The complete History of the Survivorseries 1987-present

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Keith

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The second longest running WWF/WWE Pay Per View of all time, and a event which made its name on the back of the concept of the Survival elmination matches, featuring teams of four or five pitted against each other, like the Royal Rumble this idea gave the Survivorseries that one time a year special feel, and the matches became key moments in big feuds, in making or breaking stars, as well as providing key moments building towards Wrestlemania.

Part of what made me want to do this thread was how much I used love these events, and how much of a let down it has been to seen, the supercard just become another PPV, lost in the shuffle. So coming up I will be watching and reviewing every Survivorseries card since it started in 1987, right up to the modern day, and the most recent show. Once again please give your thoughts on my reviews, along with your own views on the history of the event.

The first review will be up shortly.
 

Keith

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Survivor Series 1987

The Thanksgiving Eve tradition began on November 26 1987 in front of a sell out crowd of 21,300 at the Richfield Colisium in Richfield, Ohio. On this night for the first time a number of the WWF's finest babyfaces and heels did battle in a series of ten person elmination matches, where it is all about conexcisting as a team and surviving! Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura provided the commentry.

Macho Man, Ricky Steamboat, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, Jim Duggan and Brutus Beefcake VS. Honky Tonk Man, Danny Davis, Harley Race, Hercules and Ron Bass.
Steamboat set an early fine pace with the likes of Race and Hercules [Hercules was actually quite an underrated talent IMO], then after a hot tag to Duggan him and Race quickly spill to the floor, lose track of the count and are both elminated from the match, making it four on four. Savage takes over with quick high risk moves on Ron Bass, before tagging in Beefcake who scores the three count after a running high knee to put his team in front 4-3, but moments later Beefcake is gone at the hands of a fresh Honky Tonk man and his shake, Rettle and Roll neck breaker. Macho then takes a beating from the three remaining heels, but is able to battle his way back, and tag in Roberts, who comes close to hitting the DDT on HTM. After getting trapped in the heels half of the ring, the power game of Hercules then comes back into play. A tag is made into Davis who thinks he has Jake beaten, but is then suprised with a short arm clothesline and a DDT for the pin, and it is now three on two in favour of Macho's team. The tempo drops again as Honky and Hercules attempt to ware down Jake, but a chin breaker gives Roberts the opener to tag in Steamboat, who nails Hercules with a series of chops, including a blow of the top rope to the head, this is followed by a tag to Savage who nails the diving elbow from the top for the three count and suddenly it is three on one. It doesn't take long for Honky to cut his loses, as the Intercontinental Champion decides to take a walk and except the count out. Your survivors Macho Man, Steamboat and Roberts. This was a well paced opener, with some exciting big moves, and good heat, and even the weaker elements of the boat were toned down

7/10

The Glamour Girls [Judy Martin and Lelani Kai], Dawn Marie, Donna Christanello, and Sherri Martel VS. Velvet Mcintyre, Rockin' Robin, Fabulous Moolah and the Jumping Bomb Angels [Itsuki Yamazaki and Noriyo Tateno]
The stars of this all-female affair were the explosive Jumping Bomb Angels and the dyenamic Velvet Mcintyre, although much of the match was carried by the feud between the Tag Team Champions Martin and Kai and would be champions the Angels. A mostly exciting encounter was only let down by the sloppy Robin and the dated ring style of Fabulous Moolah.
Mcintyre pins Christanello with a victory roll to give her team the early edge. Robin is then tagged in and after taking a number of shots in the corner, eliminates Dawn Marie with a weak cross body making it five on three. Yamazaki bridges out of a Martin pin attempt, and comes back with a leap frog and a good reverse sunset for a two count, she gets further near falls from a victory roll and flying body block, before tagging in her partner who comes in with a armdrag off the top rope. Sherris is tagged in, but takes a reverse elbow and double under hooked suplex for a two. Robin is bought back in, but is quickly elminated by Martel after a suplex. Mcintyre nearly defeats Martin with a spinning cross body and tags in Moolah, Martin puts FM away with a clothesline leveling it at three a piece. Moments later we get a time keeper screw up, as Kai goes for a pin on Tateno who kicks out at two, but the bell still rings! After some excellent submission wrestlng from Mcintyre she beats Martel with a victory roll crandle off the champions shoulders. Kai eliminates Mcintyre with the eletric chair, and so it comes down to a straight tag match between The Glamour Girls and TJBA. Kai is the first to go after missing with a splash off the top rope, she is pinned by a cross body, Martin is then hit by a running knee, and takes a double back drop before being put away by a running clothesline. The Jumping Bomb Angels win it for their team.

6.5/10

Demonlition [Axe and Smash], Dino Bravo, Greg Valentine, The Hart Foundation [Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart], Nikolla Volkoff and Boris Zuhkov and The Islanders [Haku and Tama] VS. The Killer Bees [Jim Brunzell and Brian Blair], Strike Force [Tito Santana and Rick Martel, Jim Powers and Paul Roma, Jacques and Raymond Rougeau and The British Bulldogs [The Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith].
This match featured a whose who of WWF Tag Team wrestling at the time, but to make it a little more simple, when one partner was elminated the team had to go back to the locker room. The action was a bit of a mixed bag, with some great and not so great talent on show, the match also felt a little bit rushed.

Nikolla and Boris are the first team sent packing after Tito pins Volkoff with a flying forearm. Axe levels the sides up after pinning Jacques Rougeau after a missed cross body from the top. Demonlition are then DQ after choking Dynamite on the top rope for too long. The heels then take the lead when a cheap shot from the Hittman allows his partner to take the fall on Santana. A nice sunset flip off the top by Roma elminates Valentine who is going for the figure four on Powers at the time. Brunzell then upsets the Hitman with a reversal on a pin attempt, and the Bees also take the decisive pin, with a sunset flip from the outside Blair is able to put away Tama to win the match. I can only assume that the Bees and Powers and Roma were in line for a push, if so it didn't work.

6/10

Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, Butch Reed and The One Man Gang VS. Hulk Hogan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Paul Ordorff, Ken Patera and Don Muraco
And so to what proved a pretty satisfying, if flawed in places main event.

Bigelow and Rude started the match on a high with some hot exchanges [Rude's selling and timing even at this stage of his career was first rate], Reed comes in, but is double teamed by Hogan and Ordorff, and is the first to hit the showers following a Hogan leg drop, we then get a early tease of a Hogan-Andre clash when the Giant enters for his team, but then after Hogan highfives Patera in the corner, this is ruled as a tag so Patera comes in and Rude for his team. Wonderful comes close to pinning Rude with a bodyslam and knee drop, The Rock enters with a hard clothesline, but is cut off by a thumb to the eye, and the One Man Gang hits the ring, we then get some sloppy exchanges for a few minutes as the pair brawl, before Patera is trapped in the heel corner, OMG then puts KP away with an akward front slam, press. Hogan and Bigelow then hit a double boot, and Bigelow controls the next few minutes, Rude and Ordorff are tagged in on either side, nice suplex and running knee gets Mr Wonderful a two, then off a back body drop he signels for the piledriver, but is struck by Bundy from behind, and RRR takes the fall with a roll up and a little bit of tights. The faces tag in and out on Rude before a power slam by Muraco off the rope sees him eliminated, and so the teams are even again. The Gang pins Muraco with help from Andre after a sluggish couple of minutes. The Beast from the East then takes on both Bundy and OMG, before Andre comes in, Biglow uses his quickness to tag Hogan in, but before the WWF Champion can really get going he is dragged to the outside by KKB and the Gang, despite body slaming both, the destraction is still enough to get Hogan counted out, leaving Bigelow in a three on one situation. Bam Bam is able to oust Bundy with a sling shot splash, before facing OMG, who he pins after Gang misses a diving headbutt from the top. However a fresh Giant takes little time in winning the match after a hiptoss slam. Hogan runs in for a post match attack.

6/10

Overall
The action peaked in the first two matches IMO, but there was still plenty to enjoy in matches three and four, also the suprise result of the headliner was a big bonus, and on the night the format of the PPV was well etiblished.

7/10

1988 will be up tomorrow.
 

The New F'n Show

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Great Match Reviews and I agreed on almost all the ratings so I don't have much to add.

I gave the Women's match an 8. Well some of it was sloppy, the Jumping Bomb Angels were unbelievable in the time they were in there and the match had a solid pace.
 

Keith

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Thanks, yeah I went for a different style this time than the WCW reviews, might do Summerslam next!
 

Keith

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Survivor Series 1988

Just like the original Survivor Series, this second edition was held from the Richfield Colisium, and it proved a even more eventful and action packed card of action than its predecessor.

Powers of Pain, The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, The Rockers and The Young Stallions VS. Demolition, The Fabulous Rougeaus, The Bolsheviks, The Brain Busters and The Conquistadors
Unlike the ten tag team elmination bout twelve months previous, this 45 minute classic, never felt rushed, and was constantly dramatic, with full on action, supense and drama from start to finish. These are just some of the highlights,
Shawn Michaels quickness saw him three sixty flip out of the corner, and hit a hiptoss on Boris, Jannetty tags in and hits a back body drop, and drop kick on the Bolshevik, Dynamite tags in and gets a two following a snap suplex. Jacques comes in for the heel team, and after a small exchange with Jim Powers is the first to be pinned as a result of a small packenge from Bret Hart. Neidhart comes in and hits a standing drop kick on Volkoff, we then get some back and fourth brawling involving Smash and The Barbaran, a Conquistador soon enters and is double teamed by Powers of Pain. The Hitman returns, but is then hammered by both Axe and Smash. Blachard is tagged in, but runs into a hitman knee in the corner, Bret hits a running clothesline and tags Michaels, the future HBK gets caught in the wrong half of the ring, he takes a press slam into a backbreaker from Volkoff and a classic Arn Anderson spin buster off the ropes for a near fall. Conquistador enters, but allows SM to tag his partner, Jannetty brilliantly twirls out of a hiptoss attempt and hits a bodyslam. Smith enters with an slam, a back drop and a series of elbow drops, the fourth one of which misses. The members of POP and Demolition do battle, the highlight being the Barbarian's flying karete kick. Tully comes in, but is power slamed by Neidhart for a two. Fresh blood sees Boris reversing a cross body off the top into a pin on Powers making it four on four. However before long the Russian's are out, when Michaels out quicks Boris, catches him in the rib, blind tags Jannetty who flys in with a sunset flip for the pin. Later Blachard takes over on Smash who tags Bret Hart, the Harts double team, with Neidhart holding Tully in position for Bret to drop a front elbow off the second rope which is almost enough to eliminate the Busters. Back breaker and attomic drops from the Hitman steps the heat up, reverse of the whip, Hart ducks behind and hooks a belly to back suplex into a bridge for a cover, but just as the ref is about to count three, Tully raises his arm off the mat, meaning that because the Hitman's shoulders are down, Bret basically elminates himself, Three on Three. Dynamite hits a tombstone pile driver, which Blachard slips out of on two and an half. The Rockers and Brain Busters then get carried away, and are both DQ when all four brawl in the ring for too long. Davey Boy gets a nice crucalfix on Axe for a two, Conquistador tagged in and takes a running power, and a Barbaian diving headbutt, but is for some reason allowed to tag out, his partner gets a double ax handle from the top and a standing drop kick, before Davey Boy Smith and Barbarian hit a double elbow. DK takes over with a gut wratch suplex and hand butt off the ropes for a two. Body slam and a leg drop from The Warlord, but Smash gets the tag, he is snap suplex from the top, but Dynamite then misses a diving headbutt from the top, and is pinned. When Warlord strikes a ring post, and Demolition take control, the champions manager Mr Funji gets up on the apron, and orders Smash to bring Warlord over so that he can take a shot with his cane, when Smash doesn't do it, the manager pulls the middle rope down as Smash hits it, forcing him to crash to the floor, when Axe comes out, the three get in a heated debate, Demolition are counted out of the match, the duo then have a huge bust up, which leads to Axe slamming Funji on the floor, in another twist the Powers of Pain help Funji up, and moments later get the victory with a little help from their new manager. Demolition return post match to clear the ring.

9/10

Brutus Beefcake, The Ultimate Warrior, The Blue Blazer, Jumping Jim Brunzel and Sam Houston VS. The Honky Tonk Man, Outlaw Ron Bass, Greg Valentine, Bad News Brown and Danny Davis
This match only really excisted to enhance Warrior's push, and maybe to extend the Beefcake/Honky feud, and it featured worthless mid-card talent, or bland jobbers, the action was mostly poor from start to finish. Davis is the first out at the hands of Beefcake's sleeper hold, Bad News levels it up with a getto blaster kick to wripe Brunzel out. As the heels double team Sam Houston, the Hammer misques and nails Brown instead, this leads BNB walking out on his team. Houston is soon elminated by a Bass power slam, Blazer picks the pace up on Valentine, with a drop kick, and knee drop, followed with a gut wretch suplex, but when he climbs to the top is shot off by the Outlaw, Valentine hooks in the figure four leg lock for the submission, making it three on two in favour of Honky's team. Later Beefcake applies his sleeper on Honky, who in the struggle forces himself and Brutus to the outside, rather than breaking the hold Beefcake holds on to it on the floor, and as a result both are counted out, leaving Warrior against Valentine and Bass. It doesn't take long for the face painted freak to defeat his foes, nailing Bass with a double axe handle off the ropes for the three count, and then putting Valentine away using the same method, making him the sole survivor.

4.5/10

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tito Santana, Scott Casey and Ken Patera VS. Andre The Giant, Dino Bravo, Rick Rude, Mr Perfect and Harley Race
Things pick up again in a more exciting, and heated third match of the evening. Rude gains the first fall for his team after catching Patera in the corner and then hits the Rude awakening neck breaker for three. Scott Casey gets a near fall on bravo with a back slide, then is sent for the ride off the ropes, and Dino hits his side slam for the pin. Santana enters like a house on fire with a sunset flip for a near fall, Race then gets a two on Tito with a piledriver. As the pace quickers again Santana hits the ropes, and connects with a flying forearm on the former king, for the three count. Andre enters for the first time, and nails Santana with a series of chops, headbutts, and applies a form choke, just releasing before the five, when Tito attempts a sunset flip, the Giant simply splashs down on his chest for an easy fall. Duggan then catches Andre off guard, and is able to trap his arms in the ropes, allowing himself and Roberts to take shots, Andre finally escapes and tags Rude in, Rude irish whips Jake into the corner and brings Perfect in who carries on with a series of chops. Duggan and Bravo are tagged in, and just when Hacksaw is setting up for the the three points stanze, he is tripped from the outside by manager Frenchie Martin, this leads to Duggan bring his two by four into play, striking Bravo in full sight of the offical and getting DQ. Rude and Roberts then face off, and after a fist drop from the top, Rude starts to pose, and is hit by a Roberts DDT for the 1-2-3. Andre then attacks Roberts, and chokes him out for longer than the five seconds, and is disqulified, but the damage done to Roberts leaves him primed to be pinned by Perfect. Mr Perfect and Dino Bravo survie.

6/10

Macho Man, Hulk Hogan, Hercules, Koko B. Ware and Hillbilly Jim VS. The Big Boss Man, Akeem, The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, King Haku and The Red Rooster
Highlights from an entertaining main event, Dibiase and Savage start, Dibiase with a clothesline off the ropes, Macho reverses him twice and hits one of his own, Hercules tags in and chases TD outside the ring, quick tag to the Rooster who is out powered by Hercules, Koko B. Ware and Akeem come in on each side, moments late Haku and Hercules are in and exchange blows, Hogan then tags in and clothesline and elbow drops him, before Hill Billy Jim join the action and the pair hit a double boot on the king, HBJ finds two. The Rooster attempts a slam on HBJ, but recieves one instead, KBW hits the ring, and delivers a power slam for a two. Drives RR into the corner, a missle drop kick only finds two, Hogan comes in for a big boot, and quickly brings Matcho in to polish the Rooster off with his elbow from the top rope. HillBilly is the next to go, after running into a Akeem clothesline, he is put out by a big splash. Drop kick by Koko, tag to Hogan who still can't get the four hunded pounder off his feet, and a double axe off the top by Macho is also unsucessful. A Hercules and Koko double team leads to the birdman diving into the corner, but finding nothing but turnbuckle, setting him up for Akeem's fall away slam, and the three count. Hogan and the Boss Man face off for the first time, the faces triple team him on their side of the ring, the tide turns when Boss Man catches Hulk coming off the ropes with a big spin buster. Twin Towers double elbow, Boss Man hits a leg drop across the middle rope, Dibiase tags in, clothesline, fist drops to the face gets a two, then Hogan Hulks up! hits an atomic drop, Hercules then gets a piece of the Million Dollar man with a back drop out of the corner, a high knee and a clothesline, but Virgil creates a destraction, and Dibiase pins him from behind with a roll up, but when teasing his foe too long, is then quickly pinned by Savage in the same fashion. Later on as Macho and Boss Man are going at it in the ring, Slick starts bothering Elizabeth on the outside, this brings Hogan to her rescule, but he is then double teamed, and handcuffed to the ring ropes by the heels. As TTT hammer Hogan, Boss Man loses track of the count, and is counted out, moments later Akeem is DQ after refusing to leave the ring when he is not legal. Haku punishs Savage, but misses with both a elbow drop and a drop kick, however there is no one for Matcho to tag in. Haku nails Slick with a pressing kick by mistake, Elizabeth takes this chance to get the keys to the cuffs from Slick's pocket, and so frees Hogan. Splash from the top, but Savage kicks out just as the hand is coming down for three. A pressing kick then shoots Savage into his own corner, and allows him to tag Hogan, the Hulkster unloads with right hands, a bodyslam, a big foot and the leg drop off the ropes for the victory. Macho Man and Hogan win. Post match Liz and Hogan celebrate a little too much for the Macho's liking.

7/10

Overall
The opener was one of the greatest tag matches I have ever seen, and the double switch with Demolition going face and the Powers Of Pain heel, plus the switch of Funji to POP was expectly done and a real shock. The main event was a perfectly constructed headliner, which nicely started the ball rolling on the Mega Powers feud, the Andre/Jake match was also heated and added to their feud, leaving only one match of the four we could have lived with out.

8/10
 

The New F'n Show

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My ratings since it seems this series isn't going to leave much room to comment, haha I mean that in a good way.

Agree on the tag match
I went 7 on the Warrior match because he was alright and made him look good
8 on the Perfect match because I loved that team and a lot of heel tactics.
6 on the main event, finish was done well but match dragged on a bit

Overall also agree.