The Magnificent Seven: The Top 7 Survivor Series Multi-Year Rivalries

When I was a kid, the WWF had its big four PPVs, and so I’ve always had a soft spot for Survivor Series as the event I got excited about around Thanksgiving time, and remember rushing to listen to across a scrambled PPV signal after Thanksgiving dinner.

A lot of time has passed, and a lot has changed, but in celebration of Thanksgiving time, I recently started a rewatch of past Survivor Series shows via the WWE Network. They’re not all great, and particularly those early iterations that I loved so well don’t hold up that well from a contemporary perspective (though they do offer a good nostalgia rush).

As I was watching these shows, I got to thinking about rivalries revisited over the years at this show—sometimes on the basis that those rivalries really did proceed, on and off, over periods of years, and sometimes because the same guys would face off years later in different contexts. In any event, the five-on-five or four-on-four elimination tag matches that traditionally dominate this show have invited particular talents to cross paths multiple times. Sometimes they’re revisiting an old rivalry when they come at each other again. Sometimes Survivor Series kicks off the rivalry, or less directly serves as a precursor for more meaningful interaction down the road.

So, this week I’m taking a look back at Survivor Series multi-year rivalries. The main qualification is that the men involved have to have squared off at a minimum of two separate Survivor Series shows in actual matches, with some preference given to rivalries revisited three or more times, and to rivalries in which the two parties had either meaningful storyline advancement between them, or at least meaningful interaction in the match (they didn’t just happen to be standing in opposite corners on opposing teams, but rather meaningfully interacted during the match). Beyond that, I considered match quality and storylines involved. As always, my personaly opinion weighed heavily on the ranking.

#7. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane

Despite being so, so different in personas and in-ring styles, there are some real similarities to the kayfabe careers of Dolph Ziggler and Kane. They’re each WWE veterans who got to flirt with the main event over periods of years, and each even enjoyed short, measured reigns with world championships. I might even suggest that Ziggler’s career-threatening situation opposite The Miz was something like Kane being forced to unmask in 2003 in terms of drawing a spotlight to and revitalizing a character (at least in the short term).

Kane has been around longer, and is the much larger performer. Thus, when he has interacted with Ziggler, Ziggler has consistently been cast as the underdog, despite similar kayfabe standing. It was only in preparing this column that I realized that the two had crossed paths twice at Survivor Series, let alone that, in both cases, Ziggler actually got the better of the exchange.

The first outing came in 2012, when Ziggler captained his team against a squad of faces Mick Foley had assembled that included Kane. This angle was part of the not entirely cohesive, but ultimately successful ascension of Ziggler as he indirectly feuded with Foley, before getting the better of John Cena the following month, and ultimately cashing in his Money in the Bank opportunity on Alberto Del Rio. Ziggler would pick up his team’s very first fall by nailing Kane with the Zig Zag for an upset pin less than five minutes into the match. Later, Ziggler would superkick Randy Orton to come out of this match as the sole survivor.

Two years later, the story was very different, with Kane cast alongside Mark Henry, Rusev, and Luke Harper as the monsters to back Seth Rollins as they represented The Authority, against John Cena and his cast of misfit toys on the face side. Ziggler was one of those faces, and looked to be a forgettable piece of the puzzle. But lo and behold, after The Big Show turned heel and helped The Authority eliminate Cena himself, a battered and beaten Ziggler was left alone on the face side, opposite, Rollins, Harper, and Kane.

The heels toyed with Ziggler early on, but after absorbing about five minutes of punishment Ziggler scored with the Zig Zag on Kane to start his comeback. As I’m sure most of you are well aware, Ziggler would pin Harper, too, and ultimately get the assist from Sting to walk out of this Survivor Series effort, too, the sole survivor.

Had Ziggler gotten a sustained run on top, or had Kane been a more integral elimination for Ziggler in either of these cases, I’d be tempted to push this entry up a spot or two in the countdown, but as it stands, it’s a forgotten gem of an unacknowledged Survivor Series rivalry and just makes it to the number seven spot.

#6. The Powers of Pain vs. Demolition

When we consider double turns—those matches or moments when faces and heels flip alignment—we typically leap to Bret Hart and Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 or Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler at Payback 2013. But long before either of these switches at the top of the card, The Powers of Pain and Demolition pulled it off back in 1988. Demolition came into Survivor Series as the captains of the heel team, managed by Mr. Fuji, while the Powers of Pain headed up the face squad. The resulting match was largely well-worked, particularly if you overlook the logical holes that with so many bodies around the ring, every pin attempt probably should have been broken up, and there was little reason for anyone to endure much punishment without tagging out.

The big story coming out of this match, however, was the double turn when Mr. Fuji held the ropes and caused Smash to spill out of the ring off an Irish whip so he would get counted out, and then tripped up a Conquistador to make it clear that he was aligned with The Warlord and The Barbarian and they picked up the final elimination. The double turn was well placed here, given that Demo was both more over, and their faster pace made them a more natural fit for the face role in this feud. My main knocks on it are that that Mr. Fuji took an awfully long time in this match before he started actively helping The Powers of Pain or hurting Demolition (besides which, if he were to turn on Ax and Smash, you have to wonder why he did so in a no-stakes Survivor Series match, rather than when Demolition was defending the tag gold against his new charges).

By the standards of its time, though, this was a nice swerve and set up Demolition and The Powers of Pain to feud on and off for over a year to follow. In the waning days of the rivalry, the two teams were at it again the following year, with Demolition on Hulk Hogan’s team and The Powers of Pain teaming with Ted Dibiase and Zeus. While Demolition clearly won the larger feud—winning the essential WrestleMania match and never dropping the tag titles to The Powers of Pain—The Warlord and The Barbarian would interestingly enough get the better of Demolition in this Survivor Series exchange, too, with The Warlord pinning Ax after Mr. Fuji tripped him, and The Barbarian finishing off Smash with a flying clothesline.

#5. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton

Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton first crossed paths at a Survivor Series in 2008, when Orton was the team captain, and Kingston was a lieutenant for the opposing squad, led by Batista. In this outing, Kingston was mostly cannon fodder for Orton’s dominant run—a mid-card face who suffered a forgettable elimination after Orton nailed him with hanging DDT.

The story here—and the reason this rivalry makes the countdown—showed up in 2009 when Orton and Kingston captained opposing teams, and Kingston got the better of the exchange. In this instance, the match boiled down to a two-on-one with Orton and CM Punk outnumbering Kingston. Kingston weathered the storm alone for seven mintues before scoring the roll up on Punk, and immediately afterward, Kingston nailed Orton with Trouble in Paradise to emerge the sole survivor.

One of the best parts of rivalries resurfacing over periods of years at Survivor Series is seeing how acts change and evolve. From getting unceremoniously booted from the match in 2008 to challenging the glass ceiling by cleanly pinning Orton in 2009, Kingston showed career advancement and looked like he could actually emerge as a main eventer.

This story loses a bit of its luster because, despite a good showing, Kingston would ultimately lose the rivalry to Orton and recede to the mid-card, not to thrive again until the emergence of The New Day. Just the same, the very fact that Kingston had fallen to Orton first paved the way to show how far he’d come and score an upset that was a true career highlight by getting the best of Orton the next year.

#4. The Undertaker vs. Yokozuna

For the latter half of this countdown, we get to the relatively heavy hitters whose overlap came in high profile matches and amidst direct feuds with one another. For The Undertaker and Yokozuna, Survivor Series 1993 in many ways launched their issue. The top feud of the day was Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger, but one of the main narratives heading into their team collision at Survivor Series was that each side took out one of the members of the opposing side, with Yokozuna and company putting Tatanka on the disabled list, and then Luger sideline Pierre from the Quebecers.

You can argue that The Foreign Fanatics got a little stronger with the addition of Crush. There’s less of a question on The All-Americans’ side got the better of the substitutions, though , particularly with the gift of historical perspective, as Luger and the Steiner Brothers went from teaming with Tatanka to having The Undertaker on their side. Indeed, ‘Taker spreading his long coat wide to reveal red, white, and blue was a rare signal of personality and interest in anything other than death and the occult, the likes of which The Dead Man would rarely show outside his Biker years much later on. This unofficially launched The Undertaker and Yokozuna’s issue, and their sub-issue within this match culminated with Yokozuna hitting the Banzai Drop on ‘Taker, only for The Phenom to no sell it and brawl with the champ until they were both counted out.

In between Survivor Series shows, these two squared off at the Royal Rumble, where the heel locker room cleared out to help Yokozuna seal The Undertaker in a casket and make him disappear for seven months. Come Survivor Series 1994, Yokozuna was out of the world title picture and The Undertaker was back in full force, ready for revenge, and had some serious backing in the form of Chuck Norris as a guest enforcer outside the ring to block outside interference.

I won’t claim that either of these matches was particularly great, but they were entertaining enough, and a year-long storyline successfully told, first with the world title and patriotism as fair enough logical reasons to get the animosity started, and then (by early 1990s WWF standards) a blood feud to see them through to their blow off match. ‘Taker poetically put Yokozuna in a casket of his own to return the favor and fit his character, before resuming another upper card feud opposite various members of the Million Dollar Corporation.

#3. Hulk Hogan vs. Ted Dibiase

Speaking of The Million Dollar Man, long before he managed a stable, he was a main event level heel in his own right. Though he never did quite get the best of arch-rival Hulk Hogan, the issues between the two played out over WrestleManias and a SummerSlam, besides getting revisited no fewer than three times at Survivor Series.

Survivor Series 1988 saw Hogan and Dibiase on opposite sides of the ring. The WWF was working toward The Mega Powers—Hogan and Randy Savage—exploding, but in the meantime they were on the same side against three of their top, not-quite-serious threats in the form of Akeem, The Big Boss Man, and Ted Dibiase (with Haku and The Red Rooster rounding out the squad) for the main event.

The following year, Hogan and Dibiase captained opposing teams. Dibiase was largely working on Zeus’s behalf, as Zeus was pitched as the more meaningful challenger to Hogan but wasn’t actually a competent wrestler, and thus got eliminated quickly on a DQ to protect him. The match would carry on to see Hogan and Dibiase wind up one on one with each other, only for Hogan to pick up the climactic pin via leg drop.

By 1990, Hogan and Dibiase weren’t feuding, even tangentially, but this show was unique in having all of the survivors from the evening’s bouts return for a Grand Finale—an elimination tag match in which the outnumbered surviving faces squared off against the surviving heels. Despite having the numbers advantage, this was a quality over quantity situation and the faces had not only Tito Santana, but the pair of Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, who ultimately ran wild, including Hogan dropping the leg on Dibiase again for the penultimate fall.

While this Survivor Series rivalry was awfully one-sided, it also, in many ways, represented the larger narrative between these two, in which Dibiase consistently had bigger backing or a numbers advantage, only for Hogan to always overcome the odds for the forces of good.

#2. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton

From 2003 to 2005, Randy Orton emerged as the sole survivor three years straight in the best and arguably highest profile match of each show (two out of three times, the main event proper). On two out of three of those occasions, Orton pinned Michaels to pick up the final fall.

In each of those instances, Michaels and Orton were perfectly cast—Orton the brash young heel, all the more hate-able because he actually was that damn good to justify arrogance and big opportunities. Michaels was the never-say-die-face who had been something like Orton in his younger days. Now, as the face, he sold punishment like death and in each case went down swinging.

Michaels got a modicum of revenge in 2006, when he co-captained a Rated RKO fronted team against Michaels and Triple H’s DX-led group. The match was something of a farce for how short and decisive it was, but in the process, wound up being a lot of fun for the faces getting the sweep, not to mention the satisfaction of the finish—Michaels superkicking Orton straight into a Pedigree on the final fall.

These two would clash one more time in 2007, finally in a one-on-one bout with Orton’s WWE Championship on the line. The match carried the stipulation that Michaels wasn’t allowed to use his superkick—the kind of stipulation that can go either way, as it can be annoying, trivializing gimmick that stilts the action. While I won’t say this was a great match, I do feel it was a very good one for HBK’s wide offensive arsenal, and getting the opportunity to showcase it in lieu of his regular finisher. The match ended with Orton nailing the RKO (fittingly after Michaels set up for Sweet Chin Music and hesitated), to put one last decisive stamp of dominance on this high-profile Survivor Series feud, full of excellent performances.

I’d go so far as to say there was only one ongoing Survivor Series rivalry that was better and more important to the larger scheme of WWE programming.

#1. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

The rivalry between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels—both on air and off—has been super well documented, but it’s no hyperbole at all to call it one of the best feuds in WWF history, particularly for spanning such a long period of time, and different places on the card, from the tag ranks, to the Intercontinental Championship scene, to competing for the WWF Championship.

The Hart Foundation and The Rockers never squared off at Survivor Series, though, as a foot note, it’s interesting to look back and recall the two tag teams being on the same side in the large-scale ten-team elimination tag in 1988. Hart and Michaels would first square off against one another at Survivor Series 1992, the first year to mostly break from the team format. Hart was the new world champion at that point, and had held the title for just a little over a month without any major televised wins to his name since the title win. Enter Michaels, his old rival from the mid-card, in his first world title opportunity. The match is something of a forgotten gem—a twenty-five minute bout that isn’t necessarily the best work either man put together, but a strong indicator of what was to come and a solid enough four-star match.

In a more forgotten confrontation, Hart and Michaels wound up going against one another again one year later. The stage was set for Hart and his brothers to go up against Jerry Lawler and three masked “knights” (the whole set up an indicator of how the roster was a little thin on star power in ’93). When Lawler ran into legal troubles and disappeared from WWF programming, Michaels got subbed in. While the story wasn’t entirely coherent and Michaels having knights back him up was sort of odd, he fit well enough as an obnoxious heel who had a history opposite Hart. The match was largely a vehicle to get to the Bret-Owen feud, but Michaels nonetheless played his part well and was protected when he heelishly accepted a count out elimination after he was outnumbered three to one.

Little did we know quite what these two had in store, with their on-again off-again rivalry seemingly growing more heated with each iteration, and particularly as their backstage heat picked up. The reality of the matter was that we had two all-time great in-ring performers butting heads over and over again, typically at the main event level. And all of that came to a head in 1997.

It’s a shame we never got a Hart Foundation-DX stable war in a Survivor Series elimination tag, but the timing wasn’t right, and Michaels and Hart went one-on-one for the world title one more time in ’97. The match presented a good, intense brawl—certainly not the most polished match these two had with each other, but also not a bad match. More so, though, this would go down as one of the most iconic matches in wrestling history for the Montreal Screw Job finish—Michaels taking the win under terms Hart hadn’t agreed to, and Hart far less than peaceably walking away from the WWF for a decade.

Hart-Michaels is on the short list for greatest rivalries in wrestling history, and it just so happens that two very significant chapters (1992 and 1997) and one fun foot note to the feud went down at Survivor Series, making the event largely synonymous with their long-term war.

Which rivalries would you add to the list? My top honorable mentions included Triple H vs. Randy Orton, Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett, Kane vs. Shane McMahon, The Big Show vs. Mark Henry, and The Undertaker vs. The Big Show. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Read more from Mike Chin at his website and follow him on Twitter @miketchin.