WWE SummerSlam: Ranking every main event in history

18. SummerSlam 2001: The Rock vs. Booker T

There was a big decision to be made at SummerSlam in 2001. The Invasion angle was in full swing and there were so many different belts and turns that it was just chaotic. Six of the eight matches had titles on the line, including the WWF Championship match between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kurt Angle, which ended in a disqualification. Knowing that is probably why they went with The Rock vs. Booker T for the WCW Championship to close the show. I don’t think there was ever one person out there who truly believed that Booker T was going to go over The Rock so they wanted to send the crowd home happy with The People’s Champ standing tall for the World Wrestling Federation.

The Rock had been gone for most of the summer filming The Scorpion King so his return during the middle of the Invasion angle was going to be a big deal. Which side would he take? He made his point clear when he gave Shane McMahon, the co-leader of the new alliance between WCW and ECW, a Rock Bottom, leading Booker T to inject himself into the mix and start up a program with The Rock for a title match at SummerSlam.

This might have been a chance for Booker T to really become a main-event player in the WWF but after the loss, he didn’t hold a world title again for more than five years and really never won a big match during his time with the company. Shane got involved in the finish of the match and got a Rock Bottom on the outside for his troubles. Booker would hit the scissors kick and did manage to get a Spinarooni in there, only for The Rock to get up and hit the Rock Bottom for the win. Again, it’s not that this was terrible but it wasn’t all that great either.