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Top 10 Moments In WWE SummerSlam History

By Darrell Tealer Jr
(Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)

The WWE’s annual summer event is quickly approaching and we here at the Roar are joining in on the excitement by taking a look back at some of the more memorable moments from past SummerSlam events!

  • Shawn Michaels Costs The Undertaker the WWE Championship (1997)

    Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were in the midst of a heated (and real life) professional rivalry, and WWE Champion, The Undertaker had to contend with this volatile dynamic as well as his challenger, Bret Hart.

    Tensions boiled over between Hart and guest referee Michaels – who had been calling the match down the middle – and one chair swing shifted the whole championship scene.

    https://twitter.com/mikeylee316/status/1290214414629535745

  • Brock Conquers The Rock (2002)

    With the crowd clamoring for something new and The Rock making his first entry into the world of Hollywood, the young and intimidating Brock Lesnar took not only the WWE Championship, but the moniker of “The Next Big Thing”.

  • Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage For the WWE Championship (1992)

    The WWE Championship was on the line between two of the most explosive personalities in company history!

    Added into the spectacle was the mystery of who was an ally of the heel pair of Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect.

    If you take some time to go “old school”, this one is worth a watch.

  • The Rock and Triple H Climb The Ladder To The Main Event (1998)

    With the parallel rise of their individual careers, Triple H and The Rock were the young studs in the WWE holding down the middle of the card as the leaders of their respective factions – The Nation and D-Generation X.

    The months long rivalry between the two groups culminated with an exciting ladder match for The Rock’s Intercontinental Championship in the legendary Madison Square Garden.

  • CM Punk and Jeff Hardy Pull Out All The Stops In A TLC Match For The World Heavyweight Championship (2009)

    The build towards this match was great because you had two superstars with very different lifestyles.

    One, who had an ongoing battle with personal demons, and the other who was committed to the straight edge way of life.

    Those two aspects, their individual talents and the TLC stipulation made this one of the best SummerSlam matches of all time!

  • Shawn Michaels Ping Pongs Around The Ring vs. Hulk Hogan (2005)

    In the summer of 2005, Shawn Michaels turned heel for a brief moment in a feud with Hulk Hogan.

    While Hogan, notorious for playing his backstage politics card, wanted to ensure he was the ‘hero’ of the match and was victorious, the veteran HBK decided to pull off one of the most exaggerated and passive aggressive performances of all time.

    If you’ve never seen this match, go back and give it a look. It’s Michaels doing his most cartoonish overselling.

  • The Beginnings Of 'Suplex City' - Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (2014)

    The 2014 match up between Brock Lesnar and John Cena was virtually all offense from Lesnar and Cena being tossed around like a rag doll.

    It was a surprising turn of events as we had never, to that point, seen Cena look so vulnerable.

    This match spawned the infamous ‘Suplex City’ era for Brock Lesnar.

    https://twitter.com/randyjcruz/status/1295363502358573057

  • The Heartbreak Kid Returns (2002)

    After 4 years away from the WWE due to a serious injury, Shawn Michaels would make his way back to the active roster in this classic no holds barred match against his former DX partner, Triple H.

    There was a number of concerns with Shawn going into this match in regards to his health and if he could perform to his previous standards.

    It was like he had never left.

  • TLC 1 (2000)

    During what is arguably the greatest time for the tag team division in WWE, The Hardyz, The Dudleys and Edge & Christian ushered in a whole new era of brutality with the first ever Tables, Ladders & Chairs match for the WWE World Tag Team Championships.

    This match is the foundation for all the ladder based spectacles that came after it.

  • The Bulldog vs The Hitman In London (1992)

    The British Bulldog vs Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart at the ’92 SummerSlam in London’s Wembly Stadium is perhaps one of the most celebrated and beloved ‘Slam main events in WWE history.

    It was the main event for the WWE Intercontinental Championship that featured the hometown hero, Bulldog against his real life brother-in-law, Bret Hart with Bulldog’s wife and Bret’s sister, Diana looking on from the crowd.

    If you’re looking for an old school watch, check this one out!