10 Best WWE SummerSlam Openers

Mick Foley and Triple H would have a couple of classic matches in early 2000. Their Street Fight at the Royal Rumble and Hell in a Cell clash the following month at No Way Out are two of the finest matches from either man's careers, no mean feat when you consider their impressive resumes.

In 1997, Hunter Hearst Helmsley was still a Greenwich Snob and not yet The Game, while Mankind was on his way into temporarily transitioning into Dude Love and Cactus Jack, though he had a series of fantastic matches with The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels to his credit.

The two opened up SummerSlam that year, with the deranged masked man taking it to the King of the Ring winner inside the old, decidedly less forgiving blue bar steel cage. Working in Triple H's favour was the fact that Chyna was situated just outside the steel structure, and she got involved on a number of occasions.

A good match filled with tight psychology, this one is mostly remembered for a couple of breathtaking big moves, like a Triple H superplex from the top of the cage and Foley's suicidal flying elbow, a tribute to Snuka's infamous 80s leap from MSG. In the end, The Ninth Wonder of the World was neutralised long enough for Mankind to escape the cage and pick up the win.

A good start for what would turn out to be a rather subpar show overall.