Despite being the fourth of the traditional "Big Four" events, SummerSlam has overtaken Survivor Series and arguably the Royal Rumble as the second most important event of the year. It stands alone in the summer as a huge extravaganza, and on a plethora of instances, SummerSlam has blown WrestleMania out of the water.
There's no doubt that some SummerSlams have been complete duds but their main event has made up for a poor WrestleMania main event. In recent years, SummerSlam has had the WrestleMania treatment with a super card that you'd expect to see at WrestleMania. Nevertheless, many iconic figures have made a name for themselves at SummerSlam, and it showed with the quality main events that have taken place at The Biggest Party of The Summer.
10 The Rock Vs. Brock Lesnar - 2002
The Rock clashed with the newly-minted 2002 King of the Ring winner Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. The Next Big Thing was riding a wave of momentum, and he systematically dismantled Rock to capture the WWE Title at the age of 25. Lesnar is the youngest WWE Champion in WWE history, a remarkable record that still stands 19 years later.
However, Chris Jericho and Triple H's WWE Title match at WrestleMania X8 was massively disappointing. The crowd ran out of gas after they witnessed an instant classic between Rock and Hogan which should have headlined the show.
9 Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Braun Strowman - 2017
Four big bulls went toe-to-toe for Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 2017. Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman were legitimate threats to Lesnar's title. The match was outstanding, and Lesnar continued his impressive reign as Universal Champion.
The main event at SummerSlam was far superior to Undertaker and Roman Reigns' lackluster match at WrestleMania 33. The Undertaker acknowledged that he was not in peak physical condition to be in a match of this caliber, and Reigns prevailing was not popular amongst fans.
8 Brock Lesnar Vs. Seth Rollins - 2019
Despite being smaller in stature, Seth Rollins held his own against Brock Lesnar. The Architect dethroned Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 35, and he was hoping to replicate that in the headline act of SummerSlam 2019. They knocked it out of the park in an exceptional match, and Rollins cemented his spot as the top dog by reclaiming the gold.
Speaking of WrestleMania 35, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey made history as the first three women to main event WrestleMania. Whilst it was a groundbreaking moment, the match failed to live up to the hype compared to SummerSlam's brilliant main event.
7 CM Punk Vs. John Cena - 2011
John Cena was looking for redemption after he failed to recapture the WWE Championship from The Miz in one of the worst main events at WrestleMania XXVII. However, Cena engaged in the feud of the year with CM Punk in the summer of 2011 and they had a blockbuster rematch at SummerSlam.
The stakes were high as both walked into SummerSlam as the reigning WWE Champion. Triple H oversaw proceedings as a special guest referee ensuring everything went according to plan. It was always going to be a tall order to replicate their magic at Money in the Bank 2011 but Punk came out on top in another exceptional bout.
6 The Rock Vs. Triple H Vs. Kurt Angle - 2000
2000 was one of the best years in WWE and they hardly staged a bad main event. At SummerSlam, The Rock defended the WWE Championship against his bitter rivals Triple H and Kurt Angle who was the reigning King of the Ring. Unfortunately, Angle sustained a legitimate concussion after Triple H botched a Pedigree on the announce table. Nevertheless, Angle showed his toughness by continuing in a superb match with Rock retaining the WWE Title.
Triple H and The Rock were a part of the main event at WrestleMania 2000 which should have worked out but completely missed the mark. Big Show and Mick Foley were also involved but the focus was on the entire McMahon family which hampered the match.
5 Jeff Hardy Vs. CM Punk - 2009
It was refreshing to not see two usual suspects headline SummerSlam. The 2009 iteration of the event saw Jeff Hardy put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against former champion CM Punk in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Hardy and Punk told an exceptional story, and Punk reclaimed the World Heavyweight Title.
That was one of the best main events of the year, and Triple H's successful WWE Title defense against Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania XXV was dire. Fans were not interested in the slightest as they were still buzzing from Undertaker and Shawn Michaels' five-star epic.
4 The Undertaker Vs. Bret Hart - 1997
The Undertaker was at the forefront of headlining pay-per-views in 1997, and so was Bret Hart. Undertaker's WWE Championship was on the line with Bret's eternal rival Shawn Michaels involved as the special guest referee at SummerSlam. Undertaker and The Hitman had a masterclass of a match which is one of the best in the history of SummerSlam. Hart prevailed after Michaels inadvertently hit Undertaker with a chair.
Months prior, Undertaker headlined WrestleMania 13 for the first time, and that was the site of his second WWE Championship reign. The Deadman overcame Sycho Sid in a slow methodical contest, and ironically Hart played a part in Undertaker's victory.
3 Steve Austin Vs. The Undertaker - 1998
SummerSlam 1998 was a stacked card but the main event that featured Steve Austin and Undertaker engage in battle for the WWE Championship topped off a remarkable card. The Texas Rattlesnake's bell was rung early on but he regrouped and cleanly retained the coveted WWE Title with a Stone Cold Stunner.
Austin's ascension was completed at WrestleMania XIV when he ended an ailing Shawn Michaels' WWE Championship reign. The match wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but the titular bout would have been better had The Showstopper not had a bad back.
2 Bret Hart Vs. British Bulldog - 1992
The Intercontinental Championship took center stage at SummerSlam 1992. Bret Hart's title reign was in serious jeopardy as his brother-in-law The British Bulldog was motivated to win the Intercontinental Title in front of his hometown fans in London, England. Hart was at the top of his game and he did the honors for Bulldog to go over in the biggest moment of his career.
Hart's Intercontinental Title reign began at WrestleMania VIII, which hosted arguably one of the worst main events that WWE has staged at WrestleMania. Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice had a car crash of a match, and to make matters worse, Papa Shango missed his cue which added insult to injury.
1 John Cena Vs. Daniel Bryan - 2013
No one's stock was higher than Daniel Bryan in 2013, and fans were backing him all the way to triumph in his WWE Championship match with John Cena at SummerSlam. Triple H was the special guest referee and Bryan put on a technical masterclass with Big Match John holding his own despite nursing an injury. Bryan's Running Knee stunned Cena which saw Bryan clinch the WWE Championship.
Surprisingly, Cena has not main evented WrestleMania since WrestleMania 29 and he engaged in a rematch with The Rock for Rock's WWE Championship. They failed to build on their "Once in a Lifetime" battle at WrestleMania XXVIII but Cena reversed the outcome to reclaim the WWE Title once more.