1. Team Bischoff (Chris Jericho, Christian, Randy Orton, Scott Steiner & Mark Henry) vs. Team Austin (Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T & Dudley Boyz) - Survivor Series 2003
If you crunch every available number and thoroughly evaluate the complete details of every traditional Elimination Tag Team match in Survivor Series history, you might find that some other bout, such as WWE vs. WCW, would eclipse Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff in the argument for Greatest Survivor Series match. However, since we are just talking about the best, then undoubtedly the nod goes to the Austin-Bischoff battle. Being hyper critical, Chris Jericho screwed up upwards of five times in the WWE-WCW match in 2001. That alone put a dent in that matchs historical armor. Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff was, by contrasts, virtually flawless, featuring outstanding work from a wide variety of the combatants. Austin and Bischoff, themselves, had a really good dynamic. Their roles as the dueling General Managers was an entertaining part of a relatively lackluster time for the Raw brand. Jerichos interactions with Austin were also quite memorable, making him the perfect choice to lead Bischoffs team. Scott Steiner was best remembered for one lousy feud with Triple H, but he pulled his act together in the summer of 2003. It was a great decision to add Randy Orton to the mix. He was on fire from a kayfabe standpoint and used the platform to start one of the top Survivor Series careers in history. Christian and Mark Henry played their roles well, too. On Austins side, The Dudley Boyz treated the match like it was the biggest of their career. Booker T and RVD used it as a lifeline after struggling to continue main-event runs from the prior year. Of course, Shawn Michaels stole the show from everyone in the match, performing a nasty blade job that ranks right up there amongst the most visually memorable in modern lore. His heroic effort to overcome the odds, attempting a 3-on-1 comeback against Christian, Jericho, and Orton, was the best Survivor Series Elimination match performance to date. If you want to show someone what Survivor Series is all about, show them this match.
"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.
