10 WWE SummerSlam Hidden Gems You Need To Check Out

2. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle (2002)

By far the best opening match in WWE SummerSlam history, Rey Mysterio announced himself with this performance. Incredibly, Vince McMahon had been more interested in making the masked man the focal point of a revived Cruiserweight division in 2002. This is the bout that changed his mind, and helped launch Rey further up the WWE totem pole. It's important not to discount the role Kurt Angle played at SummerSlam 2002. Angle rightly treated his smaller opponent like an equal, and fans subsequently jumped right out of their seats. Going just shy of the 10-minute mark, Angle and Mysterio worked at a breakneck pace. Back then, Mysterio was a much more agile worker than he is now. Injuries have slowed him down remarkably, but in '02, the man was on fire. Kurt Angle was the perfect man to help enhance Mysterio's reputation. Straight away, the Mexican star dazzled everybody, and really came across as exciting. Angle may have won the match, but it was the fans who were the real winners. Not enough people discuss this match, and a younger generation deserve to see it.