WWE SummerSlam: Power Ranking Every Show

2009

SummerSlam and ladders have a storied relationship, something that will be no surprise for longtime fans of this particular PPV. And 2009 was a clear example of this love affair with the ladder, as the headline act saw CM Punk and Jeff Hardy contest the World Heavyweight Championship. Both had engaged in a heated feud which danced along the lines of reality due to Hardy’s problems with drugs and alcohol, and this spot-filled TLC clash was an ideal peak for their efforts. This was supported by Randy Orton and John Cena partaking in their own vicious rivalry over the WWE Championship in the second-half of this year, with Orton coming out on top in this occasion.

Considering the rest of the contests, it was a mixture of the good and bad, the latter of these mostly being taken up by the performance of the Great Khali against Kane. Luckily that trainwreck only took up a few minutes. Instead, the majority of the time was taken by some solid matches, with DX defeating Legacy at the outset of their feud and Jeri-Show defending their Tag Team titles against Cryme Tyme. However, as per the norm at SummerSlams, most of the undercard was overshadowed by the Intercontinental Championship, with Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler producing an admirable effort in opening the night.