SummerSlam (2003)

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SummerSlam
America West Arena
Attendance16,113
Buy rate415,000
Pay-per-view chronology
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SummerSlam chronology
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2004

The 2003 SummerSlam was the 16th annual

America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona
.

Seven

Sunday Night Heat
pre-show.

The event marked the second time the Elimination Chamber format was used by WWE; the first was at Survivor Series 2002. SummerSlam (2003) grossed over $715,000 ticket sales from an attendance of 16,113 and received about 415,000 pay-per-view buys, more than the following year's event. This event helped WWE increase its pay-per-view revenue by $6.2 million from the previous year.

Production

Background

America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona
.

WWE Undisputed Championship became exclusive to SmackDown! and renamed to the WWE Championship.[5]

Storylines

The

promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[6][7] Storylines between the characters were produced on WWE's weekly television shows Raw and SmackDown! with the Raw and SmackDown! brands—storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its independent contractors to different programs.[8]

World Heavyweight Champion Triple H

In the first

promo, in which each participant in the Elimination Chamber discussed the match and taunted the other wrestlers. During the show's main event, in which Orton wrestled Goldberg, Nash interfered in the match and attacked Goldberg. Michaels then came down to the ring, but as he was about to hit Triple H with the World Heavyweight Championship belt, Jericho ran into the ring and hit Michaels with a chair.[13][14]

Kurt Angle, the WWE Champion heading into SummerSlam

The second main event resulted from events on the SmackDown! brand. In the match,

steel cage match against McMahon himself with Angle officiating as a special guest referee.[15][16] On the August 7 episode of SmackDown!, the steel cage match resulted in neither wrestler winning the match, after Lesnar attacked Angle and formed an alliance with McMahon.[17][18] On the August 14 episode of SmackDown!, McMahon announced that Angle would defend the WWE Championship against Lesnar at SummerSlam.[19][20]

In a

preliminary match involving wrestlers from the Raw brand, Rob Van Dam wrestled Kane under No disqualification regulations. The events leading up to this match began on the June 23 episode of Raw, when Kane took his mask off and exposed his face in front of Van Dam and the crowd after he lost to Triple H in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship (which was the stipulation) before chokeslamming Van Dam. On the July 7 episode of Raw, Kane attacked Van Dam backstage.[21][22] On the July 14 episode of Raw, Eric Bischoff granted Van Dam a standard match against Kane,[23][24] which took place on the July 21 episode of Raw and ended in neither wrestler winning the match.[9][10] On the August 4 episode of Raw, Shane McMahon scheduled a No Disqualification match between Kane and Van Dam for SummerSlam.[11][12]

In another preliminary match, wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand competed in a

Rhyno, and Tajiri. The buildup to the match began with two different rivalries, one between Guerrero and Tajiri, and the other between Benoit and Rhyno. On the August 7 episode of SmackDown!, Guerrero and Benoit wrestled in a standard match. However, during the match, Rhyno and Tajiri interfered, resulting in neither wrestler winning the match. Sgt. Slaughter, a WWE official, scheduled a tag team match between Guerrero and Rhyno and Benoit and Tajiri, which Benoit and Tajiri won.[17][18] On the August 14 episode of SmackDown!, it was announced that Guerrero would defend the WWE United States Championship against Benoit, Rhyno, and Tajiri at SummerSlam.[19][20]

Event

Other on-screen personnel[25]
Role: Name:
English commentators Jim Ross (Raw)
Jerry Lawler (Raw)
Michael Cole (SmackDown!)
Tazz
(SmackDown!)
Spanish commentators Carlos Cabrera
Hugo Savinovich
Interviewers
 Jonathan Coachman
Terri Runnels
Ring announcers Howard Finkel (Raw)
Tony Chimel (SmackDown!)
Referees Charles Robinson (Raw)
Nick Patrick (Raw)
Chad Patton (Raw)
Earl Hebner (Raw)
Jack Doan (Raw)
Mike Chioda (SmackDown!)
Brian Hebner
(SmackDown!)
Mike Sparks (SmackDown!)

Sunday Night Heat

Before the event aired

legitimate injuries he sustained at the hands of Brock Lesnar
on the August 21, 2003 edition of SmackDown!. As a result, Hardy was declared the winner via forfeit.

In the next match,

619.[26]

Preliminary matches

After Sunday Night Heat, the pay-per-view event began with a

covered Duprée, Rob Conway, who was disguised as a cameraman, hit D-Von with a camera while the referee was distracted. Duprée then covered D-Von for a successful pinfall to retain the championship.[27][28]

The Dudley Boyz faced La Résistance for the World Tag Team Championship

The following match pitted

Tombstone piledriver. A-Train countered it, in the process knocking the referee down. He attempted to take advantage of the situation by trying to hit The Undertaker with a steel chair. The Undertaker, however, countered the attack with his boot, causing the chair to hit A-Train in the face. The Undertaker then chokeslammed A-Train and, since the referee had recuperated, covered his opponent for the pinfall. After the match, Sable tried to seduce Undertaker, but was grabbed by the throat and then was attacked by a returning Stephanie McMahon.[29]

The third match

Leap of Faith onto Bischoff's chest, thereby breaking the table and covered Bischoff for the pinfall.[27][30]

Eddie Guerrero defended the WWE United States Championship in a Fatal Four Way match

The next match was a Fatal 4-Way match for the

Frog splash on Rhyno, after which he scored the pinfall, thus retaining the WWE United States Championship.[31]

Main event matches

The fifth match was a match for the

Angle Slam. He then applied an ankle lock on Lesnar. During this tussle, Lesnar countered the hold but knocked down the referee. Angle applied a guillotine choke on Lesnar, which brought Lesnar down onto his knees and allowed Angle to perform another ankle lock. Mr. McMahon interfered, came into the ring and hit Angle's back with a steel chair to break the submission hold. Because the referee was incapacitated, Lesnar was not disqualified for the interference. Afterwards, Lesnar twice attempted to lift Angle onto his F-5. During the second attempt, however, Angle countered the throw into another ankle lock, which forced Lesnar to tap out. As a result, Angle retained the WWE Championship. After the match, Angle slammed McMahon through a chair.[28][32]

In the sixth match,

Van Daminator with the steel chair, but Kane rolled out of the ring to avoid the attack. Van Dam then attempted an aerial technique from inside the ring towards Kane, but Kane caught Van Dam in mid-air and executed an Tombstone Piledriver on the steel ring steps, after which he covered Van Dam for the pinfall to win the match.[31]

The Elimination Chamber structure

The main event was the

spear for a pinfall to eliminate Orton. Next, Goldberg performed a Jackhammer on both Michaels and Jericho, at one point spearing Jericho through a chamber pod, eliminating both via pinfall. This left Goldberg alone with and Triple H, who at the time had remained inside the chamber. Goldberg broke through the glass of his chamber, in the process dragging him out of the chamber. Ric Flair, who was managing both Triple H and Orton, then handed Triple H a sledgehammer. Goldberg attempted another spear on Triple H, who countered the maneuver by hitting Goldberg in the head with the sledgehammer and covered him for the pinfall, thus retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Triple H, Orton and Flair launched a vicious 3-on-1 beatdown on Goldberg, ending with Triple H busting Goldberg open by repeatedly hitting him with his sledgehammer before yelling "this is as close as you will ever get to my title!" whilst holding the World Heavyweight Championship up to Goldberg's face.[28][32]

This match was the second time that Triple H Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels participated after their previous encounter at Survivor Series (2002). Also, this was Randy Orton’s first participation inside the chamber and the only appearances of Goldberg and Kevin Nash.

Reception

The America West Arena has a maximum capacity of 19,000, but that was reduced for SummerSlam 2003. The event grossed over US$715,000 in ticket sales from an attendance of 16,113, the maximum allowed.[33][34] This was later confirmed by Linda McMahon, WWE CEO, in a press release on August 26, 2003.[35] The event resulted in 415,000 pay-per-view buys (a 0.88 pay-per-view buyrate). The promotion's pay-per-view revenue was $24.7 million.[36]

Sony Music Entertainment
.

Aftermath

Goldberg, who feuded with Triple H after SummerSlam

During an episode of Raw after SummerSlam, Goldberg challenged Triple H to another match for the World Heavyweight Championship. This match took place at the

Iron Man match between Angle and Lesnar. Lesnar won five falls during the match, while Angle won four, and as a result Lesnar won the title.[46][47]

The rivalry between Kane and Rob Van Dam was stopped, as Kane engaged in a feud against Shane McMahon. In a scenario on the August 25, 2003 episode of Raw, Kane attempted to throw McMahon into a dumpster that was set on fire, but McMahon avoided it and threw Kane into the dumpster.

Last Man Standing match between Kane and McMahon for Unforgiven.[41] In that match, Kane defeated McMahon after McMahon was unable to respond to a ten count.[48][49] After SummerSlam, Eddie Guerrero began a rivalry with John Cena over the WWE United States Championship. Guerrero retained the championship in two title defenses that took place on SmackDown!.[45][50] Guerrero then engaged in a feud with Big Show. At No Mercy, Big Show defeated Guerrero via pinfall to win the WWE United States Championship.[51][52]

Results

No.Results
Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship
19:16
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
H – the match was broadcast prior to the pay-per-view on Sunday Night Heat

Elimination Chamber entrances and eliminations

Eliminated Wrestler Entered Eliminated by Method Time
1 Kevin Nash 4 Chris Jericho
Pinfall
 8:05
2 Randy Orton 3 Goldberg 13:01
3 Shawn Michaels 1 15:19
4 Chris Jericho 2 16:03
5 Goldberg 6 Triple H 19:12
Winner Triple H (c) 5

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