SummerSlam is one of WWE’s biggest events of the year. It’s a place where wrestlers are given an opportunity to make a name for themselves and they usually deliver. There have been so many great main events that have headlined SummerSlam and we put together a list of 5 main events that we feel are “must see.” Check them out below.
#5 – John Cena vs Daniel Bryan – 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dA4ArNeQvc
Daniel Bryan had picked up some major momentum and crowd support coming out of his run with Kane as Team Hell No. His support from the fans was enough to earn him a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam in 2013 against John Cena.
Bryan and Cena went back and forth and delivered a great match that told an excellent story. The crowd was electric from start to finish and they absolutely erupted when Daniel Bryan defeated John Cena clean. It was an excellent match that told a story about a man who had worked his entire career to get to that point. But the story didn’t end after Bryan’s victory.
Randy Orton made his way out to the ring and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Triple H turned on Daniel Bryan and hit him with the Pedigree. The moment made for one of the most shocking and memorable endings in SummerSlam history.
#4 – Brock Lesnar vs The Rock – 2002
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbs-0j2u22E
When Brock Lesnar arrived in the WWE it took him no time at all to climb to the top of the ladder. After winning the King of the Ring tournament in 2002, Lesnar set his sights on The Rock and the WWE Championship.
The Rock was one of the biggest stars in wrestling at the time but the fans were starting to turn on him as they knew he was leaving for Hollywood. The tension between The Rock and the fans created an interesting dynamic as they cheered on while watching Brock Lesnar destroy their former hero. The Rock sold everything perfectly and helped Brock Lesnar transition into the mega star that he is today.
This is the match where Brock Lesnar won his first WWE Championship but it certainly wasn’t his last.
#3 – British Bulldog vs Bret Hart – 1992
It doesn’t get much bigger than this. Back in 1992 over 80,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium in London, England to watch SummerSlam and this match headlined the show. The British Bulldog took on Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship and both men stepped up their game in a big way.
Both Hart and the Bulldog put on a clinic as the Bulldog’s wife watched on from the crowd and sold the emotion. In the end the Bulldog walked away with the Intercontinental Championship after taking part in a match that people still can’t stop talking about 23 years later.
#2 – The Undertaker vs Edge – 2008
Back in 2008 Edge and The Undertaker were wrapped up in one of the most intense rivalries of all time. The rivalry had become so intense that the only way to settle it was to blow things off in a Hell in a Cell match. Both Edge and The Undertaker raised the stakes like never before as they tried to dismantle each other.
The Undertaker got the victory and then chokslammed Edge through the ring and flames burst through the opening in the canvas providing a memorable ending to a truly epic match.
#1 – Jeff Hardy vs CM Punk – 2009
Jeff Hardy and CM Punk had a rivalry that was made in wrestling heaven. The two couldn’t be any more different and the animosity created by their opposite lifestyles made for some of the most entertaining television WWE has created in recent years.
CM Punk and Jeff Hardy got their chance to headline one of the biggest events of the year and they didn’t take that opportunity lightly. Jeff Hardy is known for pulling off some crazy stunts but he took his “devil may care” attitude to a whole new level in this match. Hardy and Punk put on what is considered to be one of the greatest ladder matches of all time as they battled over one of the most coveted championships in the entire industry.
