10 BEST WWE SUMMERSLAM MATCHES OF ALL TIME

Jan 29, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; AJ Styles during the Royal Rumble The Dome at America's Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

WWE SummerSlam is right around the corner, and while there are a handful of matches on the card this year that could be fantastic, it’s going to take a lot to crack into the true all-time great category. Since 1988, there have been some true classics at SummerSlam across many different eras, so we’re going to run down the best matches in SummerSlam history.

10. Brock Lesnar(c) vs Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe – Universal Championship – SummerSlam 2017

Sometimes wrestling is just about watching a really entertaining car crash, and that’s exactly what this match was. This match is 20 minutes long, but it really doesn’t feel like it, as the four powerhouses featured here go all-out with the action and don’t let up for even a second. This was the peak of Strowman’s popularity in WWE too, and it features his classic carnage, whether he’s slamming Brock through the announce table and then burying him under the other announce table, or just launching a commentary chair right into Samoa Joe’s face; it is a tonne of fun.

9. John Cena(c) vs Cody Rhodes – WWE Championship – SummerSlam 2025

After the truly awful match between these two at WrestleMania 41, it’s fair to say expectations were low for this SummerSlam rematch, but in the end, these two blew us away in what is arguably the best match of John Cena’s retirement year. While there is some weirdness surrounding the sudden and complete dismissal of Cena’s heel turn right before the match, the action is so much fun to watch.

8. Bianca Belair(c) vs Becky Lynch – Raw Women’s Championship – SummerSlam 2022

This is another match that has the smell of redemption about it. The year before Becky Lynch had returned and beaten Bianca in 26 seconds in a move that everyone hated. Eventually it came back around, and the two had a barnburner at WrestleMania 38, and followed it up that summer with a similarly excellent opener. It was also a great statement to make, as this was the first major show following Vince McMahon’s exit from the company and Triple H taking over creative.

7. John Cena(c) vs Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship – SummerSlam 2013

One of the surprising things about SummerSlam is just how much John Cena loses there. He has one of the worst SummerSlam win-loss records ever, and this is arguably his most impactful loss at the event.

Daniel Bryan was the big star everyone wanted to break through, and on this night, Cena helped put him over in the biggest way possible, as the pair showcased how Bryan’s indie-rific style can mesh with the WWE main event style to create absolute magic, especially when the crowd is desperately hoping for the underdog to win.

While WWE never intended for this to be the start of Bryan’s rise to the WrestleMania 30 main event (no matter what Road Dogg says), we can look back on it now as a truly special moment.

6. Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio – SummerSlam 2002

If you need a match to put you on the map – as Mysterio did in his WWE pay-per-view debut – Kurt Angle is one of the best people you can have it against. This match is pure magic as these two bring fast-paced action. It’s an awful lot shorter than you probably remember, at just over 9 minutes, but Rey’s luchalibre mixes perfectly with Angle’s more technical style to create a match that is remembered more than two decades later.

5. Bret Hart(c) vs The British Bulldog – SummerSlam 1992

When it comes to iconic historical moments, there is perhaps no match on this list that tops it, though it loses points for one of the most memorable things about it being the fact that the British Bulldog was so out of it that he couldn’t remember the match at all. However, despite that, the excellence of execution led Bulldog through an all-time great match in front of one of WWE’s biggest crowds ever at Wembley Stadium, all culminating in the big win for the hometown Brit.

4. CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar – No Holds Barred – SummerSlam 2013

SummerSlam 2013 may be remembered as a two-match show (as there’s really nothing else on it worth going back to); however, what a pair of matches they are, and a great encapsulation of this era in WWE. In perhaps CM Punk’s last great match before he’d leave WWE for a decade, him and Brock Lesnar went all-out in a way that Brock doesn’t often do. Punk is the perfect ragdoll for Lesnar to throw around, but mounts a compelling comeback all the same, even if he doesn’t ultimately get the win.

3. Edge & Christian(c) vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz WWF Tag Team Championships – TLC – SummerSlam 2000

The Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match is one of WWE’s more chaotic innovations. This right here was the very first, and they kicked it off in extremely memorable fashion. Much like the first ladder match several years earlier, this featured some incredible spots for the very first time that we almost take for granted today, featuring the very best of WWE’s extremely strong 2000s tag division in the best way possible.

2. Bret Hart(c) vs Owen Hart – WWF Championship – Steel Cage – SummerSlam 1994

Brother vs brother matches don’t have the best reputation in WWE. The Hardys and the Usos never really delivered, but WWE will keep trying them for one very good reason, and that’s Owen and Bret. Whenever these two got in the ring together, it was absolute magic. These two had already had an incredible clash in the opening match of WrestleMania 10, but they arguably one-upped themselves inside the Steel Cage here.

1. John Cena vs AJ Styles – SummerSlam 2016

Making the careers of fan-favourites at SummerSlam is a strange running theme of John Cena’s. We covered Daniel Bryan earlier; he also lost to CM Punk in a great match in 2011, but AJ Styles in 2016 is perhaps the one fans are most grateful for. As Styles himself has said, Vince McMahon brought him in to be a mid-card talent in the company, but it was his work with Cena that put him over the top.

This is arguably Cena’s best in-ring performance ever, and Styles does what he does best to put himself on the map, notching a huge win that would propel Mr TNA to become WWE Champion just one month later.

- Ryan Woodrow

BZRICK LESNRR'S IMMEDIATE REACTION TO HUMILIATING INCIDENT ON WWE SMACKDOWN

Brock Lesnar suffers a humiliating wardrobe malfunction on WWE SmackDown.

Brock Lesnar kicked off the September 12th episode of SmackDown in Norfolk. However, before he could hype up his upcoming match against John Cena, R-Truth interrupted.

The duo soon engaged in a war of words before Lesnar picked up and dropped Truth with an F-5. Unfortunately, while doing so, fans across the globe witnessed Lesnar suffer an embarrassing situation.

Similar to his 2023 SummerSlam incident, Lesnar again ripped his pants, revealing his innerwear. However, instead of getting embarrassed or shying away, The Beast Incarnate played it off and showcased a humorous reaction.

Flaunting his buttocks and exposed trunks in the ring, Lesnar later walked up to the gorilla position before yelling,

“F*ck it Stu, I ripped my pants. Blue underwear!”

The moment soon went viral on the internet, even drawing comparisons to the popular SpongeBob meme where he looks behind to see his exposed trunks.

Lesnar is now scheduled to face John Cena at WrestlePalooza next week.

Chris Jericho Reflects On His Intense Moment With Brock Lesnar

A few years ago, at SummerSlam 2016, Brock Lesnar faced off against Randy Orton. However, the match ended violently when Orton was left in a pool of blood by Lesnar.

Later, backstage in the locker room, Lesnar shared an intense moment with Jericho, when the former AEW World Champion confronted Lesnar about his heinous attack on Orton. A couple of years back, during his interview with The Pain Game, Jericho reflected on that moment.

“He was hitting him (Randy Orton) with the elbows. I was just like if this is real, it’s bullsh*t, if it’s being called, it’s still bullsh*t. He’s taking liberties and it pissed me off and I was in Gorilla and I was f*cking angry about it and Brock came through and he saw me angry about it and decided he wanted to come challenge me.

And we got into a little bit of an issue and I was like f*ck this guy I don’t give a sh*t how big he is, like I don’t f*cking care, it’s f*cking wrong and I will fight to the death if I will stand up for what I believe in, to the death and I remember being like literally nose to nose with the guy and he’s laughing and he’s like you know he was actually saying things that would probably get him cancelled.”

 - Shounak Chakrabarti

INSANE JOHN CENA STAT EMERGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN

 

Jaw-Dropping John Cena record surfaces following WWE SmackDown.

One of the rivalries John Cena renewed in his Farewell Tour is his one with CM Punk. Shades of their previous 2011 feud are present in the current version. In a recent WWE SmackDown episode, history did not just repeat itself, but was reinvented when The Cenation Leader fought R-Truth, followed by the presence of The Best in the World.

In 2011, R-Truth and John Cena had a tables match, which resulted in the former winning after CM Punk interfered. This then led to the infamous Pipebomb promo with The Cenation Leader laid out in the ring on top of a table.

On this week’s WWE SmackDown, Truth won against Cena via disqualification after the champion attacked him with the title. Following this, John also fended off an attack from Punk before putting him through a table and delivering his own “Pipebomb.”

John Cena and CM Punk are set to face off at the upcoming Night of Champions premium live event on June 28, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

John Cena Mentions Former WWE Stars On His Pipebomb Promo Against CM Punk On SmackDown

John Cena didn’t hold back on his own version of his pipebomb promo against his Night of Champions rival. The Last Real Champion said that CM Punk wasn’t The Best in the World, but instead was the “biggest bullsh****er of all time.”

John added that Punk doesn’t have any friends in the Stamford-based promotion since he doesn’t get along well with people in the locker room, called Punk a capitalist and a millionaire despite referring to himself as The Voice of the Voiceless, and even called the challenger “Mr. TKO.”

However, what got fans going is when John Cena mentioned several former WWE Superstars, Claudio Castagnoli (FKA Cesaro), Nic Nemeth (FKA Dolph Ziggler), and Matt Cardona (FKA Zack Ryder).

- Hazel Pagador

JOHN CENA PAYS TRIBUTE TO R-TRUTH

 

On Sunday, R-Truth made the unfortunate announcement that he was being released by WWE. The move came as a shock to everyone, as Truth had been considered a “lifer” by many. He had been with WWE for the past 17 years, and also had another run in the company from 1999 to 2001, with a successful run in TNA in-between then.

Many of R-Truth’s peers, including Rhea Ripley and Kevin Owens, shared their support for Truth after they heard the news about his WWE departure. Another very important figure in Truth’s career, John Cena, also acknowledged Truth’s status by posting a message on his Instagram account. Normally, Cena shares “cryptic” images without captions, which he says is a chance for the fans to interpret themselves. However, it doesn’t seem like anything is up for debate here:.

John Cena and R-Truth recently worked together

John Cena was R-Truth’s final opponent in WWE. The pair wrestled each other at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 24. Truth had a long-running bit where he referred to Cena as his “childhood hero.” This was despite being five years older than the current WWE Champion. (An in-character) John Cena said acknowledged that this didn’t make any sense, either.

Truth was disappointed in his hero’s recent heel turn, and said he might not be successful, but wanted to try and bring back the Cena everyone knew and loved. For the match, R-Truth adopted a “babyface” Cena look, changing his name to “Ron Cena” for the night.

 - BILL PRITCHARD

RANDY ORTON'S TWEET ABOUT JOHN CENA! | 👀

 

LOGAN PAUL SHARES DETAILS

John Cena roasted Logan Paul after the star became a record-setting 17-time World Champion at Wrestlemania 41.

Both WWE stars had nights to remember in Las Vegas, with Logan Paul defeating AJ Styles and John Cena beating Cody Rhodes.

John Cena and Logan Paul have history, with the new WWE Champion dumping The Maverick out of the 2025 Royal Rumble.

Paul has suggested things are still tense between the pair as Cena fired shots at the social media star backstage at Wrestlemania 41.

Photo by Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images

John Cena roasts Logan Paul backstage at Wrestlemania 41

Paul revealed details of two backstage moments with Cena at Wrestlemania 41 and neither see the 17-time champion act too kindly with The Maverick.

“You know what John Cena said to me after my match—well, earlier in the day, because I just turned 30? He said, ‘You look older,'” said Paul.

After Cena won the WWE Championship and became the 17-time World Champion, Paul claims Cena told him: “Now that’s how a bad guy works.”

Cena and Paul also met inside the Elimination Chamber match on March 1, which The Champ won to set up a match with Cody Rhodes at Mania.

John Cena praises Logan Paul despite Wrestlemania dispute

Despite their clash backstage at Wrestlemania 41, Cena praised The Maverick for his match against AJ Styles.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on April 21, Cena said: “Logan Paul, he’s a stud. I texted him right away after his match, ‘Dude, you are innovative.’

“From his entrance to holding a drone to thinking on another level, ‘I’m going to swing big and try something different.’

“I thought that was dope. His performance, he’s doing stuff that I couldn’t do at peak physical condition.”

There’s every chance Cena and Paul could meet during the star’s WWE retirement tour, which will next see him face Randy Orton at Backlash.

- Liam McMillen

THE ROCK ADDRESSES WWE WRESTLEMANIA ABSENCE

EPA

The Rock appeared on the Pat McAfee Show today to discuss this past weekend's WWE WrestleMania 41, where John Cena beat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title in the main event of night 2. Leading up to WWE Elimination Chamber, the wrestling world was captivated by The Rock's return to WWE television, where he directly addressed Cody Rhodes with a cryptic offer for his "soul."

At Elimination Chamber, Rhodes ultimately declined The Rock's offer. Cena then turned heel and betrayed Rhodes, aligning himself with The Rock and setting the stage for a WrestleMania 41 showdown for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The Rock was notably absent from WWE television in the weeks leading up to the event and did not make an appearance at WrestleMania 41 itself. He got a call about a month before Elimination Chamber from TKO CEO Ari Emanuel about appearing at Elimination Chamber.

The Rock further elaborated on the decision to have Cena turn heel, revealing that the idea came from Triple H. "As we got closer to Elimination Chamber, we were kicking ideas around, myself and Triple H, Nick, my team. Triple H said, 'What about John turning?' I said, 'I love it.' The next question is talking to John and see how he feels about it. John loved the idea of turning heel, but he said there is an anchor that he was going to root it in, which was a real thing he's experienced over the past 25 years.

When we were moving forward with John and this idea that we would crown him at 17 and being a heel champion, I knew then, the best thing for the Final Boss, we've established this idea of Cody's soul, we can always come back to it. I did feel, and I made the call, 'I don't want to be involved in that. "

"Let the Final Boss step back into the shadows. Let all the spotlight go to John and Cody. Let's not make it about Cody's soul or John's soul. Let's let them do what they do.' I called John after Elimination Chamber, called Cody, and I said, 'I think the Final Boss' work is done. We've established it. We just pulled off the greatest angle i the history of professional wrestling,' other than Hulk Hogan turning heel. We have six weeks, now let's build. You guys go and crush it. I'll be right there with you and I'm always here if you need me, but I think it's best for the Final Boss not to be involved in that finish."

The Rock explained that he intended to create a compelling narrative that would draw fans to Elimination Chamber and set up a significant WrestleMania main event. Once Cena's heel turn and the championship match against Rhodes were established, The Rock felt his immediate role in the storyline was complete, allowing the focus to shift to the champion versus challenger dynamic.

The Rock indicated that while he appreciates the fans' desire to see him, there's a flip side to the coin of him appearing. He also wanted to be mindful of not overshadowing the central storyline between Cena and Rhodes.

"No, they don't have to say anything like that to me," Rock stated (H/T to Fightful for the transcription). "They know, when I come to them and lay this out, 'Here's how I feel it should go. We can insert Final Boss into the end of this finish, but then where do we go?' There are other commitments that I have and I want to be careful that we're not overstepping. I can get involved in the finish, but why get involved in the finish when the spotlight should just be on John, 17, heel champion? What does 2025 look like if this man is saying he's going to ruin pro wrestling?

That, to me, is the anchoring storyline. It's not soul....right now it's not, but we'll go back to it. I was surprised to see Travis Scott as well, and the moment I saw Travis, it immediately amplified, 'Here comes the Final Boss.' They were waiting. I love John Cena, heel champion, the GOAT says he's going to ruin wrestling. Some parts of it, I would have just adjusted," The Rock concluded.

- Andrew Ravens‎

JOHN CENA MAKES WWE HISTORY AT WRESTLEMANIA

Getty Images 

John Cena has won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania for a record-breaking 17th time.

The wrestler, who announced he was going to retire at the end of 2025, has won more titles than anyone in WWE history, overtaking Ric Flair.

Cena beat Cody Rhodes with a bit of help from rapper Travis Scott at the 41st WrestleMania near Las Vegas, USA, this weekend.

John Cena who announced his retirement in July last year, has not been wasting his last months on the circuit.

He shocked fans with a 'heel turn' at the beginning of March ahead of his two UK appearances in Glasgow and London.

With 30 appearances planned in total before his retirement in December, WrestleMania, Vegas is the biggest.

As well as the thousands of fans watching from inside the arena, it was the first time WrestleMania has been shown live on Netflix.

This gave 300 million people a chance to watch as part of their subscription to the streaming platform.

What else happened at WrestleMania?

Becky Lynch made a triumphant return

Wrestlemania also saw a triumphant return for Becky Lynch, who hasn't wrestled since May 2024.

The former world champion stepped in as a tag partner for Lyra Valkyria.

The two won the Women's Tag Team Championships.

Seth Rollins seemed to form an alliance with Paul Heyman as the two defeated Roman Reigns and CM Punk on Saturday night.

And popular wrestler Jey Uso, also won his first ever title, the World Heavyweight Championship.

- CBBC