Although WWE Survivor Series has become less important than the other big events in the past few years, there’s no denying that the wrestling landscape changed multiple times following the events that took place at the long-running show.
Debuting back in 1987, Survivor Series has become a Thanksgiving tradition in the United States for nearly 40 years. Although at one point the show was as big as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble, many now see Money in the Bank as one of the famous “big 4”, mostly due to the November show being dominated in recent times by brand supremacy that meant nothing, and the inclusion of the annual WarGames stipulation has divided opinion. However, when it comes to notable moments, there are few that have left the impact quite like Survivor Series.
From shock debuts, returns, title changes and arguably the biggest moment in pro wrestling history
WWE Survivor Series: 10 Of The Biggest Moments
Where It All Began
The 1987 show was created to capitalise on the surge in popularity from WrestleMania III, which has been seen as the point where the company went to new heights as a global phenomenon. With Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant headlining the show in New Orleans. At the first Survivor Series, Hogan and Andre were one again in the main event on either sides of the 5 on 5 elimination match that saw Andre emerge as the sole survivor. With Randy Savage, Bret Hart, The British Bulldogs and Demolition among the names on the star-studded card, the first event set the tone for things to come.
It’s Sting!
When WWE bought out former rival promotion WCW in 2001, the biggest stars from Nitro gradually made their way over to the worldwide leader over the next few years, except one. Although the likes of Hulk Hogan, Goldberg and Scott Steiner all joined WWE, Sting instead went to TNA and remained with the company for over a decade. However, at Survivor Series 2014, The Icon appeared live in front of a WWE crowd for the first time in his career, costing The Authority their match in the main event.
The Rock Goes Corporate
As the World Championship had been vacated the month prior to the 1998 Survivor Series pay-per-view, a one night only tournament was held to crown the new champion. With The Rock and Mankind meeting in the final, fans were curious as to who would be the new face of the company. Repeating the angle that took place the year before, more on that later, The Rock was awarded the submission victory even though Mankind did not tap out. With Mick Foley screwed by The Corporation, Rock became the Corporate Champion, and won the title for the first time in his career in the process.
The Elimination Chamber Debuts
2002 saw the debut of a new stipulation match that has now become an annual fixture and one of the most important matches more than 20 years later. With brand warfare between Raw and SmackDown being the top storyline at the time, Raw GM Eric Bischoff announced that Triple H would defend his World Heavyweight Championship inside the structure against Kane, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and eventual winner Shawn Michaels. With none of the 6 combatants having any experience of the match itself, it was a miracle that injuries were kept to a minimum, most notably Triple H suffering a broken larynx after Rob Van Dam landed on him badly.
The Shield Makes A Memorable Impact
The main event of Survivor Series 2012 saw CM Punk put the WWE Championship on the line against John Cena and Ryback in a triple threat match. Although it appeared that Punk was guaranteed to lose the title at the show, the Chicago native had a plan B. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose burst through the crowd to attack the challengers, driving Ryback through the announce table. Punk capitalised and won the match, while The Shield went on to become one of the biggest factions in WWE history, with each man finding individual success.
Goldberg Returns & Squashes Brock Lesnar
Following the infamous match at WrestleMania 20, it appeared that both Goldberg and Brock Lesnar were done with WWE entirely. Although Lesnar famously returned in 2012 and has remained with the company since, a Goldberg return seemed almost impossible given the acrimonious departure. However, when the future Hall of Famer was revealed to be a pre-order bonus for WWE 2K17, there was hope that the WCW legend could be back for one more match, which the man himself later confirmed. Although fans had their predictions on what might happen, no one expected to see Goldberg run through Lesnar in less than 90 seconds, especially as this was the same Lesnar who ended The Undertaker’s streak earlier in the year. 2 spears and a Jackhammer later, Goldberg slayed The Beast in shocking fashion.
Hell Freezes Over
When CM Punk left WWE in 2014, it looked to be a real possibility that he was done with wrestling entirely. While fans fantasy booked his return, Punk remained very much out of the ring, until 2021. As the pandemic restrictions lifted a packed United Center in Chicago witnessed CM Punk’s return to wrestling on an episode 0f Rampage. Following Punk’s infamous AEW departure 2 years later, the rumour mill went into overdrive regarding a possible Punk return. Following the conclusion of the main event, Punk shocked the world as he walked out in front of a Chicago crowd once more, this time in WWE. Pictured with Triple H afterwards, the man who he had a ton of animosity with a decade prior, hell truly had frozen over in wrestling.
The Undertaker Debuts
6 years before Rocky walked out in front of a WWE crowd, The Undertaker was introduced to the fans at the same event. An undead zombie impervious to pain, the dark and brooding character was a stark contrast to the colourful characters in that era. Famously told in WCW that no one would pay to see “Mean” Mark Callous wrestle, The Deadman went on to become one of the most recognisable and tenured performers in company history.
The End Of The Invasion
The Monday Night Wars came to an end in March 2001 when WCW closed its doors down. With WWE being the only game in town, it’s not surprise that many from WCW made their way over. Recognising there was an influx of new talent, WWE created the Invasion storyline. While on paper the battle for supremacy had a lot of potential, the lack of major stars in WCW left the storyline to falter from the start. Following a series of PPVs showcasing battles between both companies, things came to a head at Survivor Series 2001 in the traditional elimination match. With The Rock once again being the sole survivor, Team WWF defeated The Alliance to bring the storyline to an end, and the Invasion era in the process.
The Montreal Screwjob
Not only the biggest moment in Survivor Series history, but arguably the biggest moment in professional wrestling, period. A story that has been documented and told ad nauseam, Bret Hart was set to leave WWF for rival promotion WCW, but would not drop the championship to Shawn Michaels. During the Survivor Series 1997 match in Hart’s home country of Canada, Michaels put Hart in the Sharpshooter and the bell rang without Hart submitting. What followed was confusion and anger from the Hart camp, with Hart punching Vince McMahon backstage before storming out of the company, not returning until 2010. The moment that led to the birth of The Attitude Era, the evil Mr. McMahon character, the rise of new stars and Hart’s WCW run, wrestling would not be the same without that night in Montreal.
Featured image: WWE
