WWE SummerSlam is one of the biggest shows on the calendar of arguably North America’s number one promotion. An annual event since 1988, “The Biggest Party of the Summer” has been home to some of the best matches in WWE history.
While there is plenty to look forward to with the year’s event, let’s look back at the best SummerSlam match for the past 10 years.
2014 – Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena
SummerSlam 2014 will always be remembered as the birth of ‘Suplex City.’ The main event saw Brock Lesnar destroying John Cena to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Randy Orton vs, Roman Reigns was another good match on the card but this one was an easy choice.
This was a shocking match. Lesnar winning wasn’t a surprise but how he won was. Brock hit Cena with 16 German suplexes on his way to squashing Cena. The fans had never seen Cena lose a match in this way and it truly made Lesnar look like a monster.
While not a traditional match, Lesnar vs Cena is an iconic moment in SummerSlam history and will not be forgotten.
2015 – John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
Despite the awful ending, Seth Rollins vs. John Cena was the best match at Summerslam 2015. The Undertaker vs. Lesnar was a good main event but it falls short of Rollins vs. Cena.
In a title unification match, Rollins was victorious to become both WWE and United States Champion. This was a great match. It showed how good Rollins is and that Cena is capable of putting on a classic.
John Stewart interfering to cost Cena was a bad finish and unfortunately dampened the moment. However, it was still a great match and a historic accomplishment for Seth.
2016 – AJ Styles vs. John Cena
Cena continued to deliver at SummerSlam, as his match with AJ Styles marks his third straight appearance on this list. This match is one of Cena’s best and firmly established Styles as a top star in the company.
The back-and-forth pace and false finishes made this a match-of-the-year contender. Styles winning clean was the perfect way to end it. The only issue is that it didn’t close the show.
Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship was also a great match but the chemistry between Styles and Cena is unmatched.
2017 – Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar
In one of the more underrated matches of the decade, the Fatal-Four Way main event at SummerSlam 2017 was electric. Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman all had great showings in their efforts to win the Universal Championship.
This match was a car crash, with excitement and hard-hitting action from start to finish. Strowman especially looked like a star, destroying everything and everyone in sight.
In the end, Lesnar hit Reigns with an F5 to retain the title. An awesome main event saved an otherwise lackluster show.
2018 – The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
SummerSlam 2018 might have been the toughest decision on this list. Ultimately, I’m going with Daniel Bryan vs The Miz as the match of the night.
Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler put on a great opener for the IC title that warranted consideration. In the end, it was the storytelling between Miz and the now Bryan Danielson that put it over the top.
This match was extremely personal and was anticipated for years. Miz stole Bryan’s moves to prove he can wrestle just as well as him. However, this wasn’t effective.
Eventually, Miz resorted to what he knew best. He illegally used brass knuckles to pick up the cheap win to continue the feud.
This match lived up to the expectations and was the best match that these two had together.
2019 – Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar
The main event between Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar was the best match of SummerSlam 2019. This was the match they should’ve had at that year’s WrestleMania. This was a thriller all the way through with both men at their best.
Rollins especially had one of his best showings and he got the clean win over Brock to regain the Universal title. This was their best match together.
The debut of The Fiend and Becky Lynch vs. Natalya were other bright spots on the show but the main event was the clear match of the night.
2020 – Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre
The 2020 SummerSlam in the ‘WWE Thunderdome’ will always be remembered for the return of Roman Reigns, kicking off his run as the Tribal Chief. However, when it comes to the best match, the answer is Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton.
McIntyre was in the midst of a great reign as champion and Orton was doing some of the best work of his career. After an excellent technical match, McIntyre won with a backslide. This was just the beginning of their feud and it was an exemplary way to kick it off.
Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks vs. Asuka were also great contests. The Thunderdome era is largely forgotten but there were some hidden gems during that period.
2021 – Seth Rollins vs. Edge
The 2021 SummerSlam was headlined by John Cena and Roman Reigns. And while they had a great bout, the match of the night belongs to Edge vs. Seth Rollins.
This was the first of the trilogy between the two, and they stole the show. The story of the match had Rollins targeting the surgically repaired neck of Edge, with the idea that the stomp would put his career in jeopardy.
After a long battle, Edge avoided the stomp and submitted Rollins to a Crossface. The storytelling and hatred between the two competitors elevated this match to another level.
Rollins continued his impressive run at SummerSlam and Edge proved that he can still go with the best of them.
2022 – Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar faced each other too many times but their last match at WWE SummerSlam 2022 was one of their best. In a last-man-standing match, these two tore the house down.
From Brock lifting the ring with a tractor, an Austin Theory cash-in tease, and The Bloodline destroying Lesnar to keep him down for 10, this match was chaos in the best way.
While the rivalry overstayed its welcome, at least it ended epically. Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair and Logan Paul vs. The Miz were other standouts on the show.
2023 – Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins
WWE SummerSlam 2023 will be remembered as a disappointing PLE. Reigns vs. Jey Uso didn’t deliver and most of the card was nothing special. Despite this, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins’s match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was excellent.
The seven-year story between the two and Balor’s quest for revenge provided all the hype needed for this match. The story between The Judgment Day with Damian Priest having the Money in the Bank contract only added to the stakes.
After some false finishes, Rollins hit a second stomp to finish Balor off to retain his title. An underrated gem on a forgettable show, this one is worth watching.
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