5 underrated but great matches from past SummerSlam events
SummerSlam has always been the WWE's answer to the hardcore fans, just as WrestleMania is for the casuals. There have been countless classics at the annual August super-show over the years, ever since SummerSlam started to exist.
We have seen so many fabulous moments happen at this historic pay-per-view, from The Ultimate Warrior quickly beating The Honky Tonk Man to The Match Made in Heaven. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we would find out in later years. We would be provided with an absolute gem of a match almost every year at SummerSlam.
In recent times, we have gotten so many more memorable matches and moments. A few that pop up are the incredible double header of barn burning classics in 2013, the merciless destruction of John Cena by Brock Lesnar in 2014, and the match that made AJ Styles in 2016.
There are so many more. But sometimes these great matches may go unnoticed. There are a host of reasons, from being hidden without a story or being overshadowed by the bigger matches.
Quite a few shows have had such matches not remembered by the fans just as matches such as a Rock vs Lesnar, or a Cena vs Styles are fondly remembered.
SummerSlam is one of the biggest opportunities for wrestlers to impress. WrestleMania may see certain individuals shine and receive their 'WrestleMania moments'. SummerSlam could give the wrestlers more time to go out and perform.
It is basically a WrestleMania without the grandeur and stadium-sized magnitude. There has always been a ton of stellar in-ring work at SummerSlam. Here we dig into some of the recent editions of the Summer Spectacle and find the matches that are not talked about enough.
#5 Alberto Del Rio vs Christian (2013)
Alberto Del Rio spent most of 2013 as the World Heavyweight Champion, as both a face and a heel. It was incredibly frustrating especially since we got that incredible moment of Dolph Ziggler cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Raw after WrestleMania.
Del Rio faced the likes of the Big Show, Rob Van Dam and John Cena over the course of the year but his standout match for the Big Gold Belt might just be his bout against Christian at SummerSlam.
The pair has had good matches in the past, particularly their Ladder Match for the same title at Extreme Rules 2011, and this one was right up there with the best of them. Del Rio was vicious and ruthless throughout the match as he targeted Christian's shoulder.
There were some really fun exchanges during this match, which would be expected when the Latino star decides to put in his best. Christian was also extremely smooth and brought out the best in many opponents.
The finish of the match came when Christian hit The Spear but could not capitalise due to the previously injured shoulder which Del Rio targeted, thus creating an opening for the Mexican Aristocrat to slap on the Cross Arm-breaker and make Christian tap out.
It is always satisfying when the psychology and certain avenues of a match play an important role in the finish. These two did really well on a card which had Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk and John Cena vs Daniel Bryan. A very commendable job indeed.