The 36th anniversary will take place this weekend and it should be a show to remember. Survivor Series is no stranger to producing incredible matches and moments, whether it was the jaw-dropping Montreal Screwjob to WWE putting an end to the WCW and ECW alliance once and for all. 

Of course, the top prize in the company has been a staple for most of these shows. The World Heavyweight Championship, NXT Championship, and WWE Championship have seen plenty of ups and downs at the final four pay-per-view of 2023. This list narrows down the five best world title matches at Survivor Series. 

‍

WWF Championship Match: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series 1997)

Ending aside, this match was magic the moment the bell rang. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are considered some of the best technicians in the ring and this is one of the bouts that proved it. These men genuinely hated each other, but they were professional enough to work a grueling hour-long match that was aided by the Montreal crowd. Though it sucks that the ending happened, it was the birth of heel Vince McMahon and the Attitude Era, so at least something great came out of it. A fantastic match that stands the test of time.

‍

Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: RVD vs. Booker T vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (Survivor Series 2002)

Over 20 years later this remains the best Elimination Chamber match ever. Survivor Series 2002 was just a magical night altogether. All the matches ranged from good to excellent (well, except the misguided Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar bout) and the night capped off with this unforgettable debut of the Elimination Chamber. 

The match had great synergy surrounding it and it had fun moments early on; RVD flying onto the chain walls like a spider monkey and the five-star frog splash from the pod are a notable few. Kane’s elimination was also another fun spot where he took finishers from every man inside of the match. Of course, the crux of the bout is the Michaels/Triple H feud and these two did not disappoint. That final moment of Shawn hitting Sweet Chin Music and covering Triple H for the pin was one of the best climaxes ever in a title match. 

‍

Triple Threat Match for The WWE Championship: Triple H vs. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series 2009)

Who could forget the iconic spot that started it all? The intrigue going into the match was whether DX would crumble within and creative decided to answer that question in the first five seconds. John Cena always had excellent chemistry with Shawn Michaels. That one-hour bout is still one of the best RAW matches of the modern generation.

‍

However, the match didn’t slow down when Triple H got his lick back on Michaels. But the match was at its best when all three men were involved. That superkick into a pin spot was great! The climax of the match was also another gem. Ultimately, the match result of John Cena winning wasn’t a surprise because Triple H and Shawn Michaels were doing their DX schtick, but the quality of this match was way too good to ignore. 

‍

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series 2007)

It’s wild that four out of five matches on this list feature Shawn Michaels. But “The Heartbreak Kid” has excellent chemistry with various opponents. The unique stipulation of Michaels not being able to use his finisher was a fun gimmick that thankfully wasn’t injected too much throughout the entire match.

Orton has always been at his best when he’s a heel. Whether it’s the Legend Killer or him just being a plain douchebag, the guy has become a master inside of the ring and it helps when you’re fighting a veteran like Shawn Michaels. A great match that ended a pretty good feud. 

‍

NXT Championship match: Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne (Survivor Series 2019)

Survivor Series has had names like Mankind, The Rock, The Undertaker, and Psycho Sid headline the event, but when you look back at the matches in the early 90’s a good portion of them just don’t hold because wrestling has evolved since then. This match is a strong representation of the evolution of wrestling. 

But this match wasn’t just about moves, it had a simple story of both men targeting an injured body part. That resulted in a lot of cool counters and kicks. The moonsault into superkick always looks great. But that Bitter End near fall was amazing. The most impressive thing was the Bitter End turning into a Panama Sunrise. The fans were pretty quiet early on because they weren’t familiar with these two, but this match opened up a lot of eyes and got the “This is Awesome” chant before the final three count.