Epic Showdowns Await: WWE SummerSlam 2023 Match Card Revealed

SummerSlam, which made its debut back in 1988, is now perhaps the second-largest pay-per-view event in the history of the WWE, behind only WrestleMania. The Biggest Party of the Summer is home to some of the most important WWE matches of the year.

SummerSlam has become a renowned event by the time the 2000s rolled around. There are countless legendary SummerSlam matches from that era, with the better editions (most notably 2002) featuring multiple legendary matches on the same card. 

We will talk about the top ten matchups from each SummerSlam in the 2000s here.

• 2000: Edge & Christian VS The Hardy Boyz Vs. The Dudley Boyz

The debut SummerSlam of the new millennium was a fun event featuring top-notch bouts all throughout the broadcast. The groundbreaking TLC match between Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz, and the hometown favorites The Hardy Boyz for the World Tag Team Championship, however, was the one that really stole the night. It was the first of its type.

The chaotic and brutal match carried significant historical significance since it served as the model for all subsequent great Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. In the end, the charming heels E&C managed to escape with the belts.

• 2001: Steve Austin VS Kurt Angle

Since SummerSlam 2001 took place in the middle of the Invasion storyline, all of the matches featured WWE wrestlers competing against Alliance fighters. The WWE Championship match between Alliance leader Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle was undoubtedly the finest match on the PPV, which featured only possibly one mediocre contest.

• 2002: Unresolved Street Fight between Triple H and Shawn Michaels

As Shawn Michaels prepared to compete in his first WWE match in four years at SummerSlam 2002, emotions were running high. After ‘The Game’ turned on Michaels during a brief DX reunion on Raw, HBK faced off against his old DX pal Triple H. This would become even more intimate when Hunter later punched Shawn in the face with a car windscreen.

They had a street fight during their SummerSlam bout because it was deemed to be so personal. Fans were unsure of what to expect from Michaels, but the amazing wrestler surprised everyone by putting up one of his best matches ever, winning, only to lose after the bell to the sledgehammer. SummerSlam 2002 had more classics but this match takes the cake, at least in one man’s opinion.

• 2003: Kurt Angle VS Brock Lesnar

In the early 2000s, WWE consistently produced fantastic SummerSlams, with a strong one in 2003. The hard-hitting WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, who had excellent chemistry, was the event’s high point.

Although they had more successful matches, which demonstrates how well they coordinated their efforts, this was still a physically demanding contest that ended with Angle retaining the title by making Lesnar tap out to the Ankle Lock.

• 2004: Randy Orton Makes History

Despite being quite young, Randy Orton had a strong run with the Intercontinental Championship throughout the first half of 2004, demonstrating that he was prepared for a greater stage. That became especially clear during Orton’s explosive exchanges with Edge and Mick Foley at Backlash and Vengeance, respectively.

Chris Benoit’s World Heavyweight Championship is currently held by Chris Orton, who emerged as the top challenger after winning a battle royal on Raw in July. They put on a fantastic match that helped Orton’s standing in the WWE. Ultimately, Orton flipped Benoit into the RKO after reversing a Crossface attempt to become the youngest World Champion in WWE history.

• Ladder match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio in 2005

On paper, a dispute over a child’s custody (Rey’s son, Dominik) has no place on a list like this. Since Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were the two competitors, the bout succeeded not only in the ring but also in the storytelling department.

Even during the match, the young Dominik had a run-in, which increased the craziness of this unusual ladder match. Latino Heat was knocked down the ladder by Eddie’s wife Vickie Guerrero, allowing Mysterio to prevail and remain with his son.

• 2006: Edge VS John Cena

WWE’s 2006 season highlight was this pair’s feud. In a three-way match featuring John Cena, Edge defeated Rob Van Dam to win his second WWE Championship by hitting Cena with the title after hitting RVD with the FU. Edge then stole the pin to secure the victory. When Edge slapped Cena’s father during the buildup, he personalized the conflict.

In addition, Edge purposefully lost his chance to retain the title at SummerSlam when he was DQ’d during a title match between the two on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Edge and Lita both wanted to cheat on instinct several times but were forced to do something different because of the requirement. Edge nevertheless discovered a solution. Edge and Lita both wanted to cheat on instinct several times but were forced to do something different because of the requirement. After he knocked out Cena with brass knuckles behind the referee’s back, Edge still managed to steal the victory.

• 2007: John Cena VS Randy Orton

The main event of SummerSlam featured a match between two of the WWE’s brightest growing talents of that decade, and before it was done to death and then some, fans were actually anticipating it.

If you go back and watch this match, you’ll see that the crowd is enthusiastic about every move Cena and Orton make, which raises the level of the match and easily makes it one of their greatest against one another.

• 2008: The Undertaker VS Edge

Since this was the first Hell in a Cell event following WWE’s decision to go PG the previous month, some fans were originally disappointed in the event back in the day since they were anticipating a match that would be really bloody, but that didn’t happen.

However, this match has held up well over time and is actually rather fantastic when viewed in retrospect. Given that Edge and Undertaker had been feuding since May 2007, including competing in the main event of WrestleMania that year, this isn’t shocking. After the match, Edge was sent “to hell” by the victor, The Undertaker.

• 2009: Jeff Hardy VS CM Punk

The finest match at each SummerSlam event was the product of some of the best feuds of each year, as you may have seen while reading this list. In 2009, the TLC match between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk once again stole the event.

After a difficult match, Punk was able to reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship from Hardy. On the following SmackDown edition, their feud came to a close with a Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage Match that Punk also triumphed in. On a related note, it’s intriguing how the outcome of the first match on this list influenced the main event of the decade’s final SummerSlam!