10 Best WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Matches
3. Team Bischoff (Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Christian, Mark Henry, Scott Steiner) Vs. Team Austin (Shawn Michaels, Dudley Boyz, RVD, Booker T) - Survivor Series 2003
This severely underrated match is a masterclass in storytelling. Thanks to the selling and psychology of Shawn Michaels desperately trying to overcome the odds of the fantastic three-on-one assault from Randy Orton, Christian, and Chris Jericho, this match remains the best Survivor Series elimination match of all time.
This bout came around due to many of the mid-card villains in the company feeling that Austin was too abusive in his role as co-General Manager, so a coalition led by Jericho in support of Eric Bischoff was established. The stipulation was simple: If Austin's team won, Austin could physically attack anyone he wished, whereas if the Bisch’s team won, Austin would be fired as GM.
To further add to the overall story, Austin was struggling to find a fifth member of his team, and so asked a free Shawn Michaels. The last time these two had an interaction for a PPV was when Austin was challenging for Michaels' WWF title back at WrestleMania XIV, so the Rattlesnake had to do the one thing he said he would never do: trust somebody.
Shawn bled a gusher (admittedly, the blade job was visible on camera - but has since been edited on the Network) and Jericho was at the height of his abrasive and obnoxious 'King of the World' character. This spectacle is not talked about enough, so go out of your way to watch it.
Even after the match had ended, and Shawn was standing, covered in claret, next to Austin, there was tension in the air. Was Austin going to give a Stunner to a beaten, broken and bruised HBK, or was he going to accept his team's loss and walk away forever?