WWE SummerSlam’s Greatest Ever Performers

WWE.com

11. The Rock

Record: 3 wins, 2 losses, 4 Title Matches, 3 Main Events

Memorable Moment: Ladder match with Triple H in 1998

As one of the biggest box office stars in WWE and movie history, the Rock is no stranger to performing well in summer blockbusters. Therefore, the charismatic Brahma Bull took to SummerSlam with his natural swagger and charm, producing numerous memorable moments and highlights at the show. Despite only featuring at five events, the majority of these clashes either stole the show or headlined the event itself, meaning that for a span of time the legacy of SummerSlam and the Rock were firmly fixed together.

The Great One began his path towards that moniker in 1998, when he fought Triple H over the Intercontinental Championship. Their battle would be under the conditions of a ladder match, a stipulation that has not been closely linked to either man, but both went above the call of duty to produce an excellent, dramatic encounter. This singled out the Rock as a main event talent for the future, as later that year he became WWE Champion. But, he found himself stuck in 1999 in undoubtedly his weakest contest at a SummerSlam, as he overcame Billy Gunn in a Kiss My Ass match.

The following three years would all see the Rock as the fixture in the main event, as his superstar status reached their greatest heights. Rock renewed his epic rivalry with Triple H in 2000, only this time with the prize of the WWE Championship and the added component of Kurt Angle, and this triple threat match was a great way to round off the show with The Great One’s hand lofted in victory. Rock would then be winning gold one year later, as he stuck a dagger in the heart of the Alliance by taking their WCW Championship from Booker T. His last appearance at SummerSlam was in 2002, again walking in with the WWE title around his waist. However, he ran into a wrecking ball in the form of newcomer Brock Lesnar, being laid waste to by an F-5.

Next: Shawn Michaels