The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Fabulous Rougeaus, Strike Force, & The Young Stallions
vs.
The Bolsheviks, Demolition, The Dream Team, The Hart Foundation, & The Islanders
10-on-10 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 1987
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “nothing beats the original.” And it can be applied to the best Survivor Series matches. Our first match on the list is from the very first Survivor Series event, which took place 30 years ago and features this awesome 20-man elimination tag team match.
This bout perfectly showcases just how awesome this event, more specifically the elimination tag match, can be when done correctly.
Watch via WWE Network
Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker
WWE Championship Hell in a Cell Match
Survivor Series 2007
The centerpiece of Survivor Series 2007 was a brutal battle between Batista and The Undertaker inside the unforgiving Hell in a Cell structure.
Over the course of about twenty minutes, these future WWE Hall of Famers lost a lot of blood and told one hell of an entertaining story using their bodies and the historic steel structure.
Watch via WWE Network
Triple H (c) vs. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match
Survivor Series 2002
Another of the best Survivor Series matches took place in a cage, this time in the historic Madison Square Garden. To make it an even bigger moment, this was actually the debut of the Elimination Chamber match, a concept that no one, including the performers in the match, really knew anything about prior to the show.
To say that the Elimination Chamber is an unpleasant working environment is an understatement, as the majority of the participants needed legitimate medical attention after the match.
Watch via WWE Network
Team Austin (Booker T, The Dudleyz, Rob Van Dam, & Shawn Michaels)
vs.
Team Bischoff (Chris Jericho, Christian, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, & Scott Steiner)
5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 2003
Personally, I have wonderful memories of the Stone Cold Steve Austin//Eric Bischoff era of Monday Night Raw.
Eric Bischoff was the perfect bad guy authority figure to play alongside Stone Cold, the blue-collar, foul-mouthed Texan that captured the imagination of wrestling fans all around the world.
The two created their Survivor Series teams and squared off with Austin’s co-general manager spot on the line.
Watch via WWE Network
Team Raw (The Bar, The Club, Enzo and Cass, The New Day, & The Shining Stars)
vs.
Team SmackDown Live (American Alpha, Heath Slater and Rhyno, The Hype Bros, The Usos, & Breezango)
10-on-10 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 2016
I’ll be honest, I had the lowest of expectations for this matchup last year. I thought there were too many moving parts (and participants) for this bout to be anything close to good.
I was wrong.
This match is not just good, it’s fantastic, and truly a testament to the strength of WWE’s current tag scene.
Watch via WWE Network
Bret Hart (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship Match
Survivor Series 1992
This isn’t that Bret Hart//Shawn Michaels match from Survivor Series, it’s actually much better.
The Heartbreak Kid was the Intercontinental Champion at the time, and truly one of the best in-ring performers in the world. Across the ring from him stood the reigning WWE (then WWF) Champion, and face of the company, Bret Hart.
These two may have hated each other outside of the ring, but inside the ring, they were as good as gold together.
Watch via WWE Network
Team Raw (Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, & Braun Strowman)
vs.
Team SmackDown Live (Dean Ambrose, Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, & Bray Wyatt)
5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 2016
The second match from the 2016 Survivor Series event to make this list, and unlike the first, I actually did have high expectations for this bout.
Not only were they met, but they were actually surpassed.
SmackDown Live was without a doubt the better show for the second half of 2016, and the Superstars of Raw were very much aware of it. Because of this, when WWE started to spin their usual “brand warfare” nonsense, it had some legitimacy to it, meaning things were actually personal for once. This led to some compelling television, capped off by this awesome match.
Watch via WWE Network
Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Survivor Series 1996
This bout is the best championship match to ever take place on a Survivor Series card, and it’s not even close.
Although this matchup isn’t their five star classic from WrestleMania 13, it’s still excellent, and a testament to just how good The Hitman and The Rattlesnake were in their prime.
Watch via WWE Network
Team Authority (Luke Harper, Mark Henry, Kane, Seth Rollins & Rusev)
vs.
Team Cena (John Cena, Erick Rowan, Ryback, The Big Show, & Dolph Ziggler)
5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 2014
My personal favorite Survivor Series elimination match, despite the fact that WWE ruined it a few weeks later with a not-so-good storyline.
Not only was the in-ring action and storytelling superb, but it also featured the long-awaited WWE debut of Sting, which took me right back to my five-year-old self.
Watch via WWE Network
The Alliance (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, & Booker T)
vs.
Team WWF (Chris Jericho, Kane, The Rock, The Big Show, & The Undertaker)
5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
Survivor Series 2001
I’ll be the first person to admit that WWE majorly botched the WCW invasion storyline, which could have easily been a license to print money. Despite the gross mishandling of this event, they still managed to make a ton of money off the angle.
All of that aside, you cannot argue that this star-studded affair isn’t one of the best matches to ever take place at a Survivor Series event, if not the best. The lineup is incredible, the action is non-stop, and the crowd was invested from bell to bell.
Watch via WWE Network
What’s on your list of the best Survivor Series matches? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
