WWE's second longest running PPV event, Survivor Series, is scheduled to kick off tonight, November 18 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The event - featuring plenty of SmackDown vs Raw contests - will get underway with a two-hour pre-show at 5pm ET, followed by the main card at 7pm.
One of WWE's "Big 4" events of the year, Survivor Series has been the home of many marquee matchups over the event's 31-year history dating back to the inaugural PPV in 1987. Survivor Series is traditionally characterized by the tag-team elimination matches, in which teams of four or five face off against another group with the match continuing until all members of one side have been eliminated.
Naturally, some of the biggest matches in Survivor Series history have been of the traditional "Survivor Series" variety, but there are many other iconic singles matches that define the November classic.
Ahead of tonight's 2018 Survivor Series PPV, take a look back at 10 of the biggest moments in the event's illustrious history.
Team Hogan vs Team Andre (1987)
Team Hulk Hogan: Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Don Muraco, Bam Bam Bigelow, Ken Patera
Team Andre The Giant: Andre, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, Ravishing Rick Rude, Butch Reed
The first Survivor Series, held in 1987, came just months after Hulk Hogan defeated Andre The Giant in an iconic match at Wrestlemania III. WWE took advantage of the hype surrounding that PPV by pitting Hogan against Andre in a traditional five-on-five Survivor Series match in the main event.
Undertaker vs Hulk Hogan (1991)
1991 marked the first Survivor Series PPV to feature a singles match of any kind.
After debuting at the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker was given the opportunity to challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in a match dubbed, "The Gravest Challenge."
It was thought to be nearly impossible to defeat The Hulkster in such a high-profile bout, especially with his title on the line, but Taker pulled off the unthinkable thanks to some help from Ric Flair. After executing a tombstone onto a steel chair, the Deadman secured his first ever WWF title and cemented himself as one of the most frightening superstars in the business.
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (1992)
Before Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels became legendary singles performers, they were both apart of powerful tag-teams. Bret, a member of the Heart Foundation, and HBK one-half of The Rockers with Marty Jannetty.
In 1992, the two shined in the main event of Survivor Series in a one-on-one matchup for The Hitman's WWF World Heavyweight Championship, where they proved they belonged atop the WWF food chain. The result was a 26-minute slugfest that featured a number of memorable spots in what is widely considered as one of the greatest matches of all time.
The two superstars went on to produce numerous iconic performances against one another, and it was all sparked by the '92 Survivor Series.
Bret Hart vs Stone Cold (1996)
After winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin began his feud with Bret Hart, who had recently stepped away from wrestling altogether.
Austin's persistent trash-talk ultimately led The Hitman to return to the ring at Survivor Series in 1996 to determine the number-one contender for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart (1997)
Five years after their epic championship match at Survivor Series 1992, HBK and "The Excellence of Execution" faced off again at the 1997 Survivor Series in Montreal in a match known for its infamous finish and immediate aftermath.
A week prior to Survivor Series, Hart had signed a contract to perform with rival wrestling company WCW beginning in December 1997. Of course, that didn't sit well with Vince McMahon, who covertly manipulated the pre-determined outcome of the match so that Hart would lose his title in dramatic fashion.
Known as the "Montreal Screwjob," the bout ended abruptly when McMahon called for the bell as soon as HBK locked in Bret's signature move - the Sharpshooter. It is one of the most memorable and talked about matches in WWF/WWE history, let alone Survivor Series.
Team WWF vs The Alliance (2001)
Team WWF (Led by Vince McMahon): The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Big Show, Kane, The Undertaker
Team Alliance (Led by Shane & Stephanie McMahon): Stone Cold, Booker T, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon
The event marked the end of WWE's "Invasion" angle, which was a prominent storyline since March of 2001 when Vince McMahon purchased the WCW. ECW ultimately joined forces with WCW to create "The Alliance," setting up a monster main event at the 2001 Survivor Series in which the “loser leaves town.”
First Ever Elimination Chamber Match (2002)
The main event of the 2002 Survivor Series featured the first-ever Elimination Chamber match in WWE History for the World Heavyweight Championship between Rob Van Dam, Kane, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, and the champ, Triple H.
That's reason alone for this to be one of the biggest Survivor Series matches, but the battle inside the steel structure and the outcome - HBK's first title reign since 1997 - make this bout truly one of the best in the PPV's storied history.
Team Austin vs Team Bischoff (2003)
Team Austin: Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam & The Dudley Boys
Team Bischoff: Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Chris Jericho, Christian and Scott Steiner
Once again, Stone Cold Steve Austin found himself in the center of a traditional Survivor Series match with high stakes. However, this time Austin would not be competing.
At the time of the 2003 Survivor Series, The Rattlesnake was serving as co-GM of Monday Night Raw alongside heel authority figure Eric Bischoff, and Austin was therefore in charge of captaining a team of WWE superstars. The rules of the bout were simple: if Austin’s team lost he would be fired as Raw General Manager.
Team Cena vs Team Authority (2014)
Team Cena: John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, Eric Rowan, The Big Show
Team Authority: Seth Rollins, Kane, Luke Harper, Rusev, Mark Henry
The main event of the 2014 Survivor Series will go down as one of the most memorable matches in the WWE's long history. The traditional five-on-five tag-team match was fantastic, with Dolph Ziggler stealing the show as the Sole Survivor for Team Cena.
Of course, the WWE debut of wrestling legend Sting took this moment over the top.
Team Smackdown vs Team Raw (2016)
Team SmackDown: AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon
Team Raw: Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens
The 2016 battle for brand supremacy featured a star-studded traditional Survivor Series match that included a trio of champions; WWE champion AJ Styles, Raw Universal Champion Kevin Owens and United States Champion Roman Reigns. None of these man were standing tall at the end of the night however, as Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton combined to dismantle Rollins and Reigns in the final moments of the 53-minute long match to pick up the victory for Team SmackDown.
