Ranking all Summerslam main events from worst to best

Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels from Summerslam 2005 makes this list
Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels from Summerslam 2005 makes this list

#12 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker - Summerslam 1998

Main event with attitude.
Main event with attitude

1998 was arguably the greatest year in WWF history, at least in terms of entertainment value. Stone Cold Steve Austin had finally reached the top of the mountain and with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels out of the company, the responsibility fell on him to carry things forward and secure the victory over WCW.

There couldn't have been any other choice to main event than Austin vs. The Undertaker for the WWF Championship at Summerslam 98. This was in the middle of Vince's first major feud with The Rattlesnake but to the company's credit, the two legends were pretty much left to fight it out and see who the better man was.

Austin needed matches like this to cement his position as 'the guy' and while it does not make the top 10, Austin vs.Taker from 98 is a match to go back and watch.


#11 CM Punk vs. John Cena - Summerslam 2011

Champion vs Champion.
Champion vs Champion

If it hadn't have been for CM Punk and John Cena, 2011 would have been a highly forgettable year for the WWE. The year started badly and ended in much the same way, but for a few months in the summer fans' interest for the product was at an all time high.

This was the conclusion of the 'Summer of Punk' storyline that saw the Straight Edged Superstar leave the company with the WWE title after delivering his infamous pipe bomb promo.

Cena and Punk had just put on the match of the year at Money in the Bank, and their Summerslam rematch was not too bad either. But without the Chicago crowd and the high stakes on the line, it wasn't nearly as good.

Also, this would have probably featured much higher on the list if the company had done the right thing and had Punk walk out the champion. Instead, we had to see an unwanted Kevin Nash return and an MITB cash in by Alberto del Rio.


#10 The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude - Summerslam 1990

Warrior's best feud?
Warrior's best feud?

Everybody talks about the legendary feud between Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan throughout the early 90s, and rightly so, but what often gets overlooked from this period is the fantastic rivalry between the Warrior and Rick Rude.

Due to Warrior's standing in the company, he needed guys to work with who wouldn't make him look too green in the ring. Rude was one of those people, his style and in-ring work complemented the WWF Champion perfectly.

The two had already proven themselves worthy of being featured on the Summerslam card after delivering a brilliant IC title match at Summerslam 89. This time it was for the WWF Championship in the main event.

For a second time in a row, Rude carried the Warrior to a match better than we thought him worthy of and for this reason, the bout deserves to be treated with respect.

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram
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