World titles in wrestling change hand these days much more frequently than when Summerslam was rolled out in 1988, but that isn't necessarily the case for the event itself. Excluding Money in the Bank cash-ins, which have seen two title changes at Summerslam, only 4 new WWE champions have been crowned during the first 26 installments of Summerslam. Daniel Bryan's short-lived title reign began at Summerslam 2013, when he defeated John Cena, but was quickly unseated by Money in the Bank briefcase holder Randy Orton. This was the first new WWE champion that the event would see in well over a decade, when Brock Lesnar was able to beat the Rock for his first-ever reign. Bret Hart in 1997 and Mankind in 1999 were also able to manage title victories at Summerslam, although Mankind faced a similar fate as Daniel Bryan, losing the title the next night to Triple H. On the contrary, the WWE Intercontinental title has changed hands 13 times at Summerslam, with all of them taking place over the first 21 events.
Sean Ross Sapp, 28, is a convergent media major at Morehead State University, and a news/feature writer for RantSports and WhatCulture. Before taking a managerial role for the Kraken Fight Team, Sapp was a two-time submission wrestling medalist in the region. He is also a contributor to Bill Apter's 1Wrestling.com, and an editor for Cage Passion Sports. He has also published over 300 articles for Fansided. You can contact Sean Ross Sapp for news tips and radio appearances at SeanRossSapp@gmail.com
