100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)

Being brutally honest, the main attraction at SummerSlam 1998 was a bit of a letdown. Steve Austin and The Undertaker were epic individually and had countless great matches against many others, but the pair never had chemistry as opponents. They were also right up against it after Triple H and The Rock blew the roof off Madison Square Garden in the sub-main event slot.

Their ladder match for the Intercontinental Title was an attempt to better what Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon had achieved approx four years earlier in the same building at WrestleMania X. They wouldn't, at least not in the minds of many, but Rock and Hunter put on a show that got ultra-physical (they both took licks from ladders) and pretty much set the scene for this combo to headline numerous pay-per-views in years to come.

The IC belt was a star-maker here, that's for sure.

It's a major compliment to both dudes that they would’ve been a way better finale than Austin vs. 'Taker on the night. MSG greeted the headliners like the stars they were, obviously, but their nuts n' bolts bout couldn't heighten the drama any further. Triple H seizing the Intercontinental belt and being aided by a Chyna low blow had the Garden at a fever pitch.

There are slightly superior ladder matches in WWE history (they're further up the rankings), but that shouldn't take away from what Trips and Rocky did together in August '98. They'd come a long, long way since a heat-less match for the same strap in February 1997, and even better things would come soon.