10 Best WWE SummerSlam Moments Of The 90s

7. Triple H & The Rock Foreshadow The Future

Bret Hart British Bulldog SummerSlam 1992
WWE.com

While Stone Cold Steve Austin is often considered The Rock's greatest rival, it was Triple H with whom The Great One had a longer and more storied history.

It began as far back as 1997 when a young Rocky Maivia defeated an equally-youthful Hunter Hearst Helmsley on Thursday RAW! Thursday Live! to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

By 1999, their spotlights had grown even brighter following their Fully Loaded Strap Match to determine the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship, but it was their rivalry from the previous year that really foreshadowed the future.

This epic feud over the Intercontinental Championship during the Summer of '98 was one of the hottest programs of the year, culminating in their legendary Ladder Match at SummerSlam.

This match stole the show that night at Madison Square Garden and it prepared each man for their future in the main event, as well as providing the second chapter in their storied rivalry.

By SummerSlam 2000, The Rock and Triple H were carrying the company during its hottest period ever, battling for the WWE Championship in the main event of 6 out of the previous 7 WWE PPVs.

The future that had been teased the night of SummerSlam '98, in which Hunter and Rock were standing front-and-center as WWE's top stars, had finally come.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.