5 Things You Probably Don't Remember About WWE SummerSlam 2002
"While Michaels rode the match's momentum into another main event run (and seven-plus year wrestling tenure before ultimately retiring), it was originally designed to be just a one-off..."
3. It Marked The End Of The IC Title As A SummerSlam Attraction
At the first 15 SummerSlams between 1988 and 2002, the IC title changed hands 12 times in a possible 14 matches (no match in 1996), with Rob Van Dam's victory over Chris Benoit capping off that decade-and-a-half-run. From then on, the IC title grew to mean less to the event.
From 2003 through 2019 (17 SummerSlams in all), the IC title has only changed hands on three occasions, with winners including Santino Marella in 2008, Dolph Ziggler in 2014, and Seth Rollins in 2018. There've been many SummerSlams in that stretch to not feature the IC title at all.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
