10 Worst WWE SummerSlams Ever - According To Dave Meltzer

10. SummerSlam 1998 (2.57)

The public fight for wrestling industry supremacy between WCW and WWE reached something of a zenith in mid-1998, with Vince McMahon's organisation on an unbelievable upswing during a period where things at least appeared rosy for the internally unravelling Atlanta outfit.

Eric Bischoff's decision to run a monster first meeting of Bill Goldberg and Hulk Hogan for free on Monday Nitro instead of drawing a potentially huge buyrate on pay-per-view reeked of desperation, but for one week at least reminded the audience at large that WCW could still be a force with the right product. Unfortunately for 'Easy E', across summer, WWE were proving it time and time again.

Driven by style over substance and the increasing influence of Vince Russo, less attention was paid to match quality in place of high octane segments and riotous promos. And it worked.

Though little shone bell-to-bell on this explosive edition of the Summer spectacular, Madison Square Garden was white hot for virtually every contest thanks to a deep emotional investment in every character on the roster. Whilst Steve Austin, The Undertaker, the New Age Outlaws, Mankind, X-Pac and Jeff Jarrett didn't move mountains in matches, fans still rose in awe for every little move they made.

Triple H and The Rock dragged the average up with an absorbing ladder match. Foreshadowing their eventual successes in the company, the two had perhaps their finest ever battle, with the reaction for Triple H's victory even louder than Stone Cold's later that night.