by Rob Goodwin @REALRobGoodwinSo Survivor Series in the early to mid 90’s was a completely different kettle of fish to the product we have now right!?
Take 2017’s Survivor Series show. The entire PPV was based around Brand Supremacy and the fact this is the only time of the year where the two brands would meet. We had Champion vs. Champions matches and Survivor Series matches that made sense in kayfabe (even if the endings were beyond confusing!) In 1993 however, we open with Lex Luger wearing the most outrageously 90’s jumper you will ever see, with his family in front of a roaring fire wishing us all a Happy Thanksgiving! ...I...I have no words! Truth is, Survivor Series in it’s early forms was synonymous with Thanksgiving in the WWE’s eyes and the PPV was intended to be a time for patriotism and love of America! To prove this, not one of the WWF titles were defended on this show. Instead, we have a team called the All Americans (including The Undertaker), taking on a team called the Foreign Fantatics (including Crush, who was born in Hawaii)...I didn’t say it made sense did I! Oh also, Tatanka features prominently on the promotional material, ie. the poster, yet doesn’t feature on the PPV in any capacity, explain that one to me! At WrestleMania XX in 2004, Brock Lesnar was booed out of the building after his awful, lacklustre showing against Goldberg. The man had fallen out of love with the business and the frightfully gruelling touring schedule, to the point where, at the peak of his powers, he jumped ship to the NFL and his beloved Minnesota Vikings.
Fast forward 8 years to the RAW after WrestleMania 28, and John Cena is in the ring delivering a promo and addressing his loss to The Rock in the ‘Once in a Lifetime’ match-up that lasted all of a year, when the first bars of familiar music played. The pop as Brock Lesnar’s name flashed across the titantron is unbelievable and with that, any animosity the WWE Universe felt toward the wantaway star was instantly forgotten! Brock sauntered slowly to the ring and F5’d John Cena into oblivion, before calmly walking back up the ramp! Fantastic! It transpires that Captain Charisma John Laurinitus had brought Brock back to both legitimise the company, and to usurp Cena as the face of the company. The arena for their first encounter? Extreme Rules 2012! by Rob Goodwin @REALRobGoodwinThis PPV was already record-breaking before the first match, with WWE reporting that 67,925 people crammed themselves into the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. With this in mind, the company was under pressure to deliver a show-stopping event, and that’s exactly what it did.
With one of the hottest wrestling rivalries since Hogan and Savage, or Michaels and Hart, Wrestlemania X-Seven’s main event was centred around The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, feuding over the WWF Championship. Having feuded for the Championship on two separate occasions, once at Wrestlemania XV and again at Backlash 1999, it’s a testament to the charisma of these two characters and the creative team at the time that this feud had not gone stale, or that the WWF universe hadn’t lost interest in it. At this point, there were no hotter talents in the USA and the feud had reached fever point in the build up to the PPV. Throw the enigmatic character of Mr Vincent Kennedy McMahon into the mix, and you had the recipe for an outstanding night. The Rattlesnake was inserted into the main event following his Royal Rumble win, whilst the People’s Champion was the current WWF Champion having defeated Kurt Angle at No Way Out in February. The catalyst for this feud proved to be Austin's wife Debra, forced into the reluctant management of The Rock, against the wishes of both Rock and Austin, by Mr McMahon. Despite Austin’s express warnings about what would happen to The Rock if Debra was hurt, both found themselves locked in Ankle Locks courtesy of Kurt Angle. Austin arrived, scaring off Angle before delivering a stunner to The Rock for allowing his wife to be subject to Angle’s finisher. During a handicap tag match at a later RAW, Austin made his way to the ring, only to receive a Rock Bottom for his trouble. As a result of her lack of control over her husband and The Brahma Bull, Debra was later relieved of her management duties on the March 29th episode of Smackdown! A feud between the Brothers of Destruction – Kane and the Undertaker – and Triple H and the Big Show, with various interferences from either side in each other’s matches, led to bouts being finalised for this event by then commissioner William Regal. Kane would face The Big Show for the Hardcore Championship, and Triple H would face The Undertaker in an attempt to ‘beat the streak’, which then stood at 8-0. The final background story revolved around the ever controversial authority figures of the McMahons. Looking back on it, this storyline had possibly the most awkward moments of the Attitude Era, if not the entire of WWE/F’s history. After a disagreement led to Vince filing for divorce against Linda, the latter had a nervous breakdown and was left in a comatose state. Vince then took great delight in having an open affair in front of her with Trish Stratus who, in a way that is extremely hard to watch now, was constantly degraded by being made to perform such heinous acts as; crawling around on her hands and knees whilst barking like a dog and stripping down to her lingerie, whilst performing what still looks to this day, the most awkward and unpleasant kisses ever with the boss. Furious with his father’s behaviour, Shane McMahon was drawn out of the woodwork. During Vince’s victory speech, having bought out WCW, Shane appeared on the Titantron, explaining that he was the owner of WCW, not his father. It is still one of the biggest swerves in wrestling history, and is a real goosebumps moment. This, of course, led to the Invasion angle which was incredibly successful, and is still lauded today as one of the greatest... oh no wait.... As a result of this treachery, Vince demanded a fight with his son at Wrestlemania. This was granted with two further stipulations being added afterwards: Mick Foley as the special referee, and the match being made a Street Fight. |