WWE SummerSlam 2001: The Rock vs. Booker T remains a classic

In 2001, WWE was embroiled in the Invasion storyline. On the whole, the results left much to be desired, but The Rock vs. Booker T at SummerSlam 2001 delivered on its potential.

After Vince McMahon acquired WCW in March of 2001, the concept of a Supercard that featured dream matches, that pitted standout from the Monday Night Wars against each other, quickly became a reality. Unfortunately, fans didn’t get to see superstars like Sting, Goldberg, or the NWO in a WWE ring right away, which hampered the notorious Invasion angle. However, The Rock vs. Booker T at SummerSlam 2001 lived up to its premise in one of the best matches in the event’s history.

In fact, “The People’s Champ” reminisced on how special it was last month via Instagram.

The reasons why The Invasion failed have been discussed ad nauseam online over the years, so there’s no need to revisit it. In short, the lack of all the biggest names from WCW and some counterproductive booking decision turned this storyline into a big mess.

The Rock was still on a break from wrestling following his lost at WrestleMania X-Seven when ECW and WCW formed the Alliance. The reigning WCW Champion, Booker T, became its leader alongside Shane McMahon, setting up an inevitable collision with “The Great One.”

When The Rock returned at the end of July, he attacked Shane and aligned himself with the WWF. On the following episode of SmackDown, he came out to call out Stone Cold Steve Austin, who defected to the Alliance. “The People’s Champion” likely wanted a chance to regain the WWE Championship.

Instead, the WCW Champion took exception because The Rock tried to bypass him and challenged him to a match at SummerSlam.

The promos and beatdown that followed were everything fans of the two stars could’ve hoped for. It was hard not to draw comparisons between the two of them, particularly their signature moves, The 110th Street Slam looked closed to The Brahma Bull’s trademark spinebuster, but the Rock Bottom and the Book End were almost identical.

This is still a point contention. Booker insists that he came up with the move first but by all accounts, The Rock started using his version first.

The main event of SummerSlam couldn’t possibly match the fire and sheer unpredictability of Austin vs. Kurt Angle. That was a tough act to follow, but the crowd was still hot. The ovation for The Rock’s entrance was off the charts and when they finally traded blows it felt like a big match.

Shane’s involvement in the match serves its purpose but was a bit heavy-handed. His interference and plot points like the APA’s appearance to get revenge on McMahon were distracting. Nonetheless, when the focus returned to The Rock and Booker T the match surpassed expectation.

In one of the highlights of the fight, “The Great One” executed a La Magistral Cradle to force a near fall. The fact that he used a new maneuver to switch up his offense went a long way to prove he was taking the champion seriously. It was a nice touch.

After a lengthy brawl outside of the ring and into the crowd, Booker gained control. The challenger gained some moment and locked in the Sharpshooter. However, he released it when Shane distracted the ref and turned back around into a stiff superkick. Later, McMahon hit The Rock with the WCW Championship belt to set a Book End, and a fantastic false finish.

This is where the match starts to wind down and hit all its high points. The Rock mounts a comeback with his signature punches and flying clothesline. He eventually hit the spinebuster and the crowd erupted for The People’s Elbow. It looked like the end until Shane interrupted the referee’s count.

Back in the ring, Booker countered Rock and hit him with a spinebuster of his own. Then he nailed him with a Scissors Kick, dropped down to one knee, and garnered a sizeable reaction as he performed Spin-a-Roonie. The legendary finish came when “The Brahma Bull” sprung to his feet with a kip before the champion could gather and blew the roof off the arena with thunderous Rock Bottom to win via pinfall.

The last few minutes of the match hit all the beats that it needed to. They exchange finishers and reeled the crowd in. When the final comeback comes, it got the intended pop. Booker’s comedic reaction to it is priceless. In truth, his exaggerated response and the way he sold the finisher made the finish so memorable.

Even more, he was seconds away from a victory. Most of the WCW stars were admittedly booked to look weak in comparison to WWE stars. But even so, it could be argued that the Booker T looked strong against one of the biggest superstars in the company. In the end, his hubris cost him the win, but he still forced The Rock to delve deep in his reserve to put him away.

The Rock vs. Booker T may not be revered like the Icon vs. Icon match from WrestleMania X8, but it was one of the high points of the Invasion storyline. It’s one of the greatest moments in SummerSlam history.