10 Best WWE SummerSlam Main Events Ever - According To Dave Meltzer
8. SummerSlam 2007 - John Cena Vs Randy Orton (****)
Harkening back to a time when John Cena and Randy Orton could face off without the pained cries of submission from an overstuffed fanbase, their SummerSlam show-closer was perhaps the best straight one-on-one encounter the two ever had before the constant stream of stipulation-heavy retreads diluted any further interest in ever seeing them fight again.
The August 2007 contest was, astoundingly, their first ever singles WWE Title match, with 'The Viper' named Number One contender after decking Cena with the RKO the night after his July Great American Bash pay-per-view victory over Bobby Lashley.
Orton had floated aimlessly throughout 2007 following the breakdown of his dynamic 'Rated-RKO' unit with Edge, but in Cena he met an opponent that unsurprisingly brought the best out of his homogised in-house style. The two tore the house down, with Orton repeatedly attempting to soften 'The Champ' up for the RKO having hit Cena with it twice more in the build-up following his originally predatory attack.
It was just about the culmination of an electric year for the divisive Champion, who'd defeat Randy once more at the following month's Unforgiven pay-per-view before going down with a pectoral injury days later at October's No Mercy supercard. In truth, their rivalry had already peaked with this forgotten gem, and Cena's knock gave both a much needed break before the resumed conflict in early 2008.