The 11 Worst SummerSlam Matches In History, According To Cagematch.net

Posted by Noelle Montes on Friday, May 3, 2024

SummerSlam is one of the traditional "Big Four" events and they have hosted some matches that will live in infamy. Despite all the greatness that has happened at SummerSlam, there have been some matches that failed to miss the mark. However, some of the all-time greats are not exempt from participating in epic failures at SummerSlam.

There are multiple reasons why matches fail to live up to the expectations. It could be a poor finish, chemistry being missing and a match being completely one-sided which may have made no sense. Nevertheless, The Biggest Party of The Summer is a great extravaganza but some of these bouts did not belong at SummerSlam.

11 Dusty Rhodes Vs. The Honky Tonk Man - 1989 (Rating: 3.14)

The Honky Tonk Man's record-breaking 454-day run as Intercontinental Champion came to a halt at SummerSlam 1988. A year later, The Honky Tonk Man was looking to make amends as he collided with The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.

Rhodes received a huge pop on the way to the ring, and fans were desperate to see Honky get his comeuppance. However, Jimmy Hart was a constant presence at ringside, and they had a miscue when the referee was knocked down, Hart nailed Honky with his trademark guitar. Rhodes seized the opportunity and won the match with the patented Bionic Elbow.

10 Hulk Hogan Vs. Randy Orton - 2006 (Rating: 3.11)

Randy Orton had another blockbuster match at The Biggest Party of The Summer when he collided with WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan at the 2006 iteration of SummerSlam. The Legend Killer was back to his devastating best, and he dominated large portions of the match.

Moreover, every time The Hulkster had offense, fans went berserk. Ultimately, Orton thought that he won the match when he planted Hogan with an RKO but The Hulkster put his foot on the rope. Hogan regrouped and won his final match in his legendary WWE career with his iconic Leg Drop.

9 Alicia Fox Vs. Melina - 2010 (Rating: 2.80)

The WWE Divas Championship was defended at SummerSlam for the first time in 2010 and it was a lackluster match. The reigning champion Alicia Fox put the gold on the line against a returning Melina, who had the hometown support with SummerSlam emanating at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Fox should have worked on Melina's knee but she opted to work on Melina's shoulder throughout the match. It was one of the worst women's matches in the history of SummerSlam but Melina regained the title with a devastating snapmare driver.

8 The Powers Of Pain Vs. The Bolsheviks - 1988 (Rating: 2.79)

The Powers of Pain recently joined WWE in 1988 and they made their pay-per-view at the inaugural SummerSlam against The Bolsheviks. However, it wasn't the match they intended to have as it was slow and methodical with the match never getting out of first gear.

RELATED: SummerSlam: The 5 Best & 5 Worst Tag Team Matches Ever (According To Dave Meltzer)

Nonetheless, The Powers of Pain were accompanied to the ring by The Baron, and Slick's latest charges were The Bolsheviks. Despite the tag team contest not being memorable, The Powers of Pain got off to a winning start.

7 Rick Rude Vs. Junkyard Dog - 1988 (Rating: 2.40)

Rick Rude and Junkyard Dog are two decent workers but their match failed to click at SummerSlam 1988. However, before the match even began, The Ravishing One sported tights that had an image of JYD's face on them.

JYD dominated the early proceedings of the match with Rude resorting to the outside and gaining a pep talk from his manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. The pendulum swang in Rude's favor and he was victorious by way of disqualification as Jake "The Snake" Roberts ran down to the ring and he assaulted Rude.

6 Ted DiBiase Vs. Jimmy Snuka - 1989 (Rating: 2.38)

The self-proclaimed Million Dollar Champion Ted DiBiase and "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka engaged in a mouthwatering match at SummerSlam 1989. Snuka had the fans backing him, and DiBiase gave himself a break on the outside to regather his thoughts.

Moreover, Snuka botched a leapfrog but he managed to land on DiBiase's back. Nonetheless, DiBiase had the size and power advantage which he used to gain a stranglehold on the match. DiBiase's manager Virgil proved to be a decisive factor as he distracted Snuka, and The Million Dollar Man pushed Snuka into the ring post to win by count-out.

5 Dino Bravo Vs. Don Muraco - 1988 (Rating: 2.38)

Dino Bravo and Don Muraco's clash at SummerSlam 1988 was a rematch of their contest at WrestleMania IV. The former two-time Intercontinental Champion was a fan-favorite and he was in control for large sections of the match.

Their bout wasn't the best of matches and The Rock's manager Superstar Billy Graham was undertaking commentary duties throughout the match. However, it was Bravo's manager Frenchy Martin who aided his charge by distracting Muraco with Bravo picking up a pivotal win.

4 The Undertaker Vs. The Undertaker - 1994 (Rating: 2.23)

The Undertaker headlined SummerSlam for the first time in 1994, and he faced off with an impostor Undertaker. The Deadman was in his first outing since the Royal Rumble seven months prior, and he had a grand entrance with a revamped theme song and wearing purple for the first time.

RELATED: The Undertaker's First 10 SummerSlam Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best

In truth, Undertaker's entrance was better than the match itself. Undertaker still meandered around the ring in this era but he changed his style, and the fake Undertaker was utterly useless. Nevertheless, Undertaker laid his impostor to rest with three devastating Tombstones in succession.

3 The Natural Disasters Vs. The Bushwhackers - 1991 (Rating: 1.75)

It was good to see Andre The Giant make an appearance at the 1991 iteration of SummerSlam but he came down to ringside on crutches with his health declining. He was in the corner of The Bushwhackers, who took on The Natural Disasters.

As expected, The Natural Disasters dominated the match with their size and strength advantage. The Bushwhackers did have some offense but they were no match for The Natural Disasters who prevailed with ease in a lackluster contest.

2 The Oddities Vs. Kaientai - 1998 (Rating: 0.92)

The four-on-three handicap match featuring Kaientai and The Oddities was a recipe for disaster. The Oddities featuring Giant Silva, Golga, and Kurrgan were all big men, and they collided with Kaientai's Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Dick Togo, and Men's Teioh who were essentially cruiserweights.

It was a one-sided affair with The Oddities not the best in-ring performers by any stretch of the imagination. Silva launched Taka into the other three members of Kaientai onto the outside. Nevertheless, fans were put out of their misery when Kurrgan and Silva double chokeslammed all four men to prevail.

1 Diesel Vs. King Mabel - 1995 (Rating: 0.69)

Diesel defended the WWE Championship against King Mabel in an underwhelming main event at SummerSlam 1995. Mabel received a push, and he essentially stopped himself from staying in the business end of major pay-per-views as he became extremely unsafe to work with inside the squared circle.

Nonetheless, Diesel wasn't known for putting on technical masterclasses himself but he certainly knew how to operate in the ring. There were some decent exchanges in this high-profile WWE Title match but it is definitely a match you wouldn't rush to watch again in a hurry with Diesel continuing his stranglehold on the WWE Title.

NEXT: Every WWE Title Match At SummerSlam In The 1990s, Ranked From Worst To Best

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