World Wrestling Federation started in 1988 summer Slam The main event of the inaugural pay-per-view will feature Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage (aka The Mega Powers) taking on the team of Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase (The Mega Bucks). This weekend, WWE kicked off the latest iteration with matches like Roman Reigns taking on Seth Rollins and CM Punk taking on Cody Rhodes.
Ahead of the two-night event, let’s look back summer SlamThe “Biggest Party of the Summer” has a long history of recognizing the best matches ever seen.
10) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder Match (1995)
a rematch of theirs wrestlemania x Classic. This was another excellent showdown between the two, though it never quite reached the heights of the original. The build was shorter, Michaels was no longer a cowardly heel, and the rare “face vs. face” dynamic weakened the brutal nature of the stipulation. Despite some difficulty in the climb, Michaels won here.
9) John Cena vs Daniel Bryan (2013)
With yes! With the movement in full swing, Cena defends the WWE Championship against Bryan with Triple H as the special guest referee. Bryan would emerge on top in a great match, which led to a heated post-match, where Triple H turned heel and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his contract to win the belt.
8) Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in a TLC match (2009)
Punk and Hardy had an intense feud in the summer of 2009 over the World Heavyweight Championship and their respective lifestyles – Punk was famously straight edge and Hardy was known to have addiction issues. This culminated in an excellent TLC match that included a Swanton Bomb from a ladder through a table. Punk would win, and five nights later he would defeat Hardy in a steel cage in what would be Hardy’s final WWE match for nearly eight years.
7) Cody Rhodes vs John Cena in Street Fight (2025)
Just days after Cena’s bizarre face-off, he and Rhodes went out and trashed the house, effectively making the memory of their terrible wrestlemania Matches our brain. Rhodes got the title back and Cena finished his final year as the Good Guy.
6) Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (1992)
In front of approximately 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the British Bulldog defeated Bret Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship. For context, that match main evented the show, even though the card included Randy Savage’s WWF Championship defense against the Ultimate Warrior. Many consider Hart-Bulldog to be the best pair summer Slam History.
5) CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar in a No-DQ match (2013)
Call it Paul Heyman’s fight of the people. Call it The Best vs. The Beast. call it one of the best matches summer Slam History. Two stars at the top of their powers in a violent match, featuring chair shots, submissions and grappling galore. Lesnar secured the victory with the help of Heyman in what was arguably Punk’s last highlight before leaving WWE in January 2014.
4) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart in a Steel Cage Match (1994)
When people talk, three Bret Hart matches come up summer Slam Classics. His 1991 match with Mr. Perfect, his ’92 match with the Bulldog and this match. coming off wrestlemania xWhile Hart had defeated Yokozuna for the WWF Championship but had previously lost to his younger brother, Owen challenged Bret for the belt inside the cage. The two displayed excellent chemistry and delivered cage brutality without any bloodshed. In the end, Brett retained.
3) Dudley Boyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz in a TLC match (2000)
This was the first TLC match in which champions Edge and Christian defended against The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz. however wrestlemania The rematch has more memorable spots, it had the advantage of being in the first place because fans didn’t know what to expect. What they got was absolute carnage in the early stages of the best tag-team rivalry in WWE history.
2) John Cena vs. AJ Styles (2016)
For a certain group of fans, this was a dream match similar to Hulk Hogan facing Ric Flair, with Cena serving as WWE’s top guy for years while Styles reigned in TNA and New Japan. The match was an absolute masterclass in which Cena raised his game to match Styles’ technical excellence. The crowd reaction when Styles kicks out of the Avalanche AA is an all-time hit. Styles would get a three-count off the Styles Clash/Phenomenal Forearm combo.
1) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels in an Unsanctioned Street Fight (2002)
It was originally four years since Michaels had to retire due to a back injury. Upon his return, it appeared that he would reform DX with Triple H. Instead, Triple H turned on HBK, leading to then-GM Eric Bischoff booking a “disapproved” street fight. Despite being away from the ring for so long, Michaels did what he always does: deliver. The match was bloody, emotional and proved that HBK still had a lot left in him. He won with a roll-up.
