A look back at SummerSlam’s ten most bizarre matchups

As WWE expands SummerSlam into a two-night extravaganza, the upcoming Minneapolis edition pits Gunther against SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, a pairing that prompted the author to revisit the event’s most unconventional matches. The countdown begins with the 2020 ThunderDome Falls Count Anywhere bout between The Fiend and Braun Strowman, noted for its low critical rating and the surprise return of Roman Reigns. It then moves through historic oddities such as Hulk Hogan’s 2005 clash with Shawn Michaels, the 1999 Kiss-My-Ass match between The Rock and Billy Gunn, and the 1989 main event that featured movie villain Zeus alongside Randy Savage.

Other memorable entries include Lion’s Den contests starring Ken Shamrock, a Jailhouse match between The Big Boss Man and The Mountie, Mankind’s Boiler Room Brawl with The Undertaker, and the 2005 custody-ladder match pitting Rey Mysterio against Eddie Guerrero over Dominik. The list culminates with the 1994 double-Undertaker encounter, a pure spectacle that epitomizes SummerSlam’s penchant for the bizarre.