4. SummerSlam ’97
SummerSlam ’97 was the climax of the awesome USA vs. Canada feud between the Hart Foundation and a group of American wrestlers, where the lines between babyface vs. heel were as blurred and elastic as they had ever been.
The main event saw Bret Hart challenge The Undertaker for the WWF Title, with Shawn Michaels as the guest referee. The match was a methodical but drama-filled epic, with the Bret-Shawn vendetta adding another layer to the tension. In the semi-main slot was the Owen Hart-Steve Austin Intercontinental Title match, which was on its way to stealing the show before an unfortunately executed piledriver that temporarily paralyzed Austin. The third standout was the opener – a Mankind-Triple H Steel Cage match.
This violent, hate-filled display of brutality was as good as anything else on the PPV, even without the use of blading. Mix in a solid undercard comprised of several accomplished talents (Bulldog vs. Shamrock, Goldust vs. Pillman), and SummerSlam ’97 was a very strong card which the company built up to very effectively. I consider this the best of the first ten SummerSlams.
