The Piledriver Report: 11.19.08: Remembering the Survivor Series

Posted by Ronny Sarnecky on 11.19.2008

With the 2008 Survivor Series coming up this Sunday, The Piledriver Report takes a quick look at Survivor Series of the past. We also take a look at this year's Survivor Series, and if it is worth ordering.

In 1983, the National Wrestling Alliance presented the grandfather of all supercards call "Starrcade." It started out as an event that was held on closed circuit television, and for five years became a Thanksgiving Day tradition. Unfortunately for the NWA, the World Wrestling Federation flexed their pay per view muscle, and scheduled a new event called the Survivor Series to air on the same night. Not only were the two companies going head to head on pay per view in the NWA's first attempt at running a PPV, but the WWF gave the cable companies an "us or them" ultimatum.

From that point on, the NWA was never the same. The main territory under the NWA banner, Jim Crockett Promotions, was sold to Ted Turner who would change the company name to World Championship Wrestling. With the NWA basically non-existent after the sale, the NWA's Thanksgiving tradition was now moved to December. Since the "southern promotion" conceded defeat in the battle of Thanksgiving supercards, the World Wrestling Federation's "Survivor Series" became the Thanksgiving, and later just November, tradition.

Over the years, the Survivor Series has become a wrestling staple. As one of the WWF's original "big four," the supercard has provided the fans with a lifetime worth of memories.

The first Survivor Series featured four 5 on 5 elimination matches. While the main event was pushed as the first time Hulk Hogan would face Andre the Giant since WrestleMania III, the match that stood out to me was the elimination match that featured all of the top tag teams in the WWF at the time. On one side was Strike Force (Tito Santana and Rick Martel), The Young Stallions (Paul Roma and Jim Powers), The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond), The Killer Bees (Jim Brunzell and Brian Blair), and the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid) against The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) (with Jimmy Hart), The Islanders (Haku and Tama) (with Bobby Heenan), Demolition (Ax and Smash) (with Mr. Fuji), The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov) (w/Slick), and The New Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo).

The next year, the WWF presented a double turn. During the Tag Team elimination match, Mr. Fuji turned on the WWF Tag Team champions Demolition and joined the Powers of Pain. When he changed sides, most fans assumed that Fuji turned face. However, it was later discovered that it was the Powers of Pain who turned heel. This caused Demolition to turn face in their continuing feud with the Powers of Pain. This show also helped to set up the eventually feud between the WWF World Champion Randy Savage and his tag team partner Hulk Hogan. At the 1988 Survivor Series, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage captained a team that faced a team captained by Big Boss Man and Akeem. Hogan and Savage eventually won the match as the only survivors. During the post-match posing, Hogan began acting friendly toward Elizabeth, angering Savage. In a post-match interview, Jesse Ventura interviewed Savage, playing up Savage's growing anger regarding Hogan's behavior toward Elizabeth.

In 1989, the WWF decided to make a change to the Survivor Series concept. Instead of featuring matches where "five on five strive to survive," the WWF had each elimination match feature four wrestlers against four wrestlers. This was also the first Survivor Series that did not include an elimination match that pitted the face tag teams against the heel tag teams.

The 1990 edition featured another change. After featuring an undercard of five different four on four elimination matches, the WWF took the face survivors in the earlier matches and pitted them against the heel survivors to crown an ultimate team of survivors. The winner of the "Grand Finale Match of Survival" was the WWF World Champion the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. The 1990 edition also featured the WWF debut of the Undertaker.

In 1991, the Undertake faced Hulk Hogan for the WWF World title in the first singles match in Survivor Series history. As it turned out, it also featured the first title change in Survivor Series history. While most of the tradition Survivor Series matches were four on four matches on the card, the 1991 version featured the first three on three elimination match-up when The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and The Big Boss Man faced The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) and Irwin R. Schyster.

Despite having one traditional Survivor Series elimination match, the Survivor Series in 1992 was the first Survivor Series card to feature mostly standard singles and tag team matches. The main event pitted future behind the scenes rivals, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart against each other in a battle for the WWF World title.

After turning the Survivor Series into an everyday type of pay per view a year earlier, the WWF went back to the original Survivor Series elimination matches for the 1993 edition of the November supercard. The highlight of the show was The Hart Family (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bruce Hart and Keith Hart) (with Stu Hart) vs. Shawn Michaels and His Knights (Shawn Michaels, The Red Knight, The Blue Knight and The Black Knight) match-up. Following Owen Hart's elimination from the bout, he was upset at Bret for his elimination. The Survivor Series was a major starting point for the two plus year feud between the two most famous Hart brothers.

The 1994 Survivor Series featured a mixture of regular matches and Survivor Series matches. This Survivor Series will be most remembered for the WWF World title Submission match between the WWF World Champion Bret Hart and Bob Backlund. Bret had his brother in law, Davey Boy Smith in his corner, while Backlund had Owen Hart in his. According to the rules of the match, the only way the bout could end was if one of the corner men threw in the towel for the wrestler he was representing. Bob Backlund defeated Bret for the title after Owen Hart tricked his mom into throwing in the towel for Bret Hart.

The 1995 edition put the main focus of the show back on the elimination matches. However, the biggest news to come out of the show was that Bret Hart recaptured the WWF World title after defeating Diesel in a no disqualification match.

The Survivor Series in 1996 featured a mix between regular matches and the elimination matches once again. Despite having four elimination matches (including one on the pre-show), the most memorable matches were the singles matches. The Undertaker beat Mankind. Bret Hart fought Steve Austin in their first high profile match. In the main event, Shawn Michael lost the WWF title to SID.

The 1997 Survivor Series is probably the most famous Survivor Series, if not the most famous wrestling pay per view not named WrestleMania, in wrestling history. There was Bret Hart. There was Shawn Michaels. It was in Montreal. It was Bret Hart's final WWF appearance. In a word: screwjob! Enough said.

Leading up to the Survivor Series in 1998, the WWF World title was declared vacant. To crown a new champion, the WWF held a tournament at the Survivor Series. The WWF started a new tradition when they tried to capitalize on the buzz from the previous year's "screwjob," by featuring not one but two screwjobs. In the weeks before the Series, Shane McMahon was feuding with his father, and was instituted as a referee in some WWF matches. During Steve Austin's semi-final match against Mankind, when Austin covered Mankind, Shane counted 1-2-….. He then gave Austin the double middle finger. It appeared that Mankind was the McMahon's "chosen one." However, in the tournament finals, the McMahon's turned on Mankind, and sided with The Rock, leading the "Brahma Bull" to capture his first WWF World championship. In a take off of the previous year's Survivor Series, when The Rock had Mankind in the sharpshooter, Vince screamed for the bell to be rung.

The Survivor Series in 1999 featured the debut of Kurt Angle to WWF television. This card will be remembered for the match that never happened. The WWF Champion Triple H was supposed to face The Rock and Steve Austin in a dream Triple Threat match. Instead, we saw Steve Austin get run over by a car, because he couldn't wrestle due to his neck injury. In his place, the Big Show won the WWF World title.

Survivor Series 2000 featured only two traditional Survivor Series matches. While Kurt Angle defended the WWF World title against the Undertaker, their championship match was not the focused match on the show. After discovering the person who hired Rikishi to run over Steve Austin at the previous year's Survivor Series card was Triple H, Austin sought revenge on Triple H. Their match, which was a no disqualification bout, ended in a no contest after Triple H was hiding in a car, and it was picked up by a forklift, with Austin operating it. Austin then lifted the car high into the air before dropping it, with the car tipping over onto its hood and smashing to the ground.

The 2001 Survivor Series was centered around the climax of the WCW InVasion angle. The only traditional Survivor Series match on the show was the main event, which pitted Team WWF (The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and The Big Show) against Team Alliance (Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon). Team WWF won after Kurt Angle turned on Steve Austin, and hit him with the WWF World title belt.

In 2002, the WWE presented the first Survivor Series that did not feature at least one traditional Survivor Series elimination match. The main event featured a new gimmick match called the elimination chamber. The chamber was an enclosed circular steel cage that featured four chambers surrounded by plexi-glass. Using Royal Rumble and WarGames rules, two men started the contest, and every few minutes, an additional wrestler entered the ring. The wrestlers would fight until only one wrestler was left standing. In the inaugural match, the World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defeated the title in the chamber against Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Chris Jericho, and Shawn Michaels. Shawn Michaels would leave the ring victorious as the new World Champion.

The WWE went back to mixing standard matches with traditional Survivor Series elimination matches in 2003. The top match of the night featured the World Heavyweight champion Bill Goldberg successfully defending the title against Triple H.

For the first time since 2001, a traditional Survivor Series elimination match was placed as the main event on the card. In the 2004 version, Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Maven) defeated Team Triple H (Triple H, Edge, Batista, and Snitsky).

In 2005, the WWE tried to create a rivalry between the RAW and SmackDown! brands. The main event was an interpromotional five on five Survivor Series elimination match between Team SmackDown! (Batista, Rey Mysterio, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), Bobby Lashley, and Randy Orton) and Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). Orton last eliminated Michaels to win the match for Team SmackDown. This was the only traditional Survivor Series elimination match on the show. On the undercard, John Cena retained the WWE World title against Kurt Angle. The other most hyped match on the show was Triple H beating Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing match.

The 2006 Survivor Series, the 20th anniversary Survivor Series, mixed the now three WWE brands, RAW, SmackDown!, and ECW. The main event King Booker lost the World Heavyweight title to Batista. The two main Survivor Series elimination matches mixed talent from all three brands. Team Cena (John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Kane, Sabu and Rob Van Dam) beat Team Big Show (Big Show, Umaga, Test, Finlay and Montel Vontavious Porter) after Cena pinned the Big Show. John Cena and Bobby Lashley were the survivors. Team DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk and Matt Hardy) defeated Team Rated-RKO (Edge, Randy Orton, Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox and Gregory Helms) when Triple H pinned Orton. The entire Team DX survived the match.

In 2007, The WWE presented the first Hell in the Cell match to take place at the Survivor Series. The Undertaker defended the World Heavyweight championship against Batista in the Cell. Batista won the title after Edge interfered. The WWE World title was defended by Randy Orton against Shawn Michaels. According to the stipulations, Orton would lose the title if he was disqualified, and Shawn would lose the bout if he hit Orton with "Sweet Chin Music." Orton won by pinfall following an RKO. The ECW title was defended in a Triple Threat involving the champion CM Punk, John Morrison, and The Miz. Punk retained the title by pinning The Miz. In the only traditional Survivor Series elimination match, Team Triple H (Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio and Kane) defeated Team Umaga (Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, Montel Vontavious Porter, Finlay and Big Daddy V) (with Matt Striker) when Triple H and Jeff Hardy survived the 5 on 4 handicapped elimination bout.
This coming Sunday night, the WWE presents the 22nd annual Survivor Series from Boston, MA. The card features a series of singles matches, along with three traditional Survivor Series elimination matches. From all appearances, the 2008 version looks to be a lackluster pay per view. This show is being built around the return of John Cena. For the first time in the show's series, I am not sure whether or not I will be ordering the telecast.

The card includes Team Raw (Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, and Jillian Hall) vs. Team SmackDown (Michelle McCool, Victoria, Maria, Maryse, and Natalya) in a Diva's elimination match. Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy and R-Truth) is scheduled to face Team Orton (Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal, Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry). In the third elimination bout, Team Michaels (Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Cryme Tyme (JTG and Shad), and The Great Khali) vs. Team JBL (John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, John Morrison and The Miz). The Undertaker faces the Big Show in a casket match. Triple H defends the WWE World title in a Triple Threat match against Vladimir Kozlov and Jeff Hardy. In the main event, Chris Jericho defends the World Heavyweight title against the returning John Cena.

I have no interest in any of the elimination matches. The Big Show/Undertaker feud I can't get into. Undertaker vs. Edge was so intense that any immediate feud the Undertaker would get into would be a let down. I can't get into the WWE World title Triple Threat match. I've seen Triple H/Jeff Hardy done already, and no longer consider Jeff a viable title contender. Plus, I don't take Kozlov as a serious threat to the title yet. Even if he does get the belt, I can't see Kozlov as a worthy champion. Think of the WWF/E World Champions. Bruno, Hogan, Bret, Austin, Michaels, Triple H. All Hall of Fame caliber wrestlers. Kozlov? He doesn't really belong in that group, does he?

The only match I have slight interest in is the Chris Jericho/John Cena bout. With Cena on the shelf, Jericho has done a tremendous job of selling the match on his own. His promos, combined with the excellent videos hyping Cena's return, have money written all of the match. Where this potential match losses me is that I have to ask the question, what has Cena done to deserve the #1 contender's spot? The answer Stephanie McMahon gave on RAW that Cena was the top contender before he got injured is garbage. After all, didn't Batista BEAT John Cena at Summer Slam, and was credited with "injuring" Cena? OK, Batista already had his title shot, and rematch, but another active competitor should have faced Jericho. From a business sense, it makes no sense either. Cena should have faced someone like JBL first. Then, he should have wrestled for the title at a later pay per view. This way, you get two buyrates. One for the return. The other for his first title match since the return.

With the Survivor Series being held in John Cena's hometown of Boston, MA, unless they are bringing back the "screwjob" tradition, Cena will win the title back. That is something I do not want to see. Chris Jericho does not deserve to lose the World title yet. He didn't deserve to drop the title at Cyber Sunday against Batista, and he doesn't deserve to lose it three weeks later to Cena at the Survivor Series. I've seen over 20 years worth of Survivor Series memories. The newest Survivor moment of John Cena returning to win the gold is an image I can do without. I'll save my money, and want for the replay on WWE 24/7.