20. Team Miz (The Miz, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger) vs. Team Morrison (John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, Evan Bourne & Finlay) - Survivor Series 2009
This is the type of match that has been missing from the recent Survivor Series events. If you go back and look at Team Miz, you had four future World Champions in the early stages of their upper mid-card pushes. Dolph Ziggler was showing off in the IC title division, The Miz broke out as a singles star in 09, Jack Swagger was at the height of his pre-Money in the Bank stature, and Sheamus was merely three weeks away from winning the WWE Championship from John Cena. The opposing team of John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, and Finlay was a rag tag bunch of variably popular babyfaces, but they were the perfect blend of talents to go up against the heels of the future. There should always be a bout like this at Survivor Series that puts young guys on their way to the top in the spotlightalways. It reminded me of the 1994 match between Razors Bad Guys and HBK and Diesels Teamsters in that it showcased those wrestlers that were climbing the ladder of success and were almost to the top in a meaningful way. The younger guys were given a shot at stealing the show.
"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.
