Survivor Series Championship Matches
The American Thanksgiving tradition of the Survivor Series has been a staple of WWE programming for decades. Compiling teams of 4/5 wrestlers, teams go to war with each other to establish their dominance over the company. It was a great idea and one that has continued to this day.
The concept of the Survivor Series has generally remained the same. The importance of team warfare is always the driving force behind the PPV, but that doesn’t mean the show was a one-trick pony.
The Survivor Series has been the site of some fantastic championship matches. Matches that have stolen the show and presented us with a well-rounded night of wrestling. Let’s take a look at some of these great matches.
Bret Hart v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship; Survivor Series 1992)
5 years before their controversial championship match, HBK and Bret Hart engaged in an underrated Survivor Series classic.
Hart and Michaels were still young in their singles careers, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a clinic. Their technical skill meshed well together and they put on a fresh match. Gone were the lumbering main events of old and in their place a younger, faster more exciting product was presented.
This match was merely a precursor to their later feud, but it still was an outstanding addition to the Survivor Series.
Triple H v RVD v HBK v Kane v Booker T v Chris Jericho (Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship; Survivor Series 2002)
The Elimination Chamber was perfect for the Survivor Series. The concept of survival was heavily attached to the contest and with the A-List lineup, it was a near guarantee that it was going to be awesome.
The match didn’t fail to deliver on its promise. It was violent and innovative. It was unlike anyone in WWE had seen and it provided new visuals and spots. Specifically, RVD pulling off the frog splash from the top of the pod was a sight to see.
It was also the best way to have HBK win the title. Seeing him overcome Triple H on way to winning the match was the perfect ending to HBK’s return story arc.
Trish Stratus v Victoria (Street Fight for the WWE Women’s Championship; Survivor Series 2002)
This match was a pioneer for the Women’s Revolution. Long before Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Charlotte were putting on great gimmick matches, we had this great hardcore match. At the time women’s matches were subjugated to bra’ and panties stipulations. It was an insult and a move that made women’s wrestling hard to take seriously. This match changed all that.
Victoria and Trish flourished under the hardcore stip. They were creative with the spots and the level of violence surprised many. It showed that women’s wrestling was just as viable as men’s and should be taken seriously. A great job by both women on that night.
Bret Hart v Diesel ( WWE Championship Match; Survivor Series 1995)
The year-long reign of Diesel was not exactly a success. His match quality was sub-par and the ratings were low. Luckily, he was able to turn in a great WWE Championship match on his way out of the main event.
He and Bret put on the perfect David v Goliath story. Bret spent his time trying to wrestle the big man down while Diesel relied on his brute strength. These styles meshed very well and helped to tell a compelling story.
The match was made even better by the great finish. Bret surprised Big Daddy Cool with a small package, winning the championship. This enraged the big man and he proceeded to give Bret a brutal post-match beatdown. It added another layer to the match and was a great way to turn Diesel heel.
Bret Hart v Shawn Michales ( WWE Championship; Survivor Series 1997)
This was the most infamous match in Survivor Series, or WWE as a whole, history. The story surrounding the match and its finish has been well documented so there is no need to rehash it here. What isn’t talked about as much is the fact that both men put on one hell of a wrestling match.
It gets lost in the shuffle, but Bret and Shawn were fantastic on that night. Their talents were on full display. The technical skill was there but the intensity behind it was turned up to 11. Their real-life, and kayfabe hatred, was woven into the match beautifully and added that extra something to the contest.
The Miz v Sami Zayn (Intercontinental Championship; Survivor Series 2016)
The Miz and Sami Zayn were two of the WWE mid-cards best heading into this night. They were on separate brands but that didn’t stop them from putting on a great 15-minute match.
The Miz is your prototypical WWE wrestler. His style is more methodical than most and doesn’t involve the eye-dropping moves of others, but that isn’t a detriment. This work rate matched perfectly with the plucky underdog of Sami Zayn.
It was the classic ground the faster wrestler style of match. Boring to some sure, but when you have world-class talents pulling it off it becomes engaging television. Couple that with a heel-heat-inducing finish for The Miz and you have a great IC title match.
Batista v The Undertaker ( Hell In A Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship; Survivor Series 2007)
The feud between Batista and The Undertaker was one of the best in 2007. Both hosses lock horns at Wrestlemania and other various shows throughout the year. Each match got better as they grew comfortable with one another, leading to their vicious contest at the Survivor Series.
This was the perfect ending point for their feud. Both men used every weapon imaginable as they tore each other apart. It was the best way to tell a Hell in a Cell match and these were the best men to tell it. They had the history and physicality necessary to put on a great contest inside the cell.
The ending, with Edge costing The Undertaker the match, was a bit overbooked but it can be forgiven considering the 20 minutes that preceded it.
CM Punk v Alberto Del Rio ( WWE Championship Match; Survivor Series 2011)
The Summer of Punk was leading to this match. CM had built himself into a megastar and his quest to finally become, the undisputed, WWE Champion culminated at Survivor Series in 2011.
Del Rio was a bit of a sacrificial lamb for this match but that doesn’t mean he was useless. His submission style of working matched well with Punk. It allowed for both men to put on a more grounded, submission style of match. The realism with which they pulled this off was great and helped to give us a big match feel.
It also didn’t hurt to have Howard Finkel come out to announce Punk’s entrance. It was a great throwback and the perfect way to start the match.
John Cena v Triple H v Shawn Michaels (Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship; Survivor Series 2009)
Sometimes a match needs little build-up to garner any excitement. This was one of these matches. Triple H, HBK, and Cena had already built a long and storied history among one another and they were all main-event players. Add to that the fact that D-X was a tag team, and you have one drama-filled match.
Sometimes, matches only need to be fun, and that’s what this was. It started with HBK superkicking HHH at the match’s onset. It was a great way to set the tone for the rest of the match. There were no friends as all three men did their best to put the other one away.
The end was never in doubt. Cena was going to walk away the champ but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a highly entertaining championship match.
Mizdow v The Uso’s v Goldust & Stardust v Los Matadores (Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships; Survivor Series 2014)
Why WWE couldn’t ever figure out how to use Damien Sandow properly is beyond any of us. At this point in time he was one of the most over figures on the roster. Which made this match so damn entertaining.
All four teams were great in their own right. They put on a great opener in 2014. They were given plenty of time and the fast-paced nature of the match had everyone eating out of the performers hand. It was a great showing from all 8 men.
All being said, this was Sandow’s night. The crowd ate up everything he did and the eruption was deafening when he got the pin for his team. This alone makes this a match worth watching.