Ranking The 26 WWE SummerSlam Main Events From Worst To Best

21. Team WWE vs. The Nexus - SummerSlam 2010

For one fleeting moment, it looked like WWE had figured out a clever way to redo the nWo invasion storyline in a fresh way, using rookies from its farm system to €œtake over€ the company. Then John Cena went and killed it dead in an instant. The seven Nexus rookies squared off against seven WWE superstars in an elimination match that had the potential to boost the rookies (or at least some of them) to new heights in one evening. While the match itself was fine, the ending €“ Cena overcoming the odds to win €“ deflated the entire angle. Edge and Chris Jericho, who were both on Team WWE, have discussed via podcast how Cena changed the ending from a Nexus win to a Cena victory (and how Cena later admitted he was wrong), so there€™s no sense in reliving it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owxzRRhnGaU But for the poor booking decision alone, this deserves to be in the bottom third of SummerSlam main events, match quality be damned.

20. Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Rick Rude (Steel Cage Match For WWE Championship) - SummerSlam 1990

This would be Ultimate Warrior€™s first PPV match after winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania VI. The poor guy had to contend with Hulk Hogan still wrestling on the card against Earthquake, so Warrior still was in the red and yellow shadow. At least he was in the ring with a capable opponent in Rick Rude. Rude had defeated Warrior for the Intercontinental Championship a year earlier, so not only was there backstory, it was plausible that the Ravishing One could beat Warrior in the cage match. Of course, that wasn€™t to happen, and Warrior would continue on as champ until Royal Rumble, when Sgt. Slaughter would derail his reign.