WWE: 5 Best SummerSlam Gimmick Matches Of All Time

2. Shawn Michaels Vs. Razor Ramon - Ladder Match (1995)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meARYZIsJuE A common name throughout this article is Shawn Michaels and it€™s little wonder why. Not only was the Heart Break Kid arguably the greatest in ring performer in WWE history, but also the king of the gimmick match. Hell, he competed in the first ever Ladder, Hell In A Cell and Elimination Chamber matches so it€™s not surprising that he more than anyone else would feature on this list. His first ladder match had come against Bret Hart, and it€™s no secret that Bret had introduced the idea to the WWF for himself to use on a big stage. It€™s also no secret that Shawn, who was also part of that first €˜test€™ ladder match was able to get in with it first on the big stage against Razor Ramon at Wrestlemania X at Madison Square Garden. Unlike how WWE runs things these days where they milk the hell out of everything (we get Brock Lesnar vs Triple H three times in nine months) back in the days before monthly pay per views the WWF allowed more than a year to pass before we saw Michaels-Ramon II. Things were now somewhat different with Michaels now a face and also the legit Intercontinental Champion whereas in the original match we had a similar situation to what we had between John Cena and CM Punk a couple of years ago where we had two men both claiming to be champion. Now there€™s no question that new viewers watching this match these days perhaps wouldn€™t get quite how good it was for its time. Whereas today you€™d expect at least half a dozen high spots off the top of the ladder within the opening eight minutes of the match, this match type was still new with the play book still being written. The idea of there being several teases of who will get the ladder before anyone actually touches it was enough to work the crowd up into a frenzy back in 95. You could say it€™s that old adage of less is more, and maybe some of today€™s locker room would benefit from greater work of the psychology aspect of a ladder match as well as the high spots. Unlike the first ladder match between the two, victory came for Michaels this time with a edge of the seat ending as HBK seemingly couldn€™t get the job done. Three consecutive attempts were required by HBK to climb the ladder and successfully retrieve the belt. The first alongside Razor, but after a failed attempt at a Razors edge things looked wide open for Michaels to claim victory. This wasn€™t quite to be as Mr Wrestlemania genuinely struggled to get the championship off the hook on his next attempt before finally getting it just as The Bad Guy (who must have been wondering how the match was still going) was just climbing up ringside.