The Best SummerSlam Matches Of All Time

Cue my music! In anticipation of SummerSlam 2024, we’re back and breaking down the best SummerSlam matches of all time. SummerSlam is the third most important PLE of the year. One could argue that it’s more important than the Royal Rumble, but we won’t hear those arguments here. It’s No. 3 on our list as we stand for the Rumble. Still, this is an event where WWE pulls out all the stops and sets up the calendar for the last half of the year.

What makes a great SummerSlam match? Beyond just the great action in the ring, we’re also looking at impact from a storyline perspective. We know the Hogan 1980s era was not always the best time for top-tier workrate matches, but that doesn’t make them all bad. They were just great matches from a different era. Not everything needs to be a Broadway-style contest or have Will Ospreay in it. Well, unless you’re Dave Meltzer, that is. We assume this article won’t get five stars now. Oh well!

Let’s get started on our article revolving around the best SummerSlam matches of all time.

THE BRAIN BUSTERS vs THE HART FOUNDATION

• SummerSlam 1989

Is there any surprise that a match featuring Bret Hart, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard would crack the list of the best SummerSlam matches? We didn’t think so. We don’t mean to disparage Jim Neidhart, who was excellent in this match but is a bit underrated regarding his in-ring work. The Hart Foundation was so smooth as a tag team. The coolest part is that you had perhaps the best two tag teams of the era facing off here and not at WrestleMania.

There’s a reason why the entire Hart family and this legendary tag team are a staple for young up-and-coming wrestlers. This match was a really fun ride. Anderson and Blanchard were physical workers who wanted you to believe every hit was real. It’s hard to assume otherwise when seeing these two compete. Then you have the incredibly smooth workrate of Hart and Neidhart. One really cannot ask for much better out of a tag team contest.

EDGE vs SETH ROLLINS

• SummerSlam 2021

The story matters, and this match wouldn’t have been the same without it. This feud didn’t begin upon Edge’s return but rather years earlier when Seth threatened to break Edge’s questionable neck. If you recall, Edge had been forced to retire from in-ring action due to spinal stenosis, and Seth’s boot was right on top of Edge’s neck region where this injury was. It was a moment Edge wouldn’t forget, and once he came back and was ready for full-time action, he took his moment to get his revenge.

Rollins gets plenty of credit for his in-ring work but not always the credit he deserves for telling a story. Admittedly, it wasn’t his strongest skill set coming into WWE, but it blossomed in the last half of his career. Moments like this with Edge showcase that brilliantly.

This match, as it should have, felt personal. Edge wants his revenge, and Seth wants to finish what he started all those years ago. It might be the best match Edge has wrestled since coming out of retirement in early 2020, and that includes some of the great work he’s doing in AEW. This story was incredible, and we’re glad it got its moment on such a big stage.

SAMOA JOE vs AJ STYLES

• SummerSlam 2018

Oh, Wendy!!

Seriously, Samoa Joe is a straight-up savage when he wants to be. The storyline for this match proves that massively.

If you love wrestling outside of WWE, then this was a treat. Watching two mainstays of TNA battle on one of the biggest events for the biggest wrestling company in the world was surreal. These two have long had reputations as great performers, and this match didn’t disappoint. Keep in mind that the two obviously knew each other very well, including Joe, who knew AJ’s wife and children.

What made this match more compelling was not the in-ring work but the storyline. Joe took this feud and made it ultra-personal with AJ’s wife, Wendy. It’s a trope to attack a man’s family to garner heat from the audience, but it also works, and when you have someone as skilled on the mic as Joe, it’s about as good as that will get.

Joe never had to worry about being unable to let his mic skills match his in-ring work because he was also first class there. This is a great feud and a great battle. One that certainly deserved to be on the list. We have two of the best workers of the era just killing it on a major stage. How could anyone dislike this one?

THE BRITISH BULLDOG vs BRET HART

• SummerSlam 1992

We think you could create an entire list of just the best Bret Hart matches from SummerSlam, and it would be required viewing for anyone who loves wrestling or wants to pursue it as a profession. Bret is one-of-one in his execution and he brilliantly always brought logical storytelling into every match. This only made his work so much more thrilling.

While we’re giving flowers, we should also give them to Davey Boy Smith (British Bulldog), who was great here. It’s hard when you’re in the ring with a partner like Hart. He is going to be given all the flowers, but in every good match, it takes two to make it work. He was great at leading with power through so much of the match, making a great contrast to Hart and his finesse (even though those punches always looked brutal).

To most, if you ask about the best SummerSlam matches, they’ll usually always reference this contest. It was so fun to watch. We have Bulldog, who is Hart’s real-life brother-in-law. They are fighting for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, which ended up being Bulldog’s first singles title win in WWE. Everything about this match was brilliant, especially that Smith accomplished this in his homeland of the United Kingdom.

TRIPLE H vs THE ROCK

• SummerSlam 1998

Two things about this match should be called out. The first is that this match was solid on the face of its in-ring work alone. The Rock and Triple H always had a chemistry that shouldn’t be ignored. When we think of Rock, we tend to think of Austin, but both had great matches and storylines with Triple H. Even if this match didn’t mean more than what we saw in the ring, it would have been up for inclusion on this list.

However, when you add the stakes that we had for this match, in retrospect, it’s a no-brainer here. This culminated in The Rock becoming a top guy. Triple H later claimed that he knew guys like Rock and Austin were destined to be top guys. They were the babyfaces of the company, but both needed a solid heel to be their enemy on the way there. He was happy to be the heel they had to deal with constantly.

Rock feuded with Triple H throughout the summer, and this match put Rock firmly in the conversation for the best guys working. It would end up catapulting Rock past the IC title and into the World Title picture just a few months later.

Bonus points for being part of one of the best top-of-the-cards in SummerSlam history. While Undertaker vs Steve Austin was not on this list, it was a good match. People forget how good 1998 was for the WWE. It was actually the last year of the Attitude Era, as we’d head into the McMahon-Helmsley era shortly after. All of this led to that change.

CM PUNK vs JEFF HARDY

• SummerSlam 2009

This was CM Punk before he was CM Punk. Before the pipebomb and before the Summer of Punk, he was on the rise in WWE. Realizing he could not be the same bland guy WWE made him into, he decided to take from his independent wrestling character. Coincidentally, at this exact same time, Jeff Hardy was the hottest renegade in the company. Punk picked up his “Straight Edge” character, which he used brilliantly in places like Ring of Honor.

Punk’s entire concept was that he did not do drugs or even drink. This was taken from Punk’s real life, as Phil Brooks is legitimately straight-edge. Most would see this as a good thing, but Punk took things further. He claimed he was “straight edge, meaning he is better than you.” Of course, even if one were to be straight-edge, Punk then adjusted to still claim he was better. Yet WWE gave him Jeff Hardy to work with.

This led to the Straight Edge Superstar vs.….well, definitely not Straight Edge Superstar. Hardy is well-known for his substance abuse problems. That made Hardy the perfect foe for a guy like Punk.

This was a great match with one of the all-time risk-takers in his bag and Punk, showing that he is a master storyteller both in and out of the ring. What’s cool about this match is that these were not the top guys in the company, but they built a feud that put them at the top. The storytelling leading up was the most compelling on the roster. Hardy took a chance after chance in this match, and his wish to take risks cost him dearly. Brilliant work!

THE UNDERTAKER vs EDGE

• SummerSlam 2008

When you anger Hell, the Devil does not like it. Yet no one is scarier to a man than a woman scorned, and Edge would learn both lessons in a major way.

Sometimes, it feels like The Undertaker and Edge don’t get the love they deserve. This rivalry was great. It helped that both of these gentlemen were absolute pros in the ring. The feud had been building with these two for a while, dating back to Edge cashing in the MITB briefcase and taking the World Heavyweight Championship from Taker. Ultimately, they battled and battled.

The two traded matches and wins for months before Edge used his influence with his on-screen squeeze, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, to get Taker banished. This came mostly from the Deadman losing a TLC match to the Rated R Superstar. Edge couldn’t use his influence for long because after he was caught cheating on Vickie, she brought The Phenom back to face Edge inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam.

This was the payoff for Taker and Guerrero and the end of Edge’s powerful streak as the de facto top guy on SmackDown. The match itself was excellent, but the story made it even better. The final moments were terrific, as Edge was choke-slammed off a ladder through the ring. This symbolized The Undertaker sending Edge straight to Hell.

BRET HART vs MR. PERFECT

• SummerSlam 1991

Do you know the “Fight Forever” chant many fans use when they love a match? This is what they were talking about.

This match was given 18 minutes on the card, and honestly, these two could have had another 45 minutes. Seriously, no one would have complained. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of wrestlers as smooth and clean as Perfect or Bret Hart. This match sold every move made total and logical sense. One might not classify this match as “perfect,” but we don’t know that you could tell that anything was wrong with it. It’s a hell of a good match.

How could we expect otherwise from two of the best technical wrestlers of all time? Fans knew this was going to be one of the best SummerSlam matches of all time the moment it was announced. The best part is that if you go back and watch this match today, it still holds up. Long-lasting brilliance like this is tough to find in professional wrestling, which should tell you just how impressive it was.

AJ STYLES vs JOHN CENA

• SummerSlam 2016

We can affectionately refer to this as the “Summer of AJ Styles.” He made his debut at the Royal Rumble in 2016 and was immediately hotshotted into a feud with the company’s biggest star six months later. AJ proves in matches like the one he had at Barclay’s Center why he deserved such a big spotlight.

AJ is a top-tier performer, and John Cena once again proves that he can be a great performer when the moment calls for it. Will anyone confuse John Cena with AJ Styles in the ring? No, but that makes it so interesting to watch Cena when he’s out of his comfort zone of protected wrestling. We always understood why WWE limited what he could do. The risk of injury to a guy carrying the whole company on his back was too much for them to want to let him out of the cage.

Still, he could do great work when he got to run with a savant in the ring like AJ. This was a big match for AJ, too, as he was new to WWE but was already a star in the world of pro wrestling. He never worked for WWE, though, so he had to prove he was as good as advertised. The two had what many believe was a match of the year candidate the month prior, then did it again at SummerSlam.

If you’re taking a retirement tour of Cena matches, this is one you must check out. Honestly, we better see another Cena/Styles match before the 16-time World Champion calls it a career. He had one of the best SummerSlam matches of all time with AJ, so we need to see these two create another classic.

DANIEL BRYAN vs JOHN CENA

• SummerSlam 2013

If anyone in WWE history has ever deserved a clean win over John Cena, it’s Daniel Bryan. This led to the Yes-tleMania, with a clean win followed by Randy Orton essentially stealing the title from him. This match positioned Triple H as the ultimate corporate villain, Orton as the ultimate stooge, and Bryan as a “B+ player” in the minds of management.

Even if none of that happened and the match lived in a vacuum, it was a fantastic match. We know that Bryan is one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, but we often overlook the fact that Cena can give an amazing performance whenever he’s asked to. He matched Bryan’s energy and intensity and displayed more than just the “Five Moves of Doom.” He performed at one of the highest levels we’ve ever seen from him.

Cena was always fine losing to anyone, but this was a big deal. Bryan won his first WWE Championship after a bad run with the World Heavyweight Championship, culminating in a 16-second loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania before this. Triple H was the Special Guest Referee, and at the time he was acting as one of Bryan’s sole supporters heading into the match. Bryan hits Cena with a knee and pins the legend to win, only for Triple H to pedigree him.

Randy Orton then cashed in his MITB briefcase, taking the title from Bryan. This led to an uproar, as fans were already getting behind Bryan. Now, they were pissed and out for blood. It was brilliant work!

Cena is ending his run as a professional wrestler, and this match should be an example of him at his best in the ring.

KURT ANGLE vs BROCK LESNAR

• SummerSlam 2003

You see the usual suspects on this list because that’s how this goes: the best of the best put on the best matches on the biggest shows. We know that Kurt Angle is a freak athlete. However, the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist met his match with Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate, at this point, was said to be the “Next Big Thing,” which was a moniker that turned out to be incredibly true.

This match was 20 minutes plus, and this is peak Brock Lensar. He’s incredibly fast and unbelievably powerful. Do you remember how fast and powerful Brock was in the UFC? Imagine a younger version of that exact same guy, only with more speed and power. Yeah, you might start to see why Pat McAfee calls him the “alpha male of our species.”

It’s also fun to watch these two incredible wrestlers do mat work. We know that, in reality, Kurt was a few levels above Brock in terms of talent at this point. That makes sense, as he had won nearly everything one could win in WWE. That includes a few Word Titles. However, watching these guys trade holds in the ring was still a great visual. This was a great match and worth a rewatch anytime you can. This is why we feel it belongs on our list of the best SummerSlam matches.

SHAWN MICHAELS vs RAZOR RAMON

• SummerSlam 1995

When we think about Shawn Michaels’ best matches, we tend to focus on WrestleMania, with good reason. He’s perhaps the best performer on the biggest stage of them all. However, WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross used to claim that “no one outperformed Shawn Michaels in a big match situation.” He’s accurate, as HBK always seemed to have a good match, but he brought it when the lights were the brightest.

Put him and Razor Ramon in a match with a ladder, and you already know how good that’s going to be. These guys went out for 25 minutes and tore the house down on a card that desperately needed it. It stole the show and made the match that came after it, Diesel vs King Mabel, even more pathetic than it was (though it was pretty bad all by itself).

Even though we saw these two on a ladder before (WrestleMania 10), it didn’t matter because their chemistry was off the charts, just as it had been at Mania. They cooked in the ring and put on a show that was pretty hard to beat in the history of SummerSlam. That said, it’s pretty easy to see why many believe it was one of the best SummerSlam matches of all time.

BRET HART vs OWEN HART

• SummerSlam 1994

We’re sorry about all the Bret Hart love, but it’s safe to say that he cemented his place as “Mr. SummerSlam.”

Bret Hart and Owen Hart both were great when teaming together. Yet when these two faced off in a brother vs brother battle, they were always awesome. This match did not disappoint. Who knows you better than your blood? There’s a real raw place one can go to with siblings, but might not feel comfortable doing the same with others.

This match felt big and should have headlined the event. They were mirror images of each other in the ring in so many ways. Same training, similar build, similar everything. This match was 32 minutes of pure pleasure. If you like technical masterpieces, this is the match for you. It’s just the best and most skilled duo duking it out, no big deal.

There was great action and a lot of stiff-looking shots. The story is one many of us are familiar with, as we see a little brother trying to get the best of his big brother. It was incredible and worthy of being considered one of the best SummerSlam matches of all time.

KURT ANGLE vs “STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN

• SummerSlam 2001

We would have felt bad had we had a list of the best SummerSlam matches and not found a way to get Kurt Angle on here more than once. This is prime Angle before the personal problems and the neck injuries really limited what he could do in the ring. Some will argue that prime TNA Angle might be the best Kurt, and we can’t argue with that, but for this writer, it is Angle’s best version.

He was so athletic, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was such a chameleon. He couldn’t do what Angle could do in the ring, but he could fit his style seamlessly into his matches. Austin was a great in-ring technician himself. He was not as good at this as Angle or Hart, but he was still impressive in the ring. This allowed him to adjust his style to fit pretty much any other style.

This is why many credit Austin as one of the best workers of his era. For all the stomping mud-holes that he did, this often gets lost in the conversation.

The match outshines the Booker T and Rock match that preceded it and with good reason. It’s hard to upstage a Kurt Angle match, but when you add Austin into the mix, it’s downright impossible to upstage it. Why do you think it’s on our best SummerSlam matches list?

SHAWN MICHAELS vs TRIPLE H

• SummerSlam 2002

This is a great match for more reasons than what happened in the ring. In case you’re unaware, Shawn Michaels took four years off after his last WrestleMania match with Austin. HBK injured his back, which was essentially enough to end his career at the time. On top of that, he had a drug addiction as well as issues with alcoholism. He needed to get clean and rest his body.

Michaels came back in more of a promo artist role, with a few kicks thrown in as of early 2002. He was now clean, and his back was feeling far better. He wanted to return to the ring and knew he could likely compete at a high level. After talking about it with Triple H, the best friends created a great storyline where Hunter attacks his friend and beats him down. Triple H knew if his buddy was going to get back in the ring, it would only be with him first.

This match was peak Michaels, as good as he ever was. As the viewing audience, you wondered if he could hold up or what a match would look like after missing four years of in-ring action. We learned that he wasn’t just one of the best of any generation but one of the best workers of all time.

He had incredible chemistry with everyone he stepped into the ring with. However, when he and “The Game” wrestled each other, it was magic every single time.

Kudos to Michaels and Hunter for working Shawn’s back. They kept coming and coming, and Michaels sold like a true pro.

CHRISTIAN & EDGE vs THE DUDLEY BOYZ vs THE HARDY BOYZ

• SummerSlam 2000

This match was an incredible showing and the first of its kind. It’s just an absolute barn burner. Can we get any more cliched expressions in here? A classic? A show for the ages? Okay, we’re done. What more can you say about this? On the rewatch, with time and distance to inform this writer, you are almost equally compelled by how fun this match was and how dangerous it was simultaneously.

Many think the first triangle tables, ladders, and chairs match happened at WrestleMania. This triangle ladder match concept first took place on the 2000 SummerSlam match card. It involved three now-legendary tag teams doing some extreme stuff that still holds up as insane!

You are left thinking: “Why the hell would they do this for our entertainment?” At almost 19 minutes, you feel the frenetic pace of the match. It felt overwhelming to watch but fun at the same time.

This also gets bonus points for spawning an entire PPV of the same name. Even if that PPV would become a joke, one that we are thankful they have since discontinued.