20 Best Matches In SummerSlam History

10. Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena – 2013

Big match, big feels. In 1993, the original plan was for Hulk Hogan to put over Bret Hart, but he refused to do the job. 20 years later, we finally got that passing of the torch, although it was immediately taken away because God is dead and Vince killed him.

A fast-paced, history-stuffed crowd-pleaser, obviously the goat is the story here, but all the credit in the world to John Cena for not only doing the job the Hulkster wouldn’t, but making Daniel Bryan look even inch his equal, down to the clean-as-a-sheet ending.

The post-match was predictable as hell, but the best kind of outrage swerve, providing a low to balance this match’s incredible high.

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9. Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin – 2001

How good does a match have to be to make a crappy DQ finish palatable? This good, friends.

An argument could be made that this is Austin’s best match to not feature a certain people’s champion.

Kurt’s a fucking warrior here, kicking out of multiple stunners, dragging Austin by his ankle into the ring, his face a crimson mask, hitting his beautiful moonsault, all called by JR and Heyman. Perfection.

The DQ finish is infuriating, by design, but at least Austin really had to work to get DQed, and that elevates it from a ‘wait, what it’s over’ outrage, to a story of a coward, unable to beat his competitor, taking the only way out that’s left to him. Joyous stuff.

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8. Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio – 2002

I love Kurt Angle so much. So much, you guys. So much.

SummerSlam 2002 is the greatest Summerslam of all time, don’t you dare disagree, and the bar was set LUDICROUSLY high by the opening match, Angle vs. the pay-per-view debuting Rey Mysterio.

This match is so fast, so fun, so fluid, the two men have chemistry the likes of which most wrestlers can only dream of having, it’s the textbook example of how to elevate a star in defeat.

The energy of the match can’t be done justice by reeling off a list of spots, it’s a bell-to-bell must-watch.

• Adam Blampied
• John Cena
• SummerSlam
• wwe

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