Thunder's Top Summerslam Matches

(Part 1)

50. 1994 - Undertaker vs Undertaker: What better storyline existed in pro wrestling 1994(and don't you dare respond with Hogan's WCW signing)? Undertaker was locked in a casket at the Rumble by Yokozuna and a band of misfits, only to have Ted Dibiase bring back the fake Undertaker. Paul Bearer swore up and down that the real Undertaker would come and seek his revenge, and he returned at Summerslam. The match isn't what you would call a classic, but it's something intriguing to watch and as a five year old at the time, it was an amazing sight to see two dead men going one on one! Of course the real Undertaker picked up the win in this match; it was the only thing that made any sense. The man portraying the fake Undertaker wouldn't appear again until 1997 when he debuted as Chainz in the DOA Biker Gang Stable, led by Crush(Brian Adams).

49. 2008 - CM Punk vs JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship: JBL pinned Punk in a handicap match on Raw to become the number one contender for the title. Punk and Bradshaw put on a solid eleven minutes of wrestling that resulted in Punk winning the match via GTS. It's hard to believe that Punk was in the World Title scene just three years ago, as he now stands at the top of the company as WWE Champion..

48. 2003 - Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship - Triple H vs Goldberg vs Kevin Nash vs Shawn Michaels vs Randy Orton vs Chris Jericho: Triple H would survive in this elimination chamber match with a little help from his sledgehammer via Ric Flair on the outside. Hunter would retain his title on this night but would soon after fall victim to Goldberg and drop the World Heavyweight Championship to him at Unforgiven the following month.

47. 1991 - Virgil vs Ted Dibiase for the Million Dollar Championship: There isn't a whole lot to say about this one, but this was one of the very few times the Million Dollar Title was ever treated as a championship that could be defended. Virgil had grown tired of Dibiase's antics, and so he quit being his bodyguard and challenged him to a match. Virgil would go on and win the Million Dollar Championship that night.

46. 2010 - The Nexus(Justin Gabriel, Wade Barrett, Michael Tarver, David Otunga, Skip Sheffield, Heath Slater, and Darren Young) vs Team WWE (John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Edge, Chris Jericho, Bret Hart, R-Truth and John Morrison): The Nexus is one of the best things to happen to WWE in the last few years. Looking at the group's make up, you see that every single performer(with the exception of Michael Tarver) in the group is still active within WWE today. This match was all about the dominance of the group trying to defeat the superstars who best represented WWE. Thanks to John Cena, team WWE able to reign victorious.

45. 1993 - Lex Luger vs Yokozuna for the WWE Championship: I know what you're thinking: Lex Luger and good match don't go in the same sentence. Well for this one, Lex did a great job as the babyface and worked his tail off to have a decent match in the main event of the 1993 show with the mighty Yokozuna. Luger would actually win the match by countout, and Yoko would retain the WWF Title. This match had all the build and all the makings for a new champion to be crowned, but the booking team decided a face victory would be good enough to close out the show.

44. 1997 - Undertaker vs Bret Hart w/ Shawn Michaels as Special Referee for the WWE Championship: This is another one that I can remember like it was yesterday. I remember that, despite the heel turn, I was still a HUGE Bret Hart mark and I was cheering for him all summer long. The setup to finish this match was brilliant: Bret gets a chair and uses it. Shawn grabs the chair and confronts Bret, so Bret spits in Shawn's face. Shawn swings the chair at Bret and misses, smashing the Undertaker in the head. Shawn Michaels counts the pinfall win for the Hitman(5th and FINAL WWF Title reign). I loved the match between Hart and Taker, and this was easily one of the better matches from 1997 in the WWF.

43. 2006 - Edge vs John Cena for the WWE Championship: Edge had Lita, and Edge had feuded with Cena and Mick Foley the entire year while trying to prove that he was not a fluke champion. Edge would win the WWE Title from RVD in an awesome Triple Threat match involving John Cena in early July. Cena would challenge for the title once and fail, but then got his match at Summerslam. The two delivered in this awesome match in Cena's hometown, but unfortunately for Cena, Edge walked away still the WWE Champion.

42. 1989 - Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior for the IC Championship: Rude had cheated his way into winning the IC Title from Warrior and WM5, and Warrior wanted his revenge in this match. Rude was one of very few people who could work a good match with the Ultimate Warrior, and I've actually found Warrior's matches with Rude to be excellent compared to almost any other match I've seen Warrior wrestle in. Warrior went on to win the title back in this match, and he would go into the following year as the IC Champ to challenge the World Champ at WrestleMania VI.

41. 2009 - DX vs Legacy: This was the final run for DX. Shawn and Hunter would continue teaming after this event, but they eventually became embroiled in a rivalry with John Cena over the WWE Title, and Shawn would start the final rivalry of his career with the Undertaker in December(Slammy Awards on Raw). DX was feuding with the up and coming team of Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes, and both those guys were on the fast track for success. Legacy had been getting the best of DX going into the event, but Shawn and Hunter not only brought a tank to the 2009 event, but they brought their A-game as a tag team and won the match. They would go one to have one more major match with Rhodes and Dibiase at Hell in a Cell in October that year.

( Part 2)

Welcome to part two! I hope you're all getting excited for the upcoming event! The card for the show is slowly taking shape, and I'm looking forward to finding out how the World Title scene specifically is going to play out this year. Dolph Ziggler has been primed to jump in and become champion, but Sheamus' reign as champ has been solid and has realistically been threatened by no one. I like the possibilities of the upcoming changes! Now it's time for another blast from the past!

50. 1994 - Undertaker vs Undertaker

49. 2008 - CM Punk vs JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship

48. 2003 - Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship

47. 1991 - Virgil vs Ted Dibiase for the Million Dollar Championship

46. 2010 - The Nexus vs Team WWE

45. 1993 - Lex Luger vs Yokozuna for the WWE Championship

44. 1997 - Undertaker vs Bret Hart w/ Shawn Michaels as Special Referee for the WWE Championship

43. 2006 - Edge vs John Cena for the WWE Championship

42. 1989 - Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior for the IC Championship

41. 2009 - DX vs Legacy

( Part 2)

Welcome to part two! I hope you're all getting excited for the upcoming event! The card for the show is slowly taking shape, and I'm looking forward to finding out how the World Title scene specifically is going to play out this year. Dolph Ziggler has been primed to jump in and become champion, but Sheamus' reign as champ has been solid and has realistically been threatened by no one. I like the possibilities of the upcoming changes! Now it's time for another blast from the past!

50. 1994 - Undertaker vs Undertaker

49. 2008 - CM Punk vs JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship

48. 2003 - Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship

47. 1991 - Virgil vs Ted Dibiase for the Million Dollar Championship

46. 2010 - The Nexus vs Team WWE

45. 1993 - Lex Luger vs Yokozuna for the WWE Championship

44. 1997 - Undertaker vs Bret Hart w/ Shawn Michaels as Special Referee for the WWE Championship

43. 2006 - Edge vs John Cena for the WWE Championship

42. 1989 - Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior for the IC Championship

41. 2009 - DX vs Legacy

40. 1999 - Test vs Shane McMahon "love her or leave her" match: Test became engaged to Stephanie McMahon, and Shane stepped up to defend her honor. These two destroyed one another in this match, and this is quite possibly one of the most underrated matches in the history of Summerslam. Test was able to come out on top in the match and gain Shane's approval to be with Stephanie, but we all know what happened later in the year with the on-screen wedding involving Triple H. The rest is history, but we were given a great Summerslam match before the story really heated up.

39. 1997 - Steel Cage Match Mankind vs Triple H: Foley and Helmsley had been rivals throughout 1997, and had battled in July at Canadian Stampede as well as in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament in June. Despite Chyna's best efforts to stop Foley from winning this match, the character of Mankind was able to come out on top in the 1997 show's opening contest. Mankind underwent a transformation after the match and got up dancing as Dude Love.

38. 2005 - Shawn Michaels vs Hulk Hogan: HBK and Hogan teamed together a couple times during the spring and summer of 2005, and Michaels nailed Hogan with sweet chin music after a match where they teamed together on Raw. Michaels challenged Hogan to a match at Summerslam because he wanted to know who the better man was. Michaels oversold Hogan's moves during the match, but the brawl is still considered one of the most anticipated in the history of Summerslam. When all was said and done, Hogan came out on top and shook hands with HBK after the match. Shawn's only words were the ones that he uttered when he issued the challenge: I had to know.

37. 2009 - Dolph Ziggler vs Rey Mysterio for the IC Championship: Mysterio went into this match defending the IC Title against Ziggler, and he came out on top. This is a match that I've never seen come up in any discussion when talking about top Summerslam matches, and it's a shame because it's an excellent and exciting match. The potential that Ziggler had in 2009 has really come through and he deserves more credit than he gets.

36. 1998 - Stone Cold vs Undertaker for the WWE Championship: I remember the buildup to this match being centered around the Highway to Hell theme with the song by AC/DC. I also remember watching the music video made for this match probably 30 times on WWE's weekend programs of Superstars and Livewire. The match had a ton of buildup, and the big question was whether or not Kane was in cahoots with the Undertaker and whether or not he would help Taker win the gold. Ultimately, Kane stayed away from the match under the direction of the dead man and Austin would retain his title.

35. 1988 - Ultimate Warrior vs Honky Tonk Man for the IC Championship: In my humble opinion, the Honky Tonk Man never should've held the IC Title longer than Randy Savage. HTM had been the champ for over four hundred days, and fans were sick of his reign. Brutus Beefcake was the originally scheduled opponent for HTM, but he was injured. The Warrior came down as his replacement and defeated HTM in a squash to become the new champion. Warrior would remain in the IC Title scene until he won the WWE Title at WrestleMania VI in 1990.

34. 2001 - Stone Cold vs Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship: This was essentially Stone Cold's last big run in the WWE Title scene. Austin had won the title at Mania from the Rock and would rival throughout the Summer with Kurt Angle during the Invasion storyline. This match ended by DQ but was a bright spot in the rivalry between Austin and Angle. Angle would win the title at Unforgiven, but drop it back to Austin just a few weeks later on Raw. Austin would go on to lose the title during the unification tournament at Vengeance in December and fall out of the WWE Title scene thereafter. This was also Austin's last match at a Summerslam event.

33. 1998 - Ladder Match Triple H vs The Rock for the IC Championship: The hype for this match was overshadowed at the time by Austin/Taker, but the match itself stood out far more than the WWE Title main event. Rock and Trips were on their way to the top of the company, and this match showed where both stood in popularity with the fans. Ultimately DX was able to top the Nation when Chyna scored a low blow on the great one; her interference allowed Triple H to capture the IC Title.

32. 2004 - Kurt Angle vs Eddie Guerrero: These were two of the best pure wrestlers WWE had in 2004, and this was a rematch from their WrestleMania match earlier in the year. Despite this match not being for the title, this match for me was second best on the card and stood out as a quality wrestling contest. Angle was able to win the match by submission with Luther Reigns in his corner.

31. 1999 - Stone Cold vs Mankind vs Triple H for the WWE Championship: I remember four things about this match, and it's all about each person involved. I remember Jesse Ventura as the guest referee tossing Shane McMahon over the top rope after he received a stunner for his involvement. I remember hating Triple H as a heel and wanting him to lose this match. I remember wanting Austin to keep the title more than anything else. Lastly, I remember the shock I felt watching Mick Foley hit the double arm DDT on Austin and get the three count to become the new WWE Champion. This was a classic triple threat match in Summerslam's vast history.

Thanks for reading!

30. 1996 - Vader vs Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship:
The rumors are the Vader was originally booked to win this match, and was then penciled in to drop the title to Sycho Sid at the Survivor Series. Instead, the match was loaded with finishes and restarts, and then ultimately ended with Shawn getting the three count after a diving moonsault on Vader to retain the title. This was the biggest push Vader received while in WWE, as he had pinned Michaels during a six man tag at the ppv event prior to Summerslam with help from Jim Cornette.

29. 2008 - John Cena vs Batista:
This was a huge meeting between two top faces in the company. There's also rumors surrounding the finish to this match. The story goes that Cena suffered a legit neck injury during the match that would keep him out of action until the Survivor Series. Apparently the finish to the match was changed to Batista scoring a clean pin on Cena because he could do nothing else. Regardless, this was the first and only time the two would face off as "good guys" in a major match on a ppv.

28. 1988 - Mega Powers vs Mega Bucks:
Savage and Hogan were both faces that were on their way to a breakup, but it would come after this event. Dibiase and Andre were determined to take the title off Hogan throughout 1987 and 1988, and this was Hogan's revenge. Hogan ultimately pinned Dibiase when guest referee Jesse Ventura was forced to slap the mat for the third time by Savage. This was an exciting main event for the inaugural Summerslam.

27. 2006 - I Quit Match Mick Foley vs Ric Flair:
Foley and Flair took an outside of wrestling rivalry and brought it to the ring for this match. With both men past their prime, they put on an intense brawl that ended with a controversial finish involving Melina. Melina was close to Foley backstage and came to the ring to protect Mick. Flair threatened to hit her with a baseball bat until Foley quit. These two would later rekindle their rivalry on TNA Impact and put on another fun brawl a few years later.

26. 1992 - Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior for the WWE Championship:
This was a WrestleMania VII rematch with Savage defending the title against Warrior. Unfortunately, this match would end by countout when Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect both tried to interfere and Savage stopped them. Despite the interference, Savage and Warrior put on an entertaining match that could've been considered one of the best ever with a little more time and a different ending. Warrior wouldn't wrestle a bigger match after this in WWE.

25. 2001 - The Rock vs Booker T for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship:
WCW had "invaded" the WWE, and a couple of top stars from each company went head to head for a World Title. This was an awesome wrestling match between two guys with very different backgrounds. Rocky was given an instant push into bigger scenes, while Booker scratched and clawed from the tag title scene to the TV Title scene and then into the World Title picture as WCW was on its way to disappearing. The Rock would come out on top in this match and become the holder of the World Heavyweight Championship.

24. 2002 - Ric Flair vs Chris Jericho:
If HBK and Flair from WM 24 gets to be considered a classic, then this match is damn close to being just as good. Without the same emotion, this match was a mat clinic for how to put on a show. Ultimately, Flair ended up forcing Jericho to submit via the figure four leglock to pick up the win.

23. 2005 - John Cena vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship:
This would be Jericho's second to last match before he went on hiatus until late 2007. The rivalry was centered around Raw GM Eric Bischoff wanting to take the title off Cena, and it also focused on Jericho's career as a rock star and Cena's career as a rapper. Jericho made Cena look really good in this match, and it was Jericho putting over Cena and losing the match before taking off the next night after Raw.

22. 1993 - The Steiner Brothers vs Heavenly Bodies for the WWE World Tag Team Championship:
The Steiners didn't spend very long in WWE, but they made an impact as tag team champions in 1993. Heavenly Bodies were a part of a cross promotion between WWE and Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling. This is a somewhat overlooked match in terms of quality tag team wrestling, and it's a match worth taking a look at.

21. 2005 - Ladder Match for Custody of Dominick: Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero:
This match was made entirely personal, and the end result only added to their rivalry. Vickie Guerrero came down near the finish to stop Eddie from winning the match and causing any further disruption in the Mysterio family. The emotion from the Mysterio family after an intense battle made this one an instant classic.

20. 2009 - CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy in a TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Jeff Hardy went into this match as the World Heavyweight Champion, but he ultimately dropped the title to Punk in this match when he turned to his typical tactics of dare-devil entertainment for the audience. Hardy went through a table after Punk moved and was unable to stop Punk from securing the title when Punk punched him off the ladder. Punk proved in this match that he is the superior wrestler and can hang with the best spot monkey's in the business in terms of putting on a gimmick match.

19. 2011 - John Cena vs CM Punk with Triple H as the special referee for the WWE Championship:
This match was as good in terms of wrestling as their match at MITB the prior month, but this match had the added element of Triple H keeping things under control. The finish to the match was when Triple H counted John Cena's shoulders down when his foot was actually on the rope during the pin. The ultimate twist to this match was Kevin Nash attacking CM Punk during his celebration and Alberto Del Rio cashing in his MITB briefcase on Punk to close out Summerslam as the new WWE Champion!

18. 1990 - Hart Foundation vs Demolition in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship:
This was a heated rivalry that had been ongoing for a few years, and this match showcased some of the best tag team wrestling you will ever see. This would be Hart's final Summerslam as a tag team wrestler, but any true fan of the Hitman knows that his success as a single's star would've never been as standout had he not accomplished so much over the years alongside the Anvil.

17. 2000 - Hardys vs Dudleys vs E&C  TLC Match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Despite a triangle ladder match incorporating tables, ladders, and chairs at WrestleMania 2000, this was the first ever dubbed TLC Match by commissioner Mick Foley. These three teams battled throughout the year in 2000, and this match was a standout in terms of hardcore to go along with the WWE's attitude era. Edge and Christian would go on to win this match just as they did at WM2000.

16. 2008 - The Undertaker vs Edge in a Hell in a Cell match:
Edge and the Undertaker had the most popular feud on Smackdown in 2008, and this match was a stellar finish to this brutal rivalry. Undertaker and Edge would go on as the main event of the show, despite this match not being for any championships. Taker would defeat Edge using the Tombstone and ultimately chokeslam him off a ladder through the ring to close out the 2008 event.

15. 1988 - The British Bulldogs vs The Fabulous Rougeaus:
This match was another example of classic tag team wrestling during a time when tag teams were plentiful and appreciated. The Bulldogs and Rougeaus were two of the top tag teams during this time period, and they wrestled for a full twenty minutes to a time limit draw. The lack of a finish didn't matter to the audience at the first ever Summerslam, and that's mostly because they had just witnessed an exceptionally entertaining tag team match.

14. 2000 - Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho in a 2 out of 3 falls match:
Benoit and Jericho at the time were two of the best WWE had to offer, and this match proved that both of these men were worthy of being in the main event picture. Benoit would score the first fall in this match with the crossface, and Jericho would score the second forcing Benoit to tap out to the walls of Jericho. Benoit was able to score the final fall using the ropes to keep Jericho's shoulders down for the three count. These two guys had the second best match of the night in roughly thirteen minutes time.

13. 2002 - Brock Lesnar vs The Rock for the WWE Championship:
Brock Lesnar had a faster jump to the top of the mountain than almost any superstar in the history of the WWE. Lesnar had come in and defeated Jeff Hardy on his first ppv, and he would defeat Hulk Hogan using a bearhug on an episode of Smackdown. Lesnar would go on to win the King of the Ring Tournament and then defeat the great one clean at Summerslam to become the new WWE Champion. The crowd was actually on Lesnar's side during most of the match, and the Rock was about take off to shoot a movie before working just a couple more matches in 2003 and one in 2004.

12. 2004 - Randy Orton vs Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Benoit held the title throughout the summer in 2004 after defeating HBK and Triple H at WrestleMania 20 and had a successful run. Orton was a fast rising star since 2002 and had been groomed by Evolution to move up the roster. Orton's win over Benoit came as a bit of a shock as he was able to nail the RKO out of nowhere and defeat Benoit clean to become the new World Champion in a classic matchup.

11. 2001 - Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Rob Van Dam was working for the Alliance during the Invasion angle, and Jeff Hardy was representing WWE going into this match as the Hardcore Champion. RVD has been known to highlight matches with big spots, but he's also known for being a talented wrestler. Combining his skill with the spotfests that Jeff Hardy loves to produce made this match another instant classic for this list. RVD would come out on top as the new Hardcore Champion.

 Welcome to the final part of my top Summerslam matches!

10. 2003 - Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship:
This was the sequel to their match at WrestleMania 19, and it was every bit as action packed as their first encounter. Angle had won the title back from Lesnar during a triple threat match at Vengeance, and these two put on another classic at the biggest event of the summer with Angle winning the match when he forced Lesnar to tap out to the ankle lock.

 9. 2002 - Rob Van Dam vs Chris Benoit for the Intercontinental Championship:
In terms of the prestige surrounding the IC Title, this match is vastly overlooked. If you want a quick paced wrestling match involving non-stop moves between two technicians that love to put on a good show, this is the match for you. Benoit came into this match representing Smackdown and defeding the IC Title, and RVD came into this match representing Raw and would leave the building as the new IC Champion. Van Dam won the match using the five star frog splash.

 8. 1996 - The Undertaker vs Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl:
As far as legitimate Brawls go, I don't think there's a better match in the history of Summerslam that utilized as much of one arena as this contest. Mankind was seemingly the first real rivalry for the Undertaker that could actually compete at his level both in the ring and out. The Mankind gimmick was perfect for the dead man to rival with throughout 1996, and their clash at Summerslam was beyond incredible. The match ended with the Paul Bearer turning on the Undertaker and assisting Mankind with picking up the victory.

 7. 2000 - Kurt Angle vs Triple H vs The Rock in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship:
After being in the triple threat main event of the 1999 event, Triple H was back at it again a year later, only this time Kurt Angle and the Rock were in place of Austin and Foley. This match showcased the top talent of WWE and ran away as the match of the evening(as the main event should, but does not necessarily always do). Due to the involvement of Stephanie McMahon and her "friendly" relationship with Kurt Angle, the Rock was able to come out on top and score the win on Triple H after a people's elbow to retain the WWE Championship.

6. 2011 - Randy Orton vs Christian No Holds Barred match for the WHC:
Orton and Christian were the longest running rivalry in WWE in 2011, and their matches were always exceptional. This No Holds Barred Battle took place second to last on the show, and with the match being hardcore to the maximum, it became one of the best matches in the history of Summerslam. Orton would come out on top in this one and RKO Christian on the steel steps to once again become the World Heavyweight Champion.

 5. 1991 - Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship:
A battle between technical geniuses took place at the 1991 Summerslam event, and this match stole the show. These two put on one of the most impressive displays of technical wrestling that I have ever seen. The late Mr. Perfect could wrestle with the best of them, and he and Bret certainly proved their value in this long and drawn out contest. Anyone who watches this match knows that Bret was not even in his prime during this event, yet he still put on an impressive technical display similar to what we came to appreciate from the Hitman over the course of his career. Mr. Perfect put over a lot of great athletes throughout his career in a lot of excellent contests, but none could even come close in comparison to this match at Summerslam. Bret had been showing his talent as a singles competitor since separating from Jim the Anvil Neidhart, and he proved his worth when he defeated the Perfect one in this match by making him submit to the sharpshooter. This also would go on to be considered one of the most standout matches in the history of the Intercontinental Championship.

 4. 1995 - Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels Ladder Match Intercontinental Championship:
After these two set the bar for what a ladder match should be at WrestleMania 10, they came back a year and a half later with Michaels as the defending champion and put on one of the best matches in 1995. Ramon was working his final year in the WWF, and Michaels had been on a roll since his face return in May when he won over the fans and won the IC Title from Jeff Jarrett the prior month. Michaels would go on to win this match and hold the IC Title until October before setting his sights on bigger things.

 3. 2002 - Shawn Michaels vs Triple H in an Unsanctioned Street Fight:
Shawn had been out of action since WrestleMania 14 in 1998 because of a back injury, and this was the start of an eight year run before his official retirement. Michaels wrestled this match in jeans and tested the waters to see if his back would hold up from his prior surgeries. Triple H had reunited with Shawn the night after the July ppv event, and then Hunter had turned on Shawn just as quick. This was a dream match for anybody who had watched these two as the founders of DX five years prior. Good old HBK was able to come out on top in this one and move on to capture the newly created World Heavyweight Title in the first Elimination Chamber match just a few months later at the Survivor Series. Shawn and Hunter would go on to have numerous battles over the next few years, but this match was the start of a war and was an absolute battle that was easily the top match at the 2002 summer spectacular.

 2. 1992 - Bret Hart vs British Bulldog for the Intercontinental Championship:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the British Bulldog is the most impressive wrestler of his size in the history of the sport. The Bulldog's run with the IC Title would begin when the Hitman put him over in this spectacular encounter at Wembley Stadium in the summer of 1992. Bret was on his way to moving into the World Title scene, and Bulldog was on the start of a big push that would end abruptly. Despite what happened to Bulldog's push later on, he was one of the top performers in the company during this time and he wrestled a classic, high paced match with the Hitman that is argued by many today to be the best in Summerslam history. Unfortunately for Bulldog, Bret wrestled what I believe to be an even better match two years later!

 1. 1994 - Bret Hart vs Owen Hart in a Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship:
The greatest Summerslam match of all time, in my mind, came at the 1994 event. You had big brother Bret Hart defending his WWF Title against Owen in a steel cage match. This was a grueling contest that lasted well over a half hour. This particular cage match was interesting in the aspect that Bret and Owen wrestled a fast paced wrestling match without involving too much use of the cage itself. In the end, Bret was able to escape the cage and come out victorious. His successful title defense angered Owen and this would lead to him and Jim Neidhart locking themselves in the cage with Bret. This would cause the British Bulldog to jump out of the crowd and into the cage to save Bret and kickoff his big return to the company. Overall, this contest was what I consider to be the most impressive and outstanding match in the history of Summerslam.

Honorable Mention Matchups(50-60 if they existed):

2000 - Shane McMahon vs Steve Blackman for the Hardcore Title

1989 - The Brainbusters vs The Hart Foundation

1991 - The Big Boss Man vs The Mountie in a jailhouse match

1992 - The Legion of Doom vs Money Inc.

1993 - Shawn Michaels vs Mr. Perfect for the IC Title

1994 - Razor Ramon vs Diesel for the IC Title

2001 - Edge vs Lance Storm for the IC Title

2005 - Randy Orton vs The Undertaker

2007 - John Morrison vs CM Punk for the ECW Championship

2010 - Kane vs Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship

In conclusion: It would have been very easy to argue Bret's IC Title match with Curt Hennig as being in the top three, but this list wasn't about Bret Hart's greatest matches. The WWE recently wanted the fans to pick Mr. Summerslam on their website, and I think Bret Hart should've been listed and chosen as the greatest of all time. His moments didn't even need to be wins to be considered among the most significant, and you can't look a top Summerslam matches list without seeing two or three of his on it(there are six out of eleven listed here, seven if you count the honorable mention). Picking 50 matches from 24 shows was no easy task, and the quality of matches shown in the honorable mention list represent that fact well. The big difference between the honorable mentions and the matches that made the list for me personally was overall importance. Last year's Summerslam event produced two incredible main events, one of which is a match that I now consider one the greatest matches in the history of the event. I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past as much as I did, and I hope you also enjoy this year's Summerslam!