3rd Best Summerslam of all time – 1997
Many forget about this epic card and they are dead wrong for doing so. HHH and Mankind kicked off the night with the last ever Blue Barred steel cage match. Complete with a Foley leap of the cage onto HHH, ala Jimmy Super Fly Snuka.
The card is most remembered perhaps for the Stone-Cold Steve Austin neck injury at the hands of Owen Hart. Many forget the 16 minutes of old school wrestling put on before the nasty injury. Goldust took on Brian Pillman in what was one of the Loose Cannons last high-profile matches. Pillman lost and had to wear a dress for the next 30 days. Just one of many stipulations that night that saw Ken Shamrock get a can of dog food smashed off his head by the British Bulldog and much more.
The card itself is remembered for the main event. The drama was off the charts as the newly minted “American Hating” Bret Hart challenged The Undertaker for the WWF World Championship. If Hart lost, he would never again be allowed to wrestle in the United States. Making things even more daunting for Hart was the fact his arch nemesis Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee.
In a twist, it would be HBK smashing a chair off the skull of The Undertaker to cost him the match. The next night, HBK would continue to show his true colors and form the initial DX faction alongside Hunter Hearst Hemsley and Chyna.
2nd Best Summerslam of all time – 2005
Many fans, including myself consider this to be the best card of the first half of the 2000’s decade. The heat was intense in almost every single match, as each was caked deep with drama, buildup and intensity.
Perhaps the most heated was the two grudge matches between Matt Hardy & Edge, also the match with Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio for the rights to little Dominic. The Hardy vs Edge clash developed from the real-life love triangle between the two and Lita. The sultry temptress cheated on Matt Hardy in real life with the married Edge and instantly became the most hated women in WWE history. Edge would win the actual match in a bloodbath that was called by the referee.
The Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio storyline was a bit hokey, with Rey’s son Dominic playing a major role in it. That absurd storyline aside, the match itself was outstanding. I’d put it right up there with their incredible clash at WCW Halloween Havoc 1997. Rey would win the ladder match and retain the rights to his son. At 20:19, it was also the second longest match on the card.
Both World title matches of Batista defending successfully against JBL, as well as John Cena defending successfully against Chris Jericho were both extremely solid. I’d go as far as to give the Cena vs Chris Jericho 5 out of 5 stars.
The night was so good that many forget Legend Killer Randy Orton knocking off The Undertaker with help from his father Cowboy Bob Orton. Not to mention the less then 5-minute decimation of Eugene by Kurt Angle. This official buried the inane Eugene gimmick for good.
The main event featured “arguably” the greatest two performers in WWE history. It was ICON vs ICON as Hulk Hogan took on Shawn Michaels. HBK reverted back to his old heel ways heading into this one, but it wasn’t enough to overcome The Immortal One.
Honorable Mentions
1990 – The Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude in a Steel Cage
2001- WWE vs WCW
2008 – Batista vs John Cena in an epic Summer Blockbuster
2010 – The Nexus vs Team Cena in the return of Daniel Bryan
2015 – The Undertaker earns revenge over Brock Lesnar
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