The loaded gun Vince McMahon used to scare cable networks out of airing rival NWA’s Starrcade pay-per-view is called Survivor Series. Originating in 1987, the show’s theme consisted of multi-person teams battling it out in one of WWE’s “Big Four” events.
What became known as the traditional Survivor Series elimination matches have fallen by the wayside in recent years. The inclusion of WarGames, two connected rings surrounded by a steel cage, has replaced the original concept.
The elimination matches made for some of the best teams ever assembled. It was Marvel Team Up in a wrestling ring. Superstar wrestlers who don’t usually cross paths join forces to right a wrong and reign victorious.
Nostalgia is strong in professional wrestling. Many fans miss the elimination matches when looking back at some of the great teams of yesteryear. Champions, legends, and future superstars made for some classic matches and memorable moments.
Some teams made sense, while others worked well despite their atypical pairing. Over thirty-five years, there have been 181 traditional teams since 2021. Here are the best of the best. The 10 Greatest Survivor Series Teams.
10. The All Americans: Survivor Series 1993
Lex Luger, Tatanka, Rick & Scott Steiner were set to face the Foreign Fanatics captained by WWF Champion Yokozuna. Halloween had a devilish trick for Tatanka as Fanatics team member Ludvig Borga cheated to end Tatakna’s undefeated streak, injuring him in the process.
All the babyface wrestlers were scheduled for matches except for one, but he wouldn’t possibly join the…“So let freedom ring, and let the Foreign Fanatics, rest in peace.” Those words changed the complexion of the Survivor Series main event.
The Undertaker, sporting Betsy Ross’ star & stripes, joined The All Americans. Luger injured Quebeccer Pierre with his bionic forearm, allowing Hawaii’s Crush (Don’t ask) to fill the void alongside Quebeccer Jacques.
The final frame of the bout saw Luger at the mercy of Yoko and Borga for several minutes. Yoko missed the big corner splash, and Luger tagged a fresh Undertaker who had just entered the match, and the Boston Garden came unglued.
Undertaker was unstoppable. Yoko hit his best moves but just kept coming. Both men were counted out, but Taker had frightened the champion. Still in rough shape, Luger toppled Borga to emerge as the sole survivor.
Speed, power, technique, and ghostly abilities made The All Americans a uniquely powerful force. Luger and the Steiners were in hot pursuit of the WWF Title and Tag Team Titles respectively. While Tatanka was cool, Undertaker made the team even better.
9. Team Guerrero: Survivor Series 2004
The rivalry between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle culminated with SmackDown’s traditional Survivor Series elimination match. Angle formed a stable with Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak while Carlito Carribian Cool rounded out the team.
Latino Heat was rolling deep, including another frog splash dynamo in Rob Van Dam. The power of the world’s largest athlete, The Big Show, and the future franchise in Doctor of Thuganomics form, John Cena.
Carlito was the U.S. Champion and never made it to the ring. Cena chased down Carlito and his crony Jesus after being stabbed in a nightclub by the duo. They brawled to the parking lot, where Carlito and Jesus stole a car to escape Cena’s wrath.
Rob Van Dam hit Jindrak with a frog splash for trying to pull Angle out of the ring. Angle held the ropes to pin Van Dam for his team’s sole elimination. Guerrero and Show made quick work of Reigns and Jindrak.
Angle tried to run, but Van Dam returned to Kibosh his escape, allowing Cena and Guerrero to deliver an FU/Frogg Splash combo for the win. Four hall-of-fame-worthy talents each brought something different to the table, making Team Guerrero an all-time great.
8. Tito Santana, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior: Survivor Series 1990
The Grand Finale Match of Survival was a one-and-done concept where the winning heels and babyfaces throughout the night squared off in the main event. Tito Santana, Ultimate Warrior, & Hulk Hogan were the sole survivors in their respective matches.
The trio was outnumbered five to three. The heel victors were Ted DiBiase, Rick Martel, Paul Roma, Hercules & The Warlord, with/ Slick and Virgil lurking at ringside. Making matters worse, Santana had little time to rest since his match immediately followed the finale.
Santana surprisingly cold-cocked the Warlord with his trademark flying forearm, eliminating him in twenty-eight seconds. Unfortunately, Santana had emptied his gas tank, and DiBiase pinned him two minutes later.
With Santana gone, could Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan coexist with the specter of WrestleMania 6 looming over them?Hulkamania took out Roma and DiBiase, Martel walked out on the match, and the power of the Warrior defeated Hercules, making them the ultimate survivors.
Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, the two biggest stars in the industry, teamed with a mid-carder in Tito Santana. While he wasn’t a main event player, he had plenty of credibility. It was fun to watch because, for one night, Santana rubbed shoulders with the gods.
7. Team NXT: Survivor Series 2019
If there was ever a team to serve as a crystal ball displaying future greatness, look no further than the women’s team representing the black and gold brand. All five women have since moved on to bigger and better things.
Candice LeRae is teaming up with Indi Hartwell. Bianca Belair headlined WrestleMania and won three world titles. Io Shirai (Iyo Sky) runs SmackDown as WWE Women’s Champion. Rhea Ripley dominates Raw as Women’s World Champion. Toni Storm is now “Timeless” as the Women’s World Champion in AEW.
Survivor Series’ brand supremacy theme flipped the script in 2019 when NXT entered the fray. Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Kari Sane & Sara Logan represented Raw while Sasha Banks, Carmella, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, & Dana Brook carried the flag for SmackDown.
NXT worked well together despite the elimination of Belair and Storm. In fact, it took the Raw/SmackDown combo of Natalya and Banks to submit Storm. The then-young lions pulled a veteran move by distracting the ref as Shirai hit Banks with a missile dropkick and Ripley followed up with Riptide for the win.
6. The Warriors: Survivor Series 1990
No team epitomized the 90s more than the quartet long hair, face-painted, muscle-bound fury of WWF Champion the Ultimate Warrior, Intercontinental Champion “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich, and spiked shoulder pad-clad Animal & Hawk, the Legion of Doom.
All four superstars were at the peak of their popularity. LOD and Von Erich had only been with the company briefly, but their reputations abroad preceded them. Despite being the IC Champion, Von Erich’s title loss to Mr. Perfect was filmed days earlier.
LOD/Demolition matches occurred at non-televised shows. However, for many, this was their first dance. Warrior quickly eliminated Ax. Hawk, Animal, Smash, and Crush brawled to a double disqualification, ensuring both teams kept their heat.
Mr. Perfect pinned Von Erich with the Perfect Plex but not the Warrior. The champ battled back to hit his trademark flying shoulder tackle and running splash to be the sole survivor. Sadly, all four wrestlers, including Crush and Mr. Perfect, are no longer with us.
5. The Hulkamaniacs: Survivor Series 1989
The 1989 Survivor Series sported several firsts. The elimination matches were scaled down from squads of five to teams of four. Each team was named after their captain. Champions, usually on separate teams, were paired up for the first time.
The idea of the WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Tag Team Champions Demolition on the same team was unheard of at the time. Add Jake Roberts to the mix, and you have the dream team of dream teams.
Despite the babyface awesomeness, it was all about the Hogan/Zeus No Holds Barred movie feud. Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team didn’t serve him well, as Zeus and The Powers of Pain got disqualified. DiBiase was left to eventually fall to the sole surviving Hulkster.
The image of The Hulkamanics alone represents the quintessential assembly of 1980s WWE. Hulk Hogan always had excellent Survivor Series teams, but this one tops them all.
4. Team Andre: Survivor Series 1987
You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy in a wrestling ring than the team Andre the Giant helmed at the inaugural Survivor Series. Andre branded himself the uncrowned champion after his close nearfall on Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III.
It was the first time the two titans would face off since their legendary encounter at the Pontiac Silverdome. This time, however, Andre was rolling deep.
Another ghost of Hulk Hogan’s past in King Kong Bundy, along with the monstrous One Man Gang, joined Andre. “The Natural” Butch Reed and “Ravishing” Rick Rude rounded out the team.
Hogan’s squad consisted of Ken Patera, Don Muraco, Paul Orndorff, and Bam Bam Bigelow. Butch Reed didn’t last long, Rude rolled up Orndorff and Gang eliminated Patera and Muraco.
The crowd erupted once Hulk and Andre finally went toe-to-toe. Bundy and Gang pulled Hogan out of the ring, where they brawled with him leading to a count-out.
Shock filled the arena as Hogan’s elimination was announced, leaving Bigelow alone against Bundy, Gang, and Andre. Bigelow bested Bundy and Gang, but he was no match for Andre who delivered a double underhook suplex to emerge the sole survivor.
Andre celebrated until Hogan ran out and hit him with the WWF title belt. Andre’s crew not only toppled Hogan’s crew, but caused the Hulkster to lash out like a total heel. Now, that’s how it’s done.
3. Team Savage: Survivor Series 1987
The inaugural Survivor Series opening contest featured a team loaded with star power. Randy Savage led Brutus Beefcake, Jim Duggan, Jake Roberts & Ricky Steamboat to defeat Ron Bass, King Harley Race, Danny Davis, Hercules & The Honky Tonk Man.
Miss Elizabeth accompanied Savage while the opposing team had the managerial services of both Jimmy Hart and Bobby Heenan. Plus, seeing Savage and Steamboat joining forces several months after their epic encounter at WrestleMania III piqued some interest.
Duggan and Race were the first wrestlers to be eliminated from an elimination match when they brawled to a double countout. Beefcake scored the first pinfall elimination over Bass but soon after fell victim to The Honky Tonk Man, thanks to an assist from Hart.
Momentum shifted at the expense of Hercules and Davis, and then the real fun began. Honky was all alone against Savage, Steamboat & Roberts. It was the perfect proof of concept. Exhibiting what happens when one wrestler needs to beat three to survive.
The cowardly Intercontinental champion eventually ran out on the match, making Savage, Steamboat, and Roberts the survivors. It’s something when five team members are in the hall of fame. Indeed, it is a star-studded line-up of the industry’s most recognizable names.
2. Team WWF: Survivor Series 2001
Vince McMahon’s acquisition of WCW and ECW was a dream come true for fans until it wasn’t. Team WWF vs. Team Alliance in the Winner Take All match at the Survivor Series was the culmination of the ill-fated invasion angle.
The Attitude Era glory of Team WWF is undeniable, featuring WCW Champion The Rock, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Undertaker, and Kane. The formidable Team Alliance consisted of WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Hardcore Champion Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and Shane McMahon.
Team Alliance almost makes the list, but Shane McMahon is the weak link in the equation. Plus, Kurt Angle turned on the Alliance, meaning they never saw the traitor in their midst.
Taker and Kane are in the Hall of Fame. Jericho and Show will be enshrined someday when they’re long removed from AEW and The Rock; come on, first ballot all the way. Team WWF (and Team Alliance, speaks to the superstar depth in the company at the time.
Benedict Angle helped The Rock to get his first pinfall victory over Steve Austin while emerging as the sole survivor. Vince McMahon gained control of all three companies, and less than a month later, Jericho became the undisputed champion.
1. Team DX: Survivor Series 2006
The coolest team of the Ruthless Aggression era saw Degeneration X, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Hardy Boyz, and CM Punk capture the audience’s imagination and never let go.
Fans interrupted DX’s “Are You Ready” promo with “CM Punk” chants, forcing the ECW upstart to say the signature line. Shawn Michaels’ quick and satirical elimination of Mike Knox set an unenviable tone for Team Rated-RKO.
The fall of John Morrison and Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms was academic, making Randy Orton and Edge think twice about their predicament. The two captains tried to run, but the Hardy’s and Punk blocked their escape.
Micheals and Triple H finished them off, becoming the fifth team in Survivor Series history to win without losing one team member. It was fun seeing a heel team helmed by two top stars get caught coming out of the gate and unable to recover.
Team DX gave fans a little bit of everything. Every member was popular; they worked exceptionally well together and made their high-caliber opposition look bad in an entertaining fashion, making them the greatest team in Survivor Series history.
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