Brock Lesnar dominates WWE’s list of greatest SummerSlam matches ever

WWE

When it comes to WWE’s biggest party of the summer, Brock Lesnar is the guest of honor.

Ahead of this year’s first-ever two-night SummerSlam, WWE named the 25 greatest matches in the event’s history on YouTube. In true Lesnar fashion, he dominated the list with a total of seven entries. In his career, “The Beast” wrestled 12 times at WWE’s summer spectacular.

Lesnar’s 2013 No Disqualification match against CM Punk was his highest-ranked performance, coming in at number four. That night, Lesnar not

only had to deal with Punk, but also with a very pro-Punk crowd in LA’s Staples Center. But fans fell silent after Lesnar sealed the win with an F-5 onto a steel chair.

Other standout Lesnar matches on the list include:

• His win over The Rock for the WWE title in 2002, just five months after Lesnar’s WWE debut (8)
• The 2022 Last Man Standing Match against Roman Reigns, where Lesnar famously used a tractor to lift the ring, sending Reigns tumbling to the arena floor (12)
• A 2017 Fatal 4-Way match in which Lesnar narrowly escaped with the Universal title over Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman (15)

Notably absent was his 2014 dismantling of John Cena in a match that gave rise to “Suplex City.” That night, Lesnar leveled Cena with 16 suplexes before putting him out of his misery with an F-5 to claim the WWE title. As the crowd lost hope, one child kept the faith, chanting, “Let’s go, Cena,” until the bitter end.

Lesnar’s 2023 SummerSlam match against Cody Rhodes closed out the list at number 25. The finale of their series cemented Rhodes as a bona fide superstar and marked Lesnar’s last match in WWE.

In 2024, Lesnar was named in a lawsuit involving former WWE boss Vince McMahon, who faces accusations of sexual abuse and trafficking. Recently, former UFC fighter Daniel Cormier claimed Lesnar was placed on a banned list by WWE’s parent company, TKO — though this hasn’t been confirmed.

While Lesnar led the list in appearances, the top spot went to Bret Hart and The British Bulldog, and their clash at SummerSlam 1992 for the Intercontinental title. Recognized by WWE as the greatest match in the event’s history, the contest still holds up, even by modern standards.

WWE’s complete list of the 25 greatest SummerSlam matches is as follows:

1. Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. The British Bulldog, Intercontinental Title Match: SummerSlam 1992
2. John Cena vs. AJ Styles: SummerSlam 2016
3. Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. Mr. Perfect, Intercontinental Title Match: SummerSlam 1991
4. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar, No Disqualification Match: SummerSlam 2013
5. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, WWE Title Steel Cage Match: SummerSlam 1994
6. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian, TLC Match: SummerSlam 2000
7. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H, Unsanctioned Street Fight: SummerSlam 2002
8. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Undisputed Title Match: SummerSlam 2002
9. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: SummerSlam 1995
10. Undertaker vs. Edge, Hell in a Cell Match: SummerSlam 2008
11. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2013
12. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Title Last Man Standing Match: SummerSlam 2022
13. John Cena vs. CM Punk, Undisputed WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2011
14. The Rock vs. Triple H, Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: SummerSlam 1998
15. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman: SummerSlam 2017
16. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero, Ladder Match: SummerSlam 2005
17. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle, WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2001
18. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk, World Heavyweight Title TLC Match: SummerSlam 2009
19. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker: SummerSlam 2015
20. Randy Orton vs. Christian, World Heavyweight Title No Holds Barred Match: SummerSlam 2011
21. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch, Raw Women’s Championship Match: SummerSlam 2022
22. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins, Universal Title Match: SummerSlam 2019
23. Undertaker vs. Bret Hart, WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 1997
24. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena, WWE Title vs. United States Title: SummerSlam 2015
25. Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar: SummerSlam 2023

Like its list of the 50 greatest WrestleMania matches, WWE’s SummerSlam rankings show a clear recency bias. Of the 25 bouts selected, 19 took place in the last 25 years. Only six matches from the 1990s were included, and none from the 1980s, when the event was first held in 1988.

As is the case with such rankings, the picks are bound to spark debate. But what’s tough to argue is Lesnar’s impact at WWE’s summer showcase. With seven entries on the list and even more memorable moments, Lesnar has more than earned the title of Mr. SummerSlam.

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