[10.0] "This was a really strong Summerslam main event that set the main event picture in motion for the next few months because of the controversy with the ending. In ring, it was an old school technical wrestling match with Bret Hart relentlessly targeting Undertaker's legs with some great selling from the Undertaker really putting it over. Hart of course goes to his trademark heel move where he locks the figure four around the ring post and theres a tremendous moment that puts over the strength of the Undertaker where he breaks out of the Sharpshooter which was rarely ever done! While I have to say Bret's offense looked the more effective throughout the match, this is a really good back and forth match where it never feels predictable where the match will go because of the involvement with Shawn Michaels. The storytelling with Shawn as the referee was really good where he was enemies with Bret, but was forced to be fair and impartial as favouring Undertaker would have had him sharing the same consequences as Bret if he loses. He does a great job in the match because while he plays a big role in the story and the controversial ending, he doesn't break the flow of the match and doesn't insert himself in everything and he is lenient all match to both of their underhanded tactics. The ending was truly shocking where Bret spits at him and Shawn accidentally clobbers Undertaker with the chair before being forced to count. Brilliant way to keep the strong tension between all three."
[7.0] "Old school type of match, pick a body part and work it - something thats missing from modern wrestling, although I would have liked to see the pace picked up and more counters and false finishes near the end. Btw that sharpshooter around the post looked terrible."
[7.0] "Surprise, surprise, The Undertaker is much better when he's against a smaller guy and doesn't have to constantly work against other giants. It's a great match, but mostly because of the tention between Bret and Michaels with The Deadman playing the supporting role. I loved how they picked up the speed near the end with the finish being a great idea executed to the perfection."
[7.0] "Ich fand das schon ganz gut, relativ spektakulär für die damalige Zeit. Damit ist allerdings auch das Geschehen gemeint. Der Hitman hat mich mehrfach mit Power Moves überrascht, die ich so nicht erwartet und vorher auch noch nicht gesehen hatte. Typisch WWF Main Event Style gab es noch und nöcher Einfluss von außen. Das finnisch fand ich dann doch ziemlich lame obwohl es augenscheinlich zu vielem weiteren geführt hat"
[7.0] "Above average ppv main event with some great pacing. Bret worked on Takers leg for much of the match which didn't really go anywhere. Shawn Micheals was a highlight of this as special guest referee, he has a great knack for being an entertaining class-clown but not downplaying a serious situation with dumb comedy. Bret Hart made Taker look really strong in defeat, selling big for his offence and giving him a visual pinfall. Bret was only able to win after an accidental Shawn Micheals chair to the cranium of Undertaker."
[9.0] "The Undertaker had his second SummerSlam main event in 1997, and suffice to say that it was a big step-up from the previous one three years ago. Then in the midst of his best WWE Championship reign, he was completely free to go full throttle, which allowed him and Bret to deliver an absolutely brilliant main event in New Jersey. Add to that the storyline of Shawn Michaels as a special referee, and you have a masterclass in storytelling with good action in the ring. Filled with energy and aggression, the cast gave us 28 unforgettable minutes. If the last few minutes seemed a bit long at times, it all went out the window with the shocking ending that will lead to progressions in various rivalries, and a pivotal moment for WWE history."
[8.0] "The stakes of this match are very high, with Shawn Michaels being the guest referee. This match has one of my favorite finishes ever. It's not over-the-top, it's a perfect ending caused by very believable human error after Shawn's emotions get the best of him after Bret spits in his face and Shawn is put in the horrible position to count the pinfall or he would never be allowed to wrestle on US soil again. The stuff leading up to the finish was good too, with Bret working fantastically as a heel by keeping the pace slow by working over Undertaker's legs. The drama with Shawn as the referee was actually quite compelling. He has to call this down the middle, but numerous things happen throughout the match that tests him, such as Hart bending the rules and Undertaker getting frustrated with HBK after Shawn not being present to count a pin after Owen & Pillman interfere. Paul Bearer also comes down, but Undertaker makes sure to take care of him. This was a great main event that combined multiple storylines into one coherent package."
[8.0] "If Bret loses he can't wrestle in the USA again. If Shawn shows favoritism he gets punished a swell. The story line is too specific so the winner should be obvious. Booking aside, it's a very good match and a good way to close the show. This would start Shawn on his heel turn as everybody started dumping on him for causing Taker the title."
[10.0] "Favorite ending to a match of all time. WWE/F went through this short period where they were great about writing themselves into a corner with no way out, and then providing a (at the time) never seen before way out of it. The action and story in this match is incredible. The intro package, the entrances, the coming full circle from the main of WM 13 (and with Shawn now taking on the bitterness Bret did, also bringing 12 full circle before their next go round)- it all clicked so perfectly."
[8.0] "Ein langes Ding und für die meiste Zeit echt gut. Taker und Hart worken sehr langsam und das über etliche Körperteile. Hart geht vor allem auf das Knie des Takers los und macht sein übliches Ding wie immer gut. Michaels als Special Ref gefiel mir echt gut, besonders die Interaktionen mit Bret. Hart als Heel ist einfach genial gewesen, dauernd keift er die Fans an und liefert sich mit denen ein Wortgefecht, oder er lässt hin und wieder seinen Mittelfinger heben. Die Atmosphäre war wirklich super und total angespannt. Das Storytelling war ebenfalls super und das Finish für mich perfekt. Ein starker Main Event in einer eher schwachen Show(****)."
[8.0] "This was much better than their match at the Rumble in 95 despite the matches being identical time lengths. Shawn was more lenient as a referee, than a normal referee would be and therefore he would get on Taker's bad side at the end like he was with Bret already. Taker did a good job of fighting off Bret cheating all throughout the match and even kicked out of a chair shot to the head. The ending with Bret spitting in Shawn's face causing Shawn to hit Taker in the face with a chair helps to set up two feuds.****"
[8.0] "A great match between two great wrestlers, Hart was far better as a heel than a face, Undertaker was extremely over and wrestling as well as he ever did, and Shawn as ref added some excitement due to his feud with Bret. The match was longer than it needed to be, probably due to the previous match being cut short, which did affect the pacing somewhat, but it was still extremely entertaining. The ending with Shawn accidentally hitting Taker, and setting up feuds with both him and Bret, was excellently done."
"Great main event with an all time classic finish. I believe too that is one of the most important matches in the company's history because it tied so many feuds together : Bret/Shawn, USA/Canada, built to the first Undertaker/Shawn et and mark the debut of the heel turn of HBK."
[8.0] "Mir gefiel das Storytelling im Match und die Animositäten welche die 3 miteinander hatten. Bret mit guten Bodywork, es wird gut gesellt und das Finish hat zur Geschichte gepasst."
[10.0] "I adore this match. The work is not as technical or athletically spectacular as either man? s best, but the psychology on display is super engaging and the storytelling is second to none. The way guest referee Michaels interacts with Bret and Undertaker feels like a perfectly choreographed dance. Everyone in the right place at the right time, all exuding competitive energy and aggression toward one another as you? re made to question the motives and attitudes of each man against the others. Great main event and a great snapshot of what made this era of WWF wrestling so compelling, with an all time classic finish."
[6.0] "Ein berühmtes Match, das tatsächlich zum ersten Mal gesehen habe. Und joa, es ist ok, schätze ich. An manchen Stellen etwas zäh und das Limbwork, das einen großen Teil ausmacht, hat leider keine großen Auswirkungen auf den Matchverlauf an sich. Die Starpower und die Atmosphäre machen hier für mich die positiven Punkte aus. Auch HBK stört mich hier überhaupt nicht, sondern sorgt mit seiner Interaktion für einige der spannenderen Momente. Zudem gefällt mir das Finish in seiner Umsetzung. Insgesamt vielleicht etwas zu lang, wobei die Gründe dafür längst bekannt sind, aber noch im Rahmen. ***"
[9.0] "Das Match war absolut klasse. Die Story, die hier erzählt wird, ist einfach ganz großes Kino. Wie Shawn Michaels letztendlich dem Undertaker noch den Titel kostet, ist fantastisch erzählt."
[7.0] "A bit of an overrated match that's surprisingly lacking in ratings on here. I assume people avoid the show because of the Austin injury, but this was a quality match with some good character moments, but not particularly great despite the 8's and 9's"
[8.0] "This definitely would have been better if it were 5-6 minutes shorter, but overall was a good main event. The final third in particular was very good and the finish itself was executed perfectly. Shawn as special referee also added a nice dynamic to the match."
[9.0] "I honestly believe one of the most important matches in the company's history. This tied so many feuds together (Bret/Shawn, USA/Canada) and built to the first Undertaker/Shawn feud which introduced Kane and built to the Montreal Screwjob! And all of that stemmed from this match which I also enjoy because it's a good match, too. ****1/2"
[8.0] "This match was very good but I think if this match was 20 minutes instead of nearly 30 it would have been better in terms of quality because there were times when it seemed to drag on.. Anyway, I really thought Bret was tremendous in this one as he was all year, really. He did all the heel tricks you could do like cheap attacks, blatant cheating and then outsmarting the stupid babyface, two in fact, in the end. Undertaker did his job well too although he was the one on the defensive for much of it, so a lot of his offense wasn't even present in the match. The story was great and i loved the finish too. Very good contest ***3/4"
