Ah, Summerslam! WWE's second-biggest flagship show of the year has given fans memorable moments that rival even Wrestlemania's, and it's easy to see why. Summerslam is the event where Honky Tonk Man's legendary Intercontinental Championship reign came to an ultimate end, it's where TLC II gave us some of the wildest Jeff Hardy moments, provided mat classics that are still go-to matches decades later (looking at you Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect), and of course, the lavish wedding of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
While it may feel like it's tough to compete with WWE's Attitude Era Summerslams or even earlier instances of the show in the Golden Era, the modern era has given it some of the most memorable moments in the company's history. It's where champions have been made and legacies formedThe fact that we're in the midst of some of the hottest angles going in wrestling today, makes this year's Summerslam a do-not-miss event that features matches that could easily end up as just as iconic years down the road.
On August 5, the WWE will host the 35th Summerslam from Detroit, featuring a Wrestlemania rematch between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar, WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns puts his title on the line against Jey Uso, and a Summerslam rematch from 2016 with Seth "Freakin" Rollins puts his World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor.
Looking back at the Summerslam events of the modern era, we've narrowed down the six biggest and best moments from the biggest party of the summer. Did we miss your favorite? Add it in the comments!
6. Jon Stewart Turns Heel To Help Seth Rollins
This is the match that gave us Seth Rollins' iconic "Rollins The White" gear (that was followed by a barrage of Power Ranger memes), but it was also Rollins' biggest title defense at that time. Rollins had cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania and now he was facing off against the poster child of WWE, and United States Champion, John Cena.
Throughout the night, former host of The Daily Show Jon Stewart had been shown attending and enjoying the show with his son. Stewart said that he's a huge fan and couldn't wait for Cena to beat Seth. The Daily Show host and the WWE Champion had been semi-feuding until this point, with Rollins even making an appearance on Stewart's show. Now though, with both titles on the line, Rollins wanted to solidify his reign as champ.
During the match, a ref went down and Stewart appeared in the ring. It looked like he was there to prevent Rollins from winning; instead, he rammed Cena with a steel chair. The Architect emerged from the match with his arm raised and two championships in his possession, making him the first co-holder of the WWE and United States Championships.
5. Brock Lesnar Brings The Farm To Roman Reigns
2022's Summerslam featured one of the biggest Wrestlemania rematches of all time with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar adding another chapter to their already storied history. The pair had made previous Summerslam history back in 2018 when Roman ended Lesnar's historic 504-day reign as Universal Champion.
Now, Roman's Undisputed Universal Championship was on the line and the Tribal Chief had never been stronger, with a two-year reign already under his belt. Elaborate entrances are forever part of WWE, so when Lesnar came into the arena riding on his tractor, it received a huge pop from fans.
However, the mood went from uproarious to straight-up nuclear eruption when Lesnar used the tractor to lift the ring--while Roman was still inside of it. Lesnar came up short once more against Roman, but his tractor is now immortal in the WWE Universe.
4. Becky Lynch Becomes The Man
Becky Lynch had always been the odd woman out in The Four Horsewomen group consisting of her, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Sasha Banks. She never captured the NXT Women's Championship and was seen at the bottom of their hierarchy, with Flair being crowned at the top.
Lynch eventually became the inaugural Smackdown Women's Championship, but still wasn't quite making an impact in the women's division. Those years of frustration finally hit their peak as Lynch turned on her friend Charlotte Flair, moments after The Queen captured the Smackdown Women's Championship from Carmella in a Triple Threat match, where it was Lynch that caught the pinfall.
The frustrated former 'Lass Kicker' beat Flair down, releasing all that energy and pent-up resentment towards Charlotte, and received a thunderous roar from the crowd that night. Lynch cemented herself as a force to be reckoned with, adorning herself with the moniker The Man, a nickname taken from Charlotte's father, Ric Flair. Becky would become the centerpiece of the women's division for the next two years, even main-eventing Wrestlemania and becoming the first Undisputed Women's Champion.
3. Daniel Bryan Wins The Big One, Loses The Big One
Daniel Bryan had become an indie sensation when he finally signed with WWE in 2009. He eventually won the World Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship, yet the WWE Championship still escaped him. But his time came at Summerslam 2013…for a moment anyway.
John Cena was the champ at the time, as was the case for much of the 2010s, and Daniel Bryan was billed as the ultimate underdog. The story told was that the McMahons did not see Bryan as a big star and reminded him every chance they got. When it came down to Cena and Bryan, even then Bryan was told he didn't belong in the main event.
However, the B-plus Player, as they nicknamed him, outperformed the Franchise Player to capture the WWE Championship in a match that featured Triple H as referee. It was a short-lived victory, though, as Triple H hit Bryan with a Pedigree as then-Mr. Money in the Bank Randy Orton slid into the ring for the easy pin and another championship reign.
Orton was joined by the McMahons and the Authority was born. Instead of stopping Bryan's momentum, though, taking the title away from the beloved star sparked the birth of the "Yes Movement" among fans, which made Bryan a star and sent him on a trajectory to main event Wrestlemania 30.
2. Suplex City Is Built On The Back Of John Cena
To say Brock Lesnar had an incredible 2014, maybe the best year of his career, could be an understatement. He ended the undefeated streak of The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 and turned his raw strength and focus to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at Summerslam.
It was one of the most brutal matches ever to be featured under the Summerslam name--and one of the shortest.
Lesnar practically destroyed Cena, taking him for a ride for 16 consecutive German suplexes. That was the night Lesnar's famed "Suplex City" catchphrase was born, and the first citizen was none other than the WWE Champion. There was no Super Cena here. No heroic comeback, no finding that inner strength to triumph and retain his title. No, Cena was beaten into submission and conquered as the Beast held the WWE title high once again.
Suplex after suplex after suplex after suplex AFTER suplex…Lesnar would hold the title for another eight months before losing it to Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 31 in an impromptu triple threat match involving Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to pull off "the heist of the century." In the months leading up to that, however, Lesnar carved his own legacy as a modern-day god taking on--and conquering--WWE's biggest stars and competitors. Still, it all started with taking out WWE's poster child in the most dominant way possible.
1. Roman Reigns' Great Heel Turn
2020 was a transition year for WWE, for sports…and, well, really the world in general. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the real world had to adapt and keep people safe. Taking notes from the rest of professional sports, WWE constructed its Thunderdome stadium featuring fans who would show up on large LED screens instead of empty arenas as it had been doing.
For Summerslam that year, the main event was Braun Strowman against Bray Wyatt, who was still under his Fiend persona, for the Universal Championship. The subpar and weird match aside, which pitted former Wyatt Family members against one another, it was the surprise of the return of Roman Reigns that forever changed the WWE landscape.
Reigns had been gone for five months, returning to deliver a spear to the Fiend after the match. Roman then turned his sights to Strowman, hitting the Monster with multiple chair shots. Lastly, Reigns executed one final spear on The Fiend before hoisting up the Universal Championship.
On Smackdown, Roman could be seen talking to a hidden advisor, who was quickly revealed to be Paul Heyman. Their alliance took the WWE by storm as they molded the championship scene into their image as Reigns would soon challenge for the Universal Championship in a triple threat match and now has retained that title for more than 1,000 days.
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