6. August 4, 2002 - Brock Kills Hulkamania
WWE.comThe main event of SummerSlam in August 2002 was monumental clash between Brock Lesnar and WWE champion The Rock. The match was to be the coronation of Lesnar as the next big star in World Wrestling Entertainment and the start of a new era in professional wrestling. To get him ready for that colossal clash, he tore through the most popular babyfaces in the sport. Matt and Jeff Hardy were dispatched early on. He defeated the double-tough Bubba Ray Dudley and knocked off Rob Van Dam to win the King of the Ring tournament. Enter Hulk Hogan, who was riding a wave of nostalgia and at the same time, putting more talented stars over at an alarming rate. On the August 4 episode of SmackDown, Hogan would meet Lesnar with the right to challenge for The Rock's title in the SummerSlam main event, despite Lesnar already earning the shot via his win over Van Dam. The match would be one of the most unexpected dissections of a future Hall of Famer ever seen as the Beast Incarnate dismantled Hogan and left him unconscious with a bearhug. It was that one defining win that Lesnar needed to be taken seriously before acquiring the top prize in the sport just weeks later. Earlier in the broadcast, John Cena met Kurt Angle in a rematch of the contest that put Cena on the map. Unfortunately, interference from Chris Benoit prevented Cena from winning the match. At the same time, it set up a massive six-man tag match later in the show. Angle and Benoit partnered with Eddie Guerrero to form one of the most talented and respected teams of all-time. Their opponents? Cena, newcomer Rey Mysterio and Edge, making the match one of the most star-studded offerings in SmackDown history. Batista suffered a rare loss, Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson dropped a mixed tag match to WWE Cruiserweight champion Jamie Noble and Nidia and Mark Henry defeated the Reverend D'Von to round out the rest of the card. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f5VI7PVz3E
Results: John Cena defeated Kurt Angle via disqualification... Mark Henry defeated The Reverend D'Von... Rikishi defeated Batista... The Hurricane and Shannon Moore defeated Billy and Chuck... Edge, Rey Mysterio and John Cena defeated Eddie Guerrero, Intercontinental champion Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle... Cruiserweight champion Jamie Noble and Nidia defeated Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson... Brock Lesnar defeated Hulk Hogan