SummerSlam is entering another year with big changes as WWE runs a major dome stadium once again. Each year’s event has been treated as one of the most important nights of the year. WWE primarily loves to market it as the second-biggest show after WrestleMania. The card is meant to signify the best of WWE each year with its presentation.
One rare story that provides some interest is the opening match outperforming the main event. Many wrestlers express that they want to open the show if they have to be in any spot other than the show closer. The hot crowd gives the platform for a show-stealer early in the night. WWE saw the following opening matches do better than the main event their respective shows.
10 Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens Vs Enzo Amore & Big Cass (SummerSlam 2016)
An underrated SummerSlam opening match came in 2016 when Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens formed their tag team to face Big Cass and Enzo Amore. No one would compare this match to Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle as an in-ring classic, but they entertained the crowd.
SummerSlam 2016 featured a much more exciting opening match between these two teams than the main event involving Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. The tag match gave us the star power of Owens and Jericho showing how great that act would work.
9 Razor Ramon Vs Ted DiBiase (SummerSlam 1993)
WWE did a weird job booking the SummerSlam 1993 card with only a handful of standout matches. The opening bout saw Razor Ramon and Ted DiBiase having an underrated fun match that showed them at different stages of their careers.
Scott Hall was still getting the Razor character over, while DiBiase was having his final match in WWE. The match was good enough to be considered a strong opening and clearly outshone the disappointing main event to end in a DQ between Lex Luger and Yokozuna.
8 Chris Jericho Vs Dolph Ziggler (SummerSlam 2012)
WWE placed Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler in a fun mid-card program heading into SummerSlam 2012. The opening match worked perfectly between two exciting performers having chemistry on the right night. Jericho pulled out the victory as a face to get the audience completely invested in the event.
The show didn’t have a strong main event that year with Brock Lesnar vs Triple H disappointing in the main event show closer. WWE couldn’t get the dream feud to work between the two legends, which couldn’t follow the Jericho vs Ziggler opener.
7 Bam Bam Bigelow & IRS Vs The Headshrinkers (SummerSlam 1994)
WWE had a lot of hype heading into SummerSlam 1994 for the cage match between Bret Hart and Owen Hart, but they didn’t get the opening match nor the main event spot. The Million Dollar Corporation of Bam Bam Bigelow and IRS faced the Headshrinkers in the opening match.
All four wrestlers played their roles well to deliver a solid match. The main event that year ended up being rather weak with the Fake Undertaker character facing the real one. Most fans to watch this year's event would rank the tag match clearly above that stinker.
6 Bayley Vs Asuka (SummerSlam 2020)
Asuka had a high-profile spot on the SummerSlam 2020 card in both the Raw Women’s Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship matches against Sasha Banks and Bayley respectively. WWE selected the Asuka vs Bayley match to open the night in grand fashion.
Bayley pulled out the victory to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship in a very good opener. WWE had a weak main event that year with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt vs Braun Strowman failing to live up to the hype. Roman Reigns returning to attack them both was the only thing fans remember about the match.
5 Kurt Angle Vs Rey Mysterio (SummerSlam 2002)
SummerSlam 2002 is considered to be in the conversation for the greatest event in show history. One positive to that is the opening match, semi-main event, and main event were all viewed as huge success stories on the card.
Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle had arguably the greatest opening match in SummerSlam history to set the tone for the night. Brock Lesnar vs The Rock was an impressive main event, but it wasn’t as beloved the opening show stealer.
4 Hakushi Vs 123 Kid (SummerSlam 1995)
WWE used to have fun sprints in the opening match or early card placement during the New Generation Era. Hakushi and the 123 Kid were two of the most talented in-ring workers and tore it up with limited time in the SummerSlam 1995 opening match.
Both wrestlers made the most of their opportunity during a year with few stand out matches on the card. Diesel and Mabel may have had the worst SummerSlam main event ever and proved they shouldn’t have closed the show.
3 The Brain Busters Vs The Hart Foundation (SummerSlam 1989)
WWE had an underrated tag team division during the New Generation Era with some all-time great duos. SummerSlam 1989 showcased this with a stellar opening match between the Brain Busters and the Hart Foundation.
Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard did well during their short WWE tag run together. The Hart Foundation also thrived when Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart broke out together. WWE went with a weak main event that year of Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake facing Randy Savage and Zeus in a stinker.
2 Seth Rollins Vs Dolph Ziggler (SummerSlam 2018)
SummerSlam spent four consecutive years at the Barclays Center with the final coming at SummerSlam 2018. This ended up being viewed as the weakest of the four shows due to a lackluster card. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar had one of their least eventful matches in a 6-minute main event.
The show actually started off hot with Seth Rollins defeating Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship in a fun bout. Dean Ambrose returning to even the odds with Drew McIntyre in Dolph’s corner added to the story.
1 Edge Vs Lance Storm (SummerSlam 2001)
WWE was hit or miss with the booking of their shows during the Invasion storyline. SummerSlam 2001 should have been a much bigger show due to the impact of having a WWE vs WCW card on the second-biggest event of the year.
Edge defeating Lance Storm for the Intercontinental Championship was a tremendous opening match. The main event of The Rock facing Booker T was nowhere near as good as the opener. WWE benefited from having hungry young talents wanting to steal the show early in the card during this time.