Top 10 SummerSlam Matches Since 2000

10. CM Punk vs. John Cena (2011)

After their epic match at Money in the Bank where Punk defeated Cena due to a distraction caused by Vince McMahon, a rematch was set up at the biggest party of the summer to determine the true WWE champion. This match lacked the atmosphere of their previous encounter at MITB, but it was still a fantastic bout. 

The counter wrestling by both men was phenomenal especially by Cena, seeing as he’s had a reputation for years that he couldn’t wrestle and only had five moves in his arsenal. Unfortunately, this match ended in controversy, because while Punk was pinning Cena after a GTS, Triple H missed Cena’s leg on the rope. His celebration was cut short due to a Kevin Nash attack and Alberto Del Rio cashing in his MITB briefcase.

9. Randy Orton vs. Christian (2011)

Arguably the best rivalry of 2011, Orton and Christian squared off in a No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. For Christian, this was his chance to prove that he was able to beat Orton without any loopholes. For Orton, he was looking to become a three-time World Heavyweight Champion.

This was the best match of their rivalry in 2011. Anything that could be used as a weapon, they used on each other. Whether it was kendo sticks, tables, chairs or trash cans, they were each determined to prove that they were the best. The ending of the match was amazing as well as Orton countered Christian’s aerial move with an RKO on the steel steps to win the match.

8. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (2013)

This is the match that arguably put Daniel Bryan in the top tier of WWE superstars. 

He had been World Champion before, but he still wasn’t viewed as the main event level star-like Cena, Randy Orton, or even CM Punk was at that time. In the build-up to the match, Cena mentioned how Bryan wasn’t as great as the legends in history that he’s gone up against.

In this match, Bryan was out to prove that he was the man in this match. He certainly didn’t disappoint, throughout the match he out-wrestled Cena at numerous points and countered just about everything Cena threw at him. He managed to defeat John Cena with a kick to the head followed by a running knee to win his first-ever WWE Championship. Unfortunately for Bryan, his reign didn’t last long as Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the championship shortly after the match.

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle (2001)

This is one of the few matches that Kurt Angle and Stone Cold had against one another in 2001. From their classic on Raw in January for the WWE Championship to end the year at Vengeance in the first round for the Undisputed Championship. However, their match at SummerSlam might’ve been the best of the bunch. 

In the middle of the Invasion storyline, Austin had joined the alliance at the Invasion pay-per-view. Angle was on a mission to bring the WWE Championship back home and throughout the match, Austin’s desperation increased as he was unable to put Angle away. Angle kicked out of four stunners and pushed Austin to his limit. Angle ended up winning the match by disqualification after Austin started attacking the referees. Since the title can’t change hands by DQ, Austin managed to retain his title. 

6. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (2003)

The rematch from their iconic encounter at WrestleMania 19, once again Angle defends his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar. This time, however, Angle was the face and Lesnar was the heel. 

This match wasn’t as good as the match at WrestleMania, but it was still a great match, and easily the match of the night at SummerSlam 2003. 

The match was filled with great wrestling between two of the best pure wrestlers in the company’s history. Despite some interference by Vince McMahon during the match, Angle managed to retain his title after becoming the first wrestler to make Brock Lesnar submit in the WWE.

5. Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (2013)

Brock Lesnar and CM Punk’s match was ranked as the match of the year by WWE in 2013. 

The build-up to this match began after Lesnar attacked Punk the night after Battleground. The problems were only made worse when Paul Heyman cost Punk the Money in the Bank match. 

Punk was the huge underdog going into this match against Lesnar as he was far bigger than him and also had Heyman in his corner for this match. 

Punk took it to Lesnar in this match, however, aided by the No Disqualification rules. Punk looked like he had the match won when he hit the GTS, however, Heyman’s interference eventually cost him in this match. 

These two delivered a classic in SummerSlam history.

4. AJ Styles vs. John Cena (2016)

One of the best matches in the year 2016, AJ Styles and John Cena tore the house down in their match at SummerSlam. After all the talk between these two revolved around the controversial win by Styles at Money in the Bank, this match had a lot of hype heading into it. 

The match didn’t disappoint as this was some of the best work of Cena’s career, while Styles was his typically great self in the ring. There was no interference this go around, just Styles vs. Cena and Styles managed to pull out the win following a phenomenal forearm. 

Styles did this cleanly, which is something not many wrestlers can say about their encounters with Cena.

3. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Non-sanctioned Street Fight)

This match was made official after Triple H assaulted Michaels and threw his head through a car window. 

This was Shawn Michaels' first match back in WWE after a four-year hiatus and he looked like he hadn’t lost a step. 

This match lived up to all the hype, and two of the best of all time delivered a classic and their best singles match encounter in their rivalry. 

This match included every weapon imaginable in a street fight match. Whether it was a Sweet Chin Music into a chair, trash cans, ladders, or tables, these former best friends were willing to do anything to win this match. 

Michaels managed to score the win after countering a pedigree into a roll-up. However, Triple H was the last man standing after he hit Shawn Michaels in the back with a sledgehammer following the pin.

If it wasn’t for the classic Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, this could’ve been the match of the year for 2002. 

2. Undertaker vs. Edge (2008)

This was the culmination of a rivalry that started over a year before this match took place when Edge cashed in his MITB contract on the Undertaker and became the World Heavyweight Champion. 

Earlier in the year, Edge forced the Undertaker to leave the WWE after once again defeating him for the World Championship. 

In a Hell in a Cell match, everything goes, and they used everything to try and punish each other. 

Tables, ladders, steel steps, chairs, cameras, brawling in the cell, outside of the cell. 

This is one of the greatest Hell in a Cell match to ever take place. 

Edge did all he could, but no number of weapons was enough to put the Undertaker down for three on this night. He managed to defeat Edge after a con-chair-to and a tombstone piledriver. We were left at the end with that iconic scene where Undertaker choke slammed Edge through the ring.

1. Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. Dudley Boyz (2000)

This match is one of the greatest matches in wrestling history, not just SummerSlam history. Not just for the amazing match that was put on, but also because of the legacy of this match. Nine years after this match happened, TLC would become its own pay-per-view event. 

Three of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history looked to follow up on their historical Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000. 

This match managed to live up to the hype. 

It had wrestlers going through tables, cool ladder spots and even Lita got involved in this match. Edge and Christian managed to retain their tag titles after a hard-fought contest in an all-time great match for the WWE.