10 Greatest Superstars In WWE SummerSlam History
6. Hulk Hogan
There would be no SummerSlam without Hulk Hogan.
Love him or hate him, The Hulkster's immense popularity during the late 1980s allowed Vince McMahon to test the pay-per-view market with the inaugural SummerSlam event way back in 1988. On that night, Hogan partnered with 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and defeated 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant in a blockbuster tag team main event.
Hogan would be at the heart of the promotion, publicity, and success of the event's early days.
Whether he was teaming with Brutus Beefcake to battle Savage and evil movie villain Zeus or seeking vengeance against Earthquake for a sneak attack that nearly ended his career, Hogan convinced fans to invest both emotionally and financially in the event's growth and evolution.
In 2005, he returned to the stage he helped construct for a showdown with Shawn Michaels. Riding a wave of momentum, and answering questions about his ability to deliver in the big-match situation, he turned back the clock and delivered a fantastic performance against the best wrestler on the planet.
There will be those who point to the lack of historical significance of Hogan's early SummerSlam matches as reason for his spot on this countdown being suspect but without his influence, the event would not exist.