# SummerSlam

**SummerSlam** is an annual professional wrestling event produced by WWE, held each August and positioned as the company's second-largest show of the year after [WrestleMania](https://www.edgepedia.org/wrestlemania). It debuted on August 29, 1988 at [Madison Square Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/madison-square-garden) in New York City and is known as "The Biggest Party of the Summer."<sup>[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://soc.up.edu.ph/09-draft/files?dataid=nZb94-8555&title=biggest-draws-in-wrestling-history.pdf)</sup> Together with the [Royal Rumble](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-rumble), WrestleMania, and Survivor Series, it forms WWE's group of four flagship events, often called the "Big Four."<sup>[3](https://www.cinemablend.com/wrestling/wwe-fans-time-to-admit-hard-truth-survivor-series)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First edition | August 29, 1988, Madison Square Garden, New York City<sup>[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)</sup> |
| First main event | The Mega-Powers (Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage) def. The Mega-Bucks (Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase), with Jesse Ventura as guest referee<sup>[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)</sup> |
| Calendar position | Second most important event on the WWE calendar, behind WrestleMania<sup>[4](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/wwe-en-problemas-preocupa-la-baja-venta-de-boletos-para-summerslam-f202607-n/)</sup> |
| Record gate | $8.5 million with 59,194 in attendance at SummerSlam 2023 in Detroit, the largest gate for any non-WrestleMania event ever<sup>[5](https://corporate.wwe.com/f/docs/press-releases/08072023_7.pdf)</sup> |
| Two-night era | First held over two nights at MetLife Stadium in 2025, selling more than 100,000 tickets<sup>[6](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973266/000119312526173856/d908037dars.pdf)</sup> |
| 2026 edition | August 1–2, 2026 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, WWE's first stadium event in the city<sup>[7](https://s202.q4cdn.com/437702206/files/doc_news/2024/05/TKO_WWE-Minneapolis-SummerSlam-Release_5-23-24.pdf)</sup> |
| Where to watch (2026) | ESPN App in the United States, Netflix internationally<sup>[8](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/2026/knight-sikoa-keys-bloodline)</sup> |

## Origins and the 1988 debut

WWE created SummerSlam in August 1988, filling a gap in its event calendar: the Royal Rumble ran in January, WrestleMania in spring, and [Survivor Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/survivor-series) in fall, leaving room for a major summer show.<sup>[9](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/who-competed-first-summerslam)</sup> A scholarly history of American professional wrestling describes the new event as the second-to-top event on the WWF/WWE calendar after WrestleMania.<sup>[10](https://universaar.uni-saarland.de/bitstream/20.500.11880/39220/1/Getting%20Over%20-A%20Study%20of%20the%20History%2C%20Industry%2C%20Performance%20Art%20and%20Cultural%20Impact%20of%20American%20Professional%20Wrestling.pdf)</sup>

The inaugural show drew a capacity crowd to Madison Square Garden. Its main event pitted The Mega-Powers, WWE Champion Randy Savage and [Hulk Hogan](https://www.edgepedia.org/hulk-hogan), against The Mega-Bucks, Andre the Giant and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as special guest referee. The finish came when [Miss Elizabeth](https://www.edgepedia.org/miss-elizabeth) removed her skirt to distract Ventura and the Mega-Bucks, allowing the Mega-Powers to win.<sup>[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)</sup> On the same card, The Ultimate Warrior answered an open challenge and defeated [The Honky Tonk Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-honky-tonk-man) in less than a minute, ending the champion's record Intercontinental Title reign in one of the show's most famous moments.<sup>[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/greatestmoments)</sup>

Madison Square Garden hosted the event again in 1991 and 1998, making it the only venue to host SummerSlam three times.<sup>[12](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988/venue)</sup>

## Notable moments

Several SummerSlam matches and segments have become reference points in WWE history:<sup>[11](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/greatestmoments)</sup>

- **1991**: [Randy Savage](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-savage) and Elizabeth were married on the show, the "Match Made in Heaven," while Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior teamed against [Sgt. Slaughter](https://www.edgepedia.org/sgt-slaughter), Col. Mustafa, and Gen. Adnan in the "Match Made in Hell." The [Legion of Doom](https://www.edgepedia.org/legion-of-doom) also won the World Tag Team Championship, becoming the first team to hold championships in the AWA, NWA, and WWE.
- **1992**: At Wembley Stadium in London, The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) defeated his brother-in-law Bret Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship in front of his own family, a match often cited among the greatest technical wrestling matches of all time.<sup>[11](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/greatestmoments)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/summerslam-best-moments-most-memorable-matches)</sup>
- **1997**: Owen Hart's botched piledriver broke Stone Cold Steve Austin's neck, and Shawn Michaels accidentally struck Undertaker with a chair while guest refereeing the WWE Championship match, forcing him to count the pin that gave Bret Hart the title.
- **2004**: Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history.<sup>[11](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/greatestmoments)</sup>

## Place in the WWE calendar

Commentators consistently rank SummerSlam just below WrestleMania in importance. [Bleacher Report](https://www.edgepedia.org/bleacher-report)'s analysis of the WWE calendar compared WrestleMania to the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) and SummerSlam to the NFL conference championships, an event with less hype but often just as entertaining; Wrestling Observer figures for 2010 and 2011 showed the Royal Rumble in clear second place behind WrestleMania, with SummerSlam ahead of everything else not named WrestleMania.<sup>[14](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1708697-analyzing-summerslams-importance-in-the-wwe-calendar)</sup> The Ringer used a similar scale: if a win at WrestleMania is a grand slam, a win at SummerSlam is a three-run homer.<sup>[15](https://www.theringer.com/2022/07/29/wwe/wwe-summerslam-biggest-summer-party-history)</sup>

The event is also a commercial anchor. WWE has said that WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble have a combined economic impact of more than $300 million.<sup>[16](https://apnews.com/article/7406661dba61064eaa9ca96736e0efc6)</sup> For the 2026 edition, Minnesota Sports and Events estimated a $100 million economic impact on the [Minneapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/minneapolis) region from SummerSlam and related events.<sup>[17](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/07/31/wwe-summerslam-minneapolis-wrestling-events)</sup>

## Recent editions

**SummerSlam 2023** in Detroit set the event's commercial benchmarks: 59,194 in attendance at [Ford Field](https://www.edgepedia.org/ford-field), a record gate of $8.5 million, the largest for any non-WrestleMania event ever, roughly 2 million viewers on Peacock, and more than 230 million social video views, a 26 percent increase over the previous year.<sup>[5](https://corporate.wwe.com/f/docs/press-releases/08072023_7.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-cleveland-00946d21-e75b-4a5b-8bb0-927a2511bd87)</sup>

**SummerSlam 2025** was the first held at [MetLife Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/metlife-stadium) in New Jersey, and the first staged over two nights, selling more than 100,000 tickets according to WWE's annual report.<sup>[6](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973266/000119312526173856/d908037dars.pdf)</sup>

**SummerSlam 2026** ran Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2, 2026 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It was the first Premium Live Event in Minneapolis since TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs in 2019 and the first time WWE hosted a stadium event in the city.<sup>[7](https://s202.q4cdn.com/437702206/files/doc_news/2024/05/TKO_WWE-Minneapolis-SummerSlam-Release_5-23-24.pdf)</sup> The event streamed live on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan in the United States and on Netflix internationally.<sup>[8](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/2026/knight-sikoa-keys-bloodline)</sup> On the Sunday show, World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns defeated Seth Rollins, the returning Kevin Owens won a Fatal 4-Way over Gunther, Finn Bálor, and Sami Zayn to become No. 1 contender to the Undisputed WWE Title, Chad Gable won the Intercontinental Championship from Penta, and Chelsea Green won a Ladder Match to become Interim WWE Women's Champion.<sup>[19](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/sunday-2026)</sup> The Saturday card included Oba Femi winning inside Hell in a Cell.<sup>[20](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/saturday-2026)</sup>

## References

1. [SummerSlam 1988, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988)
2. [Biggest Draws In Wrestling History](https://soc.up.edu.ph/09-draft/files?dataid=nZb94-8555&title=biggest-draws-in-wrestling-history.pdf)
3. [Hey, WWE Fans, It's Time To Admit A Hard Truth About Survivor Series, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/wrestling/wwe-fans-time-to-admit-hard-truth-survivor-series)
4. [¿WWE en problemas? Preocupa la baja venta de boletos para SummerSlam, AS USA](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/wwe-en-problemas-preocupa-la-baja-venta-de-boletos-para-summerslam-f202607-n/)
5. [Most-Watched SummerSlam Of All Time, WWE corporate press release (August 7, 2023)](https://corporate.wwe.com/f/docs/press-releases/08072023_7.pdf)
6. [TKO Group Holdings annual report, SEC EDGAR](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973266/000119312526173856/d908037dars.pdf)
7. [Minneapolis to Host WWE SummerSlam in 2026, TKO/WWE press release (May 23, 2024)](https://s202.q4cdn.com/437702206/files/doc_news/2024/05/TKO_WWE-Minneapolis-SummerSlam-Release_5-23-24.pdf)
8. [LA Knight, Solo Sikoa & Royce Keys vs. Jacob Fatu & The Usos, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/2026/knight-sikoa-keys-bloodline)
9. [Who Competed in the First-Ever SummerSlam and When Was It?, USA Network Insider](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/who-competed-first-summerslam)
10. [Getting Over: A Study of the History, Industry, Performance Art and Cultural Impact of American Professional Wrestling, Universität des Saarlandes](https://universaar.uni-saarland.de/bitstream/20.500.11880/39220/1/Getting%20Over%20-A%20Study%20of%20the%20History%2C%20Industry%2C%20Performance%20Art%20and%20Cultural%20Impact%20of%20American%20Professional%20Wrestling.pdf)
11. [The greatest moments in SummerSlam history, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/greatestmoments)
12. [Event Venue: Madison Square Garden, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/1988/venue)
13. [SummerSlam: Best Moments, Most Memorable Matches, USA Network Insider](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/summerslam-best-moments-most-memorable-matches)
14. [Analyzing SummerSlam's Importance in the WWE Calendar, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1708697-analyzing-summerslams-importance-in-the-wwe-calendar)
15. [How 'SummerSlam' Became WWE's Party of the Summer, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2022/07/29/wwe/wwe-summerslam-biggest-summer-party-history)
16. [WWE's WrestleMania continues to bulk up, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/7406661dba61064eaa9ca96736e0efc6)
17. [SummerSlam's huge spectacle lands in Minneapolis, Axios Twin Cities](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/07/31/wwe-summerslam-minneapolis-wrestling-events)
18. [Summer's big slam, Axios Cleveland](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-cleveland-00946d21-e75b-4a5b-8bb0-927a2511bd87)
19. [Roman Reigns finally conquers Seth Rollins in an instant classic at SummerSlam, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/sunday-2026)
20. [Brock Lesnar declares Oba Femi the future after The Ruler wins inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam, WWE](https://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/saturday-2026)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Professional wrestling promotions and championships › SummerSlam*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license