WWE’s biggest event of the summer is set to take place on August 2nd and 3rd this year. For the first time, Summerslam will take a page from the company’s flagship show, WrestleMania, by expanding into a two-night spectacular.

Summerslam has long been the second biggest show on WWE’s yearly calendar. Throughout the years, the event has provided some of the most memorable matches and moments in the company’s history. This year’s two-night event promises to take the event to the next level.

One of the big storylines leading into this year’s show is the rivalry between Logan Paul and music star Jelly Roll. Thus far, the much slimmer Jelly Roll has appeared in multiple WWE events to build the feud, which will culminate in a tag team match between Jelly Roll and Randy Orton vs Paul and Drew McIntyre.

While Summerslam pales in comparison to the showcase of the immortals in terms of celebrity involvement, there have been plenty of memorable moments created by stars outside of the wrestling world. With that in mind, I decided to rank the top five performances by celebrities at Summerslam through the years.

5. Jon Stewart – 2015

This one might be controversial. Most wrestling fans and writers were critical of Stewart’s involvement at Summerslam. With little explanation, Stewart attacked Cena,  costing him a match against Seth Rollins in 2015. Stewart would reveal his motivation the following night. He did it for Ric Flair. At the time, the idea of Cena surpassing Flair’s 16 world reigns (which he has since done) was perceived as blasphemous to many diehard, traditionalist wrestling fans. Sure, it may have cheapened a classic bout between two of WWE’s modern greats, but could anyone blame the Daily Show host for wanting to preserve the legacy of the Nature Boy? I can’t say with certainty that, given the chance, I would not have done the same thing.

4. Pat McAfee – 2022

Summerslam 2022 might not have been Pat McAfee’s greatest in-ring bout in his WWE tenure, but anytime he stepped in the ring was entertaining. McAfee had reached his most memorable peak at that year’s WrestleMania, where he defeated Austin Theory, lost to Vince McMahon, and took a stunner from Steve Austin on the same night. He would carry that momentum into Summerslam in his rivalry with Baron Corbin. McAfee showcased not only his in-ring athleticism but also his ability to entertain a huge crowd.

3. Jesse Ventura- 1988 and 2000

Ventura was a major part of the inaugural SummerSlam back in 1988, serving as the special guest referee for the tag-team main event between the Mega Powers and the Mega Bucks. At the time, Jesse the Body was still an employee of the World Wrestling Federation. Fast forward to 1999, and Ventura found himself again refereeing a triple-threat main event between Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Mankind. What made this different was the fact that Ventura had long since left the wrestling business to pursue politics. The Governor of Minnesota shunned critics with a passionate pre-match speech where he declared he was “proud” to be part of the wrestling business. In the end, the Body maintained order in the match and raised Mankind’s hand as Mrs. Foley’s baby boy won his third WWE championship.

2. Leslie Nielson and George Kennedy – 1994

SummerSlam 1994 is mainly remembered for its infamous Undertaker vs Undertaker main event. While 9-year-old me thought that match was awesome, that kid also didn’t understand or appreciate why two old guys were having so much trouble finding the Dead Man. As an adult, I can now fully appreciate the deadpan humor and antics of Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy, as well as their contribution to SummerSlam. Every scene during and leading up to SummerSlam 1994 with Nielsen is fantastic comedy, and adding his Naked Gun co-star to the mix enhanced the slapstick even further. For anyone who hasn’t seen them lately, I encourage you to revisit them. They still hold up today.

1. Stephen Amell – 2015

Before 2015, any in-ring involvement from a celebrity was subpar from a wrestling perspective. Stephen Amell changed all that with his performance at SummerSlam that year. Amell’s involvement was a culmination of a rivalry with Stardust (whatever happened to that guy?) that began when Stardust took to social media to mock Amell. The two then shared a heated exchange on Monday Night Raw, and a match between Stardust and King Barrett vs Neville and Amell was set for SummerSlam. Amell’s commitment to the match was evident right away. It was clear he not only trained rigorously for the match but was also passionate about the business. The match was not just a celebrity spectacle; it highlighted Amell’s dedication and ability to seamlessly integrate into the wrestling world. Amell’s superior celebrity wrestling skills are rivaled by Bad Bunny’s.