The Steel Cage

Were these ranking done by taking a quick look at the matches and using your basic memories off each event? I cannot imagine SummerSlam 2004 would enjoy its 11th-placed rank otherwise. That event was brutal.

Summerslam 90 is way better than you give it credit for.

Agree with whiskey, SummerSlam 1990 is fun to watch. I love the opening line, as the tag team match between rockers and Power and Glory is about to start, by Vince McMahon "this match is going to be a humzinger"

wow Vince sucked on the mic...but in a fun way...not an adamle suck.

But again this is your list, and everyone has different opinions on what they liked about certain show. Honestly SS04 and SS95 are at the bottom of the list for me. The earlier ones definitely rank higher. That is when SS was special. I remember waiting all summer to go to MSG for SS91. The hype behind that ppv was insane. Now SS comes off like a 3 hour raw. I miss the tag team main events. They could easily give us a great tag team main event like HHH and Punk -vs- Batista and Edge...it would be intriguing leading up to the big show...can Batista and Edge coexist, will HHH and Batista's friendship be challenged...Edge and Punk can go at each other one more time...but instead we get a lame HHH-VS-???( I wont spoil it here) in a WWE Title Match and Punk-vs- prob Batista again or JBL.

M.T.
www.itraveler.weebly.com

Warrior...steroids....tassles...crew cut... idiot...can't wrestle...

I can't even do it. Warrior rulez!!1!!! Down with queering!1!!!

PPV's have definitely been devalued by the sheer number of them. Summerslam felt special when it was guaranteed to be one of the bigger cards of the year; now it has just as much chance of being craptastic as Vengeance, Bad Blood, or any of the other 3,000 PPVs WWE presents annually. They all blur together nowadays.

You initially note that SummerSlams tend to hold up surprisingly well over time. Maybe it benefits from presenting a very strong card without the hype and (in recent years) bloat of WrestleMania?

SummerSlam 2004 and 2006 both blew.

I think SummerSlam 1997 needs to get a bit more love as it is one of the most historically significant shows in WWE history. First, it was the event where Owen nearly ended Austin's career. This led to Austin having to change his style to brawling-based, which became the template for WWE main events for the next several years, arguably the biggest boom period in the industry's history. Story-line wise, this led to McMahon preventing Austin from wrestling while hurt, the initial phase of the Austin-McMahon feud. Also, the Taker-Bret finish essentially made Shawn the #1 heel in the company, relegating champion Bret Hart to secondary status in the process. We all know what happened 3 months later.........

I think Summerslam '06 was also Hulk Hogan's last WWE match. If that is the case, that is pretty historically significant.

I attended SummerSlams 88,89,90,91,97,98 and 02

88=I was 8, so I only remember going crazy for the UW....ugh
89=We drove to NJ, my grandfather was a big wrestling fan, so we traveled to the Brendan Byrnes Arena aka Continental aka Izod. I only remember the main event, because No Holds Barred was so big that summer, it was cool to see Zeus live.

90=Trip to Philly and a fun SummerSlam
91=Again UW mark...even painted my face before the show...hey I was only 11 dammit! I do remember being bored to tears by the Macho Man weddings, bad live audio.

97=Back to NJ we go and it was a great show IMO.

98=Saw it next door at the theatre in the Garden. Shamrock-vs-Owen in a Lion's Den Match...zzzz

02=Brock over Rock live...we had the absolute last row at the Nassau Coliseum...nice because we could lay our heads back against the wall during the boring matches. Angle-Rey and HBK-HHH live were great.

summerslam 06 l hogans last match in wwe

Ah what a stroll down memory lane brother. Can't wait to see the top 10 matches, but I always thought the summer classic was the #3 ppv of the year behind the rumble. 99's main event left a bad taste in mouth, but with a hint of things to come (remember when Austin was throwing blockbuster parties and refused to let HHH get the belt? yuck!). 88's w the Bulldogs match getting a draw was hot, and with the unexpected surprise of Warrior killing The Honkey Tonk Man just made you scream, as UW was the hottest thing at the time. 95, aside from Shawn/Razor 2, nothing memorable about it at all. 96, eh. 1990, now I can blast The Warrior all I want, but his promo on Rick Rude, Bobby Hennan and The Liberty Bell= Priceless!!! That alone overshadows Hogan/Earthquake. 93: I'll be your hero!!!!! Summerslam 97, we were there, awesome show live with the unfortunate event that Austin nearly got paralyzed by Owen Hart and thus cutting short a brilliant career; and also the seeds of HBK turning heel were planted, Thank God!!! Cause babyface HBK prior wasnt doing it for me. Summerslam 2001, on paper and in theory, coulda, woulda, shoulda, but sadly resulted in a didnt. 06, snooze. Same thing for SS 2004, but I was shocked when Benoit lost to Orton, woulda never thought at the time Orton would go over on Benoit, thus providing a testament to a deserving but disgustingly brief title reign for the Crippler. Hurry up with the final 10!!!

How can you have SummerSlam 2003 ranked higher than 2001, which featured an incredible Austin-Angle match???

I think you're too far in the forest to see the trees. There's no way SummerSlam 2004 is better than 1999. Undertaker-JBL was garbage, and the fans did the wave during that match, so apparently you're the only one that thinks it was "fun."

Anybody who thinks SummerSlam 2003 is one of the top 10 Slams ever, has no business doing a countdown. I'm sorry man, but you've lost all credibility. Your time in the WWE (which would have been right around SSlam 03) clouds your judgment.

OK, I'd like to point out that I AM possessed of a mind that remembers really weird, insignificant things, like what colour my neighbor's car was when I was 3. I'm also obsessed with correcting things, like when my girlfriend sings the wrong lyrics to songs.

I also AM NOT a perverted stalker/loser/weirdo.

Liz' panties were red, not gold.

Kerry you stalker/loser weirdo

but yes they were red with a cotton trim.

My favorite SS moment was in 1989...http://youtube.com/watch?v=3VV0Dcj1zPI

Hey Jeremy, Seth Mates is the former-writer during 2002. This list is from Alfonso Castillo (for the record, it took me many weeks to figure out the difference). I am interested to read the remaining 10, but I personally agree that neither SS03 nor SS04 was not better than SS01.

I was at SummerSlam 2003, and even with the live bias, even being there when Phoenix was so quiet after Goldberg's loss that you could hear a pin drop, even having been there for the post-show birthday party for Vince McMahon, I would not rank it ahead of SummerSlam 2001. But we'll see what Alfonso says. Maybe he will boost it for the Brock/Angle match, or maybe he likes Goldberg more than we realize.

Hopefully, he will let us know how he established these ranks. From the looks of it, I still think it was a quick scan of the card and his basic memories from each show.

Um, I think some commenters are the ones that have lost perspective. Any list like this is going to be a matter of taste, and not really definitive. Hell, come up with your own and post it. It'll be just as valid.

Being a Warrior mark on the other hand - THAT shows a shocking lack of judgement.

I think you badly underrated '97 and '01 and badly overrated '06 and '04.

summerslam 97 was one of the best ever definately.

the undertaker/brethart/shawnmichaels feud was awesome and a great way to build towards the first hiac match between shawn/ut and also kept bret strong until he was screwed just months later at survivorseries in montreal.

historically this was a huge show

List is pretty good so far, but I have to agree with what others have said, SS 90 needs to be higher. Good solid wrestling for the post part, and quite a few memorable matches from the early 90s.

List is pretty good so far, but I have to agree with what others have said, SS 90 needs to be higher. Good solid wrestling for the post part, and quite a few memorable matches from the early 90s.

Sorry for the double post.

While I feel 99 and 06 are much better shows than you give them credit for, I really like your list. 2001 is highly overrated even if the Austin-Angle match is good, and 2003 had some really good matches (and the Coach heel turn which always makes me smile because it was just so out of the blue) so I appreciate you putting it in the top ten.

1999 I thought was just a fun show and when I started watching wrestling so I understand why my appreciation of that show might be skewed, but I don't think you can have two fantastic matches in 2006 with Cena-Edge and Foley-Flair (plus the surprisingly fun McMahons-DX match) and be that low on the list, although I suppose Big Show-Sabu and Batista-Booker T help move that average in the opposite direction.

I look forward to the rest of your list, but 2002 damn sure better be number one! Keep up the good work.

I'm surprised that 2007 is not in this list, because this event was awful (Batista vs Khali, a lame HHH vs Booker T return match, Cena vs Orton was not very spectacular and the rest was just mediocre.

In contrast 2001 was a great Event with many good matches: Austin vs Angle, Booker vs Rock, RVD vs Hardy, Rhino vs Jericho, Edge vs Storm...

Yeah, 2007 really sucked and it doesn't deserve to be in the top 10. I think the best was 2000. The best TLC match, Shane's crazy bump in the hardcore match, a great Jericho-Benoit match, and a nice main event with Rock-HHH-Angle.

Yeah, I hadn't thought of 2007 being in the top ten, but unfortunately it was pretty bad. Even a great Cena-Orton and a fun Kane-Finlay match couldn't save that show. Good call on 2000 Eywah, I love that Shane bump and I'm in agreement that that was the best TLC Match.

You say 2006 wasn't memorable, you must be right. Batista didn't beat Booker to retain the belt, he won by DQ so Booker kept the belt. That match wasn't too memorable but the show was significant for Hogan's last match. But really Hogan-Orton is always overshadowed by far better Hogan-Michaels from the year before.

If SummerSlam '98 isn't #1, I quit. The Highway to Hell was the theme song to Austin-Taker! It just couldn't get any better.

I know the Khali match won't be a technical classic, but I don't see why the big men need to get ridiculed so much in this blog, as if it should be universally accepted that they suck, serve no purpose and should be laughed at.

I was furious when Khali won, but he will still serve his purpose. It's going to make whoever does beat HHH look like a million bucks for doing so, because they will have done something Khali - who will probably be built up like the ultimate monster in the next 4 weeks - couldn't do.

Let's say Jeff wins the belt at Unforgiven - and I think he is ready to do so - he will look awesome for doing so. I'd say he would have been ready this month, but if appears they don't want to give away too much on every PPV, to save some of the talking points to spread them around, which is clever. This month's talking point will be the return of Taker and the destruction of Edge most probably, so next month will have something else.

One of the reason all the PPVs have been so good this year is that as well as having a totally stacked roster month in, month out, there has always been a talking point to make people think they got value for money.

Dakota,

I agree 1000% with you. The Highway to Hell storyline is the best SummerSlam storyline EVER, and NOTHING is even a close second. That would storyline felt epic.

Quote: "I don't see why the big men need to get ridiculed so much in this blog, as if it should be universally accepted that they suck, serve no purpose and should be laughed at."

But 90% of them are thad bad. Khali, Giant Gonzales, Big King Mabel Viscera, Mark Henry... there are only 1 or 2 which are better like Big Show or Undertaker.

The problem with SummerSlam 98 is the main event sucked. Seriously, Undertaker-Austin should have been much better with a great feud heading into the event. Those are two of the stronger in-ring wrestlers of the generation. And the undercard wasn't exactly great: Val Venis vs. D'Lo Brown, Kaientai vs. The Oddities, Edge/Sable vs. Marc Mero/Jacqueline, X-Pac vs. Jeff Jarrett. The Attitude Era was overrated when it comes to the in-ring product anyway. I think the product is far better now, in terms of wrestling and in particular, the quality of PPV matches.

As long as you admit to it not being in any way fairly rated then I won't comment on how obviously wrong this list is. You should just list "memorable" moments.

Highway to Hell was decent but in no way the best SS.

I agree that the earlier ones were way better hyped and had better storylines going in.

I guess it depends if Alfonso is a ROH mark because around 2000 the workrate was better and would push the old school stuff out. I don't see '07 on there and it is NOT top 10 material. That was the least exciting show ever.

Oh, and for the "big man" conversation....they sell tickets, not to smarks, but to the casual fan. Listen to a casual fan rave about how "big" Show and Khali are and you get the picture.

I swear, if it was up to net geeks, the SummerSlam main event would be Austin Aries vs. Nigel McGuiness and while a ***** match, it would sell ZERO Buys.

SummerSlam 1997, at 14? really??? I remember being a huge mark for The undertaker and then Shawn Screwed Him and Bret Won the title,That was HUGE. Mick off the cage was nuts. Austin almost Dies. It this Was one of the most Importent Summerslam. This was the Genesis of the attitude era.

I also remember Liz's underwear being red, so no need to feel like (much of) a pervert.

Anyway, had WWE replaced SummerSlam 06 with the card from Unforgiven 06 (Cena vs Edge TLC, DX vs McMahons/Big Show HiaC, Trish vs. Lita), it might have been a top ten event. Wasted opportunities, huh?

The thing with big men is that they don't want the likes of Khali to do that many moves. The second he starts doing a lot of technical moves it removes his big man aura. If his size is supposed to be such a big advantage then why does he have to do wrestling moves to beat him? He should be able to withstand heavy pressure and use the simplest of moves - e.g. a head sqaush, a nerve hold, a chop - to win. It's about suspension of disbelief, and if Khali was doing more moves than he does on a regular basis, he wouldn't be as much of an attraction.

It's telling that when he faced Big Show at Backlash, he did actually bust out more moves. He had to though, because Big Show was his size. He had to resort to something other than power to beat him.

Undertaker used to be a big man, but now he's just a tall 300 pounder. There are people bigger and more muscular than him, and as such he wrestles a different style to the likes of Khali and Big Show.

Big Show really isn't all that different to Khali. He serves his purpose as a big man, but people have rose tinted glasses looking at him compared to the other big men. Big Daddy V and Henry all have perfectly acceptable movesets for the role they are playing. They shouldn't be doing many moves.

It's quite funny that people think certain wrestlers simply 'don't know' more moves. They have a move set, and with WWE style they use the same moves regularly because they pop the crowd. That goes for every wrestler. It just so happens that the big men have more unexciting looking moves, but doing them retains their drawing power and helps with the suspension of disbelief.

I think SS 95 gets a bit of a bad rap. I watched the whole thing for the first time recently, and it really wasn't a bad show at all. Yes, the main event sucked, but the whole thing, with pre-match interview, entrances & match only took up 15 minutes of a 2:45 show. Hardly the whole PPV.

Meanwhile, their was the classic ladder match, and Kid- Hakushi, Skip- Horowitz, Taker- Kama (to my surprise), & Bret- Yankem were all fairly good.

I'd put 95 ahead of 88, 90 (aside from tag match, that puppy sucked), 99 & 03. I'd say it was on a par with 93 & 96. It deserves some love.

Quote: "Big Show really isn't all that different to Khali. He serves his purpose as a big man, but people have rose tinted glasses looking at him compared to the other big men. Big Daddy V and Henry all have perfectly acceptable movesets for the role they are playing. They shouldn't be doing many moves."

BUT Big Show has charisma and relative good micwork and compared to Viscera, Henry or Khali - he's just cool and doesn't suck. ;)

Khali or Viscera or Henry are big, ugly and bad wrestlers and there is nothing that's worth a push or a world title reign.

95 gets a bad rap for having Mable in the main even and Dentist Kane, but the actual in ring wresling in the rest of the matchs was really strong. Plus it had a 4-5 star match.... that alone should move it higher.

Also I noticed that 89 is going to somehow make the top 10... you know the one headlined by ZEUS!

I like 89 the best, just a near perfect card with even KDX and the freak show being a fun match,

95 gets a bad rap for having Mable in the main even and Dentist Kane, but the actual in ring wresling in the rest of the matchs was really strong. Plus it had a 4-5 star match.... that alone should move it higher.

Also I noticed that 89 is going to somehow make the top 10... you know the one headlined by ZEUS!

I like 89 the best, just a near perfect card with even KDX and the freak show being a fun match,

95 gets a bad rap for having Mable in the main even and Dentist Kane, but the actual in ring wresling in the rest of the matchs was really strong. Plus it had a 4-5 star match.... that alone should move it higher.

Also I noticed that 89 is going to somehow make the top 10... you know the one headlined by ZEUS!

I like 89 the best, just a near perfect card with even KDX and the freak show being a fun match,

Oh man, I posted it thrice.... I will save everyone the time...
I SUCK

I think a very bad Main Event always destroys the whole PPV. And jobber like Barry Horrowitz, Blu Twins, Hardcore Holly, a boring Hunter Hearst and the worst looking wrestler [until Snitsky] with a very worse gimmick [Isaac Yankem] are not enough to make the 95er edition a good one. Ok, HBK vs Razor was great, but the Rest was lame. Where were Owen Hart? British Bulldog? Lex Luger? Bam Bam Bigelow? Sid? Yokozuna? The IYHses before had better cards!

"HBK vs Razor was great, but the Rest was lame. Where were Owen Hart? British Bulldog? Lex Luger? Bam Bam Bigelow? Sid? Yokozuna?"

Oddly enough, all those guys were at the event but didn't have matches.

Owen and Yokozuna did a backstage interview at the end of the live PPV (that is not on Coliseum Video's version of the show) where their participation in the next month's IYH aganist Diesel and Shawn Michaels was announced.

Luger did a run-in during the main event, and Bulldog was shown arriving to the building during the Helmsley-Holly match. Bulldog did not get involved in the main event for some reason.

Bigelow was shown in a video package for an event the wrestlers did with firefighters in the city the day before the show, so he was there.

Sid was shown watching backstage during the ladder match since he would be facing the winner two weeks later on Raw.

The thing I really don't get about SummerSlam '95 was that during a time when business was bad, WWE managed to set an attendance record for that building (Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, PA). A legit 18,000 fans were in attendance to see Diesel vs. King Mabel.

I always thought that Owen, Yoko and the rest (except Luger and Bulldog) were injured, but that they were at the event, makes it even worse. It could have been one of the best Slams, but they made it the worst - deliberately...

If the card had been Diesel vs Sid, HBK vs Razor, Bret Hart vs Hakushi, Owen & Yoko vs Allied Powers, 123 Kid vs Skip, Alundra vs Bertha, Undertaker vs Kama and maybe Hunter Hearst vs Bam Bam Bigelow... *shaking the head*

summerslam 06 saw king booker enter as champion and retain the title though he lost the match by dq