Your fondest Survivor Series memory (1987-1999)?
 

For the next two weeks on the podcast we'll be looking at the history of the Survivor Series PPV, analysing its struggle for identity and relevance from the beginning, going show by show, and as always we're looking for your thoughts on the former Thanksgiving Eve Tradition.

QUESTION - What is your favourite Survivor Series memory between 1987 and 1999?

It can be a great match, moment, promo, anything - the more detail the better. As usual, the best contributions will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly, so whaddya think?

EDIT - The show discussing Survivor Series from 1987 to 1999 and your fondest memories is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean....eriesPart1.mp3

Very simply:
"HULKAMANIA IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE UNDERTAKER!"

So it kind of spans a year for me. I wasn't seeing PPVS live much back then, especially not around Thanksgiving, which we spent in a cabin with a non-PPV compatible TV Arial antenna. I wasn't that excited about DiBiase's mystery partner, who I was convinced was Randy Savage given his heel history with DiBiase and not too old feud with Dusty. So when I saw the next Superstars show and saw the recap of (*coughKANEcough*) the Undertaker's debut I was shocked that it was a brand new wrestler and instantly enamored of this zombie-esque, slow-walking giant that planted Koko B Ware on his head. A year later I was bored of Hogan and really mad that he was going to steamroll the guy I had been cheering for a year. So tuning in to see the Undertaker holding the precious WWF belt was absolutely thrilling for me. His reign may have been short but I was equally delighted when "On the Take" Tunney (best president since Noriega!) vacated the belt to set up the best Rumble in history. Hell even Hogan's beating him with a handful of CREMATED HUMAN REMAINS TO THE FACE was wholly entertaining to me (yeah there's your American hero - whining, cheating, desecrator of the dead!)

I used to just like the random teams. It's not like today where you get a lot of 6 man and 8 man tags, back then it was just cool to see so many name guys in one match.

But then the matches themselves were pretty lame for the most part. It's always been a weird event to me.

Undertaker's debut @ Survivor Series '90. He wasn't expected to succeed, but if we could go back and talk to ourselves from 25 years ago, we'd slap ourselves silly for thinking that.

Also, Rock's debut as "The Blue Chipper" Rocky Maivia @ Survivor Series '96. Similar story, except I'm convinced Vince had him hand-picked for success, whereas this guy with a goofy haircut and ring attire probably looked green as fuck to the fans. Fast forward 2 years later to Survivor Series '98: Deadly Game, and Rock wins his first WWF Championship, with Vince even there to hand it to him. If it wasn't clear that Rock would be a huge deal for a long time to come up until then, it was made readily apparent to the fans that night.

Montreal Screw job. It kicked off the attitude era and laid the groundwork for Bret Clark to dominate wcw!

Loved SS 1987-1990

Deadly Games 98 is the best ppv ever and made me a wrestling fan, until wrestling then became terrible.

I really got turned on during Survivor Series 2013. My girlfriends and I had a Ouija board and we summoned the spirit of Andre the Giant during the ppv and then he had sex with me later that night.

The Rock winning his first world title. Was always a big mark once he got going in the Nation, and even though it was a heel turn, I still popped for him as it meant he was now the man, regardless of his allegiances.

Also kick started what would be WWE's comeback against WCW in the ratings war, as Foley's win a few months later would swing the momentum in their favor while simultaneously building the second biggest star in the company.

This.

Perhaps the most perfect night of booking ever.

The way they weaved the story of Vince stacking the deck against Rock, with matches against the guys from The Corporation, while making you think that Mankind was the Vince's choice was fantastic. The culmination of Austin being brought back by Shane only to screw with him again. Perfect example of intertwining storylines.

Only negative was reliving the Montreal Screwjob.

Just to be different I'll throw out there the WWE vs Alliance at Series 2001 to bring the Invasion Storyline to a close. It could have been so much more of an angle leading up to it but the match was pretty good and couldn't be beat Star Power wise. Jericho turning Heel, Angle turning face just for the night. Might not be top moment for most but one that sticks out to me.

Pretty much all of this except for I was seeing everything as it happened. Marked out huge for takers win and the ride to rr and mania 8.

So much this especially for the first couple years. You saw how deep the roster was. Also love the conquistadors getting on a ppv

1994, because I had the VHS and watched it a lot.

Loved Bob Backlund/Bret Hart....

Also loved midgets. Who doesn't love midgets?!

Plus good Undertaker moment....

Watched it a lot....

I don't know what happened any of those other years off the top of my head.... so 1994 wins.

The Survivor Series Promo from 1989 where all the wrestler say what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving.

It's just so campy and wonderful. My facebook status every Thanksgiving for the past 8 years has been

"I'm thankful for Damian and the DDT"

The MSG crowd during the main event of Survivor Series 1996. Sid really was the ruler of the world that night.

Hope you won't think I'm being a jerk here, but the thread title says "1987-1999" Not saying your opinion isn't valid, just pointing that out. :)

Seconded. My favorite is Roddy Piper saying "I'm thankful that I'm not Ricky Rude" then blowing a kiss at the camera. I thought that was hilarious as a kid, and I guess I still do now.

Haha they had a good run at Survivor Series

It makes me laugh when people would say "bring back the traditional elimination matches" and I would think most of those were God awful.

Yeah this show still stands up as one of my all time favorites. As you said, amazing booking.

Wasnt ss 89 where jake cut the amazing promo on andre with sean mooney?

The main events were good but an entire card full of them was too much. Two on a modern PPV would be good.

I always enjoyed all of those matches, and I think there's a simple reason why. I started watching wrestling around the time of SummerSlam 1990, and a lot of the way I got into wrestling in general was by renting tapes of past PPVs. Survivor Series events were way full of guys I had never seen before, and since I didn't really know the relative statuses of who was at the bottom or middle of the card, there wasn't a lot of difference for me between the Red Rooster, Blue Blazer, Brooklyn Brawler, Ron Bass, Bad News Brown, Danny Davis, etc etc. There were basically just the Main Eventers (Hogan, Andre, Warrior,) and a bunch of other guys. So watching a bunch of Survivor Series matches was just seeing a lot of wrestlers for me, which was pretty damn cool. Even the Conquistadors weren't any different to me than the Rockers or the Rougeaus.

2002 - HBK return to win WH Title in first ever Elimination Chamber....

Totally missed that lol No offense taken at all.

Going with those years, I'd say the first one with Hogan and Andre in ring together for first time since Mania 3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link:

http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean....eriesPart1.mp3

Join us as we discuss every Survivor Series from 1987 to 1999! Talking about the show's battle for relevance and identity in its early years, we also take your feedback on your fondest Survivor Series memories from this period, and go over each installment of the Thanksgiving Eve Tradition, the key matches, the dynamic of the show, fun nostalgia, and much more. A really fun trip down memory lane this week, check it out and let us know what you think!

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I'm keen to check this out. Been listening to so much of you guys lately. As you explore the later years of the Survivor Series, I hope the relevancy of the Survivor Series concept is discussed.

Same here. This was the very first WWF show I ever watched

Great show. Loved that the relevancy of the SS Elimination Match format came up. I honestly had no clue the WWE deviated from it as early as they did. I thought it might have been an Attitude era thing. I have a blind-spot when it comes to the history of that PPV.

Thanks very much dude, glad you enjoyed it. And I agree, its not like I was never aware, but its really only when you go show by show on what each one was trying to achieve that you see so clearly that the show was a work in progress by the fourth one. I'm editing this weeks show tonight, but while it dissolves at a certain point, its arguable that the peak of Survivor Series relevance is in the beginnings of the second half of its existence, at least once you take nostalgia out of it.