This Sunday, it's "The Biggest Event of the Summer" for the WWE.
The 29th annual SummerSlam will emanate live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and feature six title matches, including the WWE Championship bout between title-holder Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler and a clash pitting Seth Rollins against Finn Balor, which will crown the first-ever WWE Universal Champion.
Throughout the nearly three decades of SummerSlam, there have been great title matches for every current belt in the organization. Here are our picks for the best bouts for each current belt. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
WWE Women's Championship: Paige def. AJ Lee (c) (2014)
Unfortunately, SummerSlam doesn't boast a rich history of women's matches. This one, however, was solid. These two ladies waged war throughout 2014 as Paige debuted and defeated Lee to win the Divas Championship and Lee eventually won it back. At SummerSlam live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, they had a solid back-and-forth match, which Paige won by hitting the RamPaige DDT to win the gold for a second time.
Honorable Mention: Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano (1994).
Looking Ahead: Sasha Banks will defend against Charlotte in 2016.
WWE United States Championship: Seth Rollins def. John Cena (c) (2015)
This should get an asterisk because it was technically a title-for-title match as Rollins defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Cena's United States Championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The stakes have never been higher at SummerSlam for a U.S. Championship match, so it gets the easy nod. After a great contest, former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart helped Rollins defeat Cena in an admittedly silly ending to a fantastic bout. "The Architect" became the first man to ever hold the WWE U.S. and World Heavyweight Championships simultaneously.
Looking Ahead: Rusev will defend the U.S. Title against Roman Reigns on Sunday.
WWE Tag Team Championships: Edge & Christian (c) def. The Dudley Boyz & The Hardy Boyz in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match (2000)
After the Hardyz and E&C raised the bar for tag team wrestling at No Mercy in 1999 in a tag team Ladder Match, things escalated with a triangle Ladder Match that also involved the Dudley Boyz at WrestleMania 2000. The situation was taken another step further when each of the team's weapons of choice were brought in as The Dudleyz (tables), Hardyz (ladders) and Edge & Christian (chairs) all brought their own elements into a new concept, which now has its own pay-per-view today. All six men put their bodies on the line that night in San Jose, Calif., in a death-defying TLC match. As usual, Edge and Christian stood tall to retain their gold.
Honorable Mention: Demolition vs. Hart Foundation (2/3 falls; 1990).
Looking Ahead: The New Day will defend against The Club at SummerSlam this year.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: British Bulldog def. Bret Hart (c) (1992)
The Intercontinental Championship was never placed on a grander stage at SummerSlam than when two family members waged war over it in the main event. Hometown hero The British Bulldog battled his brother-in-law, Bret Hart, in the final match of the evening at Wembley Stadium in London, England in front of thousands of his fellow countrymen. This is easily one of the best matches in SummerSlam history and it was a back-and-forth affair filled with the drama that is often missing from big events these days. Davey Boy scored the victory after reversing a sunset flip by "The Hitman" into a rollup to capture the coveted gold.
Honorable Mentions: Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (1991); The Rock vs. Triple H (Ladder Match, 1998).
Looking Ahead: The Miz will defend the IC Title against Apollo Crews this Sunday.
WWE/World Championship: CM Punk (c) def. Jeff Hardy in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match (2009)
There are several amazing matches to pick from, but this one simply stole the show at the 2009 event from the Staples Center. After an all out war, Punk was able to climb the ladder and grab the title to win the richest prize in the game. After the clash, The Undertaker came out and attacked "The Best in the World." The match itself saw both men put their bodies on the line in what was an unforgettable struggle between two of the WWE's greatest stars.
Honorable Mentions: Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart (Steel Cage Match, 1994), Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock (2002), CM Punk vs. John Cena (2011), Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena (2013) and Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (2014).
Looking Ahead: Dean Ambrose will defend the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler at this year's SummerSlam, while Seth Rollins and Finn Balor will clash to crown the new Universal Champion.
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