SLAM! Wrestling Editorial: The rise and fall of Survivor Series
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Wrestling
WWF has a history of setting themselves apart from the rest, harnessing the
attention of their audience through very creative means. Recognizing that
the casual wrestling fan makes up a large portion of their viewership, the
WWF has taken its cue from Hollywood, devoting more of its production time
to developing complex storylines than the scripting of the matches
themselves. Their product is a polished one, delivering high stakes drama
filled with soap opera-ish mystery, sex appeal and scandal.
Back in the day, the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the
Survivor Series were the only WWF pay-per-views offered and because of
that, they played out as epic events. With the flooding of the pay-per-view
market during the later part of the '90s, the quality of the wrestling broadcasts have hit
an all-time low and certainly don't come close to making the impact they
once did on fans. Putting on one every month doesn't leave much room for
the creativity or intricate planning that took place during the '80s.
Hot-shot, last minute feuds are the norm as bookers find any excuse (a
minor altercation in the locker room to spilling hot coffee on someone) to
work their talent into the show.
Like the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series was a high-point of the year for
wrestling fans. Unpredictable to a certain extent, the show re-instilled the
fictitious notion that pro wrestling was pure athletic competition. For one
night, fans got to see brief match-ups which normally wouldn't have
occurred due to backstage politics. The uniquely thrilling Survivor Series
has fallen victim to the pay-per-view gluttony. The team versus team,
elimination tag team concept turned into just another wrestling broadcast
with more and more routine matches taking prominence. The Survivor Series
matches used as a quick and easy way of penciling the miscellaneous,
undercard grapplers in.
The focus is gone as is the thrill. This decrease has culminated in only
one Survivor Series type match on this year's card. It is doubtful the WWF
will ever return to the format which had even veteran wrestling fans who
had seen it all guessing at the outcomes. So, in case any of you will be
trucking down to your local video store to make it a true Survivor Series
weekend around your neck of the woods, here's a brief guide on the best and
worst of the fading spectacular.
Year: 1987.
Main Event: Hulk Hogan, Don Muraco, Paul Orndorff, Ken Patera and
Bam Bam Bigelow versus Andre The Giant, One Man Gang, King Kong Bundy,
Butch Reed and Rick Rude.
Rating: Excellent.
The very first Survivor Series was at the height of the Hulk Hogan - Andre
The Giant feud and both had some heavyweight hombres backing them up. It is
a wonder the ring could support the tonnage that had amassed there. A
rookie Bam Bam Bigelow, Don Muraco, Paul Orndorff and Ken Patera joined
Hogan in colliding with Andre, King Kong Bundy, The One Man Gang, Butch
Reed and Rick Rude. Andre won out but it was Bam Bam Bigelow who impressed
many with his size and speed. Honky Tonk Man shocked the wrestling world by
walking out on the opening match after the other members of his team were
booted and he was left to face Randy Savage, Jake Roberts and Ricky
Steamboat alone. Today, fans would blow a gasket at such a conclusion. Back
then it furthered Honky's heel persona. A well-rounded card barring the
women's bout.
Year: 1988.
Main Event: The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage), Hercules,
Koko B. Ware and Hillbilly Jim versus Ted Dibiase, The Big Boss Man, Akeem,
Terry Taylor and Haku.
Rating: Poor.
The rift between the Mega Powers begins here eventually leading to a
WrestleMania 5 main event pitting them against one another. The opening
bout incorporating all of the WWF's tag teams at the time is a 40-minute
barn burner. The rest stink worse than Bushwacker Luke's breath. Hogan's
team is especially weak so you just know it will be the Mega Powers
standing against unbeatable odds. Speaking of beatings, The Hulkster serves
some hard time as the Big Boss Man handcuffs him to the ring and pummels
Hogan within an inch of his measly life. Hogan can't seem to keep his hands
to himself hoisting Elizabeth high into the air on his shoulders. Macho
seethes as only Macho Man can.
Year: 1989.
Main Event: Andre The Giant, Bobby Heenan, Arn Anderson and Haku
versus The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart and The Rockers.
Rating: Poor.
Thought last year's was a stinker? You ain't seen nothing yet. Basically,
the entire pay-per-view's purpose is to sell the cruddy and trite No Holds
Barred pay-per-view in which Hogan and Beefcake took on Savage and Zeus in
a steel cage. Yes, the Mega Powers are still imploding. Not that anyone
cared by this point. The worst moment of the show had to be when Hacksaw
Jim Duggan's team all came out marching in single file around the ring like
soldiers and holding planks of wood in the place of rifles. The Ultimate
Warrior gets his hands on the meddling Bobby Heenan, The Big Boss Man
touches off a feud with Dusty Rhodes and Roddy Piper teams up with former
arch-nemesis Jimmy Snuka. "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin's stomp back then was what
Scotty Too Hotty's Worm is today. Stick a fork in this one. It was done
well before it ever went to air.
Year: 1990.
Main Event: A final match of survival.
Rating: Excellent.
1990 saw a welcome twist thrown into the works. The Survivor matches would
go on as planned except all the winners were gathered in a grand finale
match of survival at the end of the evening. The bookers really outdid
themselves formulating teams that were both very evenly matched and diverse
in their talents. Okay. You've got me. Tito Santana, Nikolai Volkoff and
The Bushwackers against Sergeant Slaughter, Boris Zukhov and The Orient
Express wasn't exactly a blockbuster. Survivor Series 1990 saw the debut of
The Undertaker (accompanied by Brother Love not Paul Bearer) as Ted
Dibiase's mystery team member. He was called Kane: The Undertaker and so is
his current flame-throwing WWF superstar "brother" but far be it for us to
butcher WWF continuity. Forget we even mentioned it. With their team
members eliminated, Bret Hart and Ted Dibiase put on a wild singles match
that's worth the rental fee alone for true wrestling enthusiasts.
Year: 1991.
Main Event: Hulk Hogan versus The Undertaker.
Rating: Average.
The Survivor Series matches took a backseat to Hogan's title defence
against The Undertaker in what was hailed at the time as The Gravest
Challenge. This is Ric Flair's first Survivor Series pay-per-view. The
Nature Boy makes a serious impact on Hogan and the broadcast as a whole
cutting some killer promos as well as causing WWF President Jack Tunney to
work overtime. Survivor Series 5 paved the way for the abysmal Tuesday
Night In Texas pay-per-view that had nothing going for it other than the
Hogan - Undertaker rematch. The break-up of The Rockers begins here. Oh,
how many tears I shed over that one.
Year: 1992.
Main Event: Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels.
Rating: Average.
It's all downhill from here as this is the first Survivor Series card that
doesn't carry on with the established theme. Michaels and Hart is the
highlight foreshadowing their classic WrestleMania Iron Man match-up. Law
man Boss Man cuffed jail bird Nailz (Remember that guy?) in a
leisurely-paced nightstick match while The Undertaker fought the ever-spry
Kamala in clunker of a casket match. Mr. Perfect turned face to sub for The
Ultimate Warrior in his tag match with MachoMan against Razor Ramon and Ric
Flair. Santa Claus himself makes a special guest appearance following the
Hart - Michaels contest as fake snow falls from the rafters. Oh, brother.
Year: 1993.
Main Event: Yokozuna, Jacques Rougeau, Crush and Ludvig Borga versus
The Undertaker, Lex Luger and The Steiner Brothers.
Rating: Poor.
The WWF is slipping fast. You've got Bastion Booger, recipient of the worst
gimmick of all time, running around in diapers. You've got the meaningless
Smoky Mountain Wrestling tag straps up for grabs in the WWF. You've got
that annoying Doink and 1-2-3 Kid pestering the hell out of everyone. All
the WWF needs to totally wipe out its fan base is a dentist wrestler,
aerobic instructor grapplers, a sanitation worker wrestler and a hog
farmer. I hear Ludvig Borga T-shirts are selling for a mint on Ebay.
Year: 1994.
Main Event: The Undertaker versus Yokozuna.
Rating: Poor.
Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels and Diesel are ruling the roost and things
couldn't be much worse for the WWF if they put an NFL football player with
no ring skills whatsoever in the WrestleMania main event. Desperately
trying anything to rebuild their dwindling viewership the WWF goes for
shock value having Bret Hart lose the WWF World Heavyweight Title to...Bob
Backlund, of all people. Chuck Norris kung fus some heels attempting to
interfere in the otherwise lifeless casket match between The Undertaker and
Yokozuna. As Edge and Christian would say, casket matches rule! The WWF at
its lowest until...
Year: 1995.
Main Event: Bret Hart versus Diesel.
Rating: Poor.
Hart carries Kevin Nash. The Clique is still running strong. The WWF still
stinks. The Sycho Sid, British Bulldog, Ahmed Johnson and Shawn Michaels
versus Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, Yokozuna and Dean Douglas Survivor Series
bout is the only other noteworthy match worth taking in. You can
fast-forward the rest. Barry Horowitz on pay-per-view? In its rebuilding
stage, the WWF is really scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
Year: 1996.
Main Event: Psycho Sid versus Shawn Michaels.
Rating: Good.
Back on track, the WWF is slowly building a refreshing and highly
successful formula. Three Survivor Series matches find their way onto the
broadcast as well as an Undertaker - Mankind meeting. Sycho Sid and
Michaels work hard and do well.
Year: 1997
Main Event: Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels.
Rating: Average.
An infamous night in pro wrestling history that won't be forgotten by
Canadian fans for some time to come. In what I called "the biggest
screw-job ever", Bret Hart is swerved by WWF owner, Vince McMahon, live on
pay-per-view. With Hart heading to WCW, McMahon calls for the bell before
The Hitman ever submitted to Michaels' Sharpshooter. A real backstage brawl
erupts with Hart punching out McMahon. The fallout is talked about and
analyzed to this very day.
For a full review,
click here.
Year: 1998
Main Event: Finals of the Deadly Game tournament.
Rating: Excellent.
In a clever move, the WWF opts for a tournament to crown a new WWF World
Heavyweight Champion. Like WrestleMania 4 before it, the unpredictable
nature of the proceedings shake things up for the fans. Plenty of twists
and turns for everyone.
For a full review,
click here.
Year: 1999
Main Event: The Big Show versus The Rock versus Triple H.
Rating: Poor.
Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera's departure for WCW results in a period of
monotonous and sloppy booking before the WWF bounces back with a vengeance.
For a full review,
click here.
Editor's note
We had so many responses to last week's Mat Matters column by John F. Molinaro, entitled
Chyna is out of line, we're going to run a bunch of letters as a separate story.
