Welcome to the second High 5 SummerSlam special! With one of the big four only moments away where anticipating some big moments that we can discuss for years to come. It’s what keeps us in business really. And what’s bigger than a title changing hands on the second biggest stage of the year? Nothing. That’s what. So, lets relax and explore the most significant title changes in SummerSlam history as we gear up for the big event tonight.
5. Brock Lesnar defeated The Rock for the WWE Undisputed Championship
Brock Lesnar came into the WWE in 2003 like whirlwind. From his debut in March, he was already challenging the most electrifying man in sports entertainment by August of that same year. That’s only six months between OVW and being the most dominating force the WWE has ever seen. Lesnar tore through people like Quagmire’s Kleenex and ended up winning the King of the Ring tournament in June.
The victory in the tournament guaranteed the ‘next big thing’ a shot at the Rock’s WWE Undisputed Championship at SummerSlam. Because it was the Rock and Brock didn’t have the leverage he does now, the match went a bit longer than most of the ‘Beast’s’ matches do these days at a staggering 15 minutes. The results were the same, though, with Lesnar defeating the ‘People Champ’ and solidifying his place at the top of the company for years to come.
This night was the crowning of Brock Lesnar and it didn’t take years and a bunch of failed re-boots. He came, he saw, he conquered, and he hasn’t stopped in 16 years. This victory also made him the youngest WWE champion ever until…
4. Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship
In 2004, Randy Orton was a thriving young member of Evolution and the longest reigning IC Champ in seven years. He’d eventually lose the title to Edge only to participate in and win a 20-Man Battle Royal soon after. Winning the Battle Royal gave Orton a shot at Chris Benoit’s World Heavyweight Championship. Orton’s time in Evolution helped jumpstart his fledgling career, and with Ric Flair guiding him, he’d made a name as the ‘Legend Killer.’
Now, beating up veterans past their prime hardly makes one the man. However, winning gold does, and that’s exactly what Orton intended on doing at SummerSlam 2004. Randy wanted to transcend from Legend Killer to Legend at the tender age of 24. You know what I was doing at 24?! Selling auto parts and wondering why I paid so much for a Bachelor’s degree.
Orton’s win over Benoit as SummerSlam not only made him the youngest champ ever but would spark the betrayal by Evolution, Randy’s face turn, and subsequent feud with Triple H. While the Triple H feud may not have gone his way, this championship victory was the first of many to come and the beginning of one of the most consistently successful careers in the WWE over the last 12 years.
3. The New Day defeated The Prime Time Players (c), Los Matadores, and The Lucha Dragons for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Xavier Woods and the New Day are so over they could adopt the Spirit Squad gimmick and make it work. Xavier Woods was caught having sex with a co-worker on tape and the most that happened was a tongue-in-cheek joke from the Usos. The man spends his spare time playing video games with Bullet Club members and no one cares. Why?
Because the New Day sells merch. All three men can work a mic, they function perfectly in the ring together, and they can sell anything and make it cool. They sold a cereal called Booty-O’s and everyone bought it. You all ate a big bowlful of booty and thanked them for the pleasure. How did all this success happen? Well, it was mostly the chemistry between these three supremely talented men, but it was also the record-breaking title reign that solidified them as one of the greatest Tag Team/Stables of all time.
Leading up to the match at SummerSlam, Los Matadores, the Lucha Dragons, and the New Day had been trading victories, with no clear number one contender. The result being that all four teams were booked in a Fatal Fourway for the WWE Tag Team Titles. The New Day won the title after Big E pulled Titus off of Fernando and Kofi snuck in for the pin.
This began their record-breaking time at the top of the WWE Tag Team division. Not only that, but this run would put them in a unique place as superstars. A place where they no longer need gold to be seen as successful. They are over no matter what. Woods proved that.
2. Finn Bálor defeated Seth Rollins for the Inaugural WWE Universal Championship
I hated Seth Rollins as champion, but that was the point. He was an amazing heel champion, a pretender to the throne who stole the title and was being propped up by the dastardly Authority. Seth had sold his soul and was being rewarded nightly for it as the champion. When he defeated Sting it only compounded our ire for Triple H’s golden boy.
Then, the injury occurred, ending Rollins 221 day reign with the title. True, we wanted him the lose the belt, but not like this. No one who gives this much of themselves to us on a nightly basis deserves to lose their place at the top due to injury. While Seth was sidelined the WWE Universe moved on without him, and when he returned he briefly tasted glory before Dean Ambrose took it away in a bit of poetic justice. Then, the brands split, Seth went to Raw and the WWE Universal Championship was created.
Seth was placed in the first ever WWE Universal Championship match at SummerSlam, with his opponent being decided in a Fatal Four-Way. Seth was poised for his return to glory. Then, came the Demon King. Finn Bálor’s rise on the main roster was amazing when it first started. Finn was a small guy, relatively, and they don’t tend to do well in Vinny’s House of Wayward Giants.
Finn’s victory was an amazing night for NXT and indy fands who had been watching Balor’s career for years. It was validation that this was going to be a new era that glorified the best wrestlers and not just the guy with the most muscles. Too bad it ended as quickly as it began.
1. The Ultimate Warrior defeated The Honky Tonk Man for the IC Championship
The longest single run in Intercontinental Championship history started as a fluke. On a June 1987 episode of Superstars, the Hinky Tonk Man defeated Ricky Steamboat for the title through nefarious means. The dastardly crooner would defend his title for a whopping 454 days through those same nefarious means. Originally, Honky was meant to be a transitional champ so the Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts could take the belt off a heel.
However, it was the 80’s and they used to have cocaine vending machines back then. So, Jake ended up failing a number of drug tests and Honky was booked to keep the belt (with some gentle cajoling of Vince by Hogan). Due to Jake’s demons, Hony ended up having one of the most successful IC title reigns ever. You think The Miz is a great cowardly heel? Honky was the master, getting himself disqualified or counted out to save his title.
Leading up to the first SummerSlam, Honky was feuding with Brutus ‘The Barbar’ Beefcake. Beefcake threatened to cut Honky’s beautiful pompadour and take his title, so you the stakes were high. However, a week before SummerSlam Brutus was ambushed by Ron Bass and sidelined for the big show. At SummerSlam Honky stood in the ring proclaiming how he could beat any challenger that came down to ringside.
Then the guitar hit, that driving sound that ushered in the most frantic and devastating superstar of that era: The Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior rushed to the ring and ended the longest IC reign of all time in 31 seconds. That’s all it took for that hurricane of muscles and neon tassels to subdue the Honky Tonk Man.
Say what you will about the Ultimate Warrior as a person or even as a wrestler, but at that time, we loved him. He would eventually be more over than even Hogan and this victory was the beginning of his meteoric rise. He made the IC belt a main event title like no other superstar, before or after.
That’s it for this SummerSlam Special Edition of the High 5. What were the most significant title changes in SummerSlam History for you? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter here. You can also join us on Discord to chat with Oli, Luke, the magazine team, the website writers and each other here!
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