Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Worst SummerSlams of All-Time

With the event around the corner, Mishal lists out his 5 WORST SummerSlams ever! Do you agree with his rankings?

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2020

Last week I took a dive into the very best that ”The Biggest Party of the Summer” had to offer, the very best shows in the events long, storied chronology that have created a vast number of incredible moments, matches, future superstars & events that I find myself revisiting more often than most.

But that was last week, that was the positive side of any aspect of professional wrestling. That was when things were at their very best, with everything coming together how most fans wish they would. When professional wrestling gets it right, it’s a beautiful sight to behold to either the casual or hardcore fanbase because it satisfies every desire a fan has when it comes to this form of entertainment. The storytelling is on point, the action is crisp & every wrestler on the card regardless of status has a moment to shine in the spotlight.

Sadly, like anything else in this world, that just isn’t always a reality.

Wrestling has its bad days, and SummerSlam is certainly no stranger to these days like any other show you can come up with in your head.

While it is generally marketed & promoted as the 2nd biggest annual event only to WrestleMania on a yearly basis, the show isn’t without its blunders, sometimes its flat-out misfires. Not every event has the capability to live up to the hype it exudes during its build-up, and today we’ll take a different perspective on WWE’s 2nd largest annual event, focusing on the times SummerSlam failed to live up to expectation.

(Dis)Honourable Mentions

SummerSlam 1997 – Widely remembered for being the infamous night that Steve Austin broke his neck as a result of a botched piledriver from Owen Hart, it’s a shame that this event historically, will rarely crawl away from such a dreaded moment. While the epic, near 30-minute main event between Undertaker & Bret Hart is just as good as it sounds, nothing else stands out due to the overall state of the product at the time. It’s the very definition of a one-match show.
SummerSlam 1993 – An Undertaker/Giant Gonzalez rematch, a main event ending in a count-out under absurd circumstances & only one truly memorable match on the card makes this a tough one to put below the top 5 spots. While the rest of the card obviously underwhelms, there’s nothing distinctly dreadful that drags it as low as some other entries on this list. The early to mid-90s were a rough time for WWE’s product as a whole, and this show, to me, began to show the cracks in the foundation that would develop in the coming years.
SummerSlam 2016 – The longest SummerSlam to date, and you feel every minute of it. Mauled by an overstuffed card, restless crowd, matches with questionable booking choices that sadly undermined the fairly solid action & a showing closing angle that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, the 2016 edition of SummerSlam was a perfect example of quantity over quality. Were in not for AJ Styles & John Cena putting on one of my favourite matches of the last number of years, this could easily slot itself at the higher points on this list.

5) SummerSlam 2006

I’ll never be able to make sense of WWE’s product in 2006. It was such a bizarre time for the product as a whole that it makes most shows over the course of that year feel too ‘out there’ to really invest in properly. With the resurgence of ECW, the return of DX, the rise of King Booker & Edge taking programming in directions we never saw coming, the whole year always feels like a blur to me. An awkward blend of the Attitude Era combined with a product in the midst of a big change with an ever-changing culture.

2006, feels just like that, a mish-mash of different eras of storytelling that never quite land.

Carried by an insane, over-the-top ‘I Quit’ match between Ric Flair and Mick Foley, as well as another excellent encounter between bitter rivals Edge & John Cena for the WWE Championship in the main event, the show left little else to truly standout beyond garnering cheap crowd reactions. At the very least the two matches I just mentioned had a backstory to them that provided them with some kind of tension or investment, which can’t be said for anything else.

At its core, this event was built around the reunion of D-Generation-X taking on Vince & Shane McMahon, and if you’re familiar with this feud at all you’ll know that if you had any doubt that the McMahons had a single chance of beating the rebellious duo in the main event, you were dead wrong. The match itself had its moments but always felt more like a prolonged comedic affair rather than a serious storyline, used more than anything to embarrass a plethora of potentially incredibly entertaining talent from both RAW & SmackDown (except The Spirit Squad, of course).

Elsewhere on the card, there was an ECW Championship match between The Big Show & Sabu which struggled due to the lack of believability behind it, King Booker & Batista displaying just how little chemistry they had in their World Heavyweight Championship match, Hulk Hogan wrestling Randy Orton in his final match on the WWE roster to date & Chavo Guerrero facing Rey Mysterio in a throwaway opening match. While I’d consider this more watchable than any of the upcoming picks on my list, this isn’t the company’s bright spot when it comes to SummerSlam events.

4) SummerSlam 1990

There isn’t a single match on the SummerSlam 1990 card that I would label as ‘good’, not a single one.

In fact, SummerSlam 1990 is a really solid example of a wrestling show that simply exists without any long-lasting impact or historical value, which is something no fan takes pride in saying. It’s an event packed with potential that consistently under-performs in all the key areas you need for a show like this to mean something.

None of this is to say the show was devoid of moments, as there were a few that elevates this out of the territory of being simply god awful, but almost everything this card offered is the kind of content you’d see on an average night of free television. The 2-out of-3 Falls Match is arguably the best on the card, while Hulk Hogan’s bout against Earthquake is far better than you’d think it is on paper (with the exception of the atrocious ending). But everything else simply exists. It’s all capped off by the main event that barely gets time to feel like a headline match, especially one inside the Steel Cage which was one of the pinnacle matches of that era, instead feeling like simple filler once it ends just above the 10-minute mark.

I wish I had more to say about SummerSlam 1990, but it’s just one of those shows that offer nothing of really critique or substance.

3) SummerSlam 2007

A year after the letdown that was the 2006 SummerSlam card we got this, an even bigger letdown than one would come to expect.

Essentially a one-match card slightly elevated by a ‘big fight feel’ main event between John Cena & Randy Orton, both on their way to the very peak of their careers at that point in time over the WWE Championship the rest of the show offered nothing substantial for an event with quite a lot at stake. The returns of both Triple H & Rey Mysterio were at the center of the show, while the rest of the card didn’t really have any kind of vibe that resembled ‘The Biggest Party of the Summer’ in anyway.

From a booking standpoint, the evening left a lot to be desired. Both return matches of Triple H & Rey Mysterio received inadequate timing against both King Booker & Chavo Guerrero, respectively, leaving their returns feeling mostly unsatisfying despite their lengthy layoffs. Other matches on the card such as a Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship, criminally short ECW Championship match, Kane facing Finlay in the opener & a Divas Battle Royal added nothing to a card already lacking in excitement outside of the main event.

Thankfully the main event itself was pretty solid, starting off a rivalry between Cena & Orton that would only end roughly two years after this event concluded. As far as SummerSlam’s go, I can’t think of an event that feels less like the hype that built up to it.

2) SummerSlam 1995

1995 is widely regarded by most fans as the worst year in the history of WWE. It was a year riddled with creative bankruptcy, departures from numerous talent, a product refusing to change with the culture around it & a roster that felt like it was stuck in the 1970s in terms of almost every aspect that comes with professional wrestling.

1995 embodies those sentiments, displaying the very worst of WWE as we know it.

If it weren’t for another phenomenal match between Shawn Michaels & Razor Ramon, a rematch from their WrestleMania match just a little over a year prior, this event would have been a disaster from top to bottom. Aside from that match, the card is amongst the worst you can find in terms of star power & booking.

Few events the company puts on feel this lifeless to me, boasting almost nothing of excitement outside a few moments that you’d notice upon your first viewing. Every match on here either falls flat, feels uninspired or is booked like a standard episode of RAW & nothing more, the very opposite of what this time of the year is meant to represent. Much like the product at the time, the event felt void of any motivation, creativity or anything to even try to excite the audience, capped off by one of the worst main events to any wrestling show I’ve come across. The headliner between Diesel & King Mabel, despite running under the 10-minute mark, is one of the most difficult to sit through that I can name, and thankfully marked the first & only time Mabel stepped foot near the main event scene.

Judging by my rhetoric this should easily be at the top of the list, but no, there is another.

1) SummerSlam 2010

Wrestling’s biggest ‘What if?’ show in my mind.

The build to this event had every WWE & wrestling fan pumped, from young to old. It was a show built on the back of one of the hottest angles WWE had put on display in years, with The Nexus running wild, mauling everyone in their path & setting up a potential suitcase of talent to build a brand off of in the future. Pitting them against the company’s biggest name in John Cena along with the likes of Chris Jericho, Edge, Bret Hart, John Morrison & a returning Daniel Bryan (fresh of his firing) made this the show nobody wanted to miss until it happened.

SummerSlam 2010 is a show that leaves a bad taste in the mouth of fans who want the best from their wrestling content. It’s a booking disaster on every level, with the exception of a World Heavyweight Championship Match between Kane & Rey Mysterio that stands out as the single standout segment in a show that struggles under the weight of bad creative decisions. The event is the personification of what WWE gets wrong at its worst, favouring their standard booking tropes over long-term plans that could actually improve the product in the long-run.

Matches such as Sheamus vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, Dolph Ziggler vs Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship & Big Show vs The Straightedge Society have the potential to build a small, yet exciting card that never feels overstuffed, but does everything it’s not meant to do. All of these matches, every single one of them, are booked by a group of people out of touch with their fanbase, unaware of what makes the sport so great at its peaks.

None of this, however, is as criminal as the main event between Nexus & Team WWE, a match that single-handedly killed the hottest gimmick the company had produced in years, and a decision they never recovered from in the months that followed. The match itself was quite the spectacle but totally undermined by a closing sequence that leaves a bad taste in mine, and other fans mouths upon repeated viewings.

As far as SummerSlam goes, topping this in terms of being the worst will be a daunting task.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

Time for The Chairshot personalities to put their money where their mouths are! WreslteMania 41 predictions from the “expert” staff at TheChairshot.com and Chairshot Radio Network.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Chairshot Staff Picks. And what better setting than WrestleMania for this article to return! This 41st edition has one of the most stacked rosters in WWE history. So, without further ado, let us get to the predictions and prognostications…

AJ – The New Day
Andrew – The New Day – No one seems to hold tag titles long anymore.
Dave – The New Day – They have earned it.
DJ – The New Day – Feel tha Powah!
DPP – War Raiders – Big E distraction.
Jason – The New Day – We are not getting E in a working capacity though everyone wants it.
Patrick – The New Day – WWE doesn’t care about this match, so why should I?
Rey – The New Day – Its a New Day, bruh.
Rob – The New Day – New Day rocks and wins!
Greg – The New Day – New. Day wins. New. Day wins!

Tunney’s Take: War Machine – Yes, WAR MACHINE. I have personally had the pleasure of throwing back a few cold ones with these guys on more than one occasion. Not only being tag champs in WWE but defending the titles at Mania and against The New Day is really cool for me as a long-time fan. Would it be fun to see The New Day have another title run.. YES. I think it’s smarter to give the War Raiders a big Mania W.

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

AJ – Jade Cargill
Andrew – Jade Cargill – She needs to stay a dominant force.
Dave – Jade Cargill – Gotta gear her up for the long term.
DJ – No contest – Naomi puts another beat down on Jade.
DPP – Jade Cargill – Nervous for how this match will go.
Jason – Naomi – Way more runway with Naomi as a bad guy. Keep it going!
Patrick – Jade Cargill – Jade gets her revenge.
Rey – Jade Cargill – Best non-title feud going. Naomi should win but Jade sneaks by.
Rob – Naomi – Naomi gets help to win.
Greg – Jade Cargill – They ain’t beating Jade here.

Tunney’s Take: Jade Cargill – I imagine WWE sees Jade’s ceiling much higher than Naomi’s. What better way to keep Jade climbing the ladder towards a World Title than to pick up a decisive victory in Vegas!

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

AJ – Jacob Fatu – “AJ does a pretty good LA Knight impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – I’m biased, Jacob for President.
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Getting gold back in the Bloodline is smart.
DJ – Jacob Fatu
DPP – Jacob Fatu
Jason – Jacob Fatu – Thanks for coming pal, YEAH!
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – C’mon cuz! All gas no brakes with it. Yadadamean??
Rob – LA Knight – Solo costs Jacob.
Greg – LA Knight – Solo screws Jacob.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – It has been quite the journey for the Samoan Werewolf. I feel like that journey and the positive turn around it has taken deserves to be rewarded. Let’s see what Jacob can do on his own. Plus, LA Knight is ready to challenge for a World Title.

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

AJ – Tiffany Straton
Andrew – Tiffany Straton – I hate Charlotte Flair, no objectivity here.
Dave – Charlotte Flair – Tiffy might be the future, but she kinda failed the litmus test.
DJ – Charlotte Flair – The Queen crowns the freshman.
DPP – Tiffany Stratton
Jason – Charlotte Flair – Tiff wasn’t ready for this spot. Charnos is inevitable.
Patrick – Charlotte Flair – Lol Charlotte wins.
Rey – Charlotte Flair – Tiffany SHOULD win but, if Charlotte can squash, she will.
Rob – Charlotte Flair – Charlotte gets number 15.
Greg – Tiffany Stratton – Lol Charlotte wins. (Actually she doesn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Charlotte Flair – Charlotte needs the title for the first time in her career. Tiffy has had a nice run but now needs to take that all important step of not losing momentum after losing the title. Despite the drama and lackluster build here, I see a really good match coming this weekend from these two.

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

AJ – El Grande Americano
Andrew – El Grande Americano – I’d like to see Gable gain some momentum. Rey is Teflon.
Dave – El Grand Americano – He needs a marque win much more than Rey.
DJ – Rey Mysterio
DPP – El Grande Americano – Grande wins with the switcheroo to prove he is not Gable.
Jason – Rey Mysterio – Unmask Grande at the end. It is fun but has a shelf life.
Patrick – El Grande Americano – TOTALLY NOT CHAD GABLE
Rey – Rey Mysterio – Someone’s mask is coming off and it ain’t Rey.
Rob – El Grande Americano
Greg – Rey Mysterio – Hall of Famer wins but doesn’t take the mask.

Tunney’s Take: Rey Mysterio – Go listen to DWI 471. DP, Greg and I lay out exactly what this match should be, FUN! Multiple Americanos!!!

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

AJ – Jey Uso
Andrew – Jey Uso – Kinda booked themselves into a corner here.
Dave – Jey Uso – It just makes sense.
DJ – Jey Uso – Jey YEETS all over The Ring Genreal.
DPP – Jey Uso – Jey wins after normal Gunther beating.
Jason – Jey Uso – Land the plane man. YEET
Patrick – Jey Uso – Jey has earned this one.
Rey – Jey Uso – YEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Rob – Jey Uso – YEET
Greg – Jey Uso – If Jey loses we riot. We don’t cause he wins.

Tunney’s Take: Jey Uso – ‘Til sweat drop down my balls, ‘Til all these bitches crawl, ‘Til all… YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

AJ – Roman Reigns
Andrew – Seth Rollins – I can see Rollins being the last piece of Team Rock.
Dave – Roman Reigns – I can’t see Roman losing two years in a row.
DJ – Seth Rollins – Paul Heyman is a Seth Freakin Rollins guy.
DPP – Seth Rollins – The Rock helps Rollins.
Jason – Roman Reigns – Seth’s favor is a red herring. Make-A-Wish Brooks got his main, now look at the lights.
Patrick – Seth Rollins – Seth Rollins… Paul Heyman guy.
Rey – Seth Rollins – I smeeeeellllllll a new soul to sell.
Rob – Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman helps Roman win.
Greg – Seth Rollins – Brock Lesnar returns to help Seth win.

Tunney’s Take: CM Punk – I really have no idea here. I picked Punk because nobody else did. This is going to be professional wrestling cinema at its finest. The story is thick and neatly woven. All the participants are legends and so are the potential party crashers. Will The Rock stick his nose in here? Will Brock Lesnar return to play a factor? Obviously, Paul Heyman has a Plan A… but what is it? All these questions and more will be answered Saturday as night 1 will definitely go out with a bang!

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

AJ – Iyo Sky
Andrew – Iyo Sky – Rhea vs Bianca doesn’t need a belt to be compelling.
Dave – Rhea Ripley – Going with Rhea barely, hoping Iyo wins.
DJ – Iyo Sky – Unfinished business.
DPP – Iyo Sky – Rhea and Bianca are too consumed with each other.
Jason – Iyo Sky – More layers to Rhea/Bianca. Iyo rules.
Patrick – Iyo Sky – Iyo stole the build and gets the win.
Rey – Iyo Sky – Smart money is on the underdog champ.
Rob – Iyo Sky – Iyo survives.
Greg – Bianca Belair – Naomi helps Bianca win and turn heel.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – Rhea is the best women’s wrestler in the world. Give her the biggest win on the grandest stage of them all!!! Bianca needs to go full heel. Iyo has been amazing in this build.

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

AJ – Dominik Mysterio
Andrew – Finn Balor – I can see a Judgement Day meltdown incoming.
Dave – Bron Breakker – Bron is about to become a MegaStar.
DJ – Bron Breakker – Judgement Day implodes.
DPP – Dominik Mysterio – Finn take the pin.
Jason – Penta – I literally do not care because the winner is us, the fans.
Patrick – Bron Breakker – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Dominik Mysterio – Only match without a clear winner. I choose chaos.
Rob – Bron Breakker – Finn and Dom cancel each other out.
Greg – Dominik Mysterio – Dom steals the pin from Bron, on Finn.

Tunney’s Take: Bron Breakker – The case can be made for any of these four to walk away with the most prestigious non-World title in pro wrestling history. The short of it is though that the Main Event picture isn’t really readily accessible for Breakker right now. Let this IC reign go through the summer, to SummerSlam.

Chairshot Pick: Bron Breakker 5-4-1-1

AJ – Damian Priest – “AJ does a pretty good Drew impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Drew McIntyre – Priest has not been interesting in this face incarnation.
Dave – Drew McIntyre – Time for Drew to get that win back.
DJ – Fuck finish – To be continued at Backlash.
DPP – Drew McIntyre – Physical matchup!
Jason – Drew McIntyre – Either one is fine here.
Patrick – Drew McIntyre – With two eyes, Drew turns the tide.
Rey – Drew McIntyre – Low key match of the weekend.
Rob – Damien Priest
Greg – Damien Priest – Priest wins, Drew tweets about it half hour later.

Tunney’s Take: Drew McIntyre – With the addition of the Street fight rules, these two behemoths have a really good chance to have one of the best matches of the entire weekend (winks at Rey Ca$h-A-Mania)! I do wonder what is next for both of these talents moving forward. Priest has staled since leaving the Judgement Day and Drew seems stuck in the same cycle for a while now. Very interested to see what the summer holds for this pair.

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

AJ – Nick Aldis – Orton wins
Andrew – Orton and Aldis vs Solo and Tama – Orton and Aldis win
Dave – Someone is getting an RKO!
DJ – A segment w/ the Wyatt s6cks.
DPP – Rusev – Aldis introduces Rusev who defeats Orton.
Jason – Nick Aldis – You got one more in ya, bubba. Aldis wins!
Patrick – Nick Aldis
Rey – Solo then Rusev – Solo in a squash and Rusev MATCHKA(wins)
Rob – Nick Aldis – Aldis proves himself, Orton wins.
Greg – Nick Aldis – Orton beats Aldis, they shake after.

Tunney’s Take: I would really love to see a singles match between Orton and Aldis. More likely this is some type of involvement with Solo and Tama. Rusev as a surprise challenger would be cool but, I feel that would be better left for RAW. An impromptu Goldberg retirement match would be crazy and fun, yet highly unlikely and illogical. Whatever happens, best believe exactly what Dave Ungar said, “Someone is getting an RKO!”.

AJ – Logan Paul
Andrew – AJ Styles – Logan doesn’t need the rub and should stay upper mid card.
Dave – Logan Paul – It’s the smart move and would be a statement win for Paul.
DJ – Logan Paul – Kross gets involved somewhere.
DPP – AJ Styles – AJ wins a great high-flying match.
Jason – AJ Styles – Just enjoy it or get a beer, nerds.
Patrick – Logan Paul – Logan Paul will main-event Mania sooner than later…
Rey – Logan Paul – Pass the torch, my wily vet.
Rob – Logan Paul – Kross helps Paul win.
Greg – AJ Styles – Styles wins after Paul’s cheating backfires.

Tunney’s Take: Logan Paul – Logan seems to really have dedicated himself to becoming great in this business. Anyone with that type of goal must have a World title on their mind. Beating AJ at Mania will be a great springboard for Logan into the Main Event sooner than later (winks at Patrick O’Dowd).

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

AJ – Liv & Raquel
Andrew – Liv & Raquel – Not really a fan of Lyra, she needs more work.
Dave – Liv & Raquel – This Bayley and Lyra team makes no damn sense.
DJ – Liv & Raquel – Bayley crashes out.
DPP – Liv & Raquel – Bayley continues a potential heel turn tease.
Jason – Bayley & Lyra – Finish the story!
Patrick – Bayley & Lyra – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Liv and Raquel – Bayley want a title but it ain’t the ones in this match.
Rob – Liv & Raquel – Champs retain.
Greg – Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel retain thanks to Carlito and maybe JD.

Tunney’s Take: Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel need to be kept as the cornerstone of the women’s tag division for a lengthier period of time. Building tag teams in this division is difficult enough, let alone without a North Star.

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

AJ – Cody Rhodes
Andrew – Cody Rhodes – They are mentioning it so much, I don’t think 17 happens.
Dave – Joh Cena – Record falls and we head to summer with a built-in storyline.
DJ – John Cena – Some kind of Final Boss involvement.
DPP – John Cena – Cena wins and retires on RAW.
Jason – John Cena – Story’s over, “Captain” BIG MATCH JOHN.
Patrick – John Cena – A record breaking night for Cena.
Rey – John Cena – They’d be really stupid to turn John just to lose. (Post-Mania: Rock, Cena, T Scott, Seth & Drew, TEAM Corporate)
Rob – Cody Rhodes – Cody surprises us with the W.
Greg – Cody Rhodes – Cody wins to piss off Rock and set the table for Cena to turn back face. Crowd is behind Cena all the way through.

Tunney’s Take: Cody Rhodes – They had me until the threat of retirement. Been there. Done that. Didn’t fall in love with it back then. I love John Cena. I love this final run. John will get his 17th just not here. I expect nothing less than an absolute GEM of a match here to close WrestleMania 41. This has all been, is, and will continue to be about Cody Rhodes. WM40 defeats Roman Reigns. WM41 defeats John Cena. WM42 defeats The Rock (The Final Boss).

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We wait all year for this so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

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Blog

DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show and defined legacies.

WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.

Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!

5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)

This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.

What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.

4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)

Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.

It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)

If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.

It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.

Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…

2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)

This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.

The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.

1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.

Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!

10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)

Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute).
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.

Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.