The summer of 2001 saw the Invasion storyline, following the WWF purchasing WCW and ECW earlier in the year. This drastically expanded the roster and paved the way for a highly anticipated WWF vs WCW and ECW feud. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn as good as it could of, due to top stars such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair still being under contract with AOL Time Warner, allowing them to collect a paycheck while sitting at home. But, the WWF made do with the roster they did have, and some aspects of the storyline were really good, including Summerslam 2001. Here is every Summerslam 2001 match ranked from worst to best.
8. The Brothers of Destruction vs Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon
It isn’t often that you will see either The Undertaker or Kane at the bottom of a list, but unfortunately, this match just wasn’t good. DDP was one of the few top stars to appear during the Invasion storyline, however, he was brought in and set up to fail, being put in a stalker storyline that involved The Undertaker and his wife Sara. Once this storyline concluded it was all downhill for DDP and his WWE career never recovered from it.
7. Chris Jericho (WWF) vs Rhyno (Alliance)
Like The Undertaker and Kane, it isn’t often that you will see Chris Jericho at the bottom of a list. At Summerslam 2001 he faced Rhyno and overall the match was fairly average, with the two former ECW stars putting on an acceptable match but not one that is often remembered. There were shades of ECW throughout the match, with many hard-hitting moments. The match concluded after Jericho made Rhyno tap out to the Walls Of Jericho.
6. Lance Storm vs Edge – Intercontinental Championship Match
The two Canadians are among two of the best workers of all time, and this match helped showcase that. The match saw the two trade submissions with the Canadian Crab. Things got hectic after Christian interfered to help his best friend Edge, which nearly backfired after Christian accidentally hit Edge with a Spear. Edge managed to pull things back by delivering an Edgucution on Storm to win the Intercontinental Championship.
5. The APA and Spike Dudley vs The Dudley Boyz and Test
The APA and The Dudley Boyz are among the hardest-hitting Superstars and Spike Dudley was fantastic are selling for his opponents. So putting these together created a great and fun match, with Spike Dudley take a devastating table bump after attempting a Dudley Dog on Test. Shane McMahon interfered and hit Bradshaw with a chair to allow Test to get the win.
4. X-Pac vs Tajiri
The two Cruiserweights clashed for both the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. As expected, this was a very good high-flying match with plenty of risky spots. X-Pac’s X-Factor teammate Albert interfered but took a Red Mist from Tajiri, but it allowed enough time for X-Pac to hit his X-Factor finishing move to win the match and both championships.
3. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle – WWF Championship Match
The WWF Championship match at Summerslam 2001 is often regarded as one of the best matches of either wrestler’s career. Steve Austin had become part of the Alliance, going back to his WCW and ECW roots. While Austin as Heel wasn’t the greatest move by the Texas Rattlesnake, the match between Austin and Angle was fantastic. Both men traded multiple finishers, with Austin hitting the Stone Cold Stunner on numerous occasions, and Angle hitting the Angle Slam and applying the Ankle Lock. The match ended in disqualification after another referee interfered to stop the count, allowing Austin to retain the championship.
2. Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam
While Hardcore Matches typically aren’t memorable, this match was a highlight of the show and one of the best Hardcore matches in WWE history. Both competitors are known for their high-flying and high-risk moves, which made them a perfect match for each other. The ladder was used as a weapon on multiple occasions, with the match ending when RVD pushed Hardy off the ladder to give him the time to climb up and retrieve the Hardcore Championship.
1. Booker T vs The Rock
When Booker T made his WWF debut in April 2001, it was clear to see that, no matter whether he was in WCW or the WWF, he was a star. Booker T debuted in the company as WCW Champion, having defeated Scott Steiner on the last episode of WCW Monday Nitro on March 26th 2001. He lost the title to Kurt Angle in July but won it back the following week to make him a 5-time WCW Champion, making him the fourth-longest reigning WCW champion of all time. The Summerslam 2001 main event saw The Rock defeat Booker T to become WCW Champion. Interference from Shane McMahon almost saw Booker T retain the title on multiple occasions, including hitting The Rock with the belt. The APA also interfered to even the odds for The Rock by taking out Shane McMahon, allowing The Great One to hit the Rock Bottom on Booker T to win his seventh world championship, and first WCW Championship.
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