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By Animegirl4u Editorial30 entries
The WWE SummerSlam franchise consists of the World Wrestling Federation's annual summer professional wrestling pay-per-view events running sequentially from 1988 through 2017. These events serve as major tentpoles in the wrestling calendar, featuring marquee matches, championship bouts, and long-running feuds that shape the company's storylines year after year. Because each event captures a specific snapshot of professional wrestling history with self-contained feuds and annual championship defenses, watching them in chronological release order is the most logical approach. This order allows viewers to trace the evolution of the roster, championships, and iconic eras of WWE programming naturally from the late eighties through the modern era.
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Movie, 1988
The inaugural SummerSlam event in 1988 sets the foundation for the annual wrestling tradition at Madison Square Garden.
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Movie, 1989
The second annual event continues early WWF storylines with a major tag team main event in New Jersey.
Read what its ending meant, or search for another franchise.
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WWE SummerSlam 1990
Movie, 1990
The 1990 event features ten televised matches and two main events at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.
WWE SummerSlam 1991
Movie, 1991
Notable for the on-screen wedding of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, dubbed A Match Made in Heaven.
WWE SummerSlam 1992
Movie, 1992
Takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, featuring high-profile championship matches including The Ultimate Warrior versus Randy Savage.
WWE SummerSlam 1993
Movie, 1993
The sixth annual event features championship defenses across all divisions at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
WWE SummerSlam 1994
Movie, 1994
Highlights include Diesel defending the Intercontinental Championship and Bret Hart in a Steel Cage Match.
WWE SummerSlam 1995
Movie, 1995
Features Diesel defending the WWE Championship against King Mabel and a Casket Match involving The Undertaker.
WWE SummerSlam 1996
Movie, 1996
Showcases Shawn Michaels defending the WWE Championship against Vader and a wild Boiler Room Brawl.
WWE SummerSlam 1997
Movie, 1997
Features a classic Steel Cage Match between Mankind and Triple H, plus Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Owen Hart.
WWE SummerSlam 1998
Movie, 1998
Stone Cold Steve Austin defends the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the peak of the Attitude Era.
WWE SummerSlam 1999
Movie, 1999
Highlights a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship with Jesse Ventura as special guest referee.
WWE SummerSlam 2000
Movie, 2000
The thirteenth annual event presents a major Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship.
WWE SummerSlam 2001
Movie, 2001
The fourteenth annual event features Booker T versus The Rock for the WCW Championship.
WWE SummerSlam 2002
Movie, 2002
The fifteenth annual event showcases the WWE Undisputed Championship match on the SmackDown brand.
WWE SummerSlam 2003
Movie, 2003
The sixteenth annual event stars wrestlers from both the Raw and SmackDown brands in an Elimination match.
WWE SummerSlam 2004
Movie, 2004
The seventeenth annual event features top talent from Raw and SmackDown with a major Raw brand main match.
WWE SummerSlam 2005
Movie, 2005
The eighteenth annual pay-per-view event brings Raw and SmackDown superstars to Washington, D.C.
WWE SummerSlam 2006
Movie, 2006
The nineteenth annual event marks the first inter-brand pay-per-view to feature the ECW brand.
WWE SummerSlam 2007
Movie, 2007
The twentieth annual event incorporates talent from Raw, SmackDown, and ECW at the Continental Airlines Arena.
WWE SummerSlam 2008
Movie, 2008
Features high-stakes bouts including The Undertaker versus Edge in a Hell in a Cell match.
WWE SummerSlam 2009
Movie, 2009
The twenty-second annual event highlights CM Punk challenging World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy.
WWE SummerSlam 2010
Movie, 2010
Focuses heavily on the high-profile invasion angle involving The Nexus and Team WWE.
WWE SummerSlam 2011
Movie, 2011
Showcases an epic clash between WWE Champions John Cena and CM Punk to determine the undisputed champion.
WWE SummerSlam 2012
Movie, 2012
Marks the historic 25th anniversary of SummerSlam with Brock Lesnar battling Triple H.
WWE SummerSlam 2013
Movie, 2013
The twenty-sixth annual event features Daniel Bryan challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship.
WWE SummerSlam 2014
Movie, 2014
The twenty-seventh annual event continues the long-standing tradition of summer pay-per-views at the Staples Center.
WWE SummerSlam 2015
Movie, 2015
The Undertaker attempts to avenge a historic defeat against Brock Lesnar at the Barclays Center.
WWE SummerSlam 2016
Movie, 2016
Features Brock Lesnar going into beast mode and the crowning of an inaugural WWE Universal Champion.
WWE SummerSlam 2017
Movie, 2017
The thirtieth event under the SummerSlam chronology brings Raw and SmackDown brands to Brooklyn, New York.
| # | Title | Type | Year | Rating | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WWE SummerSlam 1988 | Movie | 1988 | ★ 7.3 | Not yet |
| 2 | WWE SummerSlam 1989 | Movie | 1989 | ★ 6.7 | Not yet |
| 3 | WWE SummerSlam 1990 | Movie | 1990 | ★ 6.9 | Not yet |
| 4 | WWE SummerSlam 1991 | Movie | 1991 | ★ 7.7 | Not yet |
| 5 | WWE SummerSlam 1992 | Movie | 1992 | ★ 8.1 | Not yet |
| 6 | WWE SummerSlam 1993 | Movie | 1993 | ★ 6.4 | Not yet |
| 7 | WWE SummerSlam 1994 | Movie | 1994 | ★ 6.7 | Not yet |
| 8 | WWE SummerSlam 1995 | Movie | 1995 | ★ 6.7 | Not yet |
| 9 | WWE SummerSlam 1996 | Movie | 1996 | ★ 7.8 | Not yet |
| 10 | WWE SummerSlam 1997 | Movie | 1997 | ★ 7.8 | Not yet |
| 11 | WWE SummerSlam 1998 | Movie | 1998 | ★ 9.0 | Not yet |
| 12 | WWE SummerSlam 1999 | Movie | 1999 | ★ 7.4 | Not yet |
| 13 | WWE SummerSlam 2000 | Movie | 2000 | ★ 7.2 | Not yet |
| 14 | WWE SummerSlam 2001 | Movie | 2001 | ★ 8.5 | Not yet |
| 15 | WWE SummerSlam 2002 | Movie | 2002 | ★ 8.4 | Not yet |
| 16 | WWE SummerSlam 2003 | Movie | 2003 | ★ 7.9 | Not yet |
| 17 | WWE SummerSlam 2004 | Movie | 2004 | ★ 8.5 | Not yet |
| 18 | WWE SummerSlam 2005 | Movie | 2005 | ★ 7.2 | Not yet |
| 19 | WWE SummerSlam 2006 | Movie | 2006 | ★ 7.0 | Not yet |
| 20 | WWE SummerSlam 2007 | Movie | 2007 | ★ 6.1 | Not yet |
| 21 | WWE SummerSlam 2008 | Movie | 2008 | ★ 7.4 | Not yet |
| 22 | WWE SummerSlam 2009 | Movie | 2009 | ★ 7.5 | Not yet |
| 23 | WWE SummerSlam 2010 | Movie | 2010 | ★ 7.0 | Not yet |
| 24 | WWE SummerSlam 2011 | Movie | 2011 | ★ 6.9 | Not yet |
| 25 | WWE SummerSlam 2012 | Movie | 2012 | ★ 7.6 | Not yet |
| 26 | WWE SummerSlam 2013 | Movie | 2013 | ★ 7.8 | Not yet |
| 27 | WWE SummerSlam 2014 | Movie | 2014 | ★ 7.5 | Not yet |
| 28 | WWE SummerSlam 2015 | Movie | 2015 | ★ 7.2 | Not yet |
| 29 | WWE SummerSlam 2016 | Movie | 2016 | ★ 6.5 | Not yet |
| 30 | WWE SummerSlam 2017 | Movie | 2017 | ★ 6.8 | Not yet |
Average audience ratings, in watch order.
You should start with WWE SummerSlam 1988, which is the very first annual pay-per-view event that launched the entire summer tradition for the company.
Yes, following release order is recommended because it lets you naturally trace the evolution of wrestling eras, championship lineages, and long-term character rivalries.
None can be skipped if you want a complete historical record, as each yearly event offers unique matches and storyline developments crucial to wrestling history.
Watch in this order: 1. WWE SummerSlam 1988, 2. WWE SummerSlam 1989, 3. WWE SummerSlam 1990, 4. WWE SummerSlam 1991, 5. WWE SummerSlam 1992, 6. WWE SummerSlam 1993, 7. WWE SummerSlam 1994, 8. WWE SummerSlam 1995, 9. WWE SummerSlam 1996, 10. WWE SummerSlam 1997, 11. WWE SummerSlam 1998, 12. WWE SummerSlam 1999, 13. WWE SummerSlam 2000, 14. WWE SummerSlam 2001, 15. WWE SummerSlam 2002, 16. WWE SummerSlam 2003, 17. WWE SummerSlam 2004, 18. WWE SummerSlam 2005, 19. WWE SummerSlam 2006, 20. WWE SummerSlam 2007, 21. WWE SummerSlam 2008, 22. WWE SummerSlam 2009, 23. WWE SummerSlam 2010, 24. WWE SummerSlam 2011, 25. WWE SummerSlam 2012, 26. WWE SummerSlam 2013, 27. WWE SummerSlam 2014, 28. WWE SummerSlam 2015, 29. WWE SummerSlam 2016, 30. WWE SummerSlam 2017.
This guide lists 30 entries, released between 1988 and 2017.
WWE SummerSlam 1998 has the highest average rating in this guide, at 9.0 out of 10.