Welcome to part four of my top Summerslam matches! I’ve listed the matches from parts one, two, and three before looking at 20-11. Enjoy!
50. 1994 – Undertaker vs Undertaker
49. 2008 – CM Punk vs JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship
48. 2003 – Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship
47. 1991 – Virgil vs Ted Dibiase for the Million Dollar Championship
46. 2010 – The Nexus vs Team WWE
45. 1993 – Lex Luger vs Yokozuna for the WWE Championship
44. 1997 – Undertaker vs Bret Hart w/ Shawn Michaels as Special Referee for the WWE Championship
43. 2006 – Edge vs John Cena for the WWE Championship
42. 1989 – Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior for the IC Championship
41. 2009 – DX vs Legacy
40. 1999 – Test vs Shane McMahon “love her or leave her” match
39. 1997 – Steel Cage Match Mankind vs Triple H
38. 2005 – Shawn Michaels vs Hulk Hogan
37. 2009 – Dolph Ziggler vs Rey Mysterio for the IC Championship
36. 1998 – Stone Cold vs Undertaker for the WWE Championship
35. 1988 – Ultimate Warrior vs Honky Tonk Man for the IC Championship
34. 2001 – Stone Cold vs Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship
33. 1998 – Ladder Match Triple H vs The Rock for the IC Championship
32. 2004 – Kurt Angle vs Eddie Guerrero
31. 1999 – Stone Cold vs Mankind vs Triple H for the WWE Championship
30. 1996 – Vader vs Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship
29. 2008 – John Cena vs Batista
28. 1988 – Mega Powers vs Mega Bucks
27. 2006 – I Quit Match Mick Foley vs Ric Flair
26. 1992 – Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior for the WWE Championship
25. 2001 – The Rock vs Booker T for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
24. 2002 – Ric Flair vs Chris Jericho
23. 2005 – John Cena vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship
22. 1993 – The Steiner Brothers vs Heavenly Bodies for the WWE World Tag Team Championship
21. 2005 – Ladder Match for Custody of Dominick: Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero
20. 2009 – CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy in a TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy went into this match as the World Heavyweight Champion, but he ultimately dropped the title to Punk in this match when he turned to his typical tactics of dare-devil entertainment for the audience. Hardy went through a table after Punk moved and was unable to stop Punk from securing the title when Punk punched him off the ladder. Punk proved in this match that he is the superior wrestler and can hang with the best spot monkey’s in the business in terms of putting on a gimmick match.
19. 2011 – John Cena vs CM Punk with Triple H as the special referee for the WWE Championship: This match was as good in terms of wrestling as their match at MITB the prior month, but this match had the added element of Triple H keeping things under control. The finish to the match was when Triple H counted John Cena’s shoulders down when his foot was actually on the rope during the pin. The ultimate twist to this match was Kevin Nash attacking CM Punk during his celebration and Alberto Del Rio cashing in his MITB briefcase on Punk to close out Summerslam as the new WWE Champion!
18. 1990 – Hart Foundation vs Demolition in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship: This was a heated rivalry that had been ongoing for a few years, and this match showcased some of the best tag team wrestling you will ever see. This would be Hart’s final Summerslam as a tag team wrestler, but any true fan of the Hitman knows that his success as a single’s star would’ve never been as standout had he not accomplished so much over the years alongside the Anvil.
17. 2000 – Hardys vs Dudleys vs E&C TLC Match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship: Despite a triangle ladder match incorporating tables, ladders, and chairs at WrestleMania 2000, this was the first ever dubbed TLC Match by commissioner Mick Foley. These three teams battled throughout the year in 2000, and this match was a standout in terms of hardcore to go along with the WWE’s attitude era. Edge and Christian would go on to win this match just as they did at WM2000.
16. 2008 – The Undertaker vs Edge in a Hell in a Cell match: Edge and the Undertaker had the most popular feud on Smackdown in 2008, and this match was a stellar finish to this brutal rivalry. Undertaker and Edge would go on as the main event of the show, despite this match not being for any championships. Taker would defeat Edge using the Tombstone and ultimately chokeslam him off a ladder through the ring to close out the 2008 event.
15. 1988 – The British Bulldogs vs The Fabulous Rougeaus: This match was another example of classic tag team wrestling during a time when tag teams were plentiful and appreciated. The Bulldogs and Rougeaus were two of the top tag teams during this time period, and they wrestled for a full twenty minutes to a time limit draw. The lack of a finish didn’t matter to the audience at the first ever Summerslam, and that’s mostly because they had just witnessed an exceptionally entertaining tag team match.
14. 2000 – Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho in a 2 out of 3 falls match: Benoit and Jericho at the time were two of the best WWE had to offer, and this match proved that both of these men were worthy of being in the main event picture. Benoit would score the first fall in this match with the crossface, and Jericho would score the second forcing Benoit to tap out to the walls of Jericho. Benoit was able to score the final fall using the ropes to keep Jericho’s shoulders down for the three count. These two guys had the second best match of the night in roughly thirteen minutes time.
13. 2002 – Brock Lesnar vs The Rock for the WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar had a faster jump to the top of the mountain than almost any superstar in the history of the WWE. Lesnar had come in and defeated Jeff Hardy on his first ppv, and he would defeat Hulk Hogan using a bearhug on an episode of Smackdown. Lesnar would go on to win the King of the Ring Tournament and then defeat the great one clean at Summerslam to become the new WWE Champion. The crowd was actually on Lesnar’s side during most of the match, and the Rock was about take off to shoot a movie before working just a couple more matches in 2003 and one in 2004.
12. 2004 – Randy Orton vs Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship: Benoit held the title throughout the summer in 2004 after defeating HBK and Triple H at WrestleMania 20 and had a successful run. Orton was a fast rising star since 2002 and had been groomed by Evolution to move up the roster. Orton’s win over Benoit came as a bit of a shock as he was able to nail the RKO out of nowhere and defeat Benoit clean to become the new World Champion in a classic matchup.
11. 2001 – Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match for the Hardcore Championship: Rob Van Dam was working for the Alliance during the Invasion angle, and Jeff Hardy was representing WWE going into this match as the Hardcore Champion. RVD has been known to highlight matches with big spots, but he’s also known for being a talented wrestler. Combining his skill with the spotfests that Jeff Hardy loves to produce made this match another instant classic for this list. RVD would come out on top as the new Hardcore Champion.
Hope you enjoyed the read! The fifth and final part of my top Summerslam matches will be up next week!
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