This year marks the 32nd annual outing for WWE’s Survivor Series, where individual or brand supremacy is contested in epic tag team bouts that only the strong can survive. As we look ahead to Sunday’s pay-per-view and the clash between the Superstars of RAW and SmackDown Live, we’re revisiting the 10 best teams in Survivor Series history.
Taking more than just the win/loss record into account, we delve deeper and investigate which teams made the most sense, had the best potential, and left the biggest legacy.
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The Hart Family: Keith, Owen, Bret, and Bruce Hart
The Year: 1993
The Match: In a dream grouping, Bret Hart called upon his brothers to take on Shawn Michaels and his Knights. Keith, Owen, and Bruce looked to help “The Hitman,” but there was some sibling miscommunication when Owen and Bret collided, allowing Shawn to eliminate Owen.
Despite this, Canada’s most famous wrestling family got it back together, providing flashbacks of their days in the Dungeon where they were trained by father Stu Hart.
The Result: With his partners already eliminated, Shawn Michaels headed for the hills rather than face the three remaining brothers, handing the win to Harts. Unfortunately, the late Owen Hart, still sour from his elimination, failed to join in the celebration, which would plant the seeds for the Bret/Owen showdown at WrestleMania 10.
Nation of Domination: The Rocky Maivia, Faarooq, D’Lo Brown, and Kama Mustafa
The Year: 1997
The Match: Most WWE fans only remember the 1997 Survivor Series for the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” that went down in the main event, but there was an important elimination match that night, too.
While The Rock had been considered a laughing stock during his 1996 Survivor Series debut, his star was definitely on the rise just 12 months later. Though he was teamed up with his Nation of Domination partners at the ’97 Survivor Series, the match would come down to just himself and Ken Shamrock. The two battled it out in a match that showed flashes of brilliance from a guy who would soon become “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.”
The Result: Ken Shamrock proved to be just too much of an obstacle to overcome, and he became the sole survivor after making Rocky tap out. Despite the loss, this was The Rock’s best showing to date.
All-Star Team: John Cena, Big Show, Rob Van Dam, and Eddie Guerrero
The Year: 2004
The Match: On paper, this team, led by the late, great Eddie Guerrero, looks unstoppable. There’s power, agility, and pro wrestling greatness assembled in one of the coolest groupings in Survivor Series history. When you put a team like this one together, the results speak for themselves.
The Result: Big Show eliminated Kurt Angle to give his team the victory. John Cena and Eddie Guerrero also survived.
The Million Dollar Team: Greg Valentine, Honky Tonk Man, Ted DiBiase, and Undertaker
The Year: 1990
The Match: Mystery partners often turn out to be massive letdowns in pro wrestling, but when the Undertaker made his surprise debut as part of Ted DiBiase’s team, this reveal quickly became part of WWE lore. In a sign of things to come, The Phenom dominated in his first pay-per-view outing and took out two members of the opposing side.
The Result: Undertaker pinned Dusty Rhodes and Koko B. Ware but eliminated himself when he left the ring area to chase after Rhodes. DiBiase would eventually pick up the win for his team in a hard-fought elimination over Bret Hart.
Team Miz: Drew McIntyre, The Miz, Sheamus, and Dolph Ziggler
The Year: 2009
The Match: Talk about the future of WWE! All four of these relatively new Superstars would go on to become shoe-in Hall of Famers following their successful outing at the 2009 Survivor Series.
Only one team member was eliminated on the night, in a match that showcased the potential of all four combatants.
The Result: Sheamus picked up the final pinfall for his team, accompanied by fellow survivors, Drew McIntryre and The Miz.
Team Raw: Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Bayley (Dana Brook at ringside)
The Year: 2016
The Match: All these active competitors on Team Raw in 2016 were, or would become, World Champions in WWE, making them a formidable squad as they did battle with the equally decorated Team SmackDown. In the end, the opposing side fell apart when Natalya attacked her own team partner, Nikki Bella, backstage forcing her to miss the match. She was replaced by Carmella, who was eliminated first by a devastating Scissors Kick from Alicia Fox.
The Result: Bayley pinned Becky Lynch to pick up the win for her team and fellow survivor Charlotte Flair. It was a short-lived celebration however, as Charlotte attacked Bayley after the match.
The Hulkamaniacs: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Tugboat, Hulk Hogan, and The Big Boss Man
The Year: 1990
The Match: The combined merch sales for these WWE Superstars must be astronomical. Four of the most popular Superstars at the time teamed up in 1990 to do battle with the Natural Disasters (The Barbarian, Dino Bravo, Earthquake, and Haku). The Hulkamaniacs were a true “feel good” team that made you glow with excitement as a WWE fan in the ’90s.
The Result: Despite their pedigree, The Hulkamaniacs had their hands full with their super-sized opponents, but the Hulkster was able to pin The Barbarian to become the sole survivor and pick up the victory for his team.
Team Raw: Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns
The Year: 2016
The Match: What a collection of technique, strength, and speed! And if that wasn’t enough, fellow Shield member Dean Ambrose was supposed to be fighting on the other side, but gave the assist to Team Raw as soon as he had a chance to stick it to his own teammate, AJ Styles, in order to gain an advantage in their upcoming Championship clash at TLC.
On paper, this team would be a fantasy Survivor Series grouping for many fans, but despite their individual skills, it just didn’t work out for them on the night.
The Result: Amazingly, no. An “RKO ‘Outta Nowhere” from Randy Orton took out Seth Rollins, leaving team SmackDown to gang up on the last opposing man standing, Roman Reigns. Bray Wyatt eventually pinned Reigns to gain victory for the blue brand.
Team DX: Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and CM Punk
The Year: 2006
The Match: There are rare occasions when Survivor Series teams manage to compile the greatest talent from that era, and there are few better examples of this than Team DX in 2006.
This group made a statement in the opening seconds when HBK made short work of Mike Knox, thanks to some Sweet Chin Music. From there, it was academic, as the opposing side, led by Randy Orton, fell one after another to the superior side.
The Result: Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Hardyz, and CM Punk became the first quintet to ever beat the opposing team without losing a single member.
The Ultimate Warriors: Hawk, Animal, Ultimate Warrior, and Kerry Von Erich
The Year: 1990
The Match: Team Ultimate Warriors really was the epitome of a great Survivor Series grouping. They looked like the kind of guys that would hang out and pump iron together, and so this team made perfect sense. Not only did the Ultimate Warriors comprise four of the most popular WWE Superstars of the time, they also touted four of the best physiques in WWE history. (And let’s not forget about the facepaint.)
The Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) had a reputation for destroying their opponents, Kerry Von Erich looked certain to be the next “big thing” in WWE, and the Ultimate Warrior was still holding the World Championship that he’d beaten Hulk Hogan for at WrestleMania 6. You want energy, charisma, and bulging biceps? It’s all here.
The Result: Ultimate Warrior delivered his patented belly splash and scored the final pin over Mr. Perfect after all other team members had been eliminated, making him the sole survivor.
