25 Best Wrestling PPVs Ever

12. WWE Survivor Series 2002

WrestleMania X Seven Poster
WWE.com

Best Match: Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H Vs. Rob Van Dam Vs. Booker T Vs. Kane Vs. Chris Jericho

Worst Match: Billy Kidman Vs. Jamie Noble

A night of brutal novelty, storyline progression and rare wrestling sentiment, Survivor Series 2002 was one the best events ever held at WWE's spiritual home, Madison Square Garden.

It was headlined by the first ever Elimination Chamber match, one which hasn't lost its immense aura in the wake of subsequent overexposure. Its brutal content and real-life risk were crystallised by Rob Van Dam's Frog Splash to Triple H, whose throat was nearly crushed by Van Dam's mistimed landing. Michaels' subsequent World Heavyweight title victory was an awesome moment for those who thought he'd never step foot in a WWE ring again.

A compact match with Brock Lesnar which made best use of the lumbering Big Show, a token thriller contested by the fabled SmackDown! Six and a similarly novel Hardcore Women's title match between Trish Stratus and Victoria propped up an enviable undercard which was lapped up greedily by the vocal MSG fans.

Bonus points for an infuriated Rico b*llocking Jeff Hardy for being out of position and for a debuting Scott Steiner imploring a ringside official to "give [him] a f*ckin' mic".

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!