WWE's 29th annual Survivor Series event was hyped as the 25th anniversary celebration of The Undertaker's incredible in-ring career. Since debuting as the character in 1990, the man has done everything to ensure that he maintains relevancy, and he is the single most enduring on-screen performer in the company. On its own, that kind of story and party would have been enough for the Pay-Per-View. Due to unforeseen circumstances however, WWE had another big tale to spin. A knee injury to Seth Rollins meant he had to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Title. At Survivor Series, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Alberto Del Rio and Dean Ambrose were the final men left in a tournament set to crown a new champ. Elsewhere, Paige and Charlotte's feud over the WWE Divas Title had turned ultra-personal on Monday Night Raw. Making comments about Charlotte's deceased brother, Reid, the challenger courted real-life controversy. All of the featured bouts at Survivor Series had the potential to be excellent, but which ones stole the show?
10. Del Rio's 'Backcracker' Draws Close Near Fall
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Alberto Del Rio has been drawing criticism from fans for the whole, 'Mex-America' angle he has going on with Zeb Colter. Despite anything happening outside of the ring, Del Rio is still a fine performer between the ropes. In the ring, pro wrestling fans generally accept that major Pay-Per-View matches will feature a number of near falls. It's therefore perhaps fairly tricky to fool people into believing a bout is over. At Survivor Series, Del Rio and Roman Reigns managed that in fine style. Mid-way through their WWE World Heavyweight Title tournament Semi Final, the pair had some inside the Philips Arena holding their collective breath. The move was a simple 'Backcracker'/'Backstabber' from the Mexican. The way Reigns and Del Rio worked into the near fall was great, and the subsequent close encounter for Roman only heightened the tension surrounding the opener. Later, a Superkick from Alberto would garner a similar reaction from the live crowd, who inched towards the edge of their seat before the match-ending Spear from Reigns. The entire ending sequence, and the build to it, was smooth.