Ranking The 26 WWE SummerSlam Main Events From Worst To Best

7. Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Vader (WWE Championship) - SummerSlam 1996

While it isn€™t Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio, the 1996 SummerSlam main event followed the big man vs. little man playbook to great effect. Shawn Michaels had to use his quickness to counter Vader€™s brute force, but he also had to contend with Vader€™s speed and agility. For a 450-pound man, Vader moved quite well. The match see-sawed for about 12 minutes until Vader seemingly won via countout. But seeing how the title doesn€™t change hands on a countout, Jim Cornette demanded a restart. Michaels then used Cornette€™s tennis racket and got disqualified, but against Cornette pleaded for the match to continue. The two exchanged and kicked out of each other€™s finishers, but Vader got cute and missed a moonsault. Michaels€™ moonsault press connected, however, and that was the difference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Qg9BOMx5U The backstory here is that Vader originally was booked to win here, but Michaels had a meltdown, leading to the two false finishes. It€™s a shame, as Vader would soon slide down the card and fade out of WWF within two years, having never tasted gold in the company.

6. The Undertaker vs. Edge (Hell In A Cell) - SummerSlam 2008

It wasn€™t all that long ago that Undertaker was more than just a special attraction at WrestleMania. Several years ago, he was putting on some quality matches at PPVs not held in 60,000-seat arenas. Witness 2008 SummerSlam€™s Hell in a Cell against Edge. The Rated-R Superstar and the Deadman engaged in a fierce battle that also involved tables, ladders and chairs €“ and given Edge€™s participation in the match, is it really a surprise? They beat each other down using everything at their disposal, including a camera, only for Taker to spear Edge, hit a con-chair-to and end the match with a Tombstone Piledriver. Now that is how to definitively win a feud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVWWQfs_CTA Unfortunately, that wasn€™t quite the end, as Undertaker decided to chokeslam Edge off a ladder and through the ring. Taker then used his supernatural powers to cause fire to burst from the hole in the ring, taking away from the seriousness of the victory and causing fans to focus more on the campy nature of the PPV€™s end. At least Edge wasn€™t burned by the fire. Kane already had the market cornered on that gimmick.