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Top five WWE title matches at 'SummerSlam'

As John Cena prepares to defend against Brock Lesnar at the Staples Center, Sports Mole looks back at five of the best WWE title matches in SummerSlam history.

The all-conquering John Cena and the destructive Brock Lesnar will contest the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 17.

It is a clash of the titans suitable for the main event of WWE's second biggest annual pay-per-view, which celebrates its 27th edition this year.

Could it go down as the best WWE title match in SummerSlam history? Below, Sports Mole lists five of its most memorable predecessors that it will have to better. Look out for both Cena and Lesnar making appearances...


5. John Cena vs. Edge – 2006

And here Cena is already, as the countdown begins with his match against Edge in 2006. In perhaps the greatest rivalry of Cena's career, he and 'The Rated R Superstar' battled over the biggest prize in the business for much of the year.

The animosity between the two began at New Year's Revolution, where Edge opportunistically cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on a broken Cena, who would win the gold back only three weeks later at The Royal Rumble.

Edge was back in pursuit throughout the spring, and when he could not get the job done himself, he screwed Cena at ECW One Night Stand to hand Rob Van Dam championship glory.

After the Canadian used his dastardly ways to regain the title in a Triple Threat match on RAW in July, everybody expected Cena to gain retribution when the two went on-on-one in his home town of Boston at SummerSlam.

Again though, Edge showed how resourceful he could be, hitting his opponent with a pair of brass knuckles behind the referee's back to steal victory in a match in which this personal five-star feud arguably peaked.


4. John Cena vs. CM Punk - 2011

Another appearance for Cena on this list shows just how impressive his resume of SummerSlam matches is.

In this case, and in cases throughout this list, however, that does not mean that the leader of the Cenation always enjoyed the greatest fortune at the show, and he would suffer another major main-event loss in to CM Punk in 2011.

Then again, Punk did not exactly emerge as a winner from their Staples Center encounter, as a shock post-match attack from Kevin Nash allowed Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and leave Los Angeles wearing gold.

Prior to that, though, Punk and Cena had put on one of several 30-minute classics that they delivered throughout an angle that sparked renewed excitement in WWE during the middle of 2011 and into 2012.

After Punk had left the company as the rightful owner of the WWE title, Cena won a tournament to be crowned the new champion, and when the Chicago native returned, the story for their match had already been written.

An oversight from special guest referee Triple H, who did not notice that Cena's foot was on the rope when he counted to three, gave Punk victory, but one that turned out to be short-lived considering what followed.

If anybody other than Edge is the Lex Luthor to Cena's Superman, then it is Punk, and this back-and-forth thriller was among their greatest ever duels.


3. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar – 2002

It was at SummerSlam 12 years ago when Lesnar wrote his name into the record books by becoming the youngest WWE champion in history at 25 years old.

He beat The Rock, who was the biggest star in the business at the time, to crown a run to the top that had started with his explosive debut only five months prior.

In June 2002, Lesnar won the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Rob Van Dam in the final, to make himself the number one contender.

Rock vs. Brock was booked for SummerSlam and, at the Nassau Coliseum, Lesnar stunned 'The Great One' to truly announce himself as 'The Next Big Thing'.

It was the show of physical dominance that a fledgling Lesnar needed on the big stage as he sent Rock back to Hollywood bloodied, bruised and humbled.


2. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart - 1994

These two brothers spent most of their careers side by side, but when they did clash with each other it was as close to wrestling perfection as it got.

It was in 1994 when Owen Hart decided that the time was right to step out of his more illustrious sibling's shadow, and he did, with a stunning win at WrestleMania X.

Bret Hart still left the 'Showcase of the Immortals' with the WWE Championship, having pinned Yokozuna in a more forgettable headliner, but Owen had earned his shot at the gold and he got it when SummerSlam came around.

While this bout was almost as technically flawless as their match at Mania just a few months prior, the added stipulation of a Steel Cage gave it an edge of brutality that had previously been missing from an emotional feud.

It was the confounds of the cage that played a crucial role in the dramatic conclusion to the contest, as the two climbed the frame simultaneously, only for Bret to narrowly pip his brother to the floor below and defend his title.


1. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan – 2013

You only have to rewind 12 months to find arguably the greatest WWE title match in SummerSlam history.

An incredible underdog story, 27 minutes of great action and a twist ending to top it off, Cena vs. Daniel Bryan in 2013 had it all.

Cena was allowed to choose his own opponent for the event and decided that Bryan, who had gone from NXT rookie to the company's most popular superstar in the space of three years, was deserving of an opportunity at greatness.

The WWE universe willed 'The American Dragon' to an unexpected victory, as he struck Cena's face with a running knee to establish himself as a top-tier talent.

But before the choruses of 'YES, YES, YES' had begun to simmer, a sudden pedigree from special guest referee Triple H (again) set up a SummerSlam Money in the Bank cash in [again] for Randy Orton to have the last laugh.

In this scenario, though, the shocking ending to the PPV only aided the narrative that Bryan and Cena had helped tell with an entertaining and gritty match.

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