WWE SummerSlam Best Matches, Ranked & Reviewed By Quality
SummerSlam is WWE’s second-biggest event on the yearly calendar, and over the decades the show has offered up some of the greatest matches in the entire history of WWE. Some of the all-time greats have clashed in classics at WWE’s biggest party of the summer, but which is the greatest ever?
TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across every SummerSlam event ever to determine the absolute best of the best when it comes to SummerSlam’s matches, determining the one which deserves billing as being top of the heap. These ratings will be compared to those from Cagematch.net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
8
Randy Orton Vs. Christian (SummerSlam 2011)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
|
Storytelling |
2/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.86
To complete their fantastic 2011 rivalry, Randy Orton and Christian competed in yet another strong match for the World Heavyweight Championship, this time in a No Holds Barred match.
This was a bout in which it felt like both men wanted to hurt each other, with a lot of weaponry and fun moments through the match, all leading to a painful RKO on the steel steps to hand Orton the win. There wasn’t a dull moment as Orton & Christian once again displayed their natural chemistry, closing out their feud with the match of the night at SummerSlam.
7
Bret Hart Vs. Mr. Perfect (SummerSlam 1991)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
|
Storytelling |
2/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.76
Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect are considered to be two of the best pure in-ring workers in WWE history, and this was on full show as they collided for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1991, putting on a clinic which featured strong babyface & heel work, mat-based offense, flawless countless, and world class psychology.
The finish of Perfect tapping out immediately to Hart’s Sharpshooter did somewhat come out of nowhere, but it didn’t hinder the reaction of the crowd who came unglued at the result of the contest.
6
Bret Hart Vs. The British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
|
Storytelling |
2/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.5/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.03
The main event of SummerSlam 1992 came in the historic Wembley Stadium and it featured the all-timer moment of The British Bulldog winning the Intercontinental Championship against Bret Hart in front of his home fans, reversing a sunset flip into a pinfall in an iconic match finish.
Bulldog wasn’t necessarily on top form here, but Hart helped to carry this match, ensuring that the technical aspect was as good as it could’ve been with a great sense of urgency, strong moments, and more.
5
CM Punk Vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2013)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
|
Storytelling |
2/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.37
In a classic David versus Goliath contest, Brock Lesnar and CM Punk had one hell of a No DQ match at SummerSlam 2013. Punk needed to work from below, using his intelligence and freedom to use weapons in order to try and chop down the dominant and scary brute opponent of Lesnar, who sold perfectly to make it look as though Punk was on the verge of picking up a win.
Their chemistry was flawless, their respective selling and character work was strong, and even with a slightly weak finish of Paul Heyman getting involved and costing Punk the win, the match was still fantastic from start to finish.
4
The Undertaker Vs. Edge (SummerSlam 2008)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
|
Storytelling |
2.5/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.09
To round off their incredible SmackDown feud through 2007 and 2008, The Undertaker and Edge settled things inside the Hell In A Cell structure in what was a dramatic, fun, violent contest. Under the new PG constraints in WWE, Edge & Undertaker worked hard to carry the level of intensity that Hell In A Cell matches have always had, while also adding in a whole range of wild spots to keep the fans rocking without the use of blood.
The Undertaker’s win ended his feud with Edge for good, and the closing visual of The Undertaker chokeslamming him through the ring before flames erupted from below will always live on in the legacy of SummerSlam.
3
John Cena Vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam 2016)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
|
Storytelling |
2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.5/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.95
John Cena and AJ Styles always had magical chemistry when meeting between the ropes, and their phenomenal clash at SummerSlam 2016 was no different. The confident and arrogant Styles had Cena’s number around every corner, countering him and running circles around the top star, while also displaying so much resilience by kicking out of everything Cena threw at him.
The pair went back-and-forth in an electric contest that was smooth, perfectly wrestled, and unpredictable, ending with a shocking clean victory for Styles that elevated him up the WWE ladder.
2
Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (SummerSlam 1994)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
|
Storytelling |
2.5/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.07
Following up on their WrestleMania classic, Bret Hart & Owen Hart once again went to war in a clinic, this time inside a Steel Cage with the WWE Title up for grabs. The “escape the cage” rule is often hated, but the psychology surrounding the escape attempts in this match made for a very fun and engaging showdown, used to expertly portray strong character work and add storytelling to the matchup.
On top of that there was expectedly flawless in-ring work and a hot crowd who went wild for everything these two brothers did, all leading to Bret Hart’s successful title defense.
1
John Cena Vs. Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.5/10
|
Storytelling |
2.5/2.5 |
|---|---|
|
Technical Ability |
2.25/2.5 |
|
Character Work/Psychology |
2.5/2.5 |
|
Crowd Reaction |
2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.29
The greatest match in the history of SummerSlam came in 2013 when John Cena defended the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. This followed the story of Bryan being the superior professional wrestler, getting the better of Cena throughout a lot of the contest, forcing Cena to dig deep into his locker to rise up and fight back. Bryan also played the perfect underdog here against the larger and stronger competitor, making his clean-as-a-whistle victory all the more special as he defeated Cena to become the new WWE Champion.
Post-match, Randy Orton and Triple H would turn heel, stealing the belt from Bryan in a wild moment. With or without the post-match, Cena & Bryan had arguably their respective best singles matches in WWE against one another at SummerSlam.
About The Author
