SummerSlam is the Biggest Party of the Summer and since 1988 it has been a mainstay on WWE's premium live event calendar. There have been several memorable matches at SummerSlam and a few stinkers, but overall SummerSlam has been a success. It's arguably, the second most significant event of the year as a plethora of rematches from WrestleMania take place at SummerSlam.
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Professional wrestling is one industry in the showbiz world where performers can still compete at a high level. For sure, some are way past their peak when they are at an advanced age. Nevertheless, some of the oldest wrestlers to compete at SummerSlam are some of the all-time greats, and their matches have been a contrast in quality and underwhelming.
11 Col. Mustafa - 49 Years And 5 Months (1991)
Colonel Mustafa was one of Sgt. Slaughter's Iraqi-sympathizer compadres but die-hard wrestling fans know that it is The Iron Sheik. Mustafa teamed up with fellow former WWE Champion Sgt. Slaughter and General Adnan in the main event of SummerSlam 1991. They took on the reigning WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior in a handicap match with Sid Justice as the special guest referee.
Mustafa was past his prime as he was 49 years old. It was a sluggish main event and amongst the worst in the history of SummerSlam. Unsurprisingly, Hogan and Warrior were triumphant.
10 Finlay - 49 Years, 6 Months, And 26 Days (2007)
Former WWE United States Champion Finlay and fellow veteran Kane opened up proceedings in a hard-hitting match at SummerSlam 2007. Finlay could still go inside the squared circle at 49 years, six months, and 26 days.
This was Finlay's lone match at SummerSlam, and he put in a decent performance. Kane's ribs were taped, but the Big Red Machine handed Finlay his only loss at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
9 Shane McMahon - 49 Years, 6 Months, And 27 Days (2019)
Shane McMahon was just one day older than Finlay when he made his most recent in-ring appearance at SummerSlam in 2019. The self-proclaimed "Best in the World" was pitted with former Universal Champion Kevin Owens. Shane knew that KO would have to leave WWE if he failed to defeat him.
Elias was the special enforcer in the match, and he kept a watchful eye on the match. McMahon had a good outing but he came up short with KO victorious with a Stunner.
8 The Undertaker - 50 Years And 5 Months (2015)
The Undertaker is one of the most prolific performers in the history of SummerSlam. The Demon of Death Valley competed at SummerSlam for the final time as a 50-year-old in 2015 against Brock Lesnar. The Phenom was out for revenge as Lesnar ended his 21-0 WrestleMania unbeaten streak at WrestleMania 30.
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This was one of Undertaker's best performances in the final stretch of his WWE career. Undertaker and Lesnar had a hard-hitting match, but Undertaker saw off Lesnar with Hell's Gate, which was a controversial win for the seven-time WWE World Champion.
7 Jerry Lawler - 50 Years And 9 Months (2000)
Jerry Lawler wrestled sporadically on WWE programming in 2000, but he was embroiled in a feud with Tazz. The King was a broadcaster alongside Jim Ross, and they ran into problems with Tazz. SummerSlam featured a 50-year-old Lawler and the former ECW Champion going head-to-head.
The bout lasted just under five minutes and it was good that the match was short and sweet. Lawler managed to beat Tazz all thanks to Ross hitting Tazz with a glass jar.
6 General Adnan - 52 Years And 5 Months (1991)
General Adnan is the second oldest wrestler to compete in the main event of SummerSlam. Adnan was a member of the "Triangle of Terror" alongside Sgt. Slaughter and Col. Mustafa. Adnan was 52 and it wasn't the best performance for him.
For sure, he's in the history books as one of the oldest to compete in a SummerSlam main event, but it's easy to forget that he headlined SummerSlam. Ultimately, Adnan, Slaughter, and Mustafa were defeated by the WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1991.
5 Bret Hart - 53 Years And 1 Month (2010)
Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker for his fifth WWE Championship reign at SummerSlam 1997, but 13 years later, the Hitman was competing in the main event of SummerSlam once more. He was a member of Team WWE that went head-to-head with the Nexus in the seven-on-seven elimination match.
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Hart was 53 years old, and it would have made sense for Hart to be a manager for Team WWE instead of competing. Nevertheless, he was disqualified after he hit the Nexus' Skip Sheffield with a steel chair.
4 Hulk Hogan - 53 Years And 9 Days (2006)
Just 11 days after his 53rd birthday, Hulk Hogan was competing in a WWE ring for the final time. The WWE Hall of Famer was pitted against Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2006. Hogan was 27 years older than the Legend Killer, and Hogan's best days as a performer were behind him.
He sported a knee brace and Orton was close to victory but Hogan's foot was on the rope. The match resumed and the Hulkster put Hogan away with a Leg Drop to remain unbeaten at SummerSlam.
3 Goldberg - 54 Years And 8 Months (2021)
Goldberg was looking to make history at SummerSlam 2021 as he was bidding to break Mr. McMahon's record as the oldest WWE Champion. Goldberg was 54 years old when he challenged Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship and it's safe to say that it was a disappointing encounter.
Goldberg speared the Almighty on the outside of the ring, but Lashley was in cruise control of proceedings. Goldberg wasn't pinned or submitted, but he was unable to carry on with Lashley ramming his leg into the ring post and the Almighty continued his reign as WWE Champion.
2 Ric Flair - 57 Years And 6 Months (2006)
There was no love lost between Ric Flair and Mick Foley, and they competed in a violent "I Quit" match at SummerSlam 2006. The Nature Boy is the oldest Intercontinental Champion and one of the oldest Tag Team Champions in WWE history. Naitch was 57 years old in his final in-ring SummerSlam appearance.
This was a brutal match as expected, and both men bled profusely. A barbed wire baseball bat was included, and Flair was going to hit Foley's friend Melina with it but the Hardcore Legend uttered the words "I Quit" with the Nature Boy getting the all-important victory.
1 Mr. McMahon - 60 Years And 11 Months (2006)
Just four days before his 61st birthday, Mr. McMahon competed at SummerSlam for the first time in his career. The battling boss of WWE teamed up with his son Shane and they clashed with DX's Shawn Michaels and his son-in-law Triple H in a tag team match.
The McMahons had a trick up their sleeves as they had the likes of William Regal, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, and the ECW World Champion Big Show to do some damage on DX. Whilst their allies managed to do some damage, the McMahons were unable to beat DX with Triple H executing the Pedigree on his father-in-law to secure the win.
