20 Years Ago: SummerSlam 2005

Edge and Matt Hardy were starting their feud that stemmed from real-world animosity; Randy Orton and The Undertaker added another chapter to their legendary rivalry; John Cena and Batista were both in the middle of their first world title reigns.

The main event of that evening was Hulk Hogan taking on Shawn Michaels in a WWE SummerSlam match that is still talked about to this day.

Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan

The first match on the pay-per-view was Chris Benoit challenging Orlando Jordan for the United States Championship. This match was notable for being the shortest match in the history of the event up to that point, at 25 seconds.

The match began with a lockup separated by the referee. Benoit gave Jordan a German suplex that he worked into a crossface. Jordan submitted, and Benoit became the new champion.

Edge vs. Matt Hardy

This matchup was the first between the two former friends. One year prior, as Hardy was recovering from an injury, Edge and Hardy’s girlfriend, Lita, began dating, unbeknownst to Hardy. Upon his return from injury and discovery of the affair, Hardy took to his blog to share with the WWE fans about the love triangle.

In response, Hardy was released, and Edge and Lita were paired as a heel couple on television. There was fan uproar about Hardy’s firing, leading to WWE rehiring him. Upon his return, Hardy and Edge traded attacks on Raw, which led to this matchup.

The match began with the two wrestlers brawling in the entranceway, setting the tone for the remainder of the match. The two wrestlers brawled around the ring and the ringside area. Hardy started bleeding after going headfirst into the ring post, giving Edge the advantage. Hardy’s injury became too much, and the referee stopped the match and awarded Edge the victory.

Hardy and Edge would continue feuding for the next few months, leading to a “loser leaves Raw” ladder match for Edge’s Money in the Bank briefcase. Edge would win, but Hardy would not stay off television for too long, making his way to SmackDown.

This rivalry was significant for Edge, as it was the beginning of his “Rated R Superstar” character.

Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero

The next match was the third in the rivalry between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. This match was a ladder match with the winner gaining custody of Mysterio’s son, and current WWE superstar, Dominick.

This rivalry stemmed from Guerrero’s jealousy of Mysterio. Guerrero turned his back on Mysterio when they were tag team champions, leading to a series of matches to determine who was the better wrestler. Mysterio won the first three matches at WrestleMania 21, Judgement Day, and Great American Bash, respectively.

To try to get into Mysterio’s head, Guerrero revealed that he was the biological father of Dominick, and he wanted custody. It was decided that custody would be determined through a ladder match.

The ladder match was not the cleanest technical work of each of their careers, as it was littered with minor botches (including a missed run-in by Vickie Guerrero). But the match showed why both wrestlers were so great at storytelling in the ring. Guerrero showed no remorse for his actions, and Mysterio demonstrated desperation and anguish in trying to keep custody of his son.

In the end, Mysterio retrieved the briefcase as Guerrero was held back by his wife.

This match introduced the WWE universe to Dominick Mysterio, and it was one of the final examples of Guerrero’s well-rounded professional wrestling abilities before his untimely passing three months later.

Kurt Angle vs. Eugene

Throughout the summer of 2005, Kurt Angle was defending his gold medal on Raw. He offered other wrestlers the opportunity to fight, and if they won, they would keep his Olympic gold medal. After numerous defenses, Eugene found a way to defeat Angle and win his medal. The two would square off again at SummerSlam for the Olympic gold.

This was the least memorable match on the card. Angle easily defeated Eugene to win his gold medal back.

Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker

Randy Orton was still in his “Legend Killer” gimmick, and the legend he was targeting was The Undertaker. The two first squared off at WrestleMania 21, where The Undertaker won to continue his undefeated streak at the Show of the Immortals. The two would not cross paths again until the 2005 draft lottery when Orton moved to SmackDown, setting up this match.

The match was equally as good as their WrestleMania bout. At the end of the match, The Undertaker was setting up for a tombstone when he was distracted by a fan running into the ring. The distraction allowed Orton to hit the RKO and get the win. The fan was Orton’s father, Cowboy Bob Orton, under prosthetic makeup.

This was the second match in a legendary four-match series between the two legends. This rivalry with The Undertaker was one of the defining matchups in the early part of Orton’s career.

Chris Jericho vs. John Cena

As part of the draft lottery, John Cena and the WWE Championship came over to Raw. Chris Jericho was his first rival in the ring on the red brand. Eric Bischoff handpicked Jericho, who did not believe Cena was fit to be the WWE champion and did whatever he could to get him to lose the belt.

Cena already defeated Jericho once earlier in the year in a triple-threat match that also included Christian. He would also capture victory this night, as he had won a match mostly dominated by Jericho throughout. The crowd still embraced Cena at this point in his reign, and throughout the match, he used the crowd’s support to power himself to victory. This match was a memorable one within Cena’s first world title reign.

JBL vs. Batista

When Cena went to Raw in the draft lottery, Batista arrived on SmackDown with the World Heavyweight Championship. He went from a memorable rivalry with Triple H to a fight for the gold with SmackDown’s resident heel, JBL.

Their match was No Holds Barred, and the competitors took advantage of the stipulation. JBL seemed to be on his way to victory after nearly choking out Batista with a leather belt and introducing the steel steps to the ring. It would be Batista who would end up victorious. He hit JBL with two Batista Bombs, the second one on the steel steps, to retain the title.

Batista was equally as popular as Cena, as he was also in his first world title reign. It was essential to match Batista up with a wrestler dastardly enough to keep his babyface support with the fans, and this match showed JBL was the perfect foil.

Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan

The main event was the only ever matchup between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan. Hogan had just returned for the first time in two years. After teaming up with Michaels on an episode of Raw in a tag team match against Muhammad Hassan and Daivari, Michaels turned on Hogan, giving him Sweet Chin Music. This turned Michaels heel for the first time in his second stint in WWE.

This match between Hogan and Michaels was memorable for Michaels’ absurd overselling of Hogan’s moves throughout. He would flip over the top when Irish whipped into the corners and ropes, and he would springboard into the air with every punch, arm drag, and hip toss by Hogan.

Michaels had the upper hand throughout the match, even busting Hogan open. However, Hogan would “Hulk up” like he always did. He no-sold Michaels’ punches before landing his own to set up his leg drop for the victory. The pay-per-view ended with the two of them shaking hands.

This main event stands out to this day, as it was Hogan’s second-to-last match in WWE. Michaels also showed why he was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, as he showed athleticism in the ring (albeit over-the-top at points) and his ability to play the heel perfectly.