The WWE Championship is the most prestigious prize in the history of professional wrestling. 2023 will mark six decades of the WWE Title, with a legendary cast of wrestlers having held the WWE Championship. Moreover, the WWE Championship match has been a permanent fixture at SummerSlam except for the first two editions of the show and 1991 didn't feature a WWE Title match at SummerSlam.
There have been times when WWE has had two World Championships at its disposal, and sometimes the WWE Championship match didn't go on last. Nevertheless, the quality required for a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam hasn't always been delivered, but there has been no shortage of drama in the last set of WWE Title matches to feature at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
10
Daniel Bryan Vs. Randy Orton - 2013
Daniel Bryan had just captured his first WWE Championship after he dethroned John Cena in an instant classic at SummerSlam 2013. However, Bryan's joy was short-lived as Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
Triple H turned heel for the first time in seven years after he blindsided Bryan and laid him out with a Pedigree. Orton slithered into the ring like a snake, and he covered Bryan to become a WWE World Champion for the 10th time.
9
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jinder Mahal - 2017
Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017. This was for the biggest prize in the industry, and this match was utterly atrocious. The match was incredibly boring, and it was one of the worst matches that involved the WWE Championship.
Nakamura came close to winning the WWE Title, but he was unable to get over the line. Mahal's WWE Championship reign continued after he put Nakamura out of his misery with a Khallas.
8
Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg - 2021
Bobby Lashley and Goldberg locked horns in a clash of the titans' match at the 2021 edition of SummerSlam with Lashley's WWE Championship on the line. Goldberg was bidding to become the oldest WWE Champion in history. The Almighty looked dominant in his WWE Title reign, and he took his dominance to another level when he dismantled Goldberg.
Goldberg speared Lashley on the outside but Lashley recovered and he handed Goldberg the beating of his life. He worked on Goldberg's leg, and he showed no mercy by ramming it into the ring post. Ultimately, Lashley retained the WWE Championship after the referee stopped the match.
7
Kofi Kingston Vs. Randy Orton - 2019
Randy Orton has had many successful nights at SummerSlam, and he was looking to clinch more gold at SummerSlam when he put Kofi Kingston up for the test in his latest WWE Title defense at SummerSlam 2019. The fans in Toronto were heavily invested in the match, and it was hard to predict, who was going to come out on top.
9
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jinder Mahal - 2017
Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017. This was for the biggest prize in the industry, and this match was utterly atrocious. The match was incredibly boring, and it was one of the worst matches that involved the WWE Championship.
Nakamura came close to winning the WWE Title, but he was unable to get over the line. Mahal's WWE Championship reign continued after he put Nakamura out of his misery with a Khallas.
8
Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg - 2021
Bobby Lashley and Goldberg locked horns in a clash of the titans' match at the 2021 edition of SummerSlam with Lashley's WWE Championship on the line. Goldberg was bidding to become the oldest WWE Champion in history. The Almighty looked dominant in his WWE Title reign, and he took his dominance to another level when he dismantled Goldberg.
Goldberg speared Lashley on the outside but Lashley recovered and he handed Goldberg the beating of his life. He worked on Goldberg's leg, and he showed no mercy by ramming it into the ring post. Ultimately, Lashley retained the WWE Championship after the referee stopped the match.
7
Kofi Kingston Vs. Randy Orton - 2019
Randy Orton has had many successful nights at SummerSlam, and he was looking to clinch more gold at SummerSlam when he put Kofi Kingston up for the test in his latest WWE Title defense at SummerSlam 2019. The fans in Toronto were heavily invested in the match, and it was hard to predict, who was going to come out on top.
RELATED:
Kofi Kingston's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years
Kofi and Orton had a decent match but it wasn't anything special. There wasn't a definitive winner as both men were counted out. Kofi unleashed some aggression on the Viper afterward as he assaulted him with a kendo stick.
6
Dean Ambrose Vs. Dolph Ziggler - 2016
Two talented wrestlers in Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler were capable of producing miles better in their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam 2016. There were some bright spells in the match, but the clash was largely unforgettable.
The Lunatic Fringe went for Dirty Deeds but Ziggler managed to counter it and he connected with his patented Zig-Zag. Ambrose kicked out, and later on, in the match, he successfully retained the WWE Championship after he managed to lay out Ziggler with a Zig-Zag in a 15-minute contest.
9
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jinder Mahal - 2017
Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017. This was for the biggest prize in the industry, and this match was utterly atrocious. The match was incredibly boring, and it was one of the worst matches that involved the WWE Championship.
Nakamura came close to winning the WWE Title, but he was unable to get over the line. Mahal's WWE Championship reign continued after he put Nakamura out of his misery with a Khallas.
8
Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg - 2021
Bobby Lashley and Goldberg locked horns in a clash of the titans' match at the 2021 edition of SummerSlam with Lashley's WWE Championship on the line. Goldberg was bidding to become the oldest WWE Champion in history. The Almighty looked dominant in his WWE Title reign, and he took his dominance to another level when he dismantled Goldberg.
Goldberg speared Lashley on the outside but Lashley recovered and he handed Goldberg the beating of his life. He worked on Goldberg's leg, and he showed no mercy by ramming it into the ring post. Ultimately, Lashley retained the WWE Championship after the referee stopped the match.
7
Kofi Kingston Vs. Randy Orton - 2019
Randy Orton has had many successful nights at SummerSlam, and he was looking to clinch more gold at SummerSlam when he put Kofi Kingston up for the test in his latest WWE Title defense at SummerSlam 2019. The fans in Toronto were heavily invested in the match, and it was hard to predict, who was going to come out on top.
RELATED:
Kofi Kingston's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years
Kofi and Orton had a decent match but it wasn't anything special. There wasn't a definitive winner as both men were counted out. Kofi unleashed some aggression on the Viper afterward as he assaulted him with a kendo stick.
6
Dean Ambrose Vs. Dolph Ziggler - 2016
Two talented wrestlers in Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler were capable of producing miles better in their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam 2016. There were some bright spells in the match, but the clash was largely unforgettable.
The Lunatic Fringe went for Dirty Deeds but Ziggler managed to counter it and he connected with his patented Zig-Zag. Ambrose kicked out, and later on, in the match, he successfully retained the WWE Championship after he managed to lay out Ziggler with a Zig-Zag in a 15-minute contest.
5
Drew McIntyre Vs. Randy Orton - 2020
The rivalry between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton over the WWE Championship was brilliant. Inside WWE's ThunderDome, the Scottish Psychopath defended his title at SummerSlam 2020 with Orton looking to win the WWE Championship for the first time since 2017.
McIntyre and Orton did a remarkable job of making this a watchable championship match. McIntyre attempted the Claymore Kick but the Viper moved out of the way. However, a backslide pin was enough for McIntyre to get the better of Orton in a successful WWE Title defense.
4
AJ Styles Vs. Samoa Joe - 2018
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe were no strangers to each other as they had many memorable battles in TNA. Fast forward a few years later, and they were scheduled to go head-to-head at SummerSlam 2018 with the Phenomenal One's WWE Championship up for grabs. This was one of the greatest WWE Title matches in the history of SummerSlam.
9
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jinder Mahal - 2017
Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017. This was for the biggest prize in the industry, and this match was utterly atrocious. The match was incredibly boring, and it was one of the worst matches that involved the WWE Championship.
Nakamura came close to winning the WWE Title, but he was unable to get over the line. Mahal's WWE Championship reign continued after he put Nakamura out of his misery with a Khallas.
8
Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg - 2021
Bobby Lashley and Goldberg locked horns in a clash of the titans' match at the 2021 edition of SummerSlam with Lashley's WWE Championship on the line. Goldberg was bidding to become the oldest WWE Champion in history. The Almighty looked dominant in his WWE Title reign, and he took his dominance to another level when he dismantled Goldberg.
Goldberg speared Lashley on the outside but Lashley recovered and he handed Goldberg the beating of his life. He worked on Goldberg's leg, and he showed no mercy by ramming it into the ring post. Ultimately, Lashley retained the WWE Championship after the referee stopped the match.
7
Kofi Kingston Vs. Randy Orton - 2019
Randy Orton has had many successful nights at SummerSlam, and he was looking to clinch more gold at SummerSlam when he put Kofi Kingston up for the test in his latest WWE Title defense at SummerSlam 2019. The fans in Toronto were heavily invested in the match, and it was hard to predict, who was going to come out on top.
RELATED:
Kofi Kingston's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years
Kofi and Orton had a decent match but it wasn't anything special. There wasn't a definitive winner as both men were counted out. Kofi unleashed some aggression on the Viper afterward as he assaulted him with a kendo stick.
6
Dean Ambrose Vs. Dolph Ziggler - 2016
Two talented wrestlers in Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler were capable of producing miles better in their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam 2016. There were some bright spells in the match, but the clash was largely unforgettable.
The Lunatic Fringe went for Dirty Deeds but Ziggler managed to counter it and he connected with his patented Zig-Zag. Ambrose kicked out, and later on, in the match, he successfully retained the WWE Championship after he managed to lay out Ziggler with a Zig-Zag in a 15-minute contest.
5
Drew McIntyre Vs. Randy Orton - 2020
The rivalry between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton over the WWE Championship was brilliant. Inside WWE's ThunderDome, the Scottish Psychopath defended his title at SummerSlam 2020 with Orton looking to win the WWE Championship for the first time since 2017.
McIntyre and Orton did a remarkable job of making this a watchable championship match. McIntyre attempted the Claymore Kick but the Viper moved out of the way. However, a backslide pin was enough for McIntyre to get the better of Orton in a successful WWE Title defense.
4
AJ Styles Vs. Samoa Joe - 2018
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe were no strangers to each other as they had many memorable battles in TNA. Fast forward a few years later, and they were scheduled to go head-to-head at SummerSlam 2018 with the Phenomenal One's WWE Championship up for grabs. This was one of the greatest WWE Title matches in the history of SummerSlam.
RELATED:
The 10 Best WWE Title Matches That Ended In DQ
Their match was intense, and Joe didn't hesitate to get under Styles' skin by provoking Styles' wife and child. Styles was seething, and he managed to retain the WWE Championship albeit he lost by disqualification as he nailed the Samoan Submission Machine with a steel chair.
3
John Cena Vs. Brock Lesnar - 2014
As far as one-sided affairs go for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2014, John Cena was in store for a long night as he put the WWE Title on the line against Brock Lesnar, who was riding a wave of momentum. The Beast Incarnate was dialed in, and he showed no mercy to Cena, who had no answers to halt Lesnar's dominance.
Lesnar took Cena to Suplex City and he took him down with 16 German Suplexes, which is an insane amount to land on your opponent. Lesnar finished off Cena with a second F5 and he became WWE Champion for the first time in a decade.
9
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jinder Mahal - 2017
Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017. This was for the biggest prize in the industry, and this match was utterly atrocious. The match was incredibly boring, and it was one of the worst matches that involved the WWE Championship.
Nakamura came close to winning the WWE Title, but he was unable to get over the line. Mahal's WWE Championship reign continued after he put Nakamura out of his misery with a Khallas.
8
Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg - 2021
Bobby Lashley and Goldberg locked horns in a clash of the titans' match at the 2021 edition of SummerSlam with Lashley's WWE Championship on the line. Goldberg was bidding to become the oldest WWE Champion in history. The Almighty looked dominant in his WWE Title reign, and he took his dominance to another level when he dismantled Goldberg.
Goldberg speared Lashley on the outside but Lashley recovered and he handed Goldberg the beating of his life. He worked on Goldberg's leg, and he showed no mercy by ramming it into the ring post. Ultimately, Lashley retained the WWE Championship after the referee stopped the match.
7
Kofi Kingston Vs. Randy Orton - 2019
Randy Orton has had many successful nights at SummerSlam, and he was looking to clinch more gold at SummerSlam when he put Kofi Kingston up for the test in his latest WWE Title defense at SummerSlam 2019. The fans in Toronto were heavily invested in the match, and it was hard to predict, who was going to come out on top.
RELATED:
Kofi Kingston's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years
Kofi and Orton had a decent match but it wasn't anything special. There wasn't a definitive winner as both men were counted out. Kofi unleashed some aggression on the Viper afterward as he assaulted him with a kendo stick.
6
Dean Ambrose Vs. Dolph Ziggler - 2016
Two talented wrestlers in Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler were capable of producing miles better in their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam 2016. There were some bright spells in the match, but the clash was largely unforgettable.
The Lunatic Fringe went for Dirty Deeds but Ziggler managed to counter it and he connected with his patented Zig-Zag. Ambrose kicked out, and later on, in the match, he successfully retained the WWE Championship after he managed to lay out Ziggler with a Zig-Zag in a 15-minute contest.
5
Drew McIntyre Vs. Randy Orton - 2020
The rivalry between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton over the WWE Championship was brilliant. Inside WWE's ThunderDome, the Scottish Psychopath defended his title at SummerSlam 2020 with Orton looking to win the WWE Championship for the first time since 2017.
McIntyre and Orton did a remarkable job of making this a watchable championship match. McIntyre attempted the Claymore Kick but the Viper moved out of the way. However, a backslide pin was enough for McIntyre to get the better of Orton in a successful WWE Title defense.
4
AJ Styles Vs. Samoa Joe - 2018
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe were no strangers to each other as they had many memorable battles in TNA. Fast forward a few years later, and they were scheduled to go head-to-head at SummerSlam 2018 with the Phenomenal One's WWE Championship up for grabs. This was one of the greatest WWE Title matches in the history of SummerSlam.
RELATED:
The 10 Best WWE Title Matches That Ended In DQ
Their match was intense, and Joe didn't hesitate to get under Styles' skin by provoking Styles' wife and child. Styles was seething, and he managed to retain the WWE Championship albeit he lost by disqualification as he nailed the Samoan Submission Machine with a steel chair.
3
John Cena Vs. Brock Lesnar - 2014
As far as one-sided affairs go for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2014, John Cena was in store for a long night as he put the WWE Title on the line against Brock Lesnar, who was riding a wave of momentum. The Beast Incarnate was dialed in, and he showed no mercy to Cena, who had no answers to halt Lesnar's dominance.
Lesnar took Cena to Suplex City and he took him down with 16 German Suplexes, which is an insane amount to land on your opponent. Lesnar finished off Cena with a second F5 and he became WWE Champion for the first time in a decade.
2
Seth Rollins Vs. John Cena - 2015
The stakes were high in Seth Rollins and John Cena's marquee collision course at SummerSlam 2015. Rollins' WWE Championship was on the line as was Cena's United States Championship with the winner going on to hold both titles for the same time. They knocked it out of a park in a competitive championship match, and they should have headlined the show.
Rollins kicked out of Cena's AA, and the Architect used Cena's finishing maneuver, but Cena powered out of it. The referee was knocked down, and Jon Stewart, who was the host of SummerSlam, attacked Cena with a steel chair. Rollins made history as the first man to hold the WWE and United States Championships simultaneously with a Pedigree onto the chair.
1
John Cena Vs. Daniel Bryan - 2013
Fans were in store for a treat when Daniel Bryan and John Cena were pitted against each other for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013. The COO of WWE, Triple H oversaw proceedings as the special guest referee. Bryan's popularity was unrivaled, and fans could not get enough of seeing Bryan on their screens.
Both men were at the top of their games, and Cena deserves a lot of credit for performing at an elite level as he was nursing an elbow injury. Nonetheless, this was an instant classic, and Bryan beat Cena cleanly with a Running Knee to become WWE Champion for the first time in his career.