20 Best Matches In SummerSlam History

17. Christian vs. Randy Orton – 2011

Christian and Randall had one of the best rivalries of 2011 and a legit contender for most underrated rivalry of all time.

They had like five straight matches in a row for the World title and while that seems like a goddamn nightmare, each match felt different, progressing a wonderful slow-burn heel turn from Captain Charisma, blowing off in this truly excellent No Holds Barred match.

A match stuffed with callbacks and featuring a closing spot that nearly killed both men dead, especially Randy, ooft ya poor heed.

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16. Triple H vs. The Rock – 1998

God 1998 was a great year. Not only was WWE cruising with the best too face and top heel in the industry with Austin and McMahon, but they spent the year carefully two more top stars, just in case.

Step right up the flagships of DX and The Nation, Triple H and the Rock, duking it for the IC title in a ladder match at SummerSlam 1998.

A truly standout ladder match, not so much because it had a bunch of flippy dippy spots, but because it’s a match that, more than most, sold how much it would f**king hurt to be f**king hit with a f**king ladder.

Great matches elevate both the winner and the loser, exhibit A right here.

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15. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar- 2003

A.K.A. all of Adam’s Christmas presents come early. I love both these men, and 2003 represented the career peak for both.

You could make a case that Brock peaked in the 2010s but heck this amateur endurance hyper-violence is my JAM.

Everything their WrestleMania match could and should have been if nerves and necks hadn’t gotten in the way.

The match takes its time getting going, but the ideal heel/face alignments of Brock and Kurt keep the crowd super invested before it builds to an admittedly overbooked, but still raucous finish, featuring an all-time great kickout from Angle. 

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14. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon – 1995

The best match on the worst SummerSlam card in history.

This rematch from WrestleMania 10 was basically parachuted onto the card in a panic, just to give the fans something, ANYTHING, to look forward to.

And it’s fucking gangbusters as well. It’s an early ladder match so the spots won’t pop your mind like they did the crowd watching back then, but the athleticism on display, especially from Michaels, is timeless.

The moonsault from the ladder still looks good, the superkick spot is still very cool just a shame the finish was slightly blown, with Michaels jumping and failing to bring down the title not once, but twice.

• Adam Blampied
• John Cena
• SummerSlam
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