10 Best WWE SummerSlam Moments Of The 90s
4. Bret Hart Makes History
The Bret Hart vs. Undertaker WWE Championship match from SummerSlam '97 may be the most underrated match in WWE history in terms of its importance to the promotion.
SummerSlam '97 was, in nearly every way imaginable, promoted as the biggest event of the year with the main event anchoring it all, and boy did it deliver.
Just look at all the things that came to be as a result of the main event. It would take an entire article to detail all of the ramifications, but to name some of the major developments...
Aside from the titanic dream match of Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker, the contest featured the first Shawn Michaels guest referee gig and stipulations that threatened both Bret's and Shawn's stateside pro-wrestling careers. The in-ring featured a number of shocking moments, including the fantastically booked finish, but perhaps none greater than The Undertaker becoming the first and only superstar in WWE history to ever have broken Bret Hart's Sharpshooter.
Post-match, in addition to Bret's historical winning of the WWE Championship for a fifth time, the outcome of this match ultimately lead to the beginning of a Shawn Michaels heel turn and his classic first program with The Undertaker, the formation of D-Generation X, the introduction of Hell In A Cell, the debut of Kane and, of course, the final chapter of the Bret/Shawn rivalry at the 1997 Survivor Series.
It was the final SummerSlam appearance for Mr. SummerSlam himself, Bret Hart and, to this day, it may very well be the biggest main event in SummerSlam history.