Summerslam is the second biggest show in the WWE calendar following WrestleMania. The 2002 event is often remembered as one of the best Summerslam PPVs that WWE had ever held, with a return of an icon and the crowning of a new top Superstar. But, which matches are the best? Here is every WWE Summerslam 2002 match ranked from worst to best.
8. The Undertaker vs Test
The Undertaker will go down as one of the greatest Superstars of all time, but when it comes to working with big men he has always struggled, but this could be more down to his opponents. It isn’t that Test was necessarily bad at wrestling, but he wasn’t really that good either. The two competitors didn’t really gel well in the ring and the match felt very awkward. Certainly a letdown for Big Evil.
7. Ric Flair vs Chris Jericho
Considering the level of talent in this match, with Jericho being a multi-time world championship and Flair often being hailed as the greatest of all time, this match should have been much better. The 10-minute match saw Jericho make The Nature Boy submit to Flair’s Figure Four Leglock, the referee was out of action which allowed Flair to be able to escape and lock the submission onto Y2J which caused him to tap out, giving Ric Flair the victory. The match is fairly average and I expected more from this one.
6. The Un-Americans (c) vs Booker T and Goldust – WWE Tag Team Championship Match
The team of Christian and Lance Storm took on Booker T and Goldust to defend their tag team championship match. Overall, the match was ok but nothing special and quite forgettable. It all seemed like it was over for The Un-Americans before their teammate Test interfered and help them retain their titles. Considering the level of quality when it comes to the rest of this list, if you’re short on time then you’d be forgiven for skipping over this one.
5. Edge vs Eddie Guerrero
At the time of this match, neither man had cracked into the main event scene, although fans could already see that it was just a matter of time before both men would be world champions. The two Superstars put on a classic match that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, especially considering the calibre of talent involved. Edge would score the win after an Edgecution
4. Chris Benoit (c) vs Rob Van Dam – Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Benoit and Rob Van Dam will both go down in history as two of the best technical wrestlers of all time, with Benoit being more of a straight technical grappler, while Van Dam utilizes a lot more high flying offence in his technical style. The match itself was very good and a highlight of the show, with Van Dam scoring the pinfall after a Five Star Frog Splash to win the Intercontinental Championship.
3. Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio
Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio may be the best PPV opening match of all time. Mysterio had only recently debuted in the company two months prior, after spending a year on the independent circuit in the US and Mexico following the closure of WCW in March 2001. The match saw Angle and Mysterio blend high-flying and technical wrestling seamlessly, with Angle ending the match by making Mysterio tap out to the Ankle Lock. While Mysterio may have lost his PPV debut in the company, he won over the crowd and is still employed by WWE today.
2. The Rock (c) vs Brock Lesnar – WWE Undisputed Championship Match
Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut in April 2002 as “The Next Big Thing”, quickly rising to the top of the card and dominating any Superstar that stood opposite him in the ring. During his short time in the run-up to him becoming WWE Champion at Summerslam 2002, he won the King Of The Ring by defeating Rob Van Dam to earn a title shot, just five months after his debut. At the event, he faced The Rock who was looking to take time off to film a new movie. Brock Lesnar became champion, the youngest at the time at just 25 years old.
1. Shawn Michaels vs Triple H – Unsanctioned Street Fight
Shawn Michaels was forced to retire at WrestleMania 14 following a back injury that he got during a Casket Match against The Undertaker two months prior. The future of HBK’s career was uncertain and many fans believed they’d never see the Heartbreak Kid in a wrestling ring again. But, the world was shocked when he announced he was coming back for one night only to face his former DX teammate Triple H. The match took place at Summerslam 2002 and it is hard to believe that Shawn Michaels hadn’t competed in over four years, except two fairly unknown matches that had at his wrestling school. HBK hadn’t missed a beat and put on a performance on par with his excellent work during the first part of his career. The match went so well that HBK decided to return to wrestling full time and remained an active competitor until 2010.
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