10 Best WWE Title Matches In SummerSlam History

2. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RYBTP6JblE Who would have ever thought that Daniel Bryan would go from competing in stupid challenges on NXT to challenging for the WWE Championship in the main event of SummerSlam and WrestleMania? His rise to the top has been interesting for sure, but if his €œYES!€ chants have been any indication, Bryan isn't one to take €œno€ for an answer. After headlining WrestleMania 28 for the World Heavyweight Championship, Bryan joined the tag team ranks when he formed an alliance with Kane in late 2012. He turned his impromptu pairing with Kane into comedy gold, holding the WWE Tag Team Championships for a whopping eight months. However, it got to a certain point where it was obvious that Bryan was ready to shine as a singles star. After dropping the straps to The Shield at Extreme Rules, Bryan broke off on his own and announced his aspirations to become WWE champion. While he failed to win the Money in the Bank briefcase in July, he was handpicked by then-WWE champion John Cena to be his opponent at SummerSlam. The build behind the bout focused on Bryan not being seen as the McMahons' ideal face of the company but Bryan remaining adamant on not changing his look. Despite the McMahons' involvement in the storyline, Bryan vs. Cena was still shaping up to be one of the most blockbuster bouts in ages. Similar to SummerSlam 2011, Triple H put himself in the role of special guest referee for the match. Cena and Bryan had clashed in singles competition only one other time on WWE TV before, so it felt like a fresh match to have in the main event of SummerSlam. Despite their lack of familiarity with each other, Bryan and Cena contested an excellent match with both competitors shining throughout. Despite Cena's best attempts to put Bryan away, the bearded wonder refused to give up. After a running knee to the skull of Cena, Bryan scored the surprisingly clean victory, much to the joy of the crowd in the Staples Center that evening. Before Bryan could celebrate with his newly won championship belt, Triple H betrayed Bryan and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract to put an abrupt end to Bryan's reign as champion. It was a shocking turn of events that closed out of the greatest SummerSlams in history.