The biggest party of the summer rolls around once again this Sunday at the Barclays Centre and as always us fans could not be more excited. Summerslam is famous for some incredible matches that don’t get overlooked by the occasion itself which can happen at Wrestlemania some years. What does get overlooked however on all Pay-per-views is their Pre-show and in particular Pre-show matches.
In the past few years, Summerslam Kick-off shows have produced some hidden gems and I am going to count down the top five Summerslam Kick-Off matches.
5. Cruiserweight Championship: Akira Tozawa v Neville (2017)
This match was a championship rematch from six nights earlier where Tozawa defeated Neville for the belt which ended Neville’s seven-month reign as champion. Neville was out for revenge in this match which he showed right from the off as he decimated Tozawa for most of the match.
Tozawa mounted a small comeback, but it was to no avail as Neville regained the gold with the Red Arrow. Tozawa has not had a Cruiserweight Championship match since and Neville hasn’t been seen in a WWE ring since he walked out on a Monday Night Raw over creative differences. So with Neville gone and Tozawa looking like WWE is the place for him, we may never see this one again.
4. Cesaro v Rob Van Dam (2014)
At the time, Cesaro was on a losing streak which started as soon as he was let go by advocate Paul Heyman. Unfortunately for Cesaro, the streak continued as he was defeated by RVD after a Five-star frog splash from The human highlight reel.
This match was an enjoyable 10-minute bout which nicely whetted the appetite of the audience for the main show, doing exactly what a Kick-Off match should.
3. United States Championship: Dean Ambrose v Rob Van Dam (2013)
Being the oldest match on this list, this bout proved that the veteran RVD was still at the peak of his powers. Van Dam took Ambrose, who at the time was in the middle of an impressive U.S title reign, to the limit.
Van Dam seemed to have the match won after hitting his patented Five-star frog splash, but Roman Reigns rushed into the ring and speared RVD to the mat, causing a disqualification. Van Dam came away with the win, but Ambrose came away with the title.
2. Sheamus v Cesaro (2016)
In the weeks leading to Summerslam 2016, then Raw general manager Mick Foley made a best-of-seven match series for Sheamus and Cesaro, with match one taking place at the biggest party of the summer.
At the time, these two were floundering in the Raw mid-card and had a point to prove, and boy did they prove it. Both men threw everything they had at each other for a good 15 minutes until Sheamus hit the Brogue kick on Cesaro for the win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. These two went onto dominate the tag-team division as The Bar, and this is where their journey started.
1. Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The New Day v The Usos (2017)
There was only one winner, this absolute barnstormer took place on 2017’s Kick-Off. Both teams were in the midst of their legendary rivalry of the year.
The match started at 100 mph and didn’t slow down. Before the main show’s main event, this bout was considered to be the match of the night. This 20-minute classic was eventually won by The Usos after they squashed Big E with a double Samoan splash to win their second Smackdown tag team championship. A match that surely won’t be forgotten in a while.
Do you remember all these Kick-Off matches? What is your favourite? Let us know below or @SLTDWrestling. Make sure you check back for more Top Five SummerSlam Specials all this week.
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