There are some matches so extraordinary that entire pay-per-views are defined by them. Such is the case with the 10 greatest championship clashes in the history of SummerSlam.
Whether battled over for the WWE, world heavyweight, intercontinental or tag team titles, the matches have become integral to the legacy of the event, making it a must-see entry in the company's annual calendar of extravaganzas.
Those matches have also added to reputations of their competitors. From star-making performances to legacy-enhancing showings, they have ensured the Superstars involved live forever in the minds of fans.
As the 2019 SummerSlam approaches on August 11, relive the top 10 championship encounters that have lent the event credibility, elevated its stars and secured the show's status as one of the highest-profile pay-per-views the industry has to offer.
To find out which 10 matches just missed this countdown, check out entries 11-20, featuring the likes of Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Roman Reigns, The Ultimate Warrior and Seth Rollins, here.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's shocking betrayal of WWE during its war with the WCW/ECW Alliance in the summer of 2001 stunned the wrestling world and led to an intense rivalry between him and the leader of the WWE contingent, Kurt Angle.
At SummerSlam, the Olympian challenged the turncoat for the WWE Championship in one of the event's forgotten classics.
Austin was ruthless in his hunt for a successful title defense. He brutalized Angle and bloodied him. He relentlessly beat him, but no matter what he did or how much he punished the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, Angle refused to stay down.
The Texas Rattlesnake's frustration built, leading him to assault three WWE officials. Angle fought back, dropped Austin with an Angle Slam and appeared to have the championship in hand when Alliance referee Nick Patrick called for the bell and disqualified Austin for attacking the other officials.
The finish infuriated fans, led to an eventual rematch a month later and made Angle that much more popular in his first run as a babyface.
What Makes It Great
Angle's resiliency and Austin's brutality.
Austin spent so much time as a babyface fighting from underneath, coming back from the oppressive beatdowns at the hands of The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock and Mankind during the height of The Attitude Era that it had been a long time since anyone saw him ruthlessly pummel and punish someone the way he dominated Angle for much of this match.
Conversely, Angle built such sympathy as he fought through a crimson mask and took the fight to Austin. Then, he transitioned into total badass, firing up to put Austin away before being screwed over by Patrick and his crooked officiating.
For the Olympian, it was the first inkling he could succeed in the role of babyface and a reminder that the goofy character we had watched earlier in the summer could still be a gold medal ass-kicker when necessary.
D-Generation X and The Nation feuded throughout the summer of 1998, leading to several intensely physical battles between leaders Triple H and The Rock over The Great One's intercontinental title.
At SummerSlam 1998, that chapter of their rivalry would come to an end in a ladder match, the first at the event since Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon's near-classic three years earlier.
Often associated with arrogance and pure charisma, The Rock set aside the one-liners and self-absorbed promos in favor of a focused, ruthlessly aggressive assault on his opponent's injured knee. He brutalized Triple H's knee, leaving him reeling in obvious pain.
Throw in interference from Mark Henry, and the odds were against the lead degenerate.
That is, until Chyna interjected herself into proceedings and delivered a well-timed low blow to Rock that allowed Triple H to limp up the ladder and retrieve the title for the biggest win of his career to that point.
What Makes It Great?
The Rock's breakout.
For months, fans had listened to the arrogant third-generation competitor spew his catchphrases, assume leadership of The Nation and infuriate fans with his holier-than-thou attitude. In this match, though, he demonstrated ruthless aggression the like of which few realized he was capable.
Throw in an unabashed toughness as he fought through a laceration and you have a defining performance that turned the fans in Madison Square Garden in his favor.
Chants of "Rocky sucks" gave way to favorable cries of "Rocky! Rocky!" as he limped to the back under his own power, a proud former champion.
It was his performance that not only elevated the quality of the match but also set in motion his eventual WWE Championship win three months later at Survivor Series.
The first chapter of Daniel Bryan's monumental run to the top of WWE was written at SummerSlam 2013, where he challenged John Cena for the promotion's top prize in the night's main event.
It was the people's champion vs. the franchise star, the underdog versus the industry icon. The fans in Los Angeles ate every second of the matchup, invested in the idea of Bryan finally being rewarded for three years of extraordinary performances with his first WWE Championship.
Cena, fighting through a torn triceps that had rolled up into his elbow, turned in a gutsy performance in which he put Bryan over strong, all the way to the finish where he ate a running knee to the face. Three seconds later and he had put Bryan over clean in the center of the ring, passing him the proverbial torch and anointing him as the man capable of carrying the promotion from then on.
However, Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank, revealed an alliance with special referee and WWE COO Triple H, and left with the gold in the first screwjob Bryan would face in the coming months.
What Makes It Great?
Two things: Bryan's stellar in-ring showing and Cena's ballsy performance.
The idea that Cena fought through the injury he did, not only to put Bryan over but to do so in a five-star classic, is astonishing. It is further proof of his loyalty to the company and determination to give the fans the best show possible.
For the criticisms Cena faced over the course of his career, his drive to constantly be better and to silence his harshest doubters is inspiring. As is his toughness.
Bryan channeled his own drive and determination into another phenomenal performance. The same guy who had stolen shows in armories in Philadelphia and VFW halls in the midwest rose to the occasion, performed up to the enormity of the show and provided his greatest performance in a WWE ring to date.
He was rewarded with a magical moment and a disappointing conclusion that set him up for an even greater career highlight months later in New Orleans.
When Randy Orton defeated Christian to win the world heavyweight title just 48 hours after Extreme Rules in 2011, he awakened in Captain Charisma a bitterness that fueled a heel turn and desperation to regain the title at any cost.
He did, cheaply manipulating The Viper into getting himself disqualified at Money in the Bank and awarding Christian the title on a technicality.
At SummerSlam, they brought their summertime feud to an end in a No Holds Barred match that put a bow on their story and simultaneously stole the show out.
It should be no great surprise to anyone that Orton and Christian were able to utilize creativity to put together the match they did. Both have a history of using unique spots to enhance their matches and that was certainly the case here.
No chair shot was without purpose. Table spots were methodically built to. Basic ringside weaponry was utilized in a way that fit the story they wanted to tell rather than being shoehorned in to make up for the stipulation.
And in the final moments of the match—just as he did months earlier when he lost the title for the first time—Christian took one flawed leap of faith...right into the waiting arms of Orton, who drove him into the ring steps with his patented RKO for the win.
What Makes It Great?
Their undeniable chemistry.
Orton and Christian were at their peaks as individual performers and had some off-the-chart chemistry between the ropes. They were so fluid, so smooth between the ropes that everything from the highest of high spots to the simple little reversals that they executed were works of art.
They were like dance partners, totally in sync and aware of what the other was going to do. Throw in that aforementioned creativity and you have a match that was as flawless as any on this countdown, yet it isn't remembered like others.
That changes now.