WWE SummerSlam: Ranking every main event in history

8. SummerSlam 2000: The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. Triple H

After a Triple Threat main event the year before for the WWF title, they went with that same formula once again for the 2000 edition of SummerSlam. Triple H was the only player from the year before to be involved in the match and he was joined this time around by two of the best in the business in Kurt Angle and The Rock, even if it turned into more of a one-on-one match.

It was interesting how The Rock, who was the champion at the time, seemed to be in the background a bit during the build, but the real heat at the time was between Triple H and Kurt Angle, who had started a little bit of a triangle involving Stephanie McMahon. Trips was a little jealous of a celebration between his wife and Angle following a tag win on SmackDown and both would become the number one contender to The Rock’s title after simultaneously pinning Chris Jericho. The tension would mount over the next few weeks and more tag matches (not an uncommon thing at that time) and the match was on.

Triple H and Angle were out first and before The Rock even hit the ring, they were brawling and Trips went for a Pedigree on the announce table, only to have it give out a bit prematurely. Oops. This led to Angle being carted to the back for quite a while as The Rock and Triple H went one-on-one, which really wasn’t ever a bad thing. These two knew each other so well that you forgot for a few minutes that there was supposed to be another guy in there with them.

Stephanie, of course, made her way down to the ring and tried to get involved by hitting The Rock with the title but instead hit Triple H and she was booted to the back. She came back down, this time with Kurt Angle, and the Triple Threat was back on. The three battled for a bit and the end saw Stephanie throw in a sledgehammer, which Angle and Triple H fought over. The Game ended up with it and went to hit Angle, instead hitting his wife and laying her out. The Rock threw Angle out of the ring, hit his finishers on Triple H and that was that.

There was a lot happening there at the end but this was a fun match to watch and was a little better than the previous year. And yes, I love Stephanie McMahon so maybe that’s why this got thrown into the top 10.