SummerSlam’s Most Iconic Matches

In this week’s edition of The Wrestling Estate Roundtable, John Corrigan, Steven Jackson, Russ Good and Editor in Chief Jack Goodwillie discuss some of the most iconic matches in WWE SummerSlam history.

Steven Jackson

Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (1991)

Now being British you may be surprised to hear this, but I’m not a HUGE fan of Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith from SummerSlam 1992. It’s a spectacle for sure, but my reason for picking Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect at Summerslam 1991 is that this match helped bring SummerSlam1992 about. Bret and Mr. Perfect just tore it up in MSG for the world to see. Their chemistry was poetry in motion and it was the catalyst that created the WWF ‘New Generation’. Simply outstanding.

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian (2000)

TLC. Three letters these three teams just synonymized in wrestling folklore. Much like Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect, the reason I chose this match is because it led into the highly revered TLC II at WrestleMania X-Seven. As an eight year old child hearing, then seeing this match was just a firework display before my eyes. While WM17 is referenced more, this is where the TLC revolution started and needs to be seen to be believed!

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (2014)

My last choice was really difficult. I knew I wanted to choose a Brock Lesnar match. At first I went with The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar, but the match itself wasn’t as good as the finish. Then I thought about Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar from SummerSlam 2003 (a personal favourite). But again, other matches superseded it. So then I dug deep and realised the essential SummerSlammatch was staring at me. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena from SummerSlam2014. Now a lot of people dismiss this match as a prolonged squash (which it is). But go beneath the surface and you see a match that’s been building for two years (don’t forget Extreme Rules 2012 people). This is how you show dominance and create a modern heel that’s a true threat to anyone in their path. It was scary. It was violent. But above all else, it’s a must see SummerSlam match!

Russ Good

Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (1992)

The prompt for this week’s roundtable is to discuss what I believe are three essential SummerSlam matches. Arguably, this match between brothers-in-law Bret “Hitman” Hart and the British Bulldog isn’t just essential – it’s the best SummerSlam match of all time. I’d wager it makes an appearance on at least half of the lists submitted by my colleagues, and with good reason. It’s well paced, has an amazing story behind it, and reaps the benefits of a hometown crowd of over 80,000-plus rabid Brits cheering their countryman on to victory.

As Hart himself describes it in his book, “Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling,” the match came after Davey Boy Smith – the British Bulldog – avoided his calls all summer and spent most of that time “…smoking crack with Jim [“the Anvil” Neidhart] for weeks and was now terrified.” Hart went on to say that he basically carried Bulldog throughout that match.

A pretty good metric for a single man carrying a match would be whether the bout looks like a well-done, balanced masterpiece and not a one-sided squash. Bret, the technical master, was in control throughout the match. But Bulldog’s hope spots and comebacks, with his power taking center stage when he was able to use it, kept the crowd invested and on Smith’s side despite the face-versus-face alignment going into the match.

Smith’s win came, not through that power, but through the creative reversal of a sunset flip – a regular move in the Hitman’s arsenal. The U.K. crowd exploded as the British Bulldog became the Intercontinental Champion in an era where that really meant something (an era we seem to be in again with Gunther holding the title).

Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels

If the first match I listed is essential for all the right reasons, this one is on my list for some of the wrong ones. Basically, somebody decided to put two of the biggest draws in the ring together – albeit two of the most difficult personalities, and two of the biggest egos in the sport – and they assumed it would go off without a hitch.

Reader, it did not go off without a hitch.

It’s a fascinating look at what can happen when things simply can’t be smoothed over, and what one man can do to ruin another man’s day while still technically doing the job and putting the other performer over.

It was risky from the start. Michaels and Hogan had been working together as a tag team for a few shows, and it was decided that they should have a match, or possibly kick off a series of matches, at SummerSlam. The problem is, Hogan wasn’t interested in losing or in working a Hart-versus-Bulldog-esque face against face rivalry. Somebody was eating a leg drop and somebody was turning heel, and neither of those somebodies was the guy in the red and yellow, brother.

Michaels, to his credit (kinda), still went through with the match despite his attempts at making Hogan agree to a series – a fact that both men never seemed to agree on. Regardless, the Heartbreak Kid put on a clinic in overselling, taking every bump like the love child of Dolph Ziggler and Mister Perfect and flying around the ring as he took any offense from the Hulkster. If Shawn thought he wasn’t getting a rematch before this match, his actions in it and in his promo the next night solidified it.

In the end, I think this is essential SummerSlam viewing for the fans who may not realize how backstage politics can affect their favorite shows – a lesson we’re all in the middle of again with the introduction of AEW’s Collision. It’s also just a lot of fun to watch today, knowing what we know now.

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (2022)

While SummerSlam is sometimes considered the smart marks’ WrestleMania, it’s also been home to some of the biggest spectacles in the sport. Michaels versus Razor in ‘95 showed the world what a ladder could do in a match. The Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian, and the Hardyz upped the ante in 2000 with Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. But I wanted to go a little more modern and a lot more big – tractor size big.

While it feels like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have had dozens of matches, Cagematch tells us it’s been just six singles bouts plus another three multi-person battles. The thing is, they’re always GOOD matches, and in one of my favorite styles – the Hoss Battle, AKA Big Meaty Men Slappin’ Meat. And this match, starting out with Lesnar driving a very large tractor to the ring, was just the best version of over-the-top madness we could have gotten.

It was a match that featured Brock soaring from the tractor’s frontloader and landing on our Tribal Chief. It showcased the depths of Roman’s ability to get out of a jam, with interference by both of the Usos and Paul Heyman. It continued with Lesnar literally lifting a corner of the ring with said tractor, but eventually falling to Reigns (after a failed Money in the Bank cash-in by Austin Theory) by way of a knockout by Roman with his Universal title, followed by a burial of the Beast Incarnate under tables, chairs, and other random debris. I don’t know if anyone really thought Lesnar was going to win here, but it sure was a lot of fun to watch him try.

Jack Goodwillie

Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (2002)

The greatest SummerSlam match of all time, to me, is Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H from 2002. SummerSlam 2002, as a whole, is one of the greatest pro wrestling shows of all time in my opinion, and this match, while not the main event, is really what brought a bottomless pit of compelling matchups together.

In a transition period for the company, Shawn Michaels made an unexpected return to the ring and was able to get some immediate heat on Triple H that really propelled the heel run he would embark on over the ensuing five or six years. I know that run is much maligned as “the reign of terror,” but when you watch this match back, it’s easy to see why “The Game” was given as much leash as he had. And let’s not discount the idea of Michaels, coming off a four-year layoff,

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (1994)

Brothers fight! It may have taken Vince McMahon some time to understand this concept, but anybody with a brother will tell you there is a natural rivalry built into the relationship between two siblings. WWE played on this perfectly with the feud between Bret and Owen Hart, but needed to follow on a show-stealing match at WrestleMania X.

The company chose to do this by putting Bret and Owen inside a steel cage at SummerSlam 1994. While cage matches are typically reserved for blow-off matches and blood feuds, it was sort of refreshing to see Bret and Owen work inside the cage without trying to maim each other. Given the context of the storyline, it wouldn’t have made sense for them to have that kind of match, and this is partly why Bret is revered as one of the best to ever do it. The Hart Family’s presence at ringside added a nice touch to this match, and I think they delivered an all-time great follow-up to their revered match at ‘Mania.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (2005)

SummerSlam 2005, for as nostalgic as it is for me, was not my first SummerSlam. That right goes to SummerSlam 2004, which while I remembered fondly, has not aged as well possibly due to some spotty booking and matchmaking. Rob Van Dam got relegated to the preliminary bout, a ‘nothing’ match with Rene Dupree, Rey Mysterio jerked the curtain, John Cena and Booker T probably didn’t get enough time, Triple H and Eugene got WAY too much time, and the WWE Championship match was merely a set-up match for No Mercy, when The Undertaker would rematch JBL in a “Last Ride Match.” Benoit vs. Orton and Guerrero vs. Angle II were great, but not enough to rescue the show in hindsight.

The following year, meanwhile, had a few matches that really carried the mantle and stand out as all-time classics. One of those was the encounter between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, “Legend vs. Icon.” The other was a “custody” battle between the feuding Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. I get that the match is probably best known for Vickie Guerrero missing her cue for the finish, but key to remember that 19 exhilarating minutes led to that moment. It’s also surreal seeing Dominik Mysterio in a ring, knowing in hindsight he would go on to become a legitimate heel in WWE.

John Corrigan

Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (1992)

The greatest match in SummerSlam history. Brothers-in-law competing for the Intercontinental Championship in front of more than 80,000 fans, most of whom supported hometown boy Davey Boy. Hart and Davey Boy (well, according to Hart in his autobiography, Davey Boy was fucked up on drugs and forgot all the spots, so he had to be completely carried) put on an amazing performance using their body language, facial reactions and awe-inspiring athleticism. More than 30 years later, it’s highly unlikely anything AEW puts on at Wembley will compare to this instant classic.

Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (2002)

Best friends, even better enemies. No one knew what to expect from Shawn Michaels in his first match back after four years away from WWE. In hindsight, we should have suspected that the Showstoppa wouldn’t return for anything less than perfection. The non-sanctioned stipulation allowed for smoke and mirrors, but ol’ HBK really didn’t need them because he and The Game knew how to tell an incredible story.

Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (2013)

The Best in the World versus The Beast. In Lesnar’s best match since returning in 2012 and Punk’s last great match in WWE, these two dual-sport athletes tore the house down in a fantastic David vs. Goliah brawl. With one eye on Heyman as well, Punk told an enthralling story of trying to get his hands on his weasel ex-manager hiding behind the unstoppable monster.