So SummerSlam is arguably the second biggest show of the year in WWE. For all intensive purposes it’s the middle of the new WWE year and for the first time in 29 years it is going to be in a stadium with over 65,000 fans in attendance. Throughout the years there have been some huge matches that took place at SummerSlam and some huge personalities as well. So today I’m going to discuss the Top 5 Performers of All Time in the history of SummerSlam.
Now some ground rules to this list, this list is only including people with ten or more total matches at SummerSlam, so before you say where’s Hogan and Warrior who happen to be 6-0 and 5-0 respectfully at SummerSlam, they didn’t make this list because they don’t have a total of ten matches or more. Will this list be a tad predictable maybe to the people who have watched SummerSlam from day one but I hope you enjoy it.
5. Brock Lesnar: 6-4, 60% Win Percentage
From day one, Brock Lesnar was and is a top talent. That was evident by his first ever match at SummerSlam in 2002 when he faced and beat The Rock, for the WWE Championship. The following year he’d take on Kurt Angle where he’d suffer his first loss at SummerSlam, this of course coming in a time where Brock was trading wins and the championship with Angle. Brock would of course leave WWE in 2004 and return in 2012 and from there, year after year at SummerSlam have one of if not the biggest match on the card, winning against Triple H in 2012, winning against CM Punk in 2013, and absolutely destroying John Cena in 2014.
The next two years in particular were very interesting and I was there for both, in 2015 he had his first showdown with The Undertaker since defeating the streak, and in this match The Undertaker seemingly tapped out for the first time ever, however, the referee never saw it, but the time keeper did and for whatever reason rang the bell without the referee’s signal, this of course was very odd to mostly everyone as someone in the arena I can tell you we had no idea what was going on. The referee would declare the match would continue and Undertaker would surprise Brock Lesnar with a Hells Gate submission and Brock Lesnar would flip off Undertaker after being unable to break it and passing out.
2016 on the other hand went a little differently for Brock. He would face Randy Orton, for the first time in fourteen years. This match was sort of treated like a big fight in a way real UFC-esque build to it. Then the match happens that’s sort of what happened. This match started off as your typical main event match and sort of turned really quickly into a “work shoot” as they call it where they are trying to portray a real fight in a wrestling environment similar to what Bloodsport is. Lesnar would turn this into a bareknuckle fight busting open Orton with punches and elbows to the point where the ref had to award Lesnar technically via knockout. Nobody was able to figure out what was going on and reports would later come out that despite it being planned some in the locker room didn’t know and actually confronted Lesnar about the match.
The next few years would be more on the level of what you’d expect from a Brock Lesnar match. 2017 to nobody’s surprise he would win a huge fatal four way with Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe, 2018 Brock would lose the third singles match he had with Roman Reigns that year for the Universal Championship, and finally in 2019 he would lose the Universal Championship once again this time to Seth Rollins. So Brock Lesnar has had a rich history at SummerSlam and that is why he comes in on this list at number five.
4. Triple H: 8-5, 61.5% Win Percentage
Triple H’s history at SummerSlam doesn’t start as well as Brock’s his very first match at the second biggest show of the year begins in 1995 where he beat Bob Holly in a nothing match. In 1997 would be his first big story heading into this show where he had beaten Mankind in the King of the Ring Finals and this feud would continue into a SummerSlam cage match that Mankind would win and ultimately lead to the first WWE appearance of Cactus Jack.
1998 was to this point the biggest story Triple H had going into SummerSlam. Triple H fronting DX and The Rock fronting The Nation, they were feuding for the Intercontinental Championship and they had a hell of a Ladder match here and just personally I would love to see a ladder match like this again, two guys one-on-one with one ladder. Triple H would win this match and if you have time to re-watch this match hell of a match.
In 1999 he would compete in a triple threat against WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mankind with Jesse Ventura as the Special Guest Referee, which would be won by Mankind, however Triple H would challenge Mankind for the championship the next night on Raw and win and this storyline was the birth of the Cerebral Assassin version of Triple H. In 2000 he’d take on The Rock and Kurt Angle in a triple threat in another losing effort.
2002, is one of the biggest matches, this was the return match of Shawn Michaels after four years out of the ring. Shawn Michaels was trying to get Triple H to join Raw after he had missed the draft due to his most recent Knee injury, and a promise of a DX reunion ultimately would lead to Triple H choosing Raw. Shawn and Triple H would appear as DX for the first time in years but Triple H would deliver a pedigree. Shawn would then be found in a parking lot passed out and bloody from his head being thrown through a car window. Security footage would reveal it to be Triple H and this lead to the match at SummerSlam in a Street Fight. One of the best matches in SummerSlam history won by Shawn Michaels.
2003 he would win the second Elimination Chamber match ever, 2004 was a strange one he faced Eugene and won, 2006 was a tag match between DX and The McMahons which DX won. 2007 he would defeat King Booker, 2008 he would retain the WWE Championship against Great Khali and 2009 would be another DX tag match this time against the Legacy tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr which DX would once again win.
No longer working regularly as a wrestler he wouldn’t compete again at SummerSlam until 2012. This time in a first time match up against the aforementioned Brock Lesnar. This story came together when they decided to use a contract dispute as a storyline which of course Triple H was involved and this lead to them having their first ever encounter when Triple H asked for a match in exchange for Brock to drop charges. Stephanie would get involved when she had an exchange with Paul Heyman (Lesnar’s representation) when Heyman made a comment about Stephanie’s children she would slap Heyman forcing him to accept on Lesnar’s behalf. This would be billed as “The Perfect Storm” and Lesnar would of course win their very first meeting.
Triple H has one of the most storied careers and his history at SummerSlam certainly met some ups and downs and some down right weird encounters for sure but there’s no denying he’s one of the best ever and some of his SummerSlam matches are some of the most memorable and that’s why he’s number four on this list.
3. Bret Hart: 7-4, 63.6% Win Percentage
Bret Hart’s name is synonymous with SummerSlam, he had appearances at the the first eight editions of the second biggest show of the year, at the first three as a member of the original Hart Foundation, 1988 in a losing effort at regaining the Tag Team Championship from Demolition, 1989 another losing effort at the championships this time against The Brainbusters, and then in 1990 they would face Demolition again this time in a two out three falls match in a winning effort this time.
It was in 1991 that he had his first big break as a singles competitor where he won the Intercontinental Championship for the very first time in a stellar match with Mr. Perfect that is absolutely worth the watch if you haven’t seen it. Then in 1992 not only is it probably the biggest SummerSlam show to date or at least one of them, at this show taking place in the UK for the first and only time to this point, Bret Hart would defend his Intercontinental Championship against his brother in-law, British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith. This was a match that is not only regarded as probably one of if not the best main event in the history of SummerSlam but really the match that made British Bulldog a star and the added element of Bret’s sister and Davey’s wife Diana Hart Smith being ringside and being torn the entire time. This is a match that is absolutely worth it to watch and Davey would get the surprise stack up pin and the celebration is pure emotion.
1993 he happened to work two matches in one night as his on-going feud with Jerry Lawler that began at King of the Ring when Bret won the tournament, at SummerSlam he would win via DQ against evil clown Doink the Clown and then immediately after lose via DQ to Jerry Lawler when Bret had originally won but refused to break the sharpshooter after the bell and the referee reversed the decision.
In 1994 he would face his brother Owen for the second time this time inside a Steel Cage for the WWE Championship. They previously faced and WrestleMania X four months prior which Owen had won but Bret got to celebrate at the end of the night by winning back the championship. Owen wanted to proved he could beat his brother again this time taking his championship and that he’d never be over shadowed ever again by his brother Bret again. Unfortunately for Owen that would not happen as Bret would win decisively by escaping the cage. It’s certainly not their best bout together that’s the WrestleMania encounter but this is still a very good match that is always worth the watch.
1995 he would be feuding with Jerry Lawler once again and would have to face Lawler’s evil dentist Isaac Yankem, D.D.S. and win of course. Then in 1997 in the middle of a huge feud between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart is now embracing his Canadian heritage and denouncing American fans, and when Bret earns another opportunity at the WWE Championship against champion The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels is appointed the referee. Bret declares that if he is unable to win the championship he will not wrestle anywhere outside of Canada and Shawn Michaels must call the match down the middle or he won’t get another shot at the title. Bret of course would win this match after a reluctant Michaels made the count after he accidently hit Undertaker straight in the face with a chair aiming for Bret who moved out of the way. I love this match it’s worth the watch for sure.
Bret Hart’s last ever appearance as a competitor on SummerSlam would come thirteen years later in 2010 where he was apart of team WWE in the 7-on-7 elimination match against the Nexus which of course team WWE would win. So Bret Hart has a storied history at SummerSlam and three of his matches in particular are three of the biggest in it’s history and that’s why he is number three on this list.
2. The Undertaker: 10-5-1, 65.6% Win Percentage
The Undertaker’s history is unmatched in WWE and he has a very interesting history at SummerSlam as well. His SummerSlam history starts off on a odd note. As we all know Undertaker early on was kind of in a monster of the week deal during his career where it was his job to take on a new big guy every month or so. 1992 is his first year at SummerSlam with a match and he would face Kamala and win by DQ and this would ultimately lead to the first Casket Match in WWE history three months later. 1993 would be very similar and connected in a way as Harvey Wippleman who was managing Kamala brought in Giant Gonzalez to take out The Undertaker at WrestleMania IX and they would face again at that year’s SummerSlam and thankfully for the last time.
1994 another strange one, he would face an imposter Undertaker. This happened because Undertaker disappeared at Royal Rumble to heal from injuries. Ted DiBiase the man that initially brought in The Undertaker says he’s back but Paul Bearer knows better and it turned into Ted DiBiase’s Undertaker versus the real Undertaker and of course the real Undertaker would win and we’d never see the imposter ever again. 1995 the feud with Ted DiBiase would continue this time over the Undertaker’s urn, and he would employ Kama Mustafa to challenge Undertaker in a casket match which of course Undertaker would win.
1996 was a turning point in Undertaker’s career and begin this long term story that resulted in the emergence of Kane, but at this show he would face arch nemesis Mankind whom Undertaker had been feuding with since the day after WrestleMania XII and it was a Boiler Room Brawl which the winner was determined by taking the urn from Paul Bearer and Paul Bearer refused to give the urn to Undertaker and hit Undertaker with it and gave it to Mankind. 1997 was the loss to Bret Hart that I mentioned earlier.
1998 was a showdown with the white hot Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE Championship which was won by Steve Austin. 1999 was a very underrated match between The Unholy Alliance of Undertaker & Big Show winning the tag team championships for the first time as a team against Undertaker’s brother Kane & his friend X-Pac. 2000 was a singles showdown between Undertaker and Kane which went to a no contest when Undertaker spent the entire match trying to remove Kane’s mask which he did and this was during a time where nobody knew what Kane’s face looked like so when it happened Kane would bail on the match.
2001 was a very rough one, he would team with his brother Kane to take on Diamond Dallas Page & Chris Kanyon in a Steel Cage match for the WCW and WWF Tag Team Champion. This would be the culmination of a feud between Undertaker and DDP that wasn’t great but Undertaker and Kane would win. 2002 he would face Test and win decisively. 2003 he would defeat A-Train. 2004 he would lose a WWE Championship match by DQ against JBL. 2005 he would lose to Randy Orton in the continuation of their feud stemming from Orton failing to break the streak at WrestleMania 21.
2008 is a big one, at this show he would face Edge in the culmination of their feud dating back to WrestleMania XXIV. Undertaker would continue his streak by winning the World Heavy Weight Championship from Edge and he would successfully defend it at the next two pay-per-views, Backlash and Judgement Day. Edge would however win the championship in a TLC match where the title and Undertaker’s job at WWE was also on the line. While Undertaker was away Edge was caught cheating on his storyline wife to be Vickie Guerrero with Alicia Fox, when this happened Vickie the then GM of Smackdown would reinstate The Undertaker and force Edge to face him in a Hell In a Cell match. This was a hell of a match (pun unintended) that is definitely worth the watch, it’s definitely one of the best Hell In a Cell matches of the last two decades. Undertaker would win this match very definitively and post match get some revenge by sending Edge to hell literally by chokeslamming him off a ladder and setting the hole on fire.
His final SummerSlam appearance would be the 2015 entry that was mentioned earlier with Brock Lesnar which he would win by submission. It’s safe to say that Undertaker has a rich history and as mentioned his history at SummerSlam is for lack of a better term, interesting and that’s why he’s number two on this list.
1. Edge: 9-2, 81.8% Win Percentage
Nobody has a richer history a SummerSlam then Edge. His history at the second biggest show of the year starts in 1998, when he was the mystery partner of Sable against her then husband Marc Mero and Jacqueline and Edge and Sable would win. 1999 would be a tag team turmoil match to determine number one contenders for the World Tag Team Championships. Edge & Christian would be eliminated fourth by the eventual winners The Acolytes. The match would also feature The New Brood (Matt and Jeff Hardy), Mideon & Viscera, Droz & Prince Albert, and the Holly Cousins (Crash and Hardcore).
2000 is a big one, Edge would team with his long time partner Christian, against The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz. The three teams would be feuding over the World Tag Team Championships for months, having previously competed in a Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000. This time they would compete in the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Edge & Christian being masters of chairs, The Hardy Boyz being masters of Ladders, and The Dudley Boyz being masters of tables. Edge & Christian would of course win the stellar match and do so again at the next years WrestleMania in probably the best TLC match ever.
2001 would be a singles bout with then Intercontinental Champion Lance Storm representing The Alliance and Edge would win his second Intercontinental Championship in the process. 2002 he would win another singles match this time with Eddie Guerrero. 2004 would be a triple threat match against Batista and Chris Jericho where he would successfully defend the Intercontinental Championship.
2005 was a crazy one, it of course stemmed from real life. Matt Hardy was dating Lita and Lita was injured the same time as Edge and their relationship blossomed from spending time together while injured. Then when Lita returned, Matt Hardy got injured and that’s when Edge and Lita took it a step further. This resulted in of all things Matt Hardy getting fired. He would be brought back of course to turn this real life drama into a storyline. This match would the first official match of the feud. Edge would obliterate Matt Hardy with a referee stoppage from a knockout during the match.
2006 was another big one this time he’d be defending the WWE Championship again his nemesis John Cena. Six months after winning his first WWE Championship by cashing in the Money In the Bank briefcase, Edge reignited his feud with John Cena after winning the championship for the second time and the feud would get personal as they would attack each other numerous times and on the last Raw before SummerSlam, Edge would go to John Cena’s father’s house and slap him igniting a fire in Cena to fight harder then ever not just for the championship but for his family. Edge would ultimately retain the title thanks to help from Lita and brass knuckles.
Of course I already discussed 2008 where Edge lost to Undertaker in a Hell In A Cell match. 2010 he would be part of the aforementioned 7-on-7 match against the Nexus. Edge and Chris Jericho would famously discuss much later in their careers how they didn’t want to win that match as they felt it halted the momentum of the Nexus and their entire angle which they of course were right but they were ultimately a part of the winning team. In edition this year was Edge’s first SummerSlam in eleven years taking on Seth Rollins and acknowledging their history to get there. When Edge was still retired and Seth threatened to stomp his surgically repaired neck into the mat. Edge didn’t forget and it became personal to the point where it sent Edge to a dark place and brought out his brood side. Edge would get the victory in a great match adding another win to his already great history at SummerSlam. Edge has one of the richest histories at SummerSlam and that’s why he’s number one on this list.
Is there a superstar in the history of SummerSlam that didn’t make the cut, that you believe should have? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling.
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