10 Best Survivor Series Elimination Matches EVER - According To Dave Meltzer
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The elimination match format was the very foundation upon which the Survivor Series as we know it was devised. When Vince McMahon used his new format to bully pay-per-view providers into picking his product over the longer tenured Starrcade in 1987, he inadvertently pioneered a beloved concept that has endured every generation of the modern era.
Four-on-fours, five-on-fives and even ten-on-tens have been presented from the bombastic bright lights of the original boom period to the anti-establishment Attitude Era aesthetic and beyond. For a show that constantly trumpets the importance of surviving, it's matches such as the ones in this list that have ensured a constant pay-per-view presence for the attritional gang fights.
The diverse range of talents may not always magnificently mesh, but when they do, it's absolute magic. From Hogan to Helmsley via Hakushi, there's always the chance of a multi-man melee stealing the show. Ranked in order of Wrestling Observer Dave Meltzer's proffered preferences, these contests have best protected a genuine McMahon staple.
(NOTE: In the event of a tied rating, the most recent match gets preferential treatment. Wrestling evolves at a breakneck pace, and any older contest outperforming a contemporary equivalent is deserving of the elevated status)
10. The Million Dollar Team Vs The Dream Team (1990, ***1/2)
Flicking through the vast archives of the Wrestling Observer presents Dave Meltzer as something of a clairvoyant when it comes to spotting a money-spinning idea. The exquisitely booked debut of The Undertaker in-part afforded this Survivor Series match more snowflakes than he was traditionally prone to giving to bombastic WWE matches of the day, but a luxurious closing sequence between Bret Hart and The Million Dollar Man almost certainly sealed the deal.
Following Dusty Rhodes' and 'The Deadman's battle to the back and Greg Valentine's elimination less than a minute later, 'The Hitman' and Ted Dibiase engaged in a five minute mini-match that served as a precursor to Hart's long-awaited 1991 singles push.
Vince McMahon had dabbled with solo Bret in the past, throwing him to a 1988 singles feud with Bad News Brown and going as far as to book him again as a gutsy underdog in his elimination match against Randy Savage's team one year earlier.
Hart's desire and determination in this closing stretch was a scintillating sight to behold. Adding gravitas for the pay-per-view audience, Roddy Piper had referenced the death of his brother Dean just 24 hours earlier, but the live crowd were as absorbed with his crisp execution and inch-perfect emotional articulation. In keeping with the overarching tone of his performance, he narrowly lost. But he was finally in touching distance of the singles glory he'd aspired to for so long.