With SummerSlam 2022 now in the books, it got us thinking about some of the incredible PPVs we have all enjoyed over the years. This is where the biggest names in the business go head to head – and sometimes team up – to excite and enthrall wrestling fans across the world.
Mixed martial arts may have grown in the last few years thanks to its high profile bouts and events – and the possibility of placing a UFC bet is always going to attract some fans. But if you are a fan of sports entertainment, then you can’t go far wrong with settling down for one of pro wrestling’s big name pay per view events.
There have been countless memorable moments over the years and it is obviously very difficult picking out only a few highlights. But here are six wrestling PPV events that we think sum up just how good this sport is.
SummerSlam 2002
The first ever SummerSlam held under the WWE name after the rebranding in May of that year, the 2002 edition is regarded by wrestling fans as one of the greatest of all time. Some of the biggest names in the business starred and there was a passing of the torch as Brock Lesnar defeated The Rock in a battle for the WWE Undisputed Championship.
That may have been the headline bout but there were classic head-to-heads throughout the fight card. Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio kicked off the PPV section of the event, with Ric Flair and The Undertaker also thrilling the audience. One of the other main highlights was Shawn Michaels beating Triple H in an exhilarating match. But, to be honest, every single fight was top class.
WrestleMania X-Seven
One year before SummerSlam 2002, wrestling fans had already been treated to a PPV for the ages, when WrestleMania X-Seven took place in Houston, Texas. The long awaited meeting of Stone Cold Austin and The Rock was the headline act and it did not disappoint.
Those two legends were probably in their prime and served up a very memorable match, with Austin finally coming out on top. The crowd had already been treated to The Undertaker and Triple H meeting for the first time in what turned out to be all-out brawl. Other highlights include the match up between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit and the battle of the McMahons.
WrestleMania III
Let’s go back a little further for our next classic pro wrestling PPV. The year was 1987 and almost 100,00 fans crammed into the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for WrestleMania III – arguably the event that made everyone sit up and notice this new annual show.
The main attraction was undoubtedly the clash between Hulk Hogan – arguably the face of WWF at the time – and Andre the Giant, who had only recently turned heel. Hulk Hogan ultimately won the WWF Heavyweight Championship to top off what was an incredible event. There had been other memorable matches though, including Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat capping their own personal feud.
WrestleMania XIX
There must be something about WrestleMania events where the ‘X’ is in the branding. Well, this event had two of them and is still remembered as one of the best of all time. An underwhelming match for The Undertake is really only the down point on what was a top night of pro wrestling.
Everything was leading to the final match of the event between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. But there had been some big names on show throughout. The Rock finally managed to get one over Stone Cold Steve Austin, in the loser’s final appearance in the ring. Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho and even Hulk Hogan won – beating Vince McMahon in a surprisingly bloody bout.
SummerSlam 1992
This was the first ever WWF PPV event to take place outside North America, with over 80,000 British pro wrestling fans packing into Wembley Stadium to cheer on their heroes – including the British Bulldog in one of two main event matches. He took on the reigning champion Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, while Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior came out of retirement for an eagerly awaited rematch.
Unsurprisingly, the British Bulldog won in front of his ‘home town’ fans, while The Ultimate Warrior beat Randy Savage in a match that is remembered as much for the antics of Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect as the two fighters. This was also the time when Harvey Wippleman began his feud with The Undertaker.
Survivor Series 1990
This classic PPV event, taking place on Thanksgiving Day, is best known for the first appearance of The Undertaker. He was part of The Million Dollar Team that defeated The Dream Team (including Bret Hart) and fast became a firm fans’ favorite. He finally retired from WWE at another Survivor Series in 2002 – 30 years later.
Although the event saw a whole host of classic wrestling names coming together, the other memorable match was between The Warriors and The Perfect Team. Led by The Ultimate Warrior and Mr. Perfect respectively, this four-on-four match had everything for the crowd inside the Hartford Civic Center in Connecticut.
Sgt. Slaughter had already controversially insulted servicemen serving in Iraq at the time, highlighting the controversial nature of the Survivor Series in general – and the antics of the pro wrestling world at this time. That’s not to say that the matches themselves were not full of thrills and spills though. Now, over 30 years later, we are still enjoying the best in the business coming together for these kinds of PPV events.
Tell us your picks for the best wrestling pay-per-views of all time!
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