SummerSlam 2004: Randy Orton Makes History on a Card That Rarely Feels Like a Big Four Classic

The opener succeeds because it refuses to waste its eight minutes. Mysterio, Kidman, and London provide speed and aerial movement, while Bubba Ray and D-Von give the match enough size contrast to make the smaller team's bursts feel dangerous. Spike Dudley's heel role adds a useful story layer without slowing the pace, and the crowd responds well whenever Mysterio enters. The closing sequence strings together the 619, Shooting Star Press tease, outside dives, and the Dudleys' 3D before Spike steals the pin. The match clearly could have used several more minutes, especially with this much talent available. What exists is energetic, coherent, and fun, but the short runtime prevents the teams from building beyond an excellent television-style opener.

Kane and Matt Hardy work a compact match around a stipulation that overwhelms everything happening in the ring. Hardy attacks aggressively and uses the bell and ringside environment to create urgency, while Kane's size gives the comeback structure an obvious obstacle. The top-rope chokeslam finish is visually strong and decisive. The problem is that six minutes cannot develop the fight into anything substantial, and every exchange is filtered through the storyline involving Lita being forced to marry the winner. That premise has aged far worse than the wrestling itself. The performers execute the basic match cleanly, but the contest feels like a means of reaching the next television angle rather than a SummerSlam match with its own competitive identity.

Cena and Booker T receive barely six minutes to open a best-of-five series, which makes the concept feel smaller instead of more important. The match has recognizable offense from both men and the Toronto crowd remains engaged with Cena's reactions, but there is almost no time for momentum to change naturally. Booker lands the Scissors Kick and appears to have a path to victory before Cena answers quickly with the FU for the pin. The finish gives Cena the first point in the series, yet it arrives before the match has developed a meaningful story. Nothing is executed disastrously. The low score comes from how little substance a major SummerSlam slot receives. This could have aired unchanged on SmackDown without feeling special.

The triple threat has enough talent to stay entertaining, but eight minutes forces the match into an abbreviated version of a much better idea. Edge and Jericho initially work around Batista's power, using quick double-team sequences before turning on each other when openings appear. Batista's strength spots give the match contrast, and the Toronto crowd's hostility toward Edge adds an unusual atmosphere to what should be a hometown title defense. The closing stretch accelerates effectively, with Jericho nearly stealing the championship before Edge lands the Spear to retain. The action is clean and the personalities are distinct. The limitation is entirely structural: three major Raw names and a championship deserve more than a compressed sprint. Good material is present without enough room to become memorable.

Angle and Guerrero deliver the strongest pure wrestling on the card by building almost everything around Guerrero's ankle. Angle attacks the limb repeatedly, and Guerrero sells the damage without abandoning his own opportunistic offense. The boot removal callback to WrestleMania XX becomes part of the story rather than a cute reference, eventually allowing Guerrero to use the boot as a weapon before Angle regains control. Their counters are smooth, the Angle Slam near fall is convincing, and Guerrero's Frog Splash almost provides a believable escape. Angle finally traps the injured ankle in the grapevined Ankle Lock and forces the submission. The crowd never reaches the fever pitch their names suggest, but the psychology and finish are excellent. This is a smart, focused match with a decisive winner.

Triple H and Eugene have a better wrestling match than the premise might lead someone to expect. Triple H controls the pace and uses straightforward heel tactics, while Eugene's imitation offense gives the crowd recognizable comeback moments without turning the entire bout into comedy. Ric Flair and William Regal become involved around ringside, but their interference does not completely consume the match. Eugene survives long enough to feel competitive before Triple H finally lands the Pedigree. Fourteen minutes gives the story more room than several earlier bouts receive, and the Toronto crowd reacts strongly to both men. The weakness is that the feud is built around a character presentation that has aged poorly, making the match harder to evaluate outside its era. Bell to bell, it is solid.

JBL and The Undertaker receive more than seventeen minutes and never find the urgency a major WWE Championship match needs. The early brawling is deliberate, JBL's control work drags, and the crowd eventually becomes more interested in entertaining itself than following the match. Orlando Jordan's involvement adds predictable interference without creating meaningful escalation. The disqualification finish is especially damaging because it protects JBL's reign without providing a satisfying climax on one of WWE's biggest annual shows. Undertaker chokeslamming JBL through the limousine roof afterward finally produces the spectacle the audience wants, but that happens after the match is over. A title bout cannot rely on its post-match stunt to justify the time. This is the card's most damaging piece because of its placement and stakes.

Benoit and Orton close SummerSlam with a strong championship match that becomes more compelling as Orton survives increasingly serious tests. Benoit controls the technical exchanges, targets the arm and neck, and strings together repeated German suplexes before threatening the Crossface. Orton's best work comes in the counters: he escapes the Sharpshooter exchanges, survives the diving headbutt sequence, and ultimately catches Benoit with the RKO when the champion reaches for another submission. The match lacks the deeper feud that often elevates great main events, and portions of the opening are methodical. The final third is excellent, however, and the clean title change lands with real weight. Benoit's post-match handshake reinforces that Orton has earned the championship rather than stolen it.