WWE SummerSlam 2001 GRADED

WWE’s Invasion storyline was a tale of unrealised potential as Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation struggled desperately to present WWF vs. WCW/ECW dream matches as many of WCW’s stars decided to stay at home due to still having time on their lucrative AOL Time Warner contracts. 

By the time SummerSlam rolled around, The Alliance already consisted primarily of WWF stars who had switched their allegiance, and the Invasion was struggling mightily, but this didn’t stop SummerSlam 2001 from being a very good show, and actually one of the best SummerSlams that WWE have ever presented. 

The show took place at the Compaq Center at San Jose in San Jose, California, on Sunday, August 19, 2001, and it holds a special place in my heart as I fondly remember watching the pay-per-view on DVD numerous times as a child. 

On the 25-year anniversary of the event, this is WWE SummerSlam 2001 GRADED. 

WWE SummerSlam wasted absolutely no time getting to its early 2000s edginess, delivering a nostalgia-fuelled gut punch in the form of the opening video package with ‘Bodies’ by Drowning Pool, complete with a music video interspersed with Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and The Rock going absolutely wild. 

Edge (WWF) def. Lance Storm (The Alliance) (c) - WWF Intercontinental Championship

Heading into SummerSlam, the WWF Intercontinental Championship was in the hands of The Alliance, courtesy of Lance Storm’s win over Albert, of all people, on the July 23, 2001 episode of Monday Night Raw. 

Following the introduction from Jim Ross and Paul Heyman, Lance Storm made his way to the ring and annoyed the crowd by cutting a SERIOUS promo about there being no place for “off-beat shenanigans” in professional wrestling. Before he could begin, however, Edge interrupted in his very early 2000s sunglasses as he looked to bring the Intercontinental Championship back to the World Wrestling Federation. 

Edge was the aggressor in the early going and recorded the first near fall with a Crossbody from the top rope, but Lance Storm soon fought back by blocking a Suplex and launching Edge across the top rope, before hitting him with a Shoulder Tackle to the barricade. 

What followed was Lance Storm on top for pretty much the rest of the match, becoming more and more frustrated as he slowly worked over Edge before he very nicely rolled through on an Irish Whip into Storm’s Half Crab submission finisher. Despite being worn down throughout the contest, Edge managed to make it to the bottom rope and reversed into a Half Crab of his own, only for Storm to break the hold by pushing away the referee. 

Chaos ensued as Christian ran to the ring and looked to Spear Storm, but he took out his on-screen brother. Storm then dispatched of Christian with a Superkick and everyone in San Jose thought that was it, but Edge managed to kick out at 2.9. A few counters later, Edge blocked a Superkick and fired back with the Edgecution out of nowhere for the pinfall victory. 

Post-match, issues between Christian and Edge were apparent as Christian briefly teased attacking his brother from behind with the Intercontinental Championship, before he gifted the belt to Adam Copeland and they embraced to celebrate.  

Grade: B - A fun opener between two very good wrestlers that resulted in a feel-good win for the World Wrestling Federation to start the show. Storm was on top for just a little bit too long and threatened to bring the match to a screeching halt, but it was almost all worth it just for the way the crowd bit after Christian’s accidental Spear and they thought Lance Storm was simply going to walk away with the dominant victory.  

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) & Test (The Alliance) def. The APA (Faarooq & Bradshaw) & Spike Dudley w/ Molly Holly (WWF)

This match took place after Test turned on the WWF and cost The APA the WWF World Tag Team Titles on SmackDown two weeks before the show, while The Dudley Boyz remained at odds with Spike over choosing the World Wrestling Federation instead of the Alliance. 

The APA were on top during the early going, working over Test as Faarooq and Bradshaw looked to exact revenge for Test costing them the WWF Tag Team Titles, but The Alliance fought back after Bubba Ray attacked Bradshaw from behind. Bubba Ray then did the same thing to Spike, just dumping his brother on the top rope with a Flapjack. 

Bubba Ray proceeded to batter Spike until The Dudley Boyz retrieved a table from under the ring, despite this not being a No DQ Match. Test then threatened to launch Spike but the little man picked up a near fall with a rake to the eyes, only for Spike to go back to being battered and chucked about here, there, and everywhere by his brothers until he eventually made the hot tag to Bradshaw. Faarooq then actually did something, helping his Acolytes tag team partner before Ron Simmons chased D-Von to the outside. 

Back in the ring, Bradshaw managed to hoist up Test with a Powerbomb and the future JBL had the match won but Bubba Ray pulled Bradshaw out of the ring. Spike then charged at Test and went for Sliced Bread, but Test caught him and absolutely launched Spike through the table to a big reaction. Bradshaw then levelled Test with a Clothesline from Hell and had the match won for a second time, but the referee was on the outside checking on Spike. 

All of this allowed Shane McMahon to hit a diving chair shot to Bradshaw’s head (ah, 2001) as WCW referee Nick Patrick then rolled back into the ring and counted the 1-2-3 for The Alliance. 

Grade: C - This was’t really much of a match until the finish but, as expected, Spike Dudley was the absolute highlight due to his sheer willingness to be thrown about by the bigger wrestlers, particularly for the final moments when he took the crazy bump through the table. Bradshaw also hit a wonderful Clothesline from Hell, which was always nice to see.

After the match, the broadcast cut to the WWF locker room where Edge was being congratulated by various WWF Superstars, including Hardcore Holly and Matt Hardy. Christian then entered the room and told Edge that he had a WWF European Championship match tomorrow night against Matt Hardy when Christian’s phone began ringing, and it was their grandma Edna, who just wanted to speak to Edge. Their grandmother congratulated Edge and before Christian could tell her his good news, she hung up. 

Shawn Stasiak went looking for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin but only found Debra, so she received the explanation about how MEAT’s tights were the reason he was such a failure in impressing the WWF Champion. Debra then told Stasiak that he could impress Steve by “kicking some butt.” 

X-Pac (c) (WWF) def. Tajiri (c) (WWF) - WCW Cruiserweight Championship & WWF Light Heavyweight Championship

Cruiserweight action was next as we were well into X-Pac having, well, X-Pac heat, and the crowd were right behind Tajiri and very much opposed to Sean Waltman. 

They spent the early going swapping moves, and the crowd lit up following an Asai Moonsault from Tajiri, prompting chants of ECW. X-Pac fired back, however, by dumping Tajiri crotch first into the ring post, and the WCW Cruiserweight Champion controlled the action until he found himself upside down on a missed Bronco Buster, eating a Baseball Slide and Springboard Elbow from Tajiri for a near fall. A Tarantula followed before a Crossbody, but X-Pac rolled through and almost had the match won, with Tajiri kicking out at the last possible moment. 

X-Pac later hit a Tope Con Hilo and the X-Factor back in the ring but he was unable to capitalise, allowing Tajiri to kick out and apply a pinning combination of his own for a near fall when Albert, a man who was definitely not a cruiserweight, headed to the ring.

Albert wasted no time getting on the apron, receiving red mist to the face from Tajiri for the trouble, but this proved to be the decisive moment as X-Pac connected with a second X-Factor for the win.

Grade: C+ - A well-wrestled match, but it was another contest that ended due to interference, which was an absolute hallmark of the World Wrestling Federation during the Attitude era. It really could have done with a couple more minutes.

After the match, SummerSlam cut to Perry Saturn at the WWF restaurant in Times Square where he issued a plea for help in finding the kidnapped Moppy, announcing the American Dairy Council had put Moppy on the side of milk cartons to help find her. 

Chris Jericho (WWF) def. Rhyno (The Alliance)

A feud built around Chris Jericho insulting Stephanie McMahon following her breast enhancement surgery, with Stephanie recruiting Rhyno to fight back against Chris Jericho, with the final ECW World Heavyweight Champion sending Chris Jericho through the SmackDown stage with a Gore on the way to SummerSlam. Part of the reason for Stephanie choosing Rhyno was The Man Beast was undefeated against Y2J but that was only in singles action, and they had only had one one-on-one match on the April 30, 2001 episode of Raw. By that logic, Stephanie would have picked John Cena in his little tights one year later.

Not a whole lot happened in the early going until Chris Jericho sent Rhyno to the floor with a big Springboard Dropkick. As Jericho looked to capitalise, though, Stephanie McMahon grabbed Jericho’s ankle, so he kicked the Billion Dollar Princess away and proceeded to dive straight into a Spear on the floor (not a Gore, nobody has ever kicked out of the Gore, so it must have been a Spear). Jericho was briefly knocked loopy by the impact of his head smashing against the floor on the Spear. 

Back in the ring, Chris Jericho got his shoulder up at 2.5 and Rhyno remained on the offensive, distracting the referee so Stephanie could deliver a hard slap to Y2J. Rhyno then applied a Body Scissors of all the moves and slowly worked over Y2J like every other WWF heel, before briefly picking up the pace with an Airplane Spin into a Cutter for a near fall. Rhyno then killed the pace again with more submissions - what on Earth am I watching here? 

The Man Beast went for a Diving Headbutt and missed by a mile, with both men ending up back on the mat following a Double Clothesline. After some Chops, Jericho went for a Lionsault but botched it completely, although the full extent of the botch has been edited out of the replay broadcast, and Jericho instead was caught by Rhyno, which led to a near fall. 

Jericho followed up with a Missile Dropkick but Stephanie distracted the official, so Jericho marched over and manhandled Stephanie, forcing a kiss upon McMahon. 

Jericho then hit a Bulldog but missed on the Lionsault. Jericho simply hit a Judas Effect over a decade before he properly started using the move as a finisher, though, and hit the Lionsault at the second time of asking. The crowd really thought that was it but the one-time ECW Champion kicked out at two as Paul Heyman lamented on commentary that Rhyno was the cure for “Jericholism.”

Rhyno next hit a Spinebuster and applied the Walls of Jericho as Rhyno turned more and more into a 2001 Bret Hart for some bizarre reason. Jericho managed to reach the bottom rope, but Rhyno hit a Belly to Belly Suplex and set up for the Gore, only for Jericho to get out of the way as Rhyno launched himself into the ring post. 

The Walls of Jericho from Y2J followed and Rhyno tapped as Stephanie McMahon went apoplectic, throwing a tantrum at ringside.  

Grade: D - A poorly-structured, sloppy match that saw Chris Jericho briefly knocked loopy and win the feud in front of a “Stephanie McJugs” sign. I was utterly bewildered at the sheer amount of slow, plodding offence and submissions that I was forced to watch from RHYNO, the definition of a wrestler who should be booked in a high-octane contest, delivering power moves and looking to connect with a Gore. I readjusted my glasses when I saw him apply a body scissors, such was my shock at what was going on.

William Regal bumped into The Rock backstage, and Dwayne Johnson gave his “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” spiel ahead of his WCW World Heavyweight Championship match in the main event, during which he dodged out of the way of Shawn Stasiak, who ran straight into a shutter and collapsed in a funny moment. 

Rob Van Dam (The Alliance) def. Jeff Hardy (c) (WWF) - Ladder Match for the WWF Hardcore Championship

Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam had been feuding throughout the summer, with RVD winning the Hardcore Title from Hardy in a great match at Invasion. Hardy won the belt back on Van Dam on the August 13 episode of Raw.

The match, despite being a Ladder Match, started out with a collar-and-elbow tie-up, and they both felt each other out in the early minutes, drawing applause from the fans in San Jose, who were behind both wrestlers. 

In the first big spot of the match, Rob Van Dam thought he had sent Jeff Hardy to the floor with a Back Body Drop, but Jeff landed on the apron and waited for RVD to finish his ‘Rob Van Dam’ taunt before delivering a Hip Toss that sent the ECW legend over the top rope to the floor, followed immediately by a Springboard Phoenix Splash. On another dive, though, Jeff crashed and burned straight into the barricade.

Vintage Van Dam from here with a Leg Drop while Hardy was draped across the apron, and RVD grabbed the ladder, only to be wiped out by Jeff, who ran across the barricade and delivered a Lariat. The ladder was then used as a weapon as RVD and Jeff Hardy took turns diving on one side of the ladder to send it careening into their opponent’s face, with Jeff following up with a Springboard Moonsault onto the ladder. 

Soon after, the crowd went wild when Van Dam delivered an Avalanche Rolling Thunder, diving from the top turnbuckle and rolling all the way across the ring to deliver the move to Hardy on top of a ladder. Hardy found himself back on the ladder moments later, so RVD decked his opponent with a Slingshot Leg Drop, during which RVD sent himself to the bottom floor. 

Jeff Hardy quickly fired back with a Baseball Slide, sending the ladder into RVD, but Van Dam managed to halt Jeff’s climb up the ladder with a Jumping Thrust Kick from the top rope to halfway across the ring. Hardy then found himself being crushed with the ladder on top of him as Hardy hit a Cartwheel Moonsault. RVD climbed the ladder for the first time, only to be kicked off the ladder with a Shotgun Dropkick from the top rope to the ladder, with Van Dam actually landing on Jeff. 

Hardy looked to follow up with a Swanton Bomb but RVD rolled out of the way and failed to capitalise with a Five Star Frog Splash as Hardy managed to move out of the way, too. Both men ended up on the ladder from here, with the crowd going wild again as Van Dam delivered a Superplex from pretty much the top of the ladder. 

Hardy and Van Dam ended up back at the top of the ladder and it was Hardy’s turn to hit a big move, this time connecting with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb over the top of the ladder. Jeff went back up the ladder but the crazy moments just kept coming as Jeff reached the belt but found himself dangling after Van Dam moved the ladder out of the way. 

Jeff just found himself swinging and RVD went for a Flying Heel Kick but missed completely, before Jeff fell from the top of a ladder. It might have been a botched spot, but at least it made sense in the context of the match.

With the belt swinging, Jeff was sent crashing from the ladder again as RVD pushed it over, sending Hardy bouncing off the top rope and landing on the back of his head in the ring. This allowed Van Dam to grab the WWF Hardcore Title just before Hardy could get back up the ladder to end a fantastic match. 

Grade: A - A great match as Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy, once again, displayed the chemistry they had together inside the squared circle. The match was full of memorable moments, particularly the Rolling Thunder across the ring onto Jeff Hardy on the ladder, and even despite the botched sequence down the stretch, this match was very good. 

Shane McMahon gave a present to Booker T ahead of the SummerSlam main event, with the gift being revealed to be bookends made from the announce table that Booker T put The Rock through on SmackDown. Booker T was genuinely emotional about the gift and dedicated the SummerSlam main event to Shane McMahon. 

The Undertaker, Kane, and Sara were shown making their way to the ring for the next match…

The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane) w/ Sara (c) (WWF) def. Diamond Dallas Page & Chris Kanyon (c) (The Alliance) - Steel Cage Match for the WCW World Tag Team Championships & WWF World Tag Team Championships

A feud built around Diamond Dallas Page stalking The Undertaker’s wife Sara, which included DDP constructing a shrine to Sara at a WWE TV taping. Jesus Christ. 

Sara locking the padlock and putting the key down her bra didn’t bode well for the match, nor did Chris Kanyon and Diamond Dallas Page rushing to get out of the cage as The Brothers of Destruction immediately started pummelling the WWF Tag Team Champions, with Kane throwing Kanyon from the top of the cage back into the ring while The Undertaker sent DDP into the steel. 

The one-sided beatdown continued, with the Alliance members only managing to hit limited offence in between The Undertaker and Kane just boringly beating them down Page and Kanyon in front of a quiet crowd, with one of the few loud moments being when Kane delivered a Chokeslam to Kanyon and The Undertaker sent DDP crashing to the mat with a Big Boot while Page was stuck between the cage and the ropes. 

The only fun spot saw Kanyon deliver a Fameasser from the top rope but the booking continued to make the WWF World Tag Team Champions look completely second-rate as their attempt to escape was halted by The Brothers of Destruction sitting up at the same time to give chase. The Undertaker then told Kane to just let Kanyon go, with Kanyon dropping out of the cage to escape as The Undertaker retrieved a chain from the top of the cage.  

What followed was a two-on-one mauling of Diamond Dallas Page, with The Undertaker actually having the match won but he lifted Page’s head off the mat, so The Dead Man used the chain to throw Page into the steel. To further bury DDP, The Undertaker told Page to get his ass out of the ring and if he ever looked at Sara again, The Undertaker would kill him, as Page looked on in desperation. 

This, of course, was a complete ruse and The Undertaker just grabbed Page and Chokeslammed him from the top rope. One Last Ride later and the match was, mercifully, over. 

Grade - F - A boring, completely one-sided beatdown as The Undertaker and Kane effectively buried Diamond Dallas Page - a multi-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion - and Chris Kanyon inside the squared circle. To make matters worse, Sara would pin DDP on Raw the next night. The match also suffered from DDP wrestling with a torn meniscus, but it primarily suffered due to a backstage disagreement. Ahead of the match, DDP reportedly presented The Undertaker with a script, with DDP often scripting out his matches as it helped him give his best performances, similar to Randy Savage. This didn’t sit well with The Undertaker, though, and it led to the match that happened.  

The Rock was at the trainer’s room talking about becoming the next WCW World Heavyweight Champion when Shawn Stasiak ran straight past him in another failed assault.

Kurt Angle (WWF) def. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (c) (The Alliance) By DQ - WWF Championship 

This was a simple storyline heading in as Kurt Angle - the Olympic hero - looked to bring the WWF Championship back to the World Wrestling Federation from that evil Steve Austin, who had turned his back on the WWF in favour of The Alliance, all the while Austin had it in the back of his head that he knew Kurt Angle was the better wrestler. 

Steve Austin’s theme during this period was a properly odd one, arguably the worst of his WWF/WWE career, but we didn’t have to hear it for long as the match got off to a hot start, with Kurt Angle marching up the ramp to meet the WWF Champion as they brawled on the entranceway, with Austin battering Angle off the barricade while taunting the Wrestling Machine with the WWF Title belt. 

When they entered the squared circle and the bell was rang by Earl Hebner, Angle immediately took down Austin, and they just began beating the absolute Jesus out of each other as the crowd started chanting “USA” for some reason. 

Austin managed to take control, though, and gleefully worked over Angle’s ankle until Angle, out of nowhere, managed to counter into an Ankle Lock. Austin quickly reached the bottom rope but he was left hobbling as Jim Ross and Paul Heyman put over the sheer effectiveness of the Ankle Lock on commentary.

Both competitors continued to exchange momentum until Angle just delivered German Suplex after German Suplex, connecting with seven in a row until the challenger finally relinquished the hold, although Angle actually received some boos. Angle looked for the Angle Slam but Austin avoided it and delivered a knee to Angle’s back, sending Kurt spiralling head first into the middle turnbuckle. Austin followed up with a Superplex and then a Stunner out of nowhere, with Angle kicking out at the last possible moment, prompting Austin to rage at Earl Hebner, before he delivered a second Stunner, sending Kurt Angle crashing to the outside. 

Austin remained on the offensive and sent Angle into the ring post, with Angle performing a blade job as Austin chased after Earl Hebner, with Kurt bleeding from the forehead as Austin repeatedly threw the challenger into the ring post. Austin then tried to use the WWF Title belt but it was pulled away by Earl Hebner, so Austin just went back to battering Angle with three more trips into the ring post before blow after blow after blow to leave Angle’s face dripping with blood. 

Angle managed to send Steve Austin into the crowd but The Texas Rattlesnake simply replied with a Suplex over the barricade to the floor before Austin celebrated with the WWF crowd. As Austin went back over the barricade, though, Angle reapplied the Ankle Lock, shouting “Come on you son of a b*tch” and wooing like Ric Flair. Angle then dragged Austin up the steel steps back into the squared circle by the ankle and locked in the Ankle Lock again, screaming with a blood-covered face as he did so in a phenomenal visual. Austin made it to the bottom rope but his movement was severely compromised and Angle gave chase, delivering a Belly to Belly Suplex and a Back Suplex on the floor, and a Moonsault back in the ring. 

Austin, quite out of nowhere, applied the Cobra Clutch, channelling his Ringmaster days, and Angle almost won the match with a Bret Hart-esque up and over pin, but Austin just about got his shoulder up and kept the submission applied, with Angle keeping his hand up just before it fell for a third time and breaking the hold by sending Austin flopping out of the ring. A hobbling Austin got back in the ring and begged for Angle to get up which led to a third Stunner. Stunning the fans in San Jose and Steve Austin, though, who literally slapped the mat over and over again, Kurt Angle kicked out at 2.9. 

Austin went for a fourth Stunner but Angle caught his foot and delivered an Angle Slam to the WWF Champion, but it was Austin’s turn to kick out at two. Kurt Angle then looked for the Ankle Lock but Austin was already in the ropes. 

With the story that he might not be able to beat Kurt Angle on that night, Steve Austin just walked over and punched Earl Hebner in the mouth, sending the referee tumbling out of the squared circle and bringing in Mike Chioda. 

Chioda’s time wasn’t long, though, as a desperate Austin hit Angle with a Low Blow right in front of the official. Chioda didn’t call for the DQ, so Austin gave him a Stunner. Referee Tim White then headed to the ring and received a title belt shot to the head for his trouble, with Angle fighting back with an Angle Slam. 

Kurt Angle had the match won as WCW referee Nick Patrick ran down to the squared circle and looked to begin the pinfall count, but he instead called for the bell for the cheap finish, announcing that Kurt Angle was the winner…by disqualification due to “excessive abuse towards the officials.”

The crowd went apoplectic as Kurt Angle shouted that he had been screwed out of the WWF Championship. Steve Austin, like a wounded dog, quickly ran to the back with the WWF Title in hand as Kurt Angle took out his frustration on Patrick, applying the Ankle Lock. 

Jim Ross put over Angle like an absolute hero: “Kurt Angle just got screwed out of the WWF Title and, by God, it’s not right. Kurt Angle never quit! He never gave up! He kept fighting with every fibre of his being right down to the, by God, bone marrow, and this is not right!”

Grade A+ - One of the best WWF matches of the year and probably the early 2000s as a whole. Despite the DQ finish, the action was absolutely fantastic and was a proper pro wrestling fight between two of the best in WWE history. It also told a great story of Kurt Angle as the gutsy young babyface refusing to lose, while Austin knew he wasn’t going to be able to defeat Angle on that night, so he did everything he could, including just trying to get disqualified, to remain WWF Champion and keep the belt with The Alliance. 

The Rock (WWF) def. Booker T (c) (The Alliance) - WCW World Heavyweight Championship

After taking time off following the Raw after WrestleMania X-Seven to film The Scorpion King, The Rock returned on July 30 and looked to bring a world title to the World Wrestling Federation in Booker T’s WCW World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. 

The Rock wasted no time, quickly knocking down Booker T, before Dwayne Johnson gave chase to Shane McMahon, with Shane O’Mac knocking down a camera man in the process. The Rock then sent Booker T into the WCW owner, causing Shane to fly straight into the barricade, with Rocky scoring a near fall moments later on a Samoan Drop. 

Both men exchanged momentum until the action spilt to the outside, where The Rock just punched Booker T straight in the testicles right in front of the referee and Jim Ross, while the WCW World Heavyweight Champion was lay on top of the announce table. Booker T soon took control, though, and beat down The Rock in the crowd before the ring post continued its busy hour, with The Rock being sent crashing into the post as Shane McMahon untied the top turnbuckle pad behind WCW referee Charles Robinson’s back. 

Booker T continued to slowly work over The Rock, including with a Headlock as The Rock kept his arm up before it fell for a third time, with Paul Heyman and Jim Ross spending much of this period arguing about the effectiveness of the Spinaroonie, until The Rock finally fought back with a Spinebuster and Sharpshooter, only for Shane McMahon to distract the official. The Rock, obviously, dragged Shane into the ring and turned around straight into a Superkick as Booker T recorded a near fall. 

The Rock fired back, though, sending Booker T into the exposed turnbuckle, and Charles Robinson just suddenly stopped counting the pinfall from The Rock despite Booker T not getting his shoulder up, seemingly just because it wasn’t meant to be the finish yet. Shane McMahon then placed a steel chair in the ring and, with the referee distracted, McMahon used the opportunity to deck The Rock with the WCW World Heavyweight Title belt. 

This brought out the APA, who Shane screwed over earlier, and Faarooq did more here than he managed in the second match on the show as he chased McMahon around the ring straight into a big Clothesline from Hell from Bradshaw. Back in the ring, though, Booker T connected with a Book End, but he took an age to make the cover, and The Rock got his shoulder up at two. 

The Rock fired up after that and delivered a Spinebuster followed by the Most Electrifying Move in Sports Entertainment with a People’s Elbow. That had the match won for The Rock but Shane McMahon knocked the referee to stop the count. For his transgressions, The Rock gave Shane McMahon a Rock Bottom on the floor. 

This all allowed Booker T to recover back in the ring and he delivered a Spinebuster of his own as the crowd rallied behind The Rock, just as Booker T connected with the Scissor Kick and performed the Spinaroonie. Booker T popped up straight into the Rock Bottom, though, and a 1-2-3 later and The Rock was the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion to end SummerSlam 2001 on a feel-good note. 

Grade: B - There was nothing inherently wrong with the main event and it was an entertaining match, primarily made by all of Shane McMahon’s shenanigans as the WWF continued the main event formula that had seen them through the Attitude Era. It had a great finish, too, with Booker T performing the Spinaroonie straight into a Rock Bottom as the show ended on a happy note. Unfortunately, the main event was always going to struggle following Steve Austin and Kurt Angle’s fantastic match.

Show Grade: B+ - One of the best SummerSlams in history, the top matches at SummerSlam 2001 delivered in the two world title matches and the Ladder Match between Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam, with the negative being the main event matches should have probably been swapped around, although the WWF did want the happy ending on the night. Edge and Lance Storm also had a fun opener, and Spike Dudley really made the second match. The only duds really were the Steel Cage Match and Chris Jericho vs. Rhyno.