This Saturday, WWE will present the 37th annual Survivor Series: War Games live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Survivor Series is one of WWE’s big four pay-per-views. Through the years of Survivor Series, we have seen incredible matches, moments, and debuts from the show. Today, I will be ranking my top five Survivor series moments.
5. The Undertaker’s debut (Survivor Series, 1990)
To begin, this list is The Undertaker’s debut. The Undertaker debuted at the 1990 Survivor Series show on November 22, 1990. He was the final member of Ted DiBiase’s team. DiBiase introduced The Undertaker to the ring, accompanied by Brother Love. Everyone in the arena had a look of shock on their face because they had never seen anyone like this before in the world of wrestling. Besides his debut, the other highlight of this match was Koko B. Ware becoming the first of many victims to fall to the Tombstone Piledrive. Ever since then, The Deadman has buried lots of souls.
4. Stone Cold gets run over (Survivor Series, 1999)
A significant moment in the Attitude Era occurred during the 1999 Survivor Series. Stone Cold Steve Austin was scheduled to be in a triple threat match against The Rock and Triple H for the WWF Championship. Before the match, Kevin Kelly was getting set to interview Austin. Triple H interrupted the interview before Austin could answer Kelly’s question. Triple H spat water in Austin’s face. Both men exchanged punches, Triple H took off running, and Austin chased him. Stone Cold ended up in the parking lot, and a car would run him over, taking him out of the match. The Big Show would replace him as they did a bait and switch.
WWE did this so they could write Austin off TV to give him time off for his injured neck. Eventually, Triple H revealed that he was the one who ran Austin over. This moment was huge, and wrestling fans still remember it today.
3. Undertaker winning his first WWE Championship against Hulk Hogan (Survivor Series, 1991)
One year after his debut at the 1991 Survivor Series, The Undertaker faced off against Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship. The match was promoted as the gravest challenge for Hulk Hogan. This match escalated The Undertaker in his young career. Regardless of the way he won the match with the help of Ric Flair, it was still big because, at that time, Hulk Hogan was the biggest name in professional wrestling, and to beat Hogan for the belt after only being in the company for one year, not many men can say they have done that.
2. The Debut of the Elimination Chamber (Survivor Series, 2002)
At Survivor Series, one of the most brutal match types in WWE debuted the Elimination Chamber. Six men entered, with one man standing left. Triple H defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. This match was brutal from start to finish, as blood and bodies were everywhere.
Everyone in this match put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans, and they did not disappoint.
To this day, this is one of the best main events of all time, as Shawn Michaels captured his first and final World Championship after being away from the ring for four years.
Survivor Series 2002 gets bonus points for the video promo for this match.
- The Montreal Screw job (Survivor Series, 1997)
Was there any doubt that this would be number one? 26 years later, this moment is still discussed. The Montreal Screwjob will be the greatest moment in Survivor Series history. From the iconic moment when Shawn Michaels is about to put Bret in the sharpshooter, the bell rings, and Bret looks confused. To Bret Hart spitting in Vince McMahon’s face, destroying everything at ringside and gesturing he is going to WCW.
After the show went off air backstage, Bret punched Vince McMahon in the face knocking him out, seeing Vince the next night on RAW with a black eye saying, “Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart.”
Eventually, all three men would bury the hatchet and be back on good terms again. Whether this was a work or not, no one will know.
Photo Credits: WWE
