8 WWE SummerSlam Main Events That Topped WrestleMania
When the 'Biggest Party Of The Summer' outshines the 'Grand Daddy Of Them All'...
WrestleMania is supposed to be the very best that WWE can serve up each year, but all too often the 'Showcase Of The Immortals' has been made to look second-rate next to what SummerSlam's main event has to offer.
That could be the case this year too, because SummerSlam's Fatal-4-Way match for the Universal Title looks much more tasty than an unwanted Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker headliner at 'Mania 33. Thankfully, 'Taker has fared better elsewhere in his storied career, and the legend even managed to top his own brilliance in 2008.
Away from the pressure cooker that is WrestleMania, WWE's creative team are often more experimental come SummerSlam. It's still a major pay-per-view (the biggest of the summer months by far), but SummerSlam's lack of WrestleMania level hype has even helped it better the so-called 'Grand Daddy Of Them All', with expectations that much easier to surpass.
WWE really need to think twice next time they plan on putting a World Title match on last at 'Mania just for the sake of it...
8. Randy Orton Vs. Brock Lesnar (2016)
Mere months after Roman Reigns and Triple H went a mind-numbing 27 minutes at WrestleMania 32, Brock Lesnar was destroying Randy Orton in a concise 11-minute brawl at SummerSlam. Lesnar vs. Orton wasn't exactly perfect, but it didn't suffer from the same problems as 'Mania.
Most notably, the SummerSlam headliner was one people actually wanted to see play out. It was also a fitting choice to headline the pay-per-view, something that simply can't be said of Roman Reigns vs. Triple H; on a card involving dynamic matches like AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho and a stunning Triple Threat for the new Women's Title, WWE picked the wrong match to close out the show.
Wrestling cards should build towards the main event, not tail off when they come on. SummerSlam 2016's effort was much more admirable than the WrestleMania one, largely because it gave people exactly what they wanted (a savage Lesnar beating) and didn't rely on an unwanted babyface (Reigns) to carry the load.