[6.0] "Slightly above the approved minimum, SummerSlam 1997 was good at some remembered moments like the broken neck of Steve Austin or Bret being more heel here with the Canadian stuff in the US. 6/10"

[6.0] "An insanely mixed bag of a Summerslam. The big matches delivered strongly, but the undercard that made up the middle of the event was pretty terrible. Mankind/Triple H open with easily the match of the night for me. I'd say Owen/Austin have the second best match. It should have been memorable for how good it would have been, but the major injury hampers it some. Bret/Undertaker have a methodical WWF title match with good storytelling too. Nothing else is worth mentioning. Maybe Shamrock's character growth a bit. This is a Summerslam where you'll watch the opener and the two main events, but the rest is pretty painful to have to sit through."

[6.0] "My dumbass wrote 3000+ character review just to hit reset instead of submit. I deserve a stiff Doomsday Device (that we didn't see in the match) just like Henry Godwinn. I refuse to say anything about 9 minute nature of that match. I'm still not as dumb as person that booked 8 man jobber tag team extravaganza. That's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Austin/Owen deserves to be seen outside the infamous Piledriver, great match. Main event deserves a review of its own, just a fabulous wrestling with everything that you would want out of this sport /art form. Athletic competition, intenstiy, drama, crowd, story, great finish that protected everyone. Not the 5 star classic, but highly recommended match. Opener was cool too, took a while to pick up, but finish was awe inspiring, if you followed the storyline close, and if you didn't, leap of that cage and getting out right in time was impressive enough. Goldust/ Pillman happened. European title match made Ken look like fool, dangerous but still a fool. There was no reason for Davey to be on so much offense here. Just saying. If you watch the full show, don't skip Sable/Sunny/Pettengill segment. They did a whole guess the number and get the money gimmick just as an excuse for Todd Pettengill to glance at Sunny and Sable's tits. Welcome to Attitude Era. Solid show, brought down by dreadful midcard"

"Good pay per view, good wrestlers, good main event. What i can say its just good show. Of course it could be better but we still got good pay per view."

[8.0] "Easily the best of the big five WWF PPV's in 1997 for me because of the good cage match opener between HHH and Mankind, the strong character moments all show with a big moment where Shamrock snaps after his DQ defeat to the Bulldog which began a memorable character change where he attacks him and then attacks the officials afterwards and of course the outstanding Bret Hart vs Undertaker main event match with the controversial ending setting the main event picture down for the next few months where HBK accidentally clobbers Undertaker with the chair before being forced to count the pin. Unfortunately the one thing this show is most remembered for was Owen Hart botching the piledriver on Austin which was a sad ending to what was a great match beforehand. Most of the matches was fine with the focus more being about pushing storylines and angles forward, but this does have a total DUD on the card with that terrible 8 man tag match."

[7.0] "A decent PPV. Helmsley vs. Mankind was a great opener, setting a high bar for every other match to follow. Solid action with the highlight being Foley's elbow off the top of the cage. Goldust vs. Pillman was a glorified RAW is WAR match, the stipulation was dumb and Pillman deserved better. LOD vs. Godwinns was like every other match they've ever had in the past, another dud. Bulldog vs. Shamrock was decent, we get to see Shamrock's character start to progress as he snaps on Bulldog and chokes him out after being DQ'ed. DOA vs. Boricuas was another faction wars match that was dumb. The worst match on the card by a mile. Owen vs. Austin was good, starting to quicken in pace before Austin broke his neck on the sit out tombstone. Bret vs. Undertaker was the best match of the night, being so crucial in this era of the WWF. We get to see Bret's character of being a whiny baby increase more as Michaels's officiating pisses him off."

[6.0] "Except for the last two historic matches, this was a dud. A lot of subpar matches with a great main event doesn't make for a good three hours, Whiny Bret Hart is such a great heel character. This was when the attitude era really began to pick up."

[5.0] "Match 1: 8/10 Match 2: 5/10 Match 3: 4/10 Match 4: 6/10 Match 5: 3/10 Match 6: 7/10 Match 7: 8/10 Overall Total: 5.85/10"

[7.0] "6.9/10: a decent pay per view. Loved the main events but rest of the matches were pretty mediocre, the main event match (presumably) could have made way for an authentic rematch but the match was great even without that ending."

[5.0] "As much as 1997 was a great year for the entire landscape of wrestling, this was a really overrated show. Everything outside of the opener and the last 2 matches ranged from average to completely shit. It goes to show how the undercard still had some serious problems during this time."

[7.0] "This show is basically a 3 match show. The opener the semi main event and the main event. Without those 3 matches this show would have been down right dog AWFUL. But thankfully that didnt happen. The show really isnt to good and i feel a little icky even given it this 7 but those 3 matches are great but trust me when i say there are some BAD and BORING matches on this card. But the good of the show is great. I enjoyed myself"

[8.0] "This is a pretty good summerslam you have a good steel cage match a good match between owen hart and austin until austin gets hurt and the main event is fantastic."

[5.0] "Better than the previous years Summerslam, but nowhere near as good as the previous month's Canadian Stampede. Show starts off strong with the Cage Match. Triple H does decent heelwork and Chyna plays her interfering role mostly well despite some misstimings, but Foley is the start of the match by far taking a lot of bumps and miking the match more physical. The Dude Love tease was nice even if the paint on the chest didn't work (7/10) Goldust/Pillman is a nothing match with a lot of rest holds for how short it was. A good prematch promo and a decent enough start but not much more (4/10) Godwinns/LOD has some decent powermoves and its at least not awful, skippable too (4/10) Bulldog/Shamrock is pretty intense at the start but has a dissapointing finish. Ken did look pretty badass (5/10) Boricuas/DOA is a waste of time nothing memorable at all. At least it isn't a botchfest (2/10) Austin/Owen was building up to being the best match of the night with good inetensity, pacing and counters up until the piledriver and injury at the end. Even then it lands on the positive side (6/10) Bret/Taker is a solid encounter between the Deaman and the Hitman with limb work and a more methodical pace. I give it an extra point for all the HBK ref shenanigans that make it a bit more entertaining and memorable (7/10)"

[6.0] "Good SummerSlam with a few matches worth attention. The opener gives a lot of promise for the rest of the night, as Mankind and Hunter deliver the best match of their trilogy. Then Goldust and Pillman have an okay match, but nothing more than that, while Legion of Doom have their standard contest against The Godwinns, who feel fresh after recently turning heel. Bulldog and Shamrock don't have a technical masterpiece, but they built everything nicely for the aftermath that delivered one of the biggest pops of the night, as Ken was destroying everybody in the ring. The 8-Man Tag is unfortunately a stain on this PPV, as it's basically a stinker without any structure and no names thrown in it. Owen and Austin have a decent match, but the finish is just sad and painful to watch. Shame, because they were really cooking before the accident. And then Bret gets one of the better Undertaker matches up to this point, but still it's mainly due to Hart's conflict with Michaels, who was a great addition to the whole thing. The finish was brilliant and they executed it fantastically. Overall it's a pretty easy to watch show."

[5.0] "Eh. I think I liked this SummerSlam more than the previous year. Definitely better than 95! Still, too much mid card garbage to go higher than middle of the road."

[5.0] "The under, midcard for Summerslam 97 besides the opener with Triple H and Mankind is very rough. A lot of very generic wrestling, with the only one I liked somewhat, was Shamrock/Bulldog but that was mainly because of what Shamrock had done after the match, the crowd reacted greatly to it. Austin vs Owen had the potential to get to ***3/4 level but sadly the injury ruined that. The main event thankfully was really good and saves this show from being bad, and also sets up Taker/Shawn down the line and keeps Bret/Shawn hot. Matches from best to worst: Undertaker/Hart ****, Austin/Owen ***1/4, Triple H/Mankind ***, Shamrock/Bulldog **1/2, LOD/Godwins **, Pillman/Goldust *1/2, 8 man tag 1/4*"

[5.0] "I might be underrating this one slightly, but for a couple of reasons it wasn't much of a fun watch despite some decent matches. Partly due to some unpleasant stipulations - dogfood, cross-dressing and arse-kissing mainly - that set a precedent for some of the worst parts of the Attitude Era, but mostly due to the horrific injury suffered by Austin. The excellent main event redeems it somewhat, and is definitely worth watching, the rest of the show not so much."

[4.0] "None of the matches were really great, Steve Austin and Owen Hart had the best match, if only Austin didn't get injured it would have been way better."

[8.0] "I just watched it yesterday in the search of all Undertaker Matches that I have not seen yet in his historic 30 years carrear. I am an huge Undertaker fan so, I want to celebrate his retirement looking for those matches and PPV he headlined and that I may not have had the possibility to watch in the past and WWE Network is the perfect place to do it. So, That Summerslam is not one of the best ever but I think that in someway it is an historic one because its the final moment in the rise of the Attitude Era. Mankind beating Triple h in the Steel Cage is one of the best openers ever in WWE history and it is a precursor for what will come between them in the future (their falls count anywhere match at Royal Rumble 2000 and their incredible Hell in a Cell at No Way Out 2000). I loved the real life storytelling for Mick Foley (hidden gem for the time) that jumped from the steel cage to emulate the moment that made him fell in love with pro vwrestling when snuka flied on Don Muraco at the Garden in front of a Young Foley in the crowd. The Main Event its historic because it was the seed for what will come in the next few months (first Ever Hell in a Cell match, The Montreal Screwjob, the birth of DX etc) and I really think its one of the best Wrestling matches ever wrestled by The Undertaker beside his matches at WrestleMania or Hell in a Cell (similar to the match against Kurt Angle at No Way Out 2006) and as I said it the beginning for what will come in the next few months with the Feud beetween Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Shawn and the birth of Kane guided into the Hell in a Cell by Paul Bearer at Bad Blood 1997. I also think that the storyline of the Harts being heel in Usa and Face in Canada is one of the best ever made in WWE and one of the most realistic ever. I am reliving all of this in archives and I have not lived it, but I really think that Summerslam 1997 its way better than Canadian Stampede 1997."

[6.0] "A show where the marquee matches delivered, but not much else did. HHH vs Mankind was a good opener, whilst the main event was MOTN. Owen vs Austin was well on its way to being a good match until the botched piledriver spot. The rest of the show really lets it down though and really highlighted the little roster depth the company had at the time."

[7.0] "Great cage match to open the show. Made use of the stipulation. While I preferred their previous encounter at Canadian Stampede, this was still a highly enjoyable match. HHH being hung upside down from the cage had me chuckling. Chyna's involvement was done well and Mankind was in his element. That diving elbow off the cage was spectacular. Turned him into Dude Love after the match. Great opener. Goldust vs Pillman was a lot more fun than anticipated. Marlena's involvement added to the story. Pillman shoving Goldust during a bulldog attempt was great stuff. LOD/Godwinns was decent. Not much to say. Shamrock vs Bulldog had potential and was going well until the DQ finish. However, Shamrock snapping afterwards made this finish worth it. DOA/Boricuas was not so bad but only served to continue their feud with each other and the NOD. I'm OK with that. The motorcycle at the end was cool. The Intercontinental match is infamous for one neck shattering moment. The match itself was fun and enjoyable, especially with Owen being dominant while portraying the arrogant heel. Very weird seeing Austin as an underdog. The finish, while understandable given the circumstances, was extremely weak. Main event was a great match. It wasn't the most amazing match of all time but it was pretty damn great. The interference added a lot and Michaels presence only helped fuel his issues between Taker and Hart. Very solid Summerslam that didn't have anything remotely terrible or boring."

[6.0] "Pretty good SummerSlam overall, when it's good, it's really good, when it's bad, it's awful. Matches like Pillman vs Goldust and especially the tag team matches are either forgettable as f**k or just plain bad, but there's a lot of good on this show too. MOTN for me is Mankind vs HHH, these two had some really underrated matches and this is one of em, fast paced from start to finish with tons of memorable spots and fun to be had, including that superfly splash tribute by Mankind at the end. (***3/4) There's also Owen vs Austin which is very enjoyable for the most part with some great heel work by Owen but that f**king ending man, it's so bad for the wrong reasons. Obviously, the horribly botched spike piledriver on Austin causing the neck injury still makes people cringe to this day, and the awkward roll up finish ends what was a good match on a low note (***1/2). Then there's the main event which is overbooked as hell (seriously, two interferences that both do absolutely nothing? Still love me some 1997 Paul Bearer though) but can be fun at times. It's a well worked match but I think it just goes on way too long. Picks up greatly near the end and of course, that memorable finish to the show where Michaels accidentally hits Taker with the chair and counting the pin for Bret to win the title. Brilliant ending and plants the seeds for two infamous matches down the line. (***1/4) Overall, good Summerslam with many bits of bad sprinkled in."

[8.0] "Really good and enjoyable edition of SummerSlam with great ending. Opener is very good steel cage match that has many cool spots. The best match of underrated Hunter/Mankind 1997 feud. Pillman vs Goldust is okay for what it was. Tag team match is a fun squash of the Godwinns. Bulldog vs Shamrock is pretty short but pretty good. Eight man tag team fight took not so much time so I can't call it bad. Owen vs Austin is best known for an injury of Steve but it also must be known because it was pretty damn good match. Perfect mix of brawling and technician style. Main event is just awesome. Overbooking made it just more intence and interesting. Even I, the man who knowed the ending feeled real pleasure."

[6.0] "HHH vs Mankind in the steel cage was a decent match, had some pretty good spots, probably their best match so far they've had. Bulldog vs Shamrock was a weird match with a weird after match sequence that consisted of a ton of belly to back suplexes and dog food. Owen vs Steve Austin is a somewhat decent match that is plagued by an awful finish due to Owen breaking Steve Austins neck. The main event between Bret and Undertaker was pretty good, had great storytelling with an awesome finish."

[7.0] "Very good build-up for most of the feuds. Mankind vs Helmsley is probably their best match at this point, with the flying Elbow Drop from the top of the cage. British Bulldog vs Shamrock has a controversial ending. The final three matches are good, with a really hyped 4 vs 4 gang match (but with bad performers) and a great Steve Austin vs Owen Hart, with still some Wrestling moves by Stone Cold. It's the match of his bad injury and it's impossible to miss. The main event, Taker vs Hart, is good but more focused on the story. There are not epic matches at this Summerslam, but it's an enjoyable event."

[6.0] "Goldust vs. Brian Pillman, Legion of Doom vs. Godwinns, and British Bulldog vs. Ken Shamrock were all good matches. The 8-Man Tag match was a waste. Steve Austin and Owen Hart was a really good match ruined by injury. If Austin would not have got hurt and the end was better it would easily have been a 4-Star match. There were 2 4-Star matches on this show to me, though. Mankind vs. HHH in the cage was a really good match with a few really memorable spots. Bret Hart vs. Undertaker was the match of the night to me. A good mix of wrestling and story-telling. Normally I hate the screw-job finishes, but this one made sense and helped the match out. A 6 of 10 for me. Would have been better without the throwaway 8-Man and if Austin wouldn't been injured."