Many people view the end of summertime with dismay. For some, it marks the end of days spent at the beach, by the pool, or cracking open a cold one at the family barbecue. For others, it is the dreadful reminder that school is back to occupy all of their free time and the fall semester is right around the corner. But wrestling fans always get to look forward to something as summer slowly fades into fall—SummerSlam.
While SummerSlam might not be as big of a spectacle as some of WWE’s other “Big Four” pay-per-views like WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble, the company still does everything in its power to truly make it feel like the “Biggest Party of the Summer.”
Since its inaugural year in 1988, SummerSlam has continued on as one of the pro wrestling’s longest running annual events. While it moved from city to city for the first two decades, as most major wrestling shows frequently do, SummerSlam has become a New York tradition of sorts in recent years that, despite not being at WWE’s original home of Madison Square Garden, still evokes memories of the company’s roots in the Big Apple. Since 2015, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn has housed the show. Before that, it saw a six-year run at the Staples Center in Los Angeles--a trend that has not been common for any other of Vince McMahon’s major events.
As one can expect, a pay-per-view going into its 30th year has provided its fair share of unforgettable memories over the years. Whether you’re a pro wrestling diehard or casual viewer being dragged to a friend’s watch party this weekend, make sure to check out our list of the Most Memorable Moments in SummerSlam History before this year’s airs on Sunday, Aug. 19.