10 Best WWE SummerSlams Ever - According To Dave Meltzer
1. SummerSlam 2002 (3.44)
A near-perfect wrestling pay-per-view, SummerSlam 2002 not only bags the title as Dave Meltzer's best ever August classic, but comfortably ranks amongst WWE's all-time greats.
Kurt Angle's frenetic opener with Rey Mysterio remains perhaps the best WWE curtain-raiser not to include a Hart brother, Brock Lesnar's ascent to the company's summit in the main event remains a highlight as much thanks to the selflessness of burgeoning Hollywood megastar The Rock as much as anything 'The Beast' himself does in the match.
But nothing on the show collates the pathos, brutality and psychology of Shawn Michaels' incomparable return against real life best friend and storyline arch nemesis Triple H.
The 'Unsanctioned Street Fight' between the two had been built around 'The Game's cynical jealously around his more talented friend's potential return. Sabotaging a D-Generation-X reunion in angry retribution for being made to play second fiddle, Hunter then smashed Michaels through a car window to lead to the equally grisly clash.
Centred around the fragility of Shawn's back, every single bump or bruise inflicted on the area counted double, even treble, sold with predictable aplomb by the master of his craft.
Initially intended as a one-off, the return felt too good to be true for all involved, and a year later, Michaels was back in the mix as a regular, the echoes of this fabled display still ringing in the ears of his contemporaries.