Traditional Survivor Series Elimination matches had unfortunately fallen flat for almost a decade amidst WWE's self-righteous attempt to present them without the coinciding storylines that had made them so iconic for the first half decade of the new millennium. Yet, they made a major comeback in 2014 on the back of a near product-wide angle that brought down the year's top heel act. The Authority, led by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, assembled a team captained by breakout star, Seth Rollins, to do battle with the established "Man," John Cena, and his ragtag group of rebels. Surely, you recall the rest of the details. After all, it was less than six weeks ago. So, let's instead take this time to break down why it was capable of competing for Match of the Year - and, make no mistake about it, it definitely contended on this list for MOTY. The format was not completely without flaw (i.e. Big Show's zillionth heel turn), but it was supremely well booked. It had a big fight feel that nearly allowed the match to eclipse this list's #3. There were two particular things that made it great. The first was Dolph Ziggler channeling Shawn Michaels circa 2003 and 2005 in a one vs. three effort. The much-maligned former World Champ had gone through so much in 2014 that his triumph was made all the more effective. Being the sole survivor in a huge match sure beats getting quasi-squashed on Superstars. The second was the WWE debut of Sting. It had been rumored throughout Survivor Series weekend that he would be appearing at the event, but we had heard that rumor before and it never materialized. When he walked out and confronted Triple H, it was nostalgia personified. How well the angle carries on in the future will partially dictate the memory of this match, but it sure was nice to get a reminder of what Survivor Series was supposed to look like.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
