20. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena - WWE Title (Summerslam)
While it should not be mistaken as the groundbreaking piece of work that some have suggested - it was essentially the same match from Extreme Rules 2012 with a different outcome - it was a memorable continuation of the "Rebuild Brock Lesnar Project" that began back at Mania XXX when the Beast Incarnate ended Undertaker's Streak. Paul Heyman promised a mauling and a title change and that is exactly what we got. As per usual, there has been consistent division over the historic nature of this John Cena bout. Some think it will be remembered as a missed opportunity for Cena to become more vulnerable, while others believe it will be regarded as one of the most one-sided main-events in modern lore. To add a layer of gray to that black and white thought-process, it may not be all that memorable at all beyond the next several months. Time will tell.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
