WWE SummerSlam: Power Ranking Every Show

1997

This was a pivotal event for a number of reasons, with one moment in particular very nearly ending the Attitude Era before it even began. The Intercontinental Championship was the prize in an engaging feud with Owen Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin, which was a successful blend of technique and brawling. The match for the most part was very solid, but a botched Tombstone Piledriver by Hart temporarily paralyzed Austin, and left him with years of neck problems. Fortunately he recovered to champion the most profitable era in wrestling history, but the sight of him sloppily roll-up Hart with every ounce of his available capacity was a scary sight.

Two other matches stood out positively at either end of the card. The opening contest witnessed one of the early encounters in the storied rivalry between Triple H and Mick Foley, this time in his Mankind persona. Then the main event was Bret Hart capturing the WWE Championship from the Undertaker, although his antics with special guest referee Shawn Michaels overshadowed the actual action. Yet, the rest of the undercard was particularly weak, with two dull tag team matches and Brian Pillman ending up wearing a gold dress following a loss to Goldust.