WWE Summerslam: 15 Best World Title Matches in the Event's History
The Biggest show of the Summer is now just a little over one week away, and we could not be more excited for this year's Summerslam. Well actually, we could be. A lot lot more. There have been years in the past when fans have been more excited about Summerslam than they were about WrestleMania.
But in 2018, the build-up to Summerslam has revolved around only two encounters(Sorry AJ, You're in neither of them), and the overall build to the show has been so lackluster that it just feels like any other special show and not The Second biggest show of the year. Fans have always looked forward to the marquee matches at this show, for the World Title matches in the main event, but neither of them have got the fans riled up so far.
Speaking of World Titles, while the Raw brand's match between Lesnar and Reigns has received plenty of coverage, fans are so tired of their repeated meetings that they are not even bothered anymore about the match. On the Blue Brand's side, the match between Styles and Joe is a green, fresh pairing, but their rivalry has been booked so bad that fans are yet to fully invest their time in this WWE Title feud.
Summerslam has featured a total of 41 World Title matches in its 30 years long history, some of which are still rated among the best in the entire WWE history. While it is almost a guarantee that fans will again hijack the Universal Title match, Joe and Styles definitely have what it takes to steal the show if given ample amount of this. To see that, we'll have to wait until next Sunday. Till then, here are the 15 best World Title matches in Summerslam history.
#15 Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor - Universal Title (2016)
Seth Rollins and Finn Balor have a tremendous chemistry with each other. From their stunning triple threat match at 'Mania this year to those twin clashes on Raw, the two have always set the stage on fire whenever they are given the spotlight. This trend, however, began two years ago with a highly underrated clash at Summerslam 2016.
Often considered as an underwhelming match due to the pre-match response from the fans during the unveiling of the Universal Title, this title clash had the perfect heel-face dynamics and was a showcase of the talents of both Balor and Rollins. Balor, in particular, was stunning, taking bumps and hitting big maneuvers despite dislocating his shoulder during the match.
The only thing that hurt the credibility of this match was the disinterested crowd, which was busy booing the Universal Title during the first half of the match. However, the crowd was fully involved during the second half, as they witnessed Balor become the first ever Universal Champion, albeit only for one day.