WWE SummerSlam: 10 best non-title singles matches in the PPV's history

#2 The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2015)

A slugfest between two of the hardest hitting Superstars in the history of wrestling

This was war, just plain war. Just go back and look at that brawl that these two had on WWE RAW post Battleground 2015, and you'll understand how personal it was for both Undertaker and Brock Lesnar in 2015. It wasn't about World Championships like 2002-03, nor was it about a WrestleMania undefeated streak like it was in 2014. It was just about making the other guy pay for the things they had done to them, and it could not have happened at a bigger platform than SummerSlam.

For 'Taker, it was redemption. He wanted to make Lesnar suffer for destroying his legacy 16 months ago at Mania XXX. For Lesnar, it was revenge. He wanted to destroy Undertaker for costing him his World Title opportunity at Battleground. The stage was set for the blockbuster SummerSlam main event between the behemoths, and the match didn't disappoint in any way.

The action for the match began even before the bell rang, and it didn't stop for the next 15 minutes with the big man displaying their majestic chemistry. From hard, clean strikes to finishing moves on the announce table to busted foreheads, this match had it all.

The only thing that prevented this match at SummerSlam from topping this list was the wrong finish, where the bell rang even without the referee signaling for it and then 'Taker taking advantage to hit Lesnar with a low blow and putting him in the Hell's Gate till he passed out. The two would go on to have an even better match two months later, but this will always remain their best traditional match together.

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#1 John Cena vs AJ Styles (SummerSlam 2016)

A dream match that turned Styles into a megastar in WWE

In 2016, there was not a match or rivalry bigger in WWE than AJ Styles vs John Cena. The moment Styles arrived in WWE in January, fans all around the world were waiting for the day WWE would bring these two living legends together for a long-term program. After all, one was the poster boy of WWE and the other was the poster boy of the world outside WWE for a decade.

The moment Cena returned from his injury and Styles interrupted him, it was clear that WWE had pulled the trigger on the most anticipated rivalry in recent times. Their 1-on-1 match at Money in the Bank, which Styles won, was marred by interference, and the tag team match at Battleground was clearly not to the level that was expected from the performers involved in the match. The two were scheduled to finally settle their score in a grand match at SummerSlam, and they settled the score in great fashion.

Pretty much like their first encounter, this SummerSlam classic too had impeccable chemistry between the two, and the master storytellers that they are, Styles and Cena had the crowd in Brooklyn on their feet for the entirety of the match. Both of them brought their A+ game that day, with each trying to bring something new to their arsenal to put the other down.

In the end, after a grueling 25-minute contest that tore the house down, Styles finally pinned Cena down on the floor to give the fans a long-lasting SummerSlam moment. The two went on to have one more match, at Royal Rumble 2017, to complete the trilogy, but this match from SummerSlam will always remain their best effort together.