There is nothing bigger than competing in a WWE Championship, as everyone who gets into WWE wants to hold the most coveted title out there. While WrestleMania has generally produced the best WWE Title matches in history, SummerSlam certainly has given WrestleMania a run for its money.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker had a massive impact on the WWE Title picture in SummerSlam. WWE flexed its muscles in the '90s and they had a strong roster, especially towards the end of the decade with the Attitude Era. Nonetheless, not every WWE Title match at SummerSlam in the '90s was a hit but the majority were instant classics that are still spoken about in high regard in the present day.
9 Diesel Vs. King Mabel - 1995
Diesel defending the WWE Championship against King Mabel at SummerSlam 1995 may not just be the worst WWE Title match at SummerSlam in the '90s but the worst at SummerSlam period. Mabel won the King of the Ring tournament and he received a push in the main event picture but it was short-lived as he was incredibly unsafe in the ring.
It was a borefest as two big men who weren't the best inside the squared circle were slugging it out. Mabel and Mo tried to take advantage of the situation when the referee was knocked down but Lex Luger came down to ringside to aid Diesel. Nevertheless, Big Daddy Cool continued his momentum by retaining the WWE Championship.
8 Yokozuna Vs. Lex Luger - 1993
Speaking of Lex Luger, The Narcissist turned babyface and he seemed to be the biggest thing since sliced bread with the way he was being pushed in the summer of 1993. Luger challenged Yokozuna for the WWE Championship in an underwhelming main event at SummerSlam.
Luger and Yokozuna stunk out the joint in a woeful match which was incredibly boring to watch. The Lex Express prevailed by count-out which meant that Yokozuna clung onto the WWE Title. The whole ending was an embarrassment as the whole roster flooded out of the locker room to celebrate with Luger despite not taking home the title.
7 The Ultimate Warrior Vs. Rick Rude - 1990
The 1990 iteration of SummerSlam saw the WWE Championship up for grabs for the first time at The Biggest Party of The Summer. The Ultimate Warrior entered as the reigning champion against Rick Rude in a steel cage match and it was the pair's second successive encounter at SummerSlam.
Warrior isn't an in-ring technician by any stretch of the imagination but working with solid workers made him look good. He had excellent chemistry with The Ravishing One and their cage match was a fun one. They both bled profusely but Warrior managed to escape with his WWE Title intact by climbing over the cage.
6 Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. Triple H Vs. Mankind - 1999
Triple H was seeking his maiden WWE Championship reign and SummerSlam 1999 presented a golden opportunity for The Game. However, Mankind was added to the mix and Stone Cold Steve Austin was the reigning champion in this blockbuster triple threat match.
There was a caveat to this titular bout as Jesse "The Body" Ventura assumed the role as the special enforcer. This was an average triple threat match for their lofty standards but Mankind shocked the world by nailing Austin with his patented Double-Arm DDT for an unexpected third WWE Championship run.
5 Shawn Michaels Vs. Vader - 1996
Vader pinned Shawn Michaels at In Your House 9: International Incident which certainly raised alarm bells in Michaels' head. A month later, Michaels' WWE Championship reign was in serious jeopardy as Vader challenged him for the gold in the main event of SummerSlam 1996.
Michaels did an exceptional job as WWE Champion and he had the ability to adapt to any opponent he squared off with. Vader looked extremely dominant in this match and despite winning the match twice by count-out and disqualification, the match got restarted. However, Vader was unable to capitalize on a strong performance as HBK found a way to retain his title in one of his best matches on the grand stage of SummerSlam.
4 Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. The Undertaker - 1998
Dubbed "The Highway to Hell" Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker faced off in a competitive WWE Championship match in the main event of SummerSlam 1998. Unfortunately, Austin sustained a concussion earlier on in the match which seemingly did not hamper the quality of this high-caliber match.
The Deadman wanted to do it alone and he did the admirable thing by sending his brother Kane back to the locker room. Undertaker was in cruise control as he put Austin through the announce table with a devastating leg drop. Ultimately, The Texas Rattlesnake hurled himself across the finishing line by planting Undertaker with a Stunner to retain the WWE Title.
3 Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior - 1992
After they knocked it out of the park in an instant classic at WrestleMania VII, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior engaged in battle once more at SummerSlam 1992. This time, Macho Man's WWE Championship was up for grabs and they battled in front of over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Despite interference from Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect, Warrior and Savage hit a home run in another pulsating bout. The fans were heavily invested and the atmosphere was electric. There were several false finishes and the pendulum swung in both men's favor. Ultimately, Warrior won the match by count-out but Savage retained the WWE Title.
2 The Undertaker Vs. Bret Hart - 1997
The Undertaker was rewarded for his loyalty to WWE by enjoying a five-month reign as the two-time WWE Champion. However, The Deadman had his hands full against Bret Hart in the main event of SummerSlam 1997. The Excellence of Execution was a heel and he reunited the Hart Foundation. Furthermore, Hart's long-time rival Shawn Michaels was assigned as the special guest referee.
Two legends in Hart and Undertaker told a remarkable story with HBK added to the mix, it seemed that it was a foregone conclusion that HBK would find a way to screw Bret over. However, The Hitman knew how to push Michaels' buttons and he spat in Michaels' face which saw Shawn swing a steel chair but he accidentally caught Undertaker flush in the face. Hart regained the WWE Title much to the dismay of Michaels.
1 Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart - 1994
Bret Hart's feud with his younger brother Owen dominated 1994 and the two brothers took their rivalry to the next level by clashing in a steel cage match for The Hitman's WWE Championship at SummerSlam. There was huge pressure for both brothers to deliver as their entire family had a front-row seat at ringside.
Neither brother held back as they went blow for blow and they put on a technical masterclass for fans in attendance to enjoy. Their WrestleMania X match was brilliant but this was marginally better. Nonetheless, The Hitman retained the WWE Championship by escaping the cage as he watched Owen left in no man's land.