So here is my list of the best Summerslam matches ever. This list is, obviously, not meant to be definitive in any way. When compiling my list, I came upon approximately 25-30 matches that could lay claim to having rights of being on this list. Narrowing it down was a difficult task. I find myself leaning towards the matches of my childhood, as opposed to those from my young adulthood, when in doubt. Which I suppose makes sense. Those memories are the fondest for me. In any event, here is my list.
1.) Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect, 1991
I think Eric put this one best in an MSN Messenger conversation. This one closely parallels the Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels match from WrestleMania 14. Perfect went into the match with a bad back. You can see him noticeably wincing at times. This, however, did not prevent him from taking bump after bump, going about things in typical business as usual fashion. Perfect’s bump taking obviously influenced Shawn Michaels’ bumping later in his career. Meanwhile, this match in effect served as the launching pad for Bret Hart’s career. From this point on, Bret is a credible singles act, a future World Heavyweight Champion. A simple but effective story told, which, when you think about it, is what wrestling should be all about.
2.) Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, 1995
This one moved up my list upon second and third viewing in the process of compiling this list. I almost like this one better than their first ladder match, from WrestleMania 10. The crowd heat might be better, and they employ better psychology than in the first. As it will stand in the history books, this one is just slightly worse than the original, but being slightly worse than the best is nothing to sneeze at. And to think, this match almost didn’t take place at all. Thank God it did. (Or at least, thank Bill Watts.)
3.) Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, 1992
I can definitely see where a person would have this ranked at number one on their list. It’s certainly a stellar match-up that is impossible to leave off any best of SummerSlam list. What downgrades it slightly for me is that for much of the match, it’s a one man dance. Thankfully that one man is the best dancer of the ’90s. Hart was able to carry Davey Boy to what was an awesome match that lived up to the spectacle of being in front of the largest crowd ever for a WWF show, even in spite of Bulldog’s steady summer diet of television watching and frying his brain cells.
Filed under: Dusty's Blog | Tagged: Jerry Lawler is the best worker ever, Summerslam, WWE | 2 Comments »