5 Best & 5 Worst WWE SummerSlam PPVs
WWE fans always look forward to the summer for one of the biggest shows in wrestling. SummerSlam 2021 is just around the corner, and it's impossible not to get excited, as SummerSlam is synonymous with epic matches and memorable moments.
RELATED: The 10 Wrestlers With The Most Wins In SummerSlam History
SummerSlam is WWE's second-biggest PPV behind only WrestleMania, so it's no wonder that many SummerSlam events have been unforgettable. Some editions of The Biggest Party Of The Summer were even better than WrestleMania. However, throughout history, WWE has also produced mediocre SummerSlam events that were total fiascos. Without further ado, here are the five best and five worst WWE SummerSlam PPVs.
10 Best: SummerSlam 2015
This PPV was truly amazing. There were some extraordinary matches, and most impressive of all, not one match was bad.
The fatal four-way for the WWE Tag Team Titles was very entertaining and Kevin Owens and Cesaro delivered a superb match. The main event was awesome, and The Undertaker got revenge on Brock Lesnar after he ended his undefeated streak at WrestleMania. The highlight of the night was the Champion versus Champion match between John Cena and Seth Rollins.
9 Worst: SummerSlam 2010
SummerSlam 2010 was undoubtedly one of the worst SummerSlam PPVs of all time. This PPV didn't look that great on paper, but still, no one imagined it would be such a mediocre event.
The World Heavyweight Title match between Kane and Rey Mysterio was decent and the 14-man tag team elimination match was pretty good, but that wasn't enough to save the PPV. The Randy Orton versus Sheamus match was lousy, Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston couldn't put on a good show, and Melina defeated Alicia Fox in an awful match. Also, the three-on-one handicap match between The Big Show and The Straight Edge Society was a disaster.
8 Best: SummerSlam 1992
SummerSlam 1992 is mostly remembered for two matches, the WWE Title match between Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior and the Intercontinental Title match between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog. Those two matches were excellent, true wrestling classics.
RELATED: SummerSlam 1992: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
The rest of the card was not bad at all, there were entertaining matches like Shawn Michaels vs Rick Martel and also The Legion Of Doom (Animal and Hawk) vs Money Inc. (Irwin R. Schyster and Ted DiBiase). The lowest point of the PPV was the match between Nailz and Virgil.
7 Worst: SummerSlam 1993
It's amazing how things can change in one year, as this edition of SummerSlam was totally different from 1992. SummerSlam 1993 had only two decent matches, Jerry Lawler versus Bret Hart and the World Tag Team Title match between The Steiner Brothers and The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy del Ray and Tom Prichard). Otherwise, the PPV was a waste of time.
The Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez continued their lackluster feud, Shawn Michaels and Mr. Perfect flopped, and the bout between Razor Ramon and Ted DiBiase was disappointing. The main event featured WWE Champion Yokozuna facing Lex Luger, which turned out to be a mediocre match.
6 Best: SummerSlam 2011
SummerSlam 2011 was a solid PPV from start to finish. The opener was a very fun Six-Man Tag Team match, with John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and Rey Mysterio joining forces to take on Alberto Del Rio, R-Truth, and The Miz.
Mark Henry and Sheamus delivered a good match, while Wade Barrett defeated Daniel Bryan in a very good bout as well. Randy Orton and Christian collided in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Title, which was mind-blowing. In the main event, CM Punk defeated John Cena to make it clear who was the true WWE Champion. Nonetheless, Alberto Del Rio cashed in his Money In The Bank contract and defeated Punk to win the title.
5 Worst: SummerSlam 1988
Frankly, the inaugural SummerSlam PPV was very disappointing. It was dubbed "Where The Mega Powers Meet The Mega Bucks", which generated a lot of hype. However, that tag team matchup between Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and Ted DiBiase was no big deal.
RELATED: 11 Wrestlers Who Main Evented SummerSlam Two Years In A Row
There were 10 matches in total and none of them was outstanding, rather there were some terrible matches, which could easily be among the worst in SummerSlam history. For example, Rick Rude versus The Junkyard Dog, Bad News Brown against Ken Pantera, or the match between Dino Bravo and Don Muraco.
4 Best: SummerSlam 2013
This PPV was sensational. Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring Of Fire match, which was quite peculiar, but it was a good way to kick off the show. Also, Alberto Del Rio retained the World Heavyweight Title after defeating Christian in a solid match.
Brock Lesnar and CM Punk collided in a truly insane No Disqualification match. In the main event, John Cena and Daniel Bryan put on masterful performances and delivered one of the best WWE matches of the 2010s. Bryan defeated Cena and won the WWE Heavyweight Title, but the joy didn't last long as Randy Orton cashed in his MITB contract and took the gold.
3 Worst: SummerSlam 1989
The second edition of SummerSlam was absolutely lackluster, its card had three decent matches and six terrible matches. One of the decent matches was the Intercontinental Title match between The Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude, which was the best match of the PPV, hands down.
Dusty Rhodes and The Honky Tonk Man had disappointing performances and Ted DiBiase and Jimmy Snuka's match was very boring. The main event featured Hulk Hogan teaming with Brutus Beefcake against Randy Savage and Zeus, but that match was lousy as well.
2 Best: SummerSlam 2002
This is not only one of the best SummerSlam PPVs of all time, but one of the best PPV events in WWE history. There were some top-notch matches, with superlative performances and unforgettable moments.
Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio put on a true clinic in the opening match. Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero in a very entertaining match and Rob Van Dam became Intercontinental Champion after defeating Chris Benoit in an excellent match. The main event was absolutely spectacular, Brock Lesnar and The Rock did a memorable job. The highlight of the night was the Unsanctioned Match between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, which is one of the best matches in SummerSlam history, without a doubt.
1 Worst: SummerSlam 1990
For the third year in a row, the SummerSlam PPV was disappointing. High-caliber superstars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior had terrible performances in their respective matches, which is unacceptable.
Also, the match between The Warlord and Tito Santana was awful while the Mr. Perfect versus the Texas Tornado match was lousy as well. The only good thing about the PPV was the World Tag Team Title match between The Hart Foundation and Demolition.
