10 Best WWE Survivor Series Matches Ever, Ranked
Daniel Davis 
Survivor Series is one of the most important pay-per-views in WWE history. The event instantly made an impact ever since the first show back in 1987, with WWE fans looking forward to the unique concept every single year.
RELATED: 10 Oldest Wrestlers To Perform At WWE Survivor Series, Ranked By Age
The show became famous for its elimination tag team matches, with regular matches being added to the show by the early 1990s. Today, we get a mix of both. Regardless of the match type or stipulation, these are the ten greatest matches in Survivor Series history.
10 Batista Vs. The Undertaker - Hell In A Cell Match, World Heavyweight Championship (2007)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.28
The Animal and The Deadman carried SmackDown in 2007 with their amazing feud over the World Title. They first battled at WrestleMania 23, with Undertaker picking up the victory. After a couple of draws, Batista tied the score at Cyber Sunday. The feud culminated inside Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series.
Their matches always delivered, and this one wasn't the exception. After a brutal and intense bout between two men determined to prove their superiority, the returning Edge was the deciding factor. Disguised as a cameraman, The Rated-R Superstar cost 'Taker the match after hitting him with a camera, which then led to Edge vs. Undertaker in the main event of WrestleMania 24.
9 Team Cena Vs. Team Authority - Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match (2014)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10
Storytelling | 2/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.60
The Authority had already been in control of WWE for over a year by the time November 2014 rolled around. Fans were sick and tired of the heel group, and people wanted to see them get defeated (and forced out of power) by John Cena's team - Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Ryback and Erick Rowan - at Survivor Series.
The match was very exciting from bell to bell, with Dolph Ziggler in particular putting on an epic performance, but the highlight was obviously the ending. Years after the fall of WCW, Sting finally came to WWE and helped Ziggler put The Authority away. The fans went wild for the ending, which was unfortunately ruined the very next month, with The Authority returning and remaining in power for almost another year and a half!
8 Team Raw Vs. Team SmackDown - Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match (2016)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10
Storytelling | 2/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.74
While this match wasn't as emotional as some of the others on this list in terms of its story, it was still a fantastic match for different reasons. Everyone got a chance to shine here (including Team SmackDown's "mascot" James Ellsworth!), allowing several wrestlers to interact with each other and create a very fun match.
RELATED: How WWE's Raw Vs. SmackDown Trope Can Finally Work
Even though SmackDown vs. Raw matches rarely work due to how forced they are, this one simply clicked. Ultimately, the late Bray Wyatt picked up the victory for the blue brand, which was great since nobody saw it coming.
7 Team WWE Vs. The Alliance - Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match (2001)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.84
Everyone knows WWE totally botched the invasion angle. However, at least the very last match of the feud was an absolute banger, even if The Alliance's team members (especially Shane McMahon) were very questionable, to say the least.
This was one of the greatest traditional Survivor Series elimination matches ever, culminating with The Rock and Steve Austin battling over control of WWE. Kurt Angle turned on fellow Alliance member Stone Cold, with The Rock getting the win for Team WWE after hitting the Rock Bottom.
6 Team Austin Vs. Team Bischoff - Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match (2003)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.25 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.66
The other contender for best traditional elimination match in Survivor Series history is Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff from Survivor Series 2003. It's hard to choose between this and Team WWE vs. The Alliance, as they're both equally awesome. Co-Raw General Managers Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff chose five wrestlers to represent them, as only the winner would be General Manager going forward.
Team Austin member Shawn Michaels found himself in a 3-on-1 disadvantage in the final moments. A great bladejob by Michaels added a lot of drama to the contest, with HBK trying everything in his power to make the comeback and win. While Michaels did manage to eliminate two guys, Randy Orton eventually put him away after Evolution's Batista interfered and laid out The Showstopper.
5 Brock Lesnar Vs. AJ Styles (2017)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.25 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.66
In 2016, the respective World Champions participated in the aforementioned elimination match. The following year, though, WWE booked SmackDown's WWE Champion against Raw's Universal Champion on the show. And what a great decision that turned out to be!
AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar, the respective champions, put on a fantastic showing against one another. It was a dream match that wrestling fans never thought would happen, but thankfully it did and it was absolutely incredible.
4 Triple H Vs. Ric Flair - Last Man Standing Match (2005)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.5/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 3.75 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.52
From the first day Evolution was created, it was obvious the goal was to eventually put Randy Orton and Batista over the group leader, Triple H. Randy Orton got his chance first, even though it didn't really work, with Batista following in early 2005 to much better results. People just seemed to forget about one man - The Nature Boy!
Once the younger guys were done working with The Game, Naitch himself got a shot to oppose him as a babyface. Despite being past his prime, Flair had a brilliant feud with Hunter, culminating with a very brutal Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series. If you've never seen this one, do yourself a favor!
3 Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Bryan (2018)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.5/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 8.74
Much like the year before, WWE booked the top champions against each other once again. This time around, Brock Lesnar was still the champion but he found himself facing a new challenge - none other than the great Daniel Bryan, who had just returned from retirement at that year's WrestleMania.
Bryan had turned heel a couple of weeks earlier, shocking everyone as he cheated to steal the WWE Championship from AJ Styles. That created a great dynamic as fans still didn't want to see the vulnerable Bryan get his neck destroyed by The Beast... until he started cheating halfway through! The stronger psychology is what gives this match the edge over Lesnar vs. Styles from the previous year.
2 Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels Vs. Rob Van Dam Vs. Booker T Vs. Chris Jericho Vs. Kane - Elimination Chamber Match, World Heavyweight Championship (2002)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.5/10
Storytelling | 2.5/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.5/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.25 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.00
The first Elimination Chamber match in history was really all about two guys - Triple H and Shawn Michaels. HBK had won his first WWE match in over four years at that year's SummerSlam, besting Triple H only to get destroyed by his former friend immediately afterward. After some months away, Michaels shocked the world when he announced he'd return to Madison Square Garden to wrestle for a second time.
RELATED: Every Raw Elimination Chamber Match, Ranked From Worst To Best
Make no mistake about it, the others added a lot to the greatness of the match, particularly Chris Jericho who "carried" a considerable portion of the contest. But, of course, it all came down to Michaels and The Game in the end. The roof nearly came off MSG when Michaels connected with Sweet Chin Music and captured the World Heavyweight Championship - the last singles title win of his legendary career.
1 Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (1996)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.75/10
Storytelling | 2.5/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.5/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.5/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer's Rating: 4.5 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 9.04
As fun as all the stipulations and gimmicks surrounding Survivor Series have been, the best match in the entire history of the PPV is a normal singles wrestling match. Considering the participants in said match were arguably the two greatest of all time, that makes it a lot less surprising.
Bret Hart returned from his hiatus in 1996 and picked the up-and-coming Austin as the opponent for his first match back. Even before they locked up, the world saw the chemistry these two had when Austin cut a tremendous backstage promo right before the match. Then, they put on a masterpiece inside the ropes. Austin and The Hitman would have one of the best feuds in WWE history the following year, and it all began with the Survivor Series '96 match.
