engulfed the hole his rival now called home.

It made for a stunning visual, an epic conclusion to the event and an unforgettable moment that fit Undertaker's all-time-great character.

It was also an emphatic exclamation point on the feud.

6. "She Took off Her Skirt!" (1988)

The WWE of the late 1980s was a modest, family-friendly one that rarely pushed the limits of good taste and hardly strayed into the world of controversy when unnecessary.

The main event of the inaugural 1988 SummerSlam saw Hulk Hogan and WWE champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage battle "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant in a gigantic tag team main event. The villainous duo was in firm control of the match, the babyfaces deposited to ringside, when Miss Elizabeth climbed onto the ring apron...and removed her skirt.

The fans in Madison Square Garden erupted, and the looks on the faces of DiBiase, Andre and special referee Jesse Ventura told the story.

No one could have expected such risque actions by Elizabeth.

The distraction allowed Savage and Hogan to recover and pick up the win.

The moment provided fans with genuine surprise and capped off an unforgettable night with an edginess fans of that era were unfamiliar with.

5. A Triumphant Return (2002)

Credit: WWE.com

After four years spent on the sidelines while nursing a serious back injury, Shawn Michaels returned to the squared circle for a heated Unsanctioned Street Fight with friend-turned-enemy Triple H.

The Heartbreak Kid had suffered a significant back injury in 1998 and needed those four years to undergo surgery and properly heal but when the opportunity arose to return to the squared circle, he jumped at it.

In one of the greatest matches in event history, Michaels and Triple H tore the house down, delivering a violent and story-driven street fight that saw HBK shake off any ring rust that still existed and score a monumental victory.

It was an emotional and triumphant return to the squared circle for a Superstar considered by many to be the best of all time.

It would also spawn a permanent return to the squared circle and numerous classics with modern Superstars, cementing his place in history as one of the elite in-ring performers ever.

4. Shane McMahon's Fall from Grace (2000)

The 2000 SummerSlam event may have featured the first Tables, Ladders & Chairs match between The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian and The Dudley Boyz, but it was Shane McMahon who took that night's most unforgettable bump.

The defending hardcore champion, the prodigal son entered the event with a target on his back. "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman sought to regain the title that was taken from him under controversial circumstances, and in North Carolina, he was willing to beat McMahon into jelly in order to do so.

After overcoming interference from Test and Albert, Blackman followed McMahon up the SummerSlam set and bashed him in the back with a Singapore cane. McMahon released his grip on the staging and fell some 30 feet to the ground below.

The bump was the first dangerous, awe-inspiring moment of McMahon's career. It was probably unnecessary, but it provided SummerSlam with an unforgettable moment and confirmed for fans the lengths to which the untrained wrestler would go to entertain them.

To this day, that moment is one of the most unforgettable and unbelievable of this century.

3. An Ultimate Champion (1988)

The Honky Tonk Man was the most hated villain in the WWE by the time SummerSlam rolled around in August 1988. He was a rare breed, a heel fans would pay their hard-earned money to see get beaten. Yet, no matter how tough the challenge, he always found a sneaky, underhanded way of retaining his Intercontinental Championship.

Until that first SummerSlam.

The Elvis Presley ripoff was originally scheduled to face Brutus Beefcake, but an injury angle resulted in The Barber's removal from the match. Enter, The Ultimate Warrior, who accepted Honky's challenge and bowled him over in less than one minute to win the gold.

The moment electrified the fans inside Madison Square Garden and elicited one of the loudest ovations in event history.

Rightfully so.

Warrior had a charisma about him that made him wildly popular, and by beating Honky Tonk Man for the title, he only won over the audience more.

2. Brock Lesnar Pummels John Cena

John Cena had been so protected for so long that the events of the 2014 SummerSlam were previously unfathomable.

On that night, he entered The Biggest Party of the Summer as the WWE champion. His opponent? The unstoppable Brock Lesnar, fresh off of ending The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak.

The Beast Incarnate obliterated Cena, tossing him around the squared circle with 16 suplexes. He finished him with the F-5 and pinned him in the most disrespectful and irreverent way. It was a one-sided ass-whooping the likes of which no one could have foreseen.

The unforgettable main event saw the complete and utter pummeling of Cena by Lesnar, something fans had never seen before. The franchise star put up zero fight and had his body wrecked by the fury of the WWE's most dangerous man.

1. Money in the Bank Cash-Ins (2011 and 2013)

In both 2011 and 2013, SummerSlam ended with shocking Money in the Bank cash-ins that re-shaped the WWE for its immediate future and left fans less than thrilled by the epic conclusions to the events.

CM Punk was the hottest star in wrestling when the returning Kevin Nash suddenly attacked him and cashed in on by Alberto Del Rio just moments after defeating John Cena in the main event of the 2011 broadcast.

The idea that management thought the best way to build on Punk's momentum was for Del Rio to cash in on him and take the title is so incredibly flawed and illogical that it should be no great surprise that the WWE was never able to maintain the heat and excitement surrounding Punk's breakout promo and ascension to the top of the industry.

Two years later, Daniel Bryan was the most popular and beloved wrestler in the industry.

At the 2013 show, he launched himself across the ring and blasted Cena with a running knee, beating him in the center of the ring as clean as possible.

But his fairy-tale story was not to be.

Special referee Triple H betrayed Bryan, dropping him with a Pedigree and allowing Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

The cash-ins created incredible buzz at the tail end of those SummerSlam spectaculars, but they also left fans disenfranchised with the product, especially after two of their favorite Superstars had been screwed over and robbed of magical, show-ending moments.