25 Greatest WWE SummerSlam Matches EVER

14. Ravishing Rick Rude Vs The Ultimate Warrior (SummerSlam 1989)

Rick Rude Ultimate Warrior SummerSlam 1989
WWE.com

Before Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage redefined what could be achieved in an Ultimate Warrior match, Ravishing Rick Rude was the gold standard for quality contests with the maniacal superstar.

The opening sequence saw a rerun of the typical Warrior brutality, with Ravishing Rick selling majestically for the powerhouse assault. Rude withstood the abuse just enough attack his opponent's lower back and slow the pace down to something resembling an actual wrestling match. Though degradation of a body part rarely came into Warrior's work, Rude's onslaught with a camel clutch added to the tension and gave the challenger ample time to rest and recuperate for the big finale.

Genuinely (and perhaps unexpectedly) in control, Rude got arrogant. Allowing himself to be distracted by Rowdy Roddy Piper, he took one final massive bump off a Warrior german suplex. before being decimated with the usual finishing flurry in the aftermath. Never had Warrior worked so hard for a title that commanded such commitment.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.