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If you are an old school wrestling fan you will know that there was a time when Survivor Series was synonymous with Thanksgiving. It was more than a November pay-per-view, it was a Thanksgiving tradition that families watched during turkey time. From 1987 to 1994 Survivor Series either took place on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving Eve.
Families watched Survivor Series as they ate and fellowshipped with one another. After 1994, Survivor Series moved to Sunday and gave wrestlers the much-needed holiday break to spend time with their families. However, Thanksgiving Survivor Series gave families the same feel as Thanksgiving Day football.
Survivor Series was apart of Thanksgiving tradition. Survivor Series was a sporting event to fellowship and watch with family on Thanksgiving. Here are the top five Thanksgiving Survivor Series Cards.
#5 Survivor Series 1991
The first Survivor Series that makes the list is Survivor Series 1991. Survivor Series 1991 took place on Thanksgiving Eve, November 27, 1991. This card is particularly special because it highlights the first WWE Championship win for the Undertaker.
The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan under questionable circumstances as Ric Flair put a steel chair under Hogan as The Undertaker delivered his Tombstone Piledriver (fun fact: Hogan’s head was nowhere near the chair when The Undertaker did the Tombstone). Although the match was more about Hogan and Flair than The Undertaker; The Undertaker still walked away champion.
Also, on this card…was nothing worth noting. Unfortunately, nothing else on this card proved to be worth re-watching. The card proved to be disposable and WWE really dropped the ball on this Survivor Series.
However, The Undertaker’s first WWE Championship reign makes this Survivor Series worth watching especially since the year before at Survivor Series 1990, The Undertaker was just making his WWE debut. Although the Undertaker would soon lose the title this event will forever be apart of his amazing legacy.
#4 Survivor Series 1988
Survivor Series 1988 took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1988. While not the best sequel in WWE history this pay-per-view followed up from its predecessor nicely. Although not in their full capacities this pay-per-view features some of the best performers in WWE history.
The card features Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, the Ultimate Warrior, Owen Hart, Andre the Giant, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Harley Race, Jake Roberts, Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage all on the same card. This card is a marvel to watch as everyone's favorite 1990's wrestlers were featured on the card.
The card only consisted of traditional Survivor Series’ elimination matches so many of the top talent didn’t get a chance to shine. However, this Survivor Series is worth watching again to enjoy some of the best ever in their primes and some of the best ever before their primes.
#3 Survivor Series 1992
The next Thanksgiving Survivor Series on the list took place on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, 1992. This event card would be unwatchable if it was not for the main event of Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship, Mr. Perfect and Randy Savage vs. Razor Ramon and Ric Flair, and the fun Undertaker vs. Kamala in a Casket Match.
While the latter is not an in-ring masterpiece it is a fun match that helped build the legacy of the Undertaker.
Of course, the best match on the card was Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels. This early clash between two rivals shows two of WWE’s best workers in their early years. Headlining a pay-per-view over a match with Ric Flair and Randy Savage illustrates the direction the company was moving in.
Hart and Michaels put on a wrestling masterpiece that fans would be able to relive several times over the next couple of years.
#2 Survivor Series 1990
Survivor Series 1990 took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1990. Of course, Survivor Series 1990 is synonymous with the debut of the Undertaker. The Undertaker was the mystery partner of The Million Dollar Team which featured Ted DiBiase, Greg Valentine, and The Honky Tonk Man. On the other side of the ring was Dusty Rhodes, Koko B Ware, and The Hart Foundation.
The Main Event of the card featured Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and The Ultimate Warrior going against Hercules, Paul Roma, Rick Martel, and Ted DiBiase. This was a culmination of previous matches as the final match was a combination of all of the survivors of previous teams battling to determine who the ultimate survivor was. The ultimate survivors of the night were Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior.
Of course, this Survivor Series also featured Hector Guerrero’s debut as the Gobbledly Gooker which was met with boos and jeers from the entire audience. Thankfully, we never saw the Gooker again.
Even though the Gobbledly Gooker almost ruined the entire show, Survivor Series 1990 is widely regarded as one of the best Survivor Series ever and is definitely worth watching and enjoying with family.
#1 Survivor Series 1987
The best Thanksgiving Survivor Series is the original Survivor Series which took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1987. WWE packed in all the punch with this stacked card. The card featured all traditional Survivor Series Elimination Matches.
The first match featured Brutus Beefcake, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, Randy Savage, and Ricky Steamboat vs. Dangerous Danny Davis, Harley Race, Hercules, The Honky Tonk Man, and Ricky Steamboat.
The second match was a traditional five on five women’s Survivor Series Match which featured The Fabulous Moolah, The Jumping Bomb Angels, Rockin Robin and Velvet McIntyre vs. Dawn Marie, Donna Christanello, The Glamour Girls and Sensational Sherri.
This is a match many forget happened but it such a classic wrestling match that demonstrates that women have been fighting for WWE Evolution for decades.
The next match on the card featured the British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Fabulous Rougeaus, Strike Force, and The Young Stallions against The Bolsheviks, Demolition, The Dream Team, The Hart Foundation, and the Islanders. This match is a who’s who of tag team wrestling featuring the top tag team specialists at the time.
Finally, the main event featured Andre the Giant, Butch Reed, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, and Rick Rude vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, Don Muraco, Hulk Hogan, Ken Patera, and Paul Orndorff.
Survivor Series 1987 was a culmination of strategic planning to create one of the WWE’s best annual traditions. It is full of stars, great matches, and continuances of great feuds. One of the best Survivor Series ever.
Survivor Series’ connection with Thanksgiving started with its first seven events taking place on either Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Eve. Over its 31-year history Survivor Series has evolved to be merely another pay-per-view but early in its inception, Survivor Series was a part of Thanksgiving tradition providing entertainment and fellowship for fans.
