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WWE had a massive week. They hosted a new episode of SmackDown, which was tremendously successful. The sports entertainment juggernaut then managed to one up themselves with Survivor Series: WarGames on Saturday.
The big show featured a plethora of stars, some brand new to the main roster scene such as Dragon Lee, while others have been veterans in the company. In fact, R-Truth, Randy Orton, and CM Punk, three long-time stars, all made their returns at the show.
While there's a lot to enjoy about the modern product, some fans prefer to re-live the past or learn about the company's illustrious history. Thankfully, those fans are in luck, as Sportskeeda offers a weekly look back at what helped make the company what is today.
This week's look back will cover four major moments from Survivor Series in celebration of last night's show. Plus, a very special return took place at NXT WarGames. What went down this week in history?
Below are five key events that happened this week in WWE history.
#5. The Rock and John Cena teamed up at Survivor Series on November 20th, 2011
WWE Survivor Series was held on November 20th, 2011. The massive event was held at the famous Madison Square Garden on November 20th, 2011. Over 16,000 fans were in attendance for one of the biggest matches of the year.
John Cena teamed up with The Rock for the first-time ever at the big WWE Survivor Series event. The two were gearing up to battle at WrestleMania the following year, making this union even more tense.
The two popular stars battled the duo known as Awesome Truth. The tandem was made up of R-Truth and The Miz. After over 21 minutes, the pairing of John Cena and The Rock won, which then set the stage for their WrestleMania encounter.
#4. The Undertaker had his "Final Farewell" at Survivor Series on November 22nd, 2020
WWE held the 34th annual Survivor Series event on Novemebr 22nd, 2020. This show was peculiar, as it was held behind closed doors in front of no live fans, thanks to the global pandemic shutting down much of the world's social gatherings.
WWE Survivor Series 2020 was notable, not for the matches, but instead for a major segment. The legendary former champion The Undertaker officially retired on this night. The show celebrated his 30 year career within the promotion.
Tons of big names appeared to help honor The Deadman. This included Kane, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Kevin Nash, Savio Vega, Rikishi, Big Show, and JBL, among others. To this day, The Deadman is yet to return to action in any official capacity, meaning his retirement has seemingly stuck.
#3. John Cena returned at Survivor Series on November 23rd, 2008
WWE held the 2008 edition of Survivor Series on November 23rd of that year. The show took place at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Around 12,000 fans were in attendance for the six match main card.
While Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 will be well-remembered for a handful of massive returns, WWE Survivor Series 2008 is also looked back at fondly for a similar reason. John Cena made his in-ring return after being out for quite some time due to an injury.
Cena competed in the main event, challenging Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. After about 21 minutes, The Face That Runs The Place hit the Attitude Adjustment to win the match and the coveted title, making for a successful return.
#2. Sting debuted at WWE Survivor Series on November 23rd, 2014
The final Survivor Series entry in this week's list aired on November 23rd, 2014. WWE held the big event in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. This show was special, as it was the first-ever Survivor Series to be streamed on the company's over-the-top platform that they still maintain to this very day.
The main event was a Traditional Survivor Series Match with massive implications. If John Cena's team, also featuring Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, Big Show, and Ryback, managed to win, The Authority would lose power. If The Authority's team consisting of Seth Rollins, Kane, Mark Henry, Luke Harper, and Rusev won, Cena's teammates would be fired.
The bout was a 43-minute long epic. In the end, Team Cena won thanks to the shocking WWE debut of Sting. The wrestling legend helped Cena's team win, and went on to feud with Triple H heading into WrestleMania the following year. He remains in wrestling to this very day.
#1. Kevin Owens returned to NXT at TakeOver: WarGames on November 23rd, 2019
The final entry in this week's list comes from the NXT brand. NXT TakeOver: WarGames was held on November 23rd, 2019. This was the third annual NXT WarGames event, which would continue to be held on the brand until WWE's main roster took it over beginning in 2022.
The main event of the night featured Team Ciampa battling The Undisputed Era. The latter of which was represented by Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong. Team Ciampa was represented by Ciampa himself, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and the returning Kevin Owens.
Owens was a massive surprise, as he was already a main roster star. His WWE NXT return, albeit brief, proved to be successful, as he helped lead his team to victory in just over 38 minutes. Owens remains a top star in the company to this very day.
