Since its inception in 1985, WrestleMania has been the event that fans look forward to the most. Not every edition of WrestleMania has been great but the huge appeal with a plethora of marquee matches has seen WrestleMania grow over the years. From arenas to stadiums and taking place both indoors and outdoors is part of the grandeur of WrestleMania.
However, three years later, WWE created SummerSlam which stands alone as the biggest event in the summer. SummerSlam has generally been seen as the second biggest pay-per-view instead of Royal Rumble or Survivor Series. In many cases, there have been some SummerSlams that have been better than WrestleMania. Some performers have taken the baton and hit home runs in their matches that have taken place at both events over the years.
10 Rey Mysterio Vs. Eddie Guerrero (2005)
Before Eddie Guerrero's untimely death in 2005, he tore the house down in multiple pay-per-view matches with Rey Mysterio. At WrestleMania 21, Mysterio and Guerrero made history as the first reigning WWE Tag Team Champions to collide in a one-on-one match. They had the privilege of opening up the show, and Mysterio outsmarted Guerrero to prevail.
They feuded for months but their encounter at SummerSlam was the most important as the custody of Mysterio's son Dominik was hanging in the balance in a ladder match. They told an excellent story with The Master of the 619 getting the better of Guerrero once more.
9 The Undertaker Vs. Randy Orton (2005)
Randy Orton's dreadful face run came to a halt in early 2005, and Orton set his sights on The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21. Orton was doing a magnificent job as The Legend Killer and he was hellbent on putting a dent in Undertaker's legendary WrestleMania unbeaten streak. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way for Orton but it was a match that let him know that he was heading in the right direction.
By the summer of that year, Orton was officially a member of the SmackDown roster, and his feud with Undertaker resumed for the remainder of the year. Their rematch at SummerSlam wasn't as good as their 'Mania match but it was still a solid encounter. Despite some outside interference from his father "Cowboy Bob", Orton seized the opportunity and earned one of the biggest wins in his career by overcoming Undertaker.
8 Brock Lesnar Vs. Seth Rollins (2019)
Seth Rollins is someone that actually has a good record against Brock Lesnar. The Architect challenged Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 35. Since the women created history by main eventing WrestleMania, Lesnar was in no mood to hang around, and they surprisingly opened up the show. Rollins weathered the storm, and he captured his first Universal Title.
Months later, Rollins and Lesnar did battle at SummerSlam 2019 with Brock Lesnar walking in as Universal Champion once more. Lesnar cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and preyed on a wounded Rollins at Extreme Rules to reclaim the title. Nevertheless, Lesnar and Rollins had a superb contest, and it showed that Lesnar is capable of having a good match. The result remained the same with Rollins reclaiming the Universal Championship.
7 Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar (2003)
Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar's rivalry is one of the best rivalries in the Ruthless Aggression era. Their feud certainly doesn't get the credit it deserves. Nonetheless, at WrestleMania XIX, Lesnar dethroned Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship in a stellar main event that is fondly remembered for Lesnar botching a Shooting Star Press.
Moreover, The Olympic Gold Medalist had a legitimate neck injury and he needed some time off to recuperate from his injuries. Angle was once again the WWE Champion by the time their high-profile rematch at SummerSlam 2003 came around. They hit a home run once more, and Angle flipped the script to retain the WWE Title.
6 Edge Vs. The Undertaker (2008)
WrestleMania XXIV was a significant night in Edge's career as he headlined WrestleMania for the first time. Standing on the opposite side to Edge was The Undertaker in the Rated-R Superstar's World Heavyweight Championship title defense. Edge knocked it out of the park in his maiden WrestleMania main event. However, he failed to retain the title as he submitted to Undertaker's Hell's Gate.
However, their rivalry continued for the next months with the pair trading victories. They finally brought their feud to an end at SummerSlam 2008 with Edge stepping inside Undertaker's specialty, a Hell in a Cell match. As expected, they had another remarkable clash with Undertaker overcoming Edge in the main event.
5 Kurt Angle Vs. Eddie Guerrero (2004)
The feud between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle is legendary, and it cemented Latino Heat's status as a legend in 2004. At WrestleMania XX, Guerrero defended his newly won WWE Championship against Angle. They knocked it out of the park in one of the greatest WWE Title matches in the history of WrestleMania which saw Guerrero's lie, cheat and steal tactics come into play to retain the title.
Ultimately, fans were in store for a treat when Angle and Guerrero locked up at SummerSlam. Their chemistry together was second to none which is why they were able to put on technical masterclasses and Angle prevailed.
4 Shawn Michaels Vs. Razor Ramon (1994/95)
Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon became the first two men to collide in a ladder match at WrestleMania. They faced off at WrestleMania X to crown the undisputed Intercontinental Champion. Michaels and Ramon are the reason why ladder matches have been a success with Ramon prevailing in an instant classic.
A year later, Michaels was hellbent on revenge and he entered SummerSlam 1995 as the reigning Intercontinental Champion. They had another ladder match, and it was another exceptional match. Michaels was the victor this time around, but Ramon showed his class by congratulating HBK after the match.
3 The Ultimate Warrior Vs. Randy Savage (1991/92)
The Ultimate Warrior was never an in-ring general but when he was in the ring with the right wrestlers, he looked like a million bucks. "Macho Man" Randy Savage squared off with Warrior at WrestleMania VII in a retirement match, and the bout was breathtaking. Warrior got the important victory over Savage, who reunited with Ms. Elizabeth in a tear-jerking moment after the match.
A year later, Savage was in the midst of his second WWE Championship reign. The two had a blockbuster WWE Title match at SummerSlam 1992 which was unquestionably good enough to close out the show but played second fiddle to the Intercontinental Title match between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog. Nevertheless, Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair interfered which was the only downside of this WWE Championship contest.
2 Edge & Christian Vs. Dudley Boyz Vs. Hardy Boyz (2000/01)
The trilogy between Edge and Christian, The Dudley Boyz, and The Hardy Boyz revolutionized tag team wrestling. The trio first collided at WrestleMania 2000 in a triangle ladder match which saw The Dudleys enter as reigning Tag Team Champions but Edge and Christian took home their first of seven Tag Team titles.
That summer, they clashed in the first-ever TLC match at SummerSlam in The Hardys' backyard of Raleigh, North Carolina. Fans were in awe of what they witnessed, and Edge and Christian claimed the bragging rights again. The three teams met for the final time at WrestleMania X-Seven in another remarkable match which is famous for Edge spearing Jeff off the top of the ladder. Edge and Christian ran out as winners in an unforgettable match.
1 Owen Hart Vs. Bret Hart (1994)
The bitter rivalry between Bret Hart and Owen Hart in 1994 was relatable as siblings squabble. At WrestleMania X, Owen faced off with Bret in the opening match of the night before They had a five-star technical masterclass with Owen upsetting Bret for the victory.
Owen continued to ride a wave of momentum as he won the 1994 King of the Ring tournament. Moreover, they had a rematch for Bret's WWE Championship at SummerSlam inside a steel cage. They replicated their WrestleMania epic with another classic and Bret retained the WWE Title at Owen's expense.