November is usually the month when WWE presents the Survivor Series PPV. As the WWE fans wait eagerly for yet another traditional Survivor Series match this year, many might remember the Survivor Series PPV that aired 18 years ago on this day that had no traditional elimination match.
Survivor Series ‘98 featured the Deadly Games tournament to crown a new WWE Champion, and it took place on November 15th. So what are the other major events in pro-wrestling to have happened on this date and not just in the WWE ?? Read on..
#1. Mae Young beats LayCool – Old School Raw 2010
November 15th, 2010 was Old School Raw, and it saw WWE history being re-written in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Michelle McCool and Layla were the co-Diva’s Champions, and they faced 77-year-old Mae Young in a 2 on 1 handicap match.
The match was over in 54 seconds and with the help of the entire Raw Womens’ division, a barely walking Young would pick up the victory over the Champions. The feat made Mae the oldest person in WWE history to win a match in the WWE.
The event also saw Mae’s most infamous storyline partner Mark Henry return to his ‘Sexual Chocolate’ gimmick in a losing effort against Dolph Ziggler.
#2 TNA presents Turning Point 2009
On 15th November 2009, TNA introduced the 2009 edition of Turning Point. The event had five titles on the line and the champions retained in every match. Many high-profile stars were on the card involving Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Rhyno and the Dudleys.
The main event had AJ Styles retaining his TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match involving Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe.
The event took place at the Impact Zone in Orlando and had an attendance of just over 1000 people. Compare this with WWE’s Survivor Series PPV that had over 5o times the figure.
#3. The birth of the Corporate Champion
1998 Survivor Series was significant for not having a traditional Survivor Series match on its card. The show that aired on November 18,1998 did feature a one night Deadly Games Tournament to determine a new holder for the vacated WWF Championship.
13 matches of that tournament aired in the main show and the final had Vince McMahon’s stooge Mankind taking on the Rock. The match would end with McMahon double crossing Mankind, calling for the bell as the Rock had Mankind in the Sharpshooter – a reference to the Montreal Screwjob that occurred at the ‘97 Survivor Series.
The event saw the Rock becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history and Vince, Shane McMahon and the Rock celebrated in the ring to herald the era of the ‘Corporate Champion’.
