Ranking 31 Years of WWE Summerslam Main Events (1988-2018)

#10-6

The battle of WWE Champions at Summerslam 2011

#10 2011 - CM Punk vs John Cena

In a match that couldn't hold a candle to their instant classic at Money in the Bank 2011, a month earlier, CM Punk vs John Cena at Summerslam 2011 nevertheless was a stunning match.

Punk had left the company with the WWE Championship after that show and Cena defeated tournament winner Rey Mysterio to crown a new champion in Punk's absence.

When Punk returned he said Cena was a sham champion which culminated in a Champion vs Champion match to determine the undisputed WWE Champion.

With Triple H installed as referee, the Cerebral assassin failed to notice that Cena had his foot on the rope when he counted down Cena's shoulders for Punk's winning three count. Punk's reign ended moments later when an attack by Kevin Nash allowed Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.

#9 2012 - Brock Lesnar vs Triple H

In a match that should have been more heated than it was considering the deeply personal feud that preceded it, Triple H and Brock Lesnar was an excellent match, deep in psychology. Lesnar who had broken Triple H's arm and the arm of his buddy, Shawn Michaels continually tried to do the same again and Triple H did all he could to avoid it.

However, Lesnar reversed a pedigree to lock in the kimura submission. Fearing another broken arm, "The Game" had no choice but to tap out.

#8 2002 - The Rock vs Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar's meteoric rise in the WWE culminated with a WWE Championship win, just five months after his debut.

His Summerslam encounter with Champion, The Rock was the best match of his young career at that point.

Rock carried Lesnar to a stunning performance in a fast-paced encounter. The New York crowd who were miffed at Rock for leaving after the match for Hollywood booed the babyface legend out of the Nassau Coliseum.

Embracing the crowd reaction, Rock played heel for the night and did everything in his power to put the young "Beast" over as a monster. It worked.

#7 2017 - Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman

Last year's Summerslam main event was an absolute barnstormer. Heavy hitters Lesnar, Reigns, Joe and Strowman all pounded each other senseless. The inventive finish came when Lesnar countered Reigns' spear into an F-5 for the win. 21 minutes of non-stop action.

#6 2014 - John Cena vs Brock Lesnar

John Cena and Brock Lesnar contested what amounted to an extended squash as Cena bounced around for Lesnar's suplex based offence. It was a crisp performance from Lesnar and Cena played his part too. An excellent match that gave Lesnar his first World title in WWE for a decade.