In 1987, when WWE wanted to capitalise on the success of Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III; they started a ‘Thanksgiving’ tradition known as Survivor Series. This Sunday, Survivor Series returns to Canada for the first time, since the infamous ‘Montreal Screwjob’ incident 19 years ago.
The mainstay of every Survivor Series pay-per-view has been the traditional Survivor Series match.
Andre, the Giant, was the sole survivor in the inaugural Survivor Series after he defeated Hulk Hogan’s teammate, Bam Bam Bigelow. The match does deserve a passing mention, but several other traditional Survivor Series encounters have transpired since then. Only some have lasted the test of time.
Let’s revisit 5 of them to get you hyped for this weekend's PPV.
#5 Team Piper vs. Team Flair (Survivor Series 1991)
In the mid to late 80s, there were two main world champions. Hulk Hogan was the mainstay for the WWE, whereas Ric Flair was the champion for the NWA. When Ric Flair came to WWE as the ‘real world champion’, it opened up possibilities for dream feuds that fans had never seen before.
In line with the same, we saw Team Flair comprising of Ric Flair, The Mountie, Ted DiBiase and The Warlord, face off against the babyface team of Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, The British Bulldog and Virgil.
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan on commentary were absolutely stellar, with Heenan introducing The British Bulldog as (the man with) the million dollar body, ten cent brain and a Whoopi Goldberg hairdo. The hot crowd just added to the ambience while the all-star ambience tore the house down with skill. Definitely, a must watch for old school wrestling fans.
#4 Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown (Survivor Series 2005)
This was a fascinating story. Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff, interfered during a Smackdown match on WWE Homecoming, by turning the lights off. The General Manager of Smackdown- Theodore Long, would not take this lying down, of course.
And so began this feud, which featured Raw’s chosen ones- Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito and Chris Masters; against Randy Orton, Batista, Bobby Lashley, Rey Mysterio and JBL from Smackdown. Batista, the team captain, was visibly injured and bandaged for this encounter (kayfabe, of course).
The storytelling was intense, and Shawn Michaels’ performance alone makes the match a must-watch. The commentary was annoying, though, with opposing announcers arguing on air! Oh, and this match also featured the return of The Undertaker.
#3 The Royal Family vs. Clowns R’ Us (Survivor Series 1994)
If you want quality in-ring action, skip right on to the next page of this Survivor Series countdown.
This match was the embodiment of sports entertainment, with a hot crowd and a hilarious lineup, that consisted of Doink The Clown and his three little friends- Dink, Pink and Wink, against Jerry Lawler and three dwarves named Sleazy, Queasy and Cheesy.
Lawler, the masterful heel, got the crowd to chant ‘Burger King’ in unison, to mock his own ‘king’ gimmick. He continued to stick to his character by being cruel to his own teammates for the entire match. Gorilla Monsoon on commentary was at the top of his game, but Vince McMahon was a disaster quite honestly.
We’re glad he went on to become the most despised heel of all time because commentating wasn’t really for him. All said and done, this is the most memorable traditional Survivor Series match in history. Although it might not be so, for those without a funny bone.
#2 Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff (Survivor Series 2003)
Those of you who did not enjoy the last match in our countdown will definitely mark out for this one. This contest was the personification of Ruthless Aggression, Raw had two co-General Managers at this time: Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff.
Linda McMahon had imposed a restriction on Stone Cold telling him that he could not physically assault anyone unless he was provoked. This match was made with both of them picking teams, to resolve the then-current storyline. If Bischoff’s team were to win the contest, Austin would have to step down as Raw General Manager.
However, if Austin’s team were to win, he could beat up anyone, anywhere, anytime he chose to. As always, Shawn Michaels stole the show, with JR and Jerry Lawler providing magic on commentary. Ross alluded to Lawler’s teammates from 1994 as well. One of the bloodiest matches in Survivor Series history. A definite must-watch.
#1 Team Cena vs. Team Authority (Survivor Series 2014)
Yes sir, our number one pick on this countdown happened only 2 years ago.This match had everything, high stakes, a heel turn midway through the match, Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins in incredible form, and WCW legend Sting making his WWE debut.
This match created such buzz that 5 million people tuned in to watch Raw the night after, which is a massive uptick as compared to their usual viewership. The confrontation between Triple H and Sting was a story in itself, with Sting teasing a heel turn.
If you missed this one, you really must go check it out right away. If Sunday has a match half this good, we will be chanting, ‘this is awesome’ at our TV screens.
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