Key Takeaways
- This feature spotlights **20 of the most underrated WWE SummerSlam matches**, focusing on bouts that were overshadowed on their cards or underappreciated over time.
- Spanning 1989–2020, it highlights technical and storytelling standouts like The Brain Busters vs. The Hart Foundation and Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano, along with key women’s matches featuring Trish Stratus, Charlotte Flair, AJ Lee, and Becky Lynch.
- The list emphasizes how these matches quietly elevated careers (from Edge and Batista to Dominik Mysterio and Bray Wyatt) and showcases tag, singles, women’s, and hardcore bouts that defined SummerSlam beyond its usual headliners.
WWE SummerSlam Minnesota is closer than ever, and before the biggest party of the summer gets underway, we wanted to celebrate some special matches that have taken place during the history of the event, in chronological order.
We all know the classic SummerSlam bouts—Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, Shawn Michaels and Triple H’s street fight, the first TLC match—but what about the more underappreciated matches? What are the best matches that don’t get the credit they deserve, whether due to a poor spot on the card or being overshadowed by a main event? Those matches will no longer fly under the radar. Here are the most underrated SummerSlam matches ever.
The Brain Busters vs. The Hart Foundation
When: WWE SummerSlam 1989
Wrestling in its purest form; when you have a match involving two Horsemen plus two graduates of the Hart Dungeon, it’s a recipe for a mat clinic. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard took on Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart and put on a match that showed how magical tag team wrestling can be.
Virgil vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
When: WWE SummerSlam 1991
A great long-term build and a happy ending to boot; Virgil taking on his former abusive employer, Ted DiBiase, left WWE fans ecstatic when Virgil defeated the Million Dollar Man and took home the Million Dollar Championship. We hadn’t seen what Virgil was truly capable of until this match, and pairing him with a ring general such as DiBiase made for a tragically underrated moment.
Shawn Michaels vs. Rick Martel
When: WWE SummerSlam 1992
Rick Martel had been established as a great in-ring worker, and Shawn Michaels was known as a standout tag team performer, but this match really gave Michaels a moment to shine as a singles competitor. Fresh into his first Intercontinental Championship run, Michaels was pushed to the limit by Martel and this bout is remembered as an underrated classic despite the unusual heel-vs.-heel match.
Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano
When: WWE SummerSlam 1994
Taking place in an era when it would be many years until women’s wrestling would be respected as it is today, Alundra Blayze took on the Japanese powerhouse Bull Nakano, where both competitors left it all in the ring. These two weren’t given a lot of time, but they made the most of it in a bout that many view as way ahead of its time.
Shane McMahon vs. Test
When: WWE SummerSlam 1999
This wasn’t the first time Shane McMahon had competed in the ring, but this was the first taste of the daredevil nature he would become famous for later on. This no-holds-barred match against Test not only surpassed many expectations due to Shane’s lack of in-ring matches and Test still being fairly new to the roster, but it elevated everyone involved to higher tiers on the card.
Edge vs. Lance Storm
When: WWE SummerSlam 2001
When you first see a match featuring Edge and Lance Storm in 2001, it’s not the pairing you would think a booker would make, but at that year’s SummerSlam, the two Canadian superstars put on quite the show. Storm has always been considered one of the best in-ring competitors to ever do it; throw in Edge’s athleticism and charisma, and you have a great hidden gem. Lance showcased his skills, and this match helped solidify Edge as a serious singles competitor.
X-Pac vs. Tajiri
When: WWE SummerSlam 2001
Listing this match was a no-brainer. Both X-Pac and Tajiri were extremely seasoned ring workers at this point, both showcasing a quick, high-impact style. Unfortunately, these two weren’t given a lot of time, but X-Pac and Tajiri utilized their minutes, going 100 MPH from the moment the bell rang. These two will go down in history as two of the best cruiserweights of all time, and it’s clear to see why here.
Chris Jericho vs. Ric Flair
When: WWE SummerSlam 2002
Flair is a multi-time Hall of Famer, and it’s only a matter of time before Jericho enters the Halls, but it’s shocking that these two didn’t cross paths more often. This was Ric’s first SummerSlam since his return to in-ring action in 2002, and Jericho wanted to make sure the fans at home saw The Nature Boy didn’t miss a beat. Both competitors hit all the classic moves; Jericho, the cocky heel, and Flair showing he could still keep up with the best of them in his 50s.
Kane vs. Rob Van Dam
When: WWE SummerSlam 2003
After Kane shockingly unmasked that year and went on a rampage, his first victim was former friend Rob Van Dam. Critics viewed this match as a great beginning to his monstrous heel run, as we saw a more vicious, deranged competitor, and RVD utilized his high-flying athleticism to try and put the big man down. Hardcore wrestling fans were left with plenty to enjoy as weapons were expertly utilized, making this one of the better, unsung matches of the year.
John Cena vs. Booker T
When: WWE SummerSlam 2004
Culminating their best-of-five series, Booker T and John Cena put on a hell of a match, considering not many would expect there to be such great chemistry between the two. An established star, but not quite a main eventer, Cena had a lot to prove going against the future Hall of Famer Booker T. The office knew that Cena was the next big star, and Booker used incredible in-ring talent to elevate Cena to the next level.
Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Batista
When: WWE SummerSlam 2004
Many people consider this match the coming-out party for Batista. Edge was solidifying himself as a singles star, Jericho was well into his prime as a ring general, and both of these Superstars were tasked with stopping a newly unleashed animal in Batista. Jericho and Edge were very familiar with each other, which resulted in good exchanges between the two, and oftentimes they had to team up to keep the larger Batista at bay, who was properly portrayed as an unstoppable force. Edge may have picked up the win, but this match showed Batista had a vast amount of potential.
Kurt Angle vs. Eugene
When: WWE SummerSlam 2005
Yes, you read that right: a match pitting the Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle versus Eric Bischoff’s…nephew Eugene. Everyone knew that Kurt was a master in the ring, but what many didn’t know was that Eugene (real name Nick Dinsmore) was an accomplished wrestler himself, and the two had a surprisingly technical match. This was arguably Eugene’s best match of his WWE career, and this also showed that Angle was able to put on a great match no matter what character he was put up against. If anything, the match was too short, as there was plenty more story to tell between the two.
John Morrison vs. CM Punk
When: WWE SummerSlam 2007
It may have only been an eight-minute match, and it was for a championship that had long since lost its relevancy, but these two took advantage of the time they had to leave a mark on an otherwise stacked card. The two different styles that each competitor had meshed really well together, matching Morrison’s acrobatic offense vs. Punk’s more technical/striking style. While it had a lot going against it, this match is considered one of the highlights of the doomed ECW revival.
Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz
When: WWE SummerSlam 2014
Dolph Ziggler and The Miz’s feud in 2014 is one of the key reasons for the Intercontinental Championship’s revitalization as an important, workhorse championship. Miz and Ziggler had a long, storied past together and knew each other very well, which always helps put on great in-ring performances. Miz was the perfect Hollywood heel, and Ziggler’s rare turn as a babyface had the whole crowd behind him in a very dramatic, incredibly paced match. Ziggler and Miz put out an incredible effort in this match and it is a must-watch for any fan of this storied division.
Paige vs. AJ Lee
When: WWE SummerSlam 2014
Widely considered one of the best Divas Championship matches before the Women’s Revolution era, AJ Lee and Paige’s rematch is a landmark bout that should be studied by any up-and-coming talent. Paige made a huge splash the night after WrestleMania defeating AJ for the Divas Championship, which kickstarted a great rivalry between the two. AJ had already secured her place in the company at this point, and Paige showed a great deal of confidence so early in her main roster run.
Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho
When: WWE SummerSlam 2014
After Bray Wyatt’s extremely divisive loss against John Cena at that year’s WrestleMania (he should have won, let’s be clear), Chris Jericho returned to active action in the WWE with the goal of giving the Eater of Worlds his confidence back, and with this match he did just that. Wyatt was at his spooky best showing a lot of aggression and viciousness, and being the pro Jericho is, knew exactly what he needed to do to help elevate this younger talent. This card had a lot of standout moments to be sure, but Wyatt’s resurgence was very important going forward in the company’s future.
Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro
When: WWE SummerSlam 2015
What more can I possibly say about these two? Kevin Owens and Cesaro (now known as Claudio Castagnoli in AEW) are easily two of the greatest products of the revitalized indie scene around the world. Kevin Owens was an explosive competitor willing to throw everything he had at his opponent, and Cesaro was known for fantastic technique and superhuman strength, resulting in one of the best matches of that year.
Natalya vs. Becky Lynch
When: WWE SummerSlam 2019
Nattie has chemistry with almost everyone WWE has had to offer, and this match with Becky Lynch was no exception. Lynch entered this match on top of her game, having won the first women’s WrestleMania event that year, and Nattie came in as the hometown challenger who had the pedigree to be the one to dethrone “The Man.” These two talents utilized the submissions-only stipulation incredibly well, targeting limbs and telling stories, and making every time a submission was applied, the crowd went into a frenzy.
Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair
When: WWE SummerSlam 2019
A dream match for many, the legendary Trish Stratus insinuated that she would have her final match (it wouldn’t be) against one of the greatest women in WWE of all time, Charlotte Flair. Before this match, these two hadn’t wrestled once, being from two different generations, but you wouldn’t have ever thought that seeing this awesome bout. Charlotte was the ring general here to be sure, but Trish showed that she hadn’t lost a step, adapting to the newer, faster style of this generation. There aren’t many matches like this out there, and it overdelivered.
Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio
When: WWE SummerSlam 2020
This match was the WWE throwing a freshly-signed Dominick Mysterio into the deep end and, to the happiness of the company and fans watching at home, the dude swam. Having your first singles match be on a WWE PLE is a daunting task for anyone; throw in the fact that you are the son of Rey Mysterio, and it becomes an even scarier situation, but thanks to his in-ring training, natural talent, and the guidance of the great Seth Rollins, these two delivered a hell of a street fight. They told a brutal story with a lot of emotion and violence, making this a huge highlight of the card. Seth may have gotten the win, but this elevated Dominik to a whole other level.
