WWE SummerSlam: Power Ranking Every Show

2001

Placed right in the center of the WWE vs Alliance storyline, SummerSlam 2001 unsurprisingly took its structure from the war between the two companies. The co-main events embodied this in particular. Booker T defended the WCW Championship against the Rock, the first time the Big Gold belt was contested on WWE PPV. And it found its way into the hands of Team WWE, as the Brahma Bull shook off any threat from Shane McMahon at ringside to defeat Booker with the Rock Bottom. In the WWE Championship clash, Kurt Angle withstood everything Stone Cold Steve Austin could throw at him, so Austin saved his title by attacking referees to lose only by disqualification.

Both of these matches were excellent, especially Austin/Angle prior to its screwy finish. However, the overall card was let down by some bouts that could not live up to these main events. The Tag Team Championship Steel Cage match quickly transitioned to the Brothers of Destruction decimating DDP, whilst X-Pac heat was strong during his victory over Tajiri. The remainder of the card ranged from decent to great, with other highlights including Rob Van Dam winning the Hardcore Championship in a hectic Ladder match with Jeff Hardy, and Chris Jericho continuing his rapid rise to superstardom in 2001 with a solid performance against Rhyno.