10 greatest SummerSlam matches of all time
The biggest party of the summer, WWE SummerSlam, will hold its 33rd annual event on August 23rd this year. This will be much different from the previous 32 editions because WWE is dealing with the ongoing pandemic. Whether the event is happening inside the Performance Center or at an outdoor location, this event will look and feel unique from all the others.
Throughout the 32 events, SummerSlam has showcased so many classic matches. For most years, the summer event has had the best match of the calendar year. We have seen technical in-ring battles, incredible speciality matches and memorable moments. SummerSlam has seen the rematch of the legendary WrestleMania 10 ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon in 1995 as well as the absolute destruction of John Cena by the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar in 2014. We have also watched Cena battle Daniel Bryan in a tremendous WWE Championship match and the great World Heavyweight Championship TLC match between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk.
With matches like those few which did not make our list, it shows just how hard it is to list just 10 classic SummerSlam matches, but that is what we will attempt to do. Let's take a look at the 10 greatest SummerSlam matches of all time.
#10 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle (WWF Championship) - SummerSlam 2001
We start our SummerSlam countdown with the greatest match in the event's history to end in a non-finish. The year 2001 in WWE was all about the Invasion. With purchasing WCW and ECW, the WWF, at this time, set out to create their biggest feud ever between the three largest wrestling promotions of the past decade. Unfortunately due to contract disputes and other issues, the biggest stars from WCW were unable to perform for the company. This would lead to the top star of WWF, Stone Cold Steve Austin, turning on the promotion to give the opposing WCW/ECW Alliance an even playing field.
With Austin on the side of the Alliance, the WWF would look to their Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, to lead the charge for the company ahead of SummerSlam 2001. At the summer spectacular, Austin and Angle waged war in a bloody, brutal WWF Championship Match that stole the show on a night that featured a RVD-Jeff Hardy ladder match and the returning Rock defeating Booker T for the WCW Heavyweight Championship.
Both men brawled in the aisleway in front of the SummerSlam logo to start, and Angle more than held his own with the Texas Rattlesnake. When the match finally got to the ring, the two Hall of Famers then showed off the technical expertise in this contest with Angle predictably getting the advantage. Just when it seemed Angle was going to gain the victory, Austin got himself disqualified to save his championship.
As Jim Ross said, this was one of the most physical intense battles in SummerSlam history. This rivalry was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster Invasion angle. Featuring two of the very best to ever lace their boots, Angle and Austin had the best match at a truly underrated SummerSlam event.