Tale Of The Tape: Who Is The Real Mr. SummerSlam?

SummerSlam is the second biggest PPV in WWE history and has played host to some of the greatest matches and moments in WWE history. For over three decades, the biggest party of the summer has been responsible for some of the most thrilling and anticipating moments ever. There have been a few stars who have shined brighter at the PPV than others, but only a few stand out.

Some even call SummerSlam the “WrestleMania for heels” due to the high number of heels winning big matches at the PPV. Either way, it’s always been a huge stage and there are three superstars who stand out to us the most: The Undertaker, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Brock Lesnar.

There are various reasons why they’re considered up and above the rest, but it primarily has to due with factors such as longevity, record and impact caused at the PPV (which we’d argue is the most important factor). For example, Hulk Hogan has the most perfect SummerSlam record to date, competing at the PPV 6 times and winning on all six occasions.

However, while he has always been a main event star, the quality of matches that he had in themselves were nothing spectacular in hindsight. Sure, that really didn’t matter as much back in the day, but when viewing it now, it’s clear that he didn’t define the PPV the same way that Hart or Undertaker or Lesnar did.

Let’s look at each competitor and analyze who can rightfully be called “Mr. SummerSlam”.

Bret Hart

SummerSlam PPVs competed in: 11

Event win-loss record: 7-4

Bret Hart competed at the very first SummerSlam in 1988, where he teamed up with the late, great Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart to take on Demolition in a tag team title match. They would lose the bout, but get their revenge two years later at SummerSlam 1990 in a 2-out-of-3 falls all-time classic.

Hart’s first 3 SummerSlam PPVs was with Neidhart, but from 1991 onwards, things had changed. He was a singles star and was competing for the midcard titles. His first SummerSlam as a singles star saw him take on Mr. Perfect in an absolute technical classic. He was not only elevated to the main event the next year in 1992, but it was as the Intercontinental Champion defending against The British Bulldog in front of over 80,000 fans.

He did lose to the hometown hero Davey Boy Smith, but it was an unforgettable moment. The years 1993 and 1995 were rather forgettable for him at SummerSlam, as he took on opponents who weren’t at his level. He did have a classic at 1994 against his brother Owen Hart inside a steel cage, where he defended the WWE Championship in a grudge match. As it turned out, it was one of the greatest SummerSlam matches of all time, but sadly was neglected as the main event, with the company being in favor of the Undertaker vs Undertaker match.

He missed SummerSlam 1996 but had a great ‘final’ match at 1997 against The Undertaker, where he won the WWE title for the very last time. Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee in that match and it was 3 months prior to the Montreal Screwjob, and it would be 13 years before Hart returned to action at SummerSlam, in 2010 as a member of Team WWE against The Nexus. His SummerSlam opponents and legacy speaks for itself.

The Undertaker

SummerSlam PPVs competed in: 16

Event win-loss record: 10-5-1

On paper, The Undertaker easily holds the best resumé in SummerSlam history. His very first SummerSlam was at Wembley Stadium in 1992, where he faced Kamala. His last appearance was at 2015 when he defeated Brock Lesnar in controversial fashion. In between, some of his most significant opponents include Mankind, Bret Hart, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Kane, Randy Orton, Edge and Brock Lesnar.

His biggest stretch of PPVs without missing them was during the 90s, as he had missed quite a few SummerSlam PPVs in the 2000s and even 2010s. Either way, while he does have a great track record, he has had a lot of underwhelming opponents and matches. As a result, it’ll be hard to put him up to the standard of Bret Hart at SummerSlam.

Brock Lesnar

First SummerSlam competed in: 2002

Event win-loss record: 6-4

Brock Lesnar has competed in the least number of SummerSlam PPVs among the three competitors listed in this article, but what he has more is the impact created and the buzz surrounding his matches. His first SummerSlam was an unforgettable one that saw him topple off The Rock and become the youngest WWE Champion history – all within four months of his debut.

He competed in only two SummerSlams in his first run, but from 2012 to 2019, he has always been in high-profile SummerSlam bouts, main eventing each show in that time besides one (2013). When it comes to SummerSlam in the 2010s, it has felt like the ‘Brock Lesnar Show’ and his overall SummerSlam resumé includes The Rock, Kurt Angle, Triple H, CM Punk, John Cena, The Undertaker, Randy Orton, Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns.

Is there an opponent list that’s greater than Lesnar’s? It’s hard to argue against it. He was defeated by Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and The Undertaker, of which the latter was a controversial finish that came to due a referee’s decision.

Conclusions:

It’s clear that the three superstars have three different things going for them. Bret Hart has the best resumé in terms of quality of matches and the evolution as a superstar, The Undertaker has the best on paper, while Brock Lesnar has the best in terms of names competed against and victories over.

Purely out of his longevity and impact caused over the years, we’re going to go for Bret “The Hitman” Hart, whose resumé may not be perfect, but it’s the closest you’ll get to it.