WWE SummerSlam 2002: 5 Awesome Things And 5 Things That Sucked

1. Shawn Michaels And Triple H Had A Classic Brawl

Real emotion is hard to find in wrestling sometimes. We are so used to seeing so many fake things happening that we don't really get emotionally invested in what we're watching. In the case of Michaels vs. Triple H at SummerSlam, it felt like it was one of those special kind of matches because of the way they told that story. Michaels was the returning hero in his first match in over four years and Hunter had just turned heel after it was revealed that he had attacked Michaels. It seemed like every time Michaels took a back bump the crowd would gasp because they didn't know if he was going to be okay. The man had back surgery. It was very serious. The announcers drove that point home all night long too. When he grabbed his back was he selling or did it really hurt him? A lot of the time we had no idea. A win for Michaels made a lot of sense for the story because he was the babyface that got attacked by his best friend. However, Hunter was a performer that was booked so strongly that it was hard to see Michaels getting the win. If Michaels lost in a close match it would have been fine, but this is one of those matches that needed a win. That's what happened as Michaels countered a Pedigree attempt and used his back to cover Hunter for the decisive win. The reaction to the win was magical. It's because it felt real. That's how good they were at telling this story. The post match angle with Hunter attacking Michaels with the sledgehammer was a smart way to add to the heat. It also allowed Michaels to stay out of the ring for three months until he returned at Survivor Series 2002.