6 Best Summerslam Debut Matches in WWE History

#4 Vader - 1996 (vs Shawn Michaels)

One of the best Summerslam main event.

A match between a small, fan favorite guy and a huge, villainous behemoth is always a treat to the eyes of the fans of wrestling entertainment. But things take a turn for the good when both of them are established and proven in-rings works, and this is what made the clash between Shawn Michaels and Vader at SummerSlam 1996 a memorable one.

Vader's WWE debut was as impactful as it could have gotten. Attacking Gorilla Monsoon, the On-Screen President of WWF, the Mastodon established himself as a bad guy. Already a well established heavyweight outside the WWE, Vader soon became embroiled into a rivalry with the WWF Champion, Shawn Michaels which led to a match between the two at SummerSlam 1996. Not only did Vader feature in the main event of his first SummerSlam, it also ended up being the best match of his WWE run.

This 23-minute long WWF Title match told a sensational David v Goliath story with Michaels relying on his quickness and Vader on his power and strength. The two restarts, however, first after a count out win and then a DQ win for Vader, slightly hampered the importance of the match in the subsequent years. Apart from that, this match was easily the best defense of Michaels' first reign as WWF Champion.