SummerSlam 2002 Thoughts
SummerSlam 2002 was the 15th annual SummerSlam PPV event that took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Attendence was said to be at 14,797. The event was the first SummerSlam under the WWE named banner, first to be of the brand extension, and the first SummerSlam of the Ruthless Agreesion era. The event has also been regarded as the best SummerSlam event in history with its commercial success and praise from critics and fans.
The most memorable buildup to this show was the Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H feud which saw the return of HBK back in ring after 4 year retirement. I remember being super excited of seeing Shawn Michaels in-ring as all my view of him was from VHS collections as I was new to wrestling at this time. Event also saw Brock Lesnar getting the WWE Undisputed Championship off The Rock which saw a passing the torch as The Rock was headed to Hollywood.
The Good - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels to this day is an instant classic. In fact interview from the Heartbreak Kid himself confirmed this was suppose to be a one more match but it brought Michaels back again just for a few more months on contracts "Wink Wink*. The match was outstanding and put up such a great and intense feud. I have an unpopular opinion of Rock and Brock Lesnar being an outstanding match next to HBK/HHH but it's just me. I was growing up with Brock Lesnar. The opening of Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio can be said as possibly the best opening in SummerSlam history. Pretty much the undercard was good and no disappointment at all. Also enjoyed commentary a lot. I forgot Michael Cole actually had prime days.
The Meh - Tag Team match was good. Crowd seem more interested on being on television than watching the match. Test vs. Undertaker turned out to be the weakest match on the card but it was wasn't a disaster. At this time, Undertaker was stale and needed to get in much better shape.
The Bad - Nothing to throw trash at. I will say one not soo great choice was putting Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels second to last. Crowd was still on fire but HHH vs. HBK just would have added a better ending.
Overall - Solid PPV. It might be the best SummerSlam ever TBH. It was certainly best PPV of 2002 and with no bad match makes this a nearly perfect PPV.
Score - 9 out of 10: Awesome
0 = Terrible: 1 = Bad/Lackluster: 2 = Decent: 3 = Good: 4 = Awesome: 5 = One of the Best of all Time:
1. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle - 4/5
2. Chris Jericho vs. Ric Flair - 2.5/5
3. Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero - 3.5/5
4. Booker T & Goldust vs. Un-Americans: WWE Tag Team Championship - 2/5
5. Chris Benoit vs. Rob Van Dam: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 3/5
6. Test vs. Undertaker - 2/5
7. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Unsanctioned Street Fight) - 4.5/5
8. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar: WWE Undisputed Championship - 4.5/5
Best Match - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Worst Match - Undertaker vs. Test
Most Memorable Moment - Brock Lesnar title win
Top 5 Performers
1. Shawn Michaels - Terrific comeback
2. Triple H - Great selling
3. Brock Lesnar - Good Performance
4. The Rock - Great Performance
5. Rey Mysterio & Kurt Angle - Outstanding opening.
SummerSlam 2002 was the 15th annual SummerSlam PPV event that took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Attendence was said to be at 14,797. The event was the first SummerSlam under the WWE named banner, first to be of the brand extension, and the first SummerSlam of the Ruthless Agreesion era. The event has also been regarded as the best SummerSlam event in history with its commercial success and praise from critics and fans.
The most memorable buildup to this show was the Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H feud which saw the return of HBK back in ring after 4 year retirement. I remember being super excited of seeing Shawn Michaels in-ring as all my view of him was from VHS collections as I was new to wrestling at this time. Event also saw Brock Lesnar getting the WWE Undisputed Championship off The Rock which saw a passing the torch as The Rock was headed to Hollywood.
The Good - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels to this day is an instant classic. In fact interview from the Heartbreak Kid himself confirmed this was suppose to be a one more match but it brought Michaels back again just for a few more months on contracts "Wink Wink*. The match was outstanding and put up such a great and intense feud. I have an unpopular opinion of Rock and Brock Lesnar being an outstanding match next to HBK/HHH but it's just me. I was growing up with Brock Lesnar. The opening of Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio can be said as possibly the best opening in SummerSlam history. Pretty much the undercard was good and no disappointment at all. Also enjoyed commentary a lot. I forgot Michael Cole actually had prime days.
The Meh - Tag Team match was good. Crowd seem more interested on being on television than watching the match. Test vs. Undertaker turned out to be the weakest match on the card but it was wasn't a disaster. At this time, Undertaker was stale and needed to get in much better shape.
The Bad - Nothing to throw trash at. I will say one not soo great choice was putting Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels second to last. Crowd was still on fire but HHH vs. HBK just would have added a better ending.
Overall - Solid PPV. It might be the best SummerSlam ever TBH. It was certainly best PPV of 2002 and with no bad match makes this a nearly perfect PPV.
Score - 9 out of 10: Awesome
0 = Terrible: 1 = Bad/Lackluster: 2 = Decent: 3 = Good: 4 = Awesome: 5 = One of the Best of all Time:
1. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle - 4/5
2. Chris Jericho vs. Ric Flair - 2.5/5
3. Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero - 3.5/5
4. Booker T & Goldust vs. Un-Americans: WWE Tag Team Championship - 2/5
5. Chris Benoit vs. Rob Van Dam: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 3/5
6. Test vs. Undertaker - 2/5
7. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Unsanctioned Street Fight) - 4.5/5
8. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar: WWE Undisputed Championship - 4.5/5
Best Match - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Worst Match - Undertaker vs. Test
Most Memorable Moment - Brock Lesnar title win
Top 5 Performers
1. Shawn Michaels - Terrific comeback
2. Triple H - Great selling
3. Brock Lesnar - Good Performance
4. The Rock - Great Performance
5. Rey Mysterio & Kurt Angle - Outstanding opening.