The 2002 iteration of SummerSlam was the very first to feature the brand split with wrestlers representing Raw and SmackDown. It also marked Shawn Michaels' in-ring return after a four-year absence due to a career-threatening back injury he sustained at Royal Rumble 1998. Furthermore, it was the first SummerSlam to take place in the Ruthless Aggression era with fresh blood of new names looking to stamp down their authority.

RELATED: SummerSlam 2001: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

Moreover, this marked The Rock's final in-ring match as a full-time wrestler before he sought greener pastures to fulfill an acting career in Hollywood. There was one inter-promotional match, and three championships were up for grabs in a card that was stacked from top to bottom.

8 The Undertaker Vs. Test

Undertaker v Test

The Undertaker was a babyface once more when he squared off with Test, who represented The Un-Americans. The Phenom wanted to inflict punishment on Test who disrespected Old Glory by holding the American flag upside down. Nevertheless, their match was slow and methodical which is expected between two big guns.

Test threw the kitchen sink at Undertaker but Undertaker gained control for large portions of the match. Moreover, Lance Storm and Christian interfered to help Test but it was to no avail as Undertaker removed them from the equation with ease. During his American Badass gimmick, Undertaker rarely used the Tombstone Piledriver but he used it here to put Test away.

7 Ric Flair Vs. Chris Jericho

Flair v Jericho SummerSlam 2002

Ric Flair and Chris Jericho collided in a dream match of some sorts, which is hard to believe that it was the Nature Boy's first-ever match at SummerSlam. The two had a contrast of styles but the two iconic figures put on a decent match for the fans in attendance.

RELATED: Ric Flair's First 10 WWE PPV Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best

Their bout went back and forth, and Jericho dominated the match by keeping Flair at bay with several submission holds. Ultimately, Y2J failed to make Naitch submit with his own variation of the Figure Four Leglock, Flair recovered to earn a confidence-boosting victory over the first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion.

6 Lance Storm & Christian Vs. Booker T & Goldust

Un Americans v Booker & Goldust

The WWE Tag Team Championship was on the line with Lance Storm and Christian representing The Un-Americans, and they defended the gold against the unlikely pairing of Booker T and Goldust. This was a classic tag team match with near falls and fans were backing Booker and Goldust to prevail.

This Tag Team title match often gets overshadowed due to the other marquee matches on the card. Nevertheless, all four were exceptional workers and they definitely had their working boots on at SummerSlam. Booker was closing in on the titles as he executed his patented Scissors Kick on both Christian and Storm. However, Test proved to be the difference-maker as he clocked Booker with a Big Boot and Christian covered Booker for a backdoor victory.

5 Edge Vs. Eddie Guerrero

Edge v Eddie Guerrero SummerSlam 2002

You know you're in store for a treat every time Edge and Eddie Guerrero lock up. Latino Heat returned to WWE in the spring of 2002, and Edge was continuing his remarkable rise as a singles competitor. Nevertheless, Guerrero was the veteran here, and he expertly worked on Edge's shoulder throughout the match to nullify Edge's chances of using the Spear.

Edge sustained a tremendous amount of punishment from Eddie but he was resilient enough to stay involved in the match. Guerrero showed no mercy as he executed a jaw-dropping Frog Splash on Edge's shoulder. Edge weathered the storm and he nailed Guerrero with the Edgecution and Spear to finish off the job.

4 Chris Benoit Vs. Rob Van Dam

rvd-benoit-summerslam

Another underrated match at SummerSlam was Chris Benoit and Rob Van Dam's Intercontinental Championship match. There was a caveat as Benoit represented SmackDown, and RVD was a member of Raw with the winner taking the gold to their respective brand.

RELATED: SummerSlam: The 10 Most Underrated Matches From The 2000s

They knocked it out of the park in an outstanding Intercontinental Title bout. The match was hard-hitting and Benoit's mouth was busted wide open and RVD's trademark ponytail came undone. Nevertheless, RVD held on in this war of attrition to secure his third Intercontinental Championship reign and took the belt back to Raw.

3 The Rock Vs. Brock Lesnar

Rock v Lesnar SummerSlam 2002

Fans knew that The Rock was heading to Hollywood which is why The Rock was subjected to a hostile reception in his WWE Championship match with Brock Lesnar. The Next Big Thing looked dominant in his rookie year as he stormed past the field to win the King of the Ring tournament.

Lesnar was the aggressor throughout the contest, and "Let's go Lesnar" chants reverberated around the arena. The reigning WWE Champion attempted to put Lesnar away with the Rock Bottom but Lesnar powered his way out of the cover. Ultimately, Lesnar earned one of the biggest wins in his career as he laid Rock out with the F5 for his first WWE Championship reign.

2 Kurt Angle Vs. Rey Mysterio

Kurt Angle Vs Rey Mysterio

Kurt Angle was finding his niche in 2002, and he backed up a stellar 2001 with another remarkable year. The Olympic Gold Medalist opened proceedings at SummerSlam against Rey Mysterio, who was relatively new to WWE in his first pay-per-view match.

Despite the match lasting nine minutes, it was a quality match from start to finish. Angle looked like a million bucks and it was abundantly clear that Mysterio was going to have a successful career in WWE. Mysterio's aerial moves had some success but Angle worked it out and forced Mysterio to submit to the Angle Lock.

1 Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H

Triple H v Shawn Michaels SummerSlam 2002

After a failed reunion of DX, Triple H turned heel once again and Shawn Michaels was hellbent on revenge. The two former best friends squared off in an Unsanctioned match which just epitomized the greatness of both men.

Michaels may have been out of the ring for four years but he did not miss a step and working with someone like Triple H was guaranteed to be an instant classic. They hit a home run and The Cerebral Assassin wore the proverbial crimson mask. Ultimately, Michaels countered The Game's Pedigree with a Jackknife cover for the win.

NEXT: Shawn Michaels' Highest Rated PPV Matches, According To Cagematch.net