Normally I would do a match by match breakdown of the show, but this was so boring that I just can't be bothered. No real match here is PPV worthy. Mero's match is OK, the Boiler Room Brawl is alright, and the main event is a slow, plodding, mess. There's no stand out moment in any of these matches, other than Paul Bearer turning on Taker, and the insanely distasteful Jake Roberts vs Jerry Lawler match. Future me, when you're making your "Worst of 1996" list, put Lawler and Roberts match on that list. The match is just making fun of Roberts' alcoholism and it sickened me to witness that. The show as a whole is just boredom personified. It's so boring, it doesn't even deserve the effort I usually put into these. I don't know what they were thinking with this show, but it just made me really cynical by the end of it. This is not why I watch wrestling!

(08.18.96)Live from Cleveland, OHAttendance: 17,000Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross & Mr. PerfectSavio Vega Vs Owen HartOwen drills Vega with his cast, and locks Savio in the sharpshooter to win by submission. Bradshaw attacks Savio after the match in the aisle way. This is an above average opener that's hampered slightly by a slow start. Once it got going, it really took off and became exciting. **3/4Tag Team Championship (Fatal Four Way Elimination Match)The Smoking Gunns (C) (W/Sunny) Vs The Bodydonnas Vs The New Rockers Vs The Godwinns (W/Hillbilly Jim)Order of EliminationThe Bodydonnas by The Smoking GunnsThe New Rockers by The GodwinnsThe Godwinns by The Smoking GunnsYour winner: The Smoking GunnsThis match was lengthy and downright boring, if I'm being completely honest. It had little to no heat behind it either. The crowd barely reacted to anything in this match. They were deader than a doornail. Sunny's antics were fun but that's about it.*1/2The British Bulldog (W/Clarence Mason) Vs Psycho SidThe Bulldog may have had the match won with the running powerslam. However, Jim Cornette comes out and argues with Clarence Mason. This allows Sid to deliver a powerbomb for the win. This was a pretty crappy match for the most part. As much as I love Sid, he's not exactly a technical genius in the ring. They just didn't mesh well.*1/4Marc Mero (W/Sable) Vs Goldust (W/Marlena)Goldust wins with the Curtain Call. Goldust stalks Sable after the match until Mero comes to the rescue. After the decent opener, the matches have gone flat. This is an average match that didn't have much going for it. The only cool thing about it was Mero's shooting star press from the top.**Farooq comes out for an interview with Todd Pettengill. Farooq is offended over the announcement of The Intercontinental title being vacant. Farooq thinks he should have it because he put Ahmed Johnson on the shelf. Sunny says Farooq is the next Intercontinental Champion, because what Sunny wants, Sunny gets. Jerry "The King" Lawler Vs Jake "The Snake" RobertsMark Henry comes out for commentary. Lawler wins after jamming a bottle of alcohol into Jake's throat. Lawler starts pouring alcohol down Jake's throat until Henry makes the save. This was very distasteful. It worked very well in making you feel uncomfortable, it's just that I'm highly against it. My dad is a recovering alcoholic. It's cheap heat.*Boiler Room BrawlThe Undertaker Vs MankindIn order to win, you have to escape the boiler room, and retrieve the urn inside the ring. The Undertaker has it won but Paul Bearer won't give The Undertaker the urn. Mankind applies the mandible claw to The Undertaker, and all Paul Bearer does is laugh. Paul Bearer drills Undertaker with the urn and hands it to Mankind to give him the win. The druids come out and help take The Undertaker to the back. This was a nasty brawl with some impressive spots in the boiler room, especially by Foley. What occurred with Paul Bearer was utterly shocking. Nobody expected Paul to betray The Undertaker. Even I felt betrayed when it happened because the relationship between Taker and Paul Bearer was true and sacred. It's one of the most shocking heel turns off all time.***1/2WWF ChampionshipShawn Michaels (C) (W/Jose Lothario) Vs Vader (W/Jim Cornette)Vader wins by countout but Cornette refuses to take the win and gets the match to restart. Vader wins by DQ after Shawn drills Vader with a tennis racket. Cornette gets the match to restart once more. Shawn FINALLY wins with a moonsault pinning combination. This is a really good main event that turned into an overbooked mess. I would have had Vader win here, leaving shawn to win a rematch to get his redemption then. Shawn looked like an unprofessional brat here. Shawn goes for an elbow drop at one point, but Vader isn't in the right position. Shawn legit kicks him in the head and calls him stupid for it. Vader did get to kick out of the superkick, but his career was never the same after this because Shawn was a jerk.***1/25.5/10 overall.

1. Savio Vega Vs. Owen Hart - When heel was cheered. 6/10 2. WWF Tag Team Championship: The New Rockers Vs. The Body Donnas Vs. The Godwinns Vs. Champs-The Smoking Gunns - This never-ending feud between Gunns and Godwinns bored me heavily. That bout wasn't different 5/10 3. Psycho Sid Vs. The British Bulldog - Ordinary "no need-to watch" match. 5/10 4. Goldust Vs. Marc Mero - Nice Shooting Star Press from Mero, the only thing that does worth for it. 6/10 5. Jerry Lawler Vs. Jake Roberts - 1996's Jake Roberts doesn't work for me, nor this "match" 5/106. Boiler Room Brawl: The Undertaker Vs. Mankind - Heh Taker's ate lost in solid hardcore brawl. 7/10 7. WWF World Heavyweight Championship: Vader Vs. Champ-Shawn Michaels - Yeah, Main Event was best (that happens rarely) but it would be more interesting if the winner was Vader. 8/10

SummerSlam '96 was a decent wrestling card with pretty good matches throughout-not the greatest SummerSlam event or WWF PPV ever but watchable enough.During 1996, the WWF were losing against WCW when it came to PPV buy rates and TV ratings. However, the WWF still put on some good events even though WCW events were better.There aren't any bad matches on this event really with the exception of the four corners tag team match. This PPV is memorable in some ways-for starters Jake "The Snake" Roberts makes his first SummerSlam appearance since SummerSlam '91 (where he disrupted the wedding of the Macho Man and Elizabeth). Jake was a Christian in 1996 and whilst he didn't have the killer instinct he had had from 1986-1992, he was still a decent performance.There are four matches that really stand out for me. The late Owen Hart faces Savio Vega in a strong opening match. Sycho Sid faced the late British Bulldog in a powerful battle between two powermen. However, it's the last two matches that were fantastic.The Undertaker faced tough rival Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl-it was a heated match which ended in a shocker when the Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer (who had been with the 'Taker for nearly six years)turned on him and joined Mankind.The main event stole the show. Talented WWF champion Shawn Michaels faced monster heel Vader (a wrestler who the WWF never capitalised on) in a strong match far superior to the outings they had had on the road leading up to SummerSlam.All in all, a strong SummerSlam event.