Summary
It’s evolution meets tag team wrestling at theSurvivor Series.Introduced in 1987, this wrestling card, which began as a series of tag team matches, became the second annual pay-per-view event forWWE.Vince McMahon used this card as a way to get feuding wrestlers to interact with each other without having a traditional match.
Over time, theWWEtweaked the format of the event. One year they had an entire World Championship tournament. In other years, the company has introduced new, or new-to-WWEconcepts like the Elimination Chamber or War Games. Still, not allSurvivor Seriesstack up as well as others.
82005 - Brand Warfare
Randy Orton Outlasts Shawn Michaels
WhileWWEhad put forward severalSurvivor Seriescards featuring the Raw and Smackdown brands squaring off, 2005 was one of the better matches between the two sides. A traditional, five-on-five match came down to Legend vs. Legend Killer as Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton were the last two standing. In the end, the Viper beatthe Heartbreak Kidto win the match for Smackdown.
The card also featured the first in a best-of-seven series of matches between Booker T and Chris Benoit, Ric Flair, and Triple H in a classic, and a solid match between John Cena and Kurt Angle.
71987 - The First Survivor Series
Bam Bam Bigelow’s Big Night
The very firstSurvivor Seriesset up teams captained by Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, continuing their feud fromWrestleMania III. However, it was a lesser-known member of Hogan’s team who stole the show. Bam Bam Bigelow was the last member of the face squad forced to take on King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, and Andre the Giant by himself. Bam Bam eliminated Bundy and Gang before falling to Andre.
The rest of the card featured a solid women’s tag match (in a time when the women didn’t get the spotlight) where the Jumping Bomb Angels came up big. The opener featured a solid match with Macho Man, Jake the Snake Roberts, and Ricky the Dragon Steamboat surviving.
62001 - The End Of The Invasion
WWEStands Tall Over The Alliance
While few wrestling fans want to remember most of the Invasion Angle, they, at least, managed to stick the landing as best as possible. Team WWE took on Team Alliance and the Rock came up big defeatingStone Cold Steve Austinto help Team WWE prevail. While it doesn’t make much sense that Stone Cold joined the Alliance, it still gave lost of star power for the finale.
There were also some good matches earlier on the card, as the lower card titles from both companies would be merged. Despite the Invasion ending, the Alliance still came out ahead in five of the eight matches on the card.
52011 - Icons Team Together
John Cena & The Rock Take On The Miz & R-Truth
While 2011 may have been a hit-or-miss year forWWEas a whole, theSurvivor Seriescard delivered. WithJohn Cenaand the Rock set to face off at the nextWrestleMania, the pair put their differences aside to take on The Miz and R-Truth. While there was never any doubt about the winners, it gave a shining moment to the two heels before the two icons scored the win.
While the summer of Punk may not have gone on long enough for fans,Survivor Seriesmarked CM Punk’s return to the top of the mountain. The fan favorite defeated Alberto Del Rio for theWWEtitle, setting up his reign that would last until the 2013 Royal Rumble.
42003 - Austin vs. Bischoff
Raw’s Co-GMs Captain Survivor Series Teams
The 2003 rendition of the annual Thanksgiving pay-per-view featured two five-on-five traditionalSurvivor Seriesmatches. Representing Raw, Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold Steve Austin led their respective teams into battle with the winning team giving its captain the sole executive position. In the end, Bischoff’s team won, with Randy Orton besting Shawn Michaels. It seems like that happens a lot.
Smackdown’s traditional match was led by the top two pure wrestlers of the timein Kurt Angleand Brock Lesnar. In the end, John Cena and Chris Benoit led the way for Team Angle, setting both up for future World title pushes over the next two years.
32002 - Elimination Chamber
Shawn Michaels Championship Return
Looking to spice up theSurvivor Seriesfollowing the Invasion Angle,WWEintroduced the Elimination Chamber. Six Raw superstars battled in a match that was meant to be a combination of Survivor Series and War Games. In the end, Shawn Michaels outlasted five other men to win his fourth and final World title.
While the Elimination Chamber stole the show for Raw, the triple-threat elimination tag title match was the crown jewel for Smackdown. Los Guerreros defeated Edge & Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, and Chris Benoit to capture theWWEtag team titles.
22022 - War Games
Sami Zayn Makes His Choice
A WCW favoritemade itsWWEmain roster debut in 2022 as traditional Survivor Series matches were replaced with War Games. The card opened with a women’s War Games match and closed with a Men’s War Games match that pitted the Bloodline against the Brawling Brutes.
The storyline surrounding the long friendship and rivalry between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and where Sami’s allegiance would be, carried the show. In the end, Sami chose to stay loyal to the Bloodline, recognizing the many times he has been betrayed by Owens in his career.
11998 - Deadly Games
The Rise of the Rock
In 1998,WWEdecided not to runa traditionalSurvivor Seriesmatch, instead running a tournament to crown a newWWEChampion. It looked like Vince McMahon and Mick Foley were rigging the tournament to put the belt on Foley while The Rock seemed to be making a meteoric baby face rise, until the most successful recreation of the Montreal Screwjob.
Vince and The Rock reveal they were secretly working together and Foley was just a patsy. It led to The Rock becoming the biggest active wrestling heel and Foley turned into the company’s top baby face.
