The 9 Strangest Matches In Survivor Series History
WWE's Survivor Series is one of the most storied shows in the company's history. Stretching all the way back to 1987, Survivor Series is the second longest-running show in WWE history, only behind WrestleMania. In that over 30-year history, the show has seen plenty of strange moments, from the debut of The Undertaker to the hatching of The Gobboldy Gooker.
RELATED: 10 Years Where Survivor Series Was The Best PPV
There has been no shortage of strange matches in the show's history either. Plenty of bizarre matchups have been forgotten, ones that would leave fans scratching their heads when looking back on the record books, asking "Did that really happen?" Without further ado, let's take a trip down memory road and look at some of the strangest and most bizarre matchups in Survivor Series history.
9 Chuck Norris Referees An Undertaker Title Match (1994)
The feud between Undertaker and Yokozuna stretched all the way back to the previous year. The mighty sumo wrestler was responsible for taking The Undertaker out of action for a number of months until his eventual return at SummerSlam 1994. The rivalry would ultimately culminate with a Casket Match at that year's Survivor Series.
A match featuring a casket might seem strange enough from the outside looking in, but that's standard stuff for wrestling fans. What really made this match interesting was the inclusion of the toughest man on the planet as the special guest referee. Yokozuna's manager Mr. Fuji employed the help of nine other wrestlers to take The Undertaker out during their previous clash. In order to make sure that no one interfered this time around, Chuck Norris was brought in as a special guest referee. After delivering a few superkicks to keep the peace, Taker rolled the big man into the casket for the win.
8 The Montreal Screwjob (1997)
It might seem obvious, but the infamous Montreal Screwjob had to be one of the strangest nights in pro wrestling history. Never before had the fabric of the industry been torn up in front of the fans like it was on that night. A WCW-bound Bret Hart refused to do the job to Shawn Michaels, so Vince McMahon and company forced his hand and ended the match early, awarding Michaels the belt in the process.
The chaos that ensued is the stuff of legend, with Hart destroying the ringside area and unleashing his fury on Vince McMahon for everyone to see. It is easily one of the most controversial nights in all of sports entertainment and left fans wondering what exactly happened for years to come.
7 Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. Triple H Ends In A No Contest (2000)
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H had plenty of battles across the Attitude Era, but few ended in stranger fashion than this No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship. Both stars battered each other with weapons galore until things eventually spilled backstage. There, Austin was met by Chris Benoit and the rest of The Radicalz, who provided enough of a distraction for Triple H to make an escape in his car.
RELATED: Steve Austin vs Triple H: 10 Things Most Fans Don't Realize About Their Rivalry, 20 Years Later
It was a short-lived getaway for The Game, who quickly learned that you should never mix motor vehicles with The Texas Rattlesnake. Triple H would eventually return to the scene when Austin suddenly appeared in a forklift. He picked up Triple H's car and dropped it off the forklift from 30 feet in the air, causing the match to end in a no-contest.
6 The Very First Elimination Chamber Match (2002)
It's tough to say who would have been more shocked when they saw the Elimination Chamber for the first time, the fans or the wrestlers who would actually be fighting on the inside. Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels all gathered together to put on an amazing, albeit a very unconventional match.
RELATED: Every Elimination Chamber Event In History, Ranked
One by one, each Superstar entered until Shawn Michaels was the last man standing. Elimination Chamber matches are a yearly staple in modern-day WWE, but this first match was truly a risky creative move that proved to pay big dividends for WWE in the future.
5 Mr. McMahon Buries The Undertaker Alive (2003)
Vince McMahon is no stranger to unconventional matches. He's battled Brett Hart at WrestleMania, took on Shawn Michaels and God Himself in a tag-team match, and even managed to bury The Undertaker alive. That's right, the Chairman of the Board actually managed to beat The Deadman at his own game at 2003's Survivor Series when they went head-to-head in a Buried Alive match.
McMahon found himself mere moments from defeat after being tossed into the foreboding gravesite. Before Undertaker could seal the deal, he was suddenly attacked by Kane. McMahon capitalized on the distraction and picked up the win.
4 Teddy Long & Eric Bischoff Square Off (2005)
Normally, Survivor Series sees the wrestlers of RAW and SmackDown face-off, but this time around it was the general managers of both brands that threw down. After weeks of trash talk from both sides about who managed the superior show, Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long met for a one-on-one match that featured a referee from both shows.
Bischoff looked especially ridiculous here, as he made his way to the ring in full karate gear. The match was one of the worst in Survivor Series history. Things appeared to be coming to a close when Bischoff had Long locked in a sleeper hold, but outside interference from The Boogeyman allowed Teddy to pick up the win.
3 Returning Legends Vs. The Spirit Squad (2006)
A team comprised of these WWE Hall of Famers might not have been strange once upon a time, but seeing legends of this caliber step back into the ring was a rare treat for many WWE fans. The match was a four-on-four Survivor Series elimination match between The Spirit Squad (Kenny, Johnny, Nicky, and Mikey), with Mitch managing the team and Team WWE Legends (Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, and Ron Simmons), with Arn Anderson in their corner.
RELATED: 10 Memorable Rivals You Forgot Teamed Up At Survivor Series
The match featured all of the legends getting their signature spots on, with The Spirit Squad selling their offense like it was the 1980s all over again. Ric Flair ended up being the sole survivor and picked up the win for his legendary team.
2 Vladimir Kozlov Challenges For The WWE Championship (2008)
Somehow, Vladimir Kozlov managed to make his way into the main event picture in late 2008 for a short run with the top stars. He certainly earned it though, as he had to defeat The Undertaker not once but twice to challenge for Triple H's WWE Championship.
Kozlov's championship bout with Triple H was originally scheduled to be a one-on-one affair, but Jeff Hardy was soon added to the mix and this match was then scheduled to be a triple threat. However, according to the storyline, Hardy was found unconscious at the Survivor Series event and was therefore removed from the match. The championship match was then reverted back to a singles encounter, but that didn't last long either.
After Triple H hit a Pedigree on Kozlov during the title match, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero changed the match into a triple threat and inserted her love interest Edge into the mix. Edge picked up the victory, and Kozlov never made it back to the main event scene again.
1 The Rock Teams With John Cena To Take On The Miz & R-Truth (2011)
There's quite a lot to unpack here. First off, this was The Rock's first WWE match in over seven years since leaving the WWE for Hollywood. It was also his first appearance at Survivor Series in more than a decade. His partner, John Cena, was set to be his opponent at the upcoming WrestleMania, after a year-long build for the epic showdown.
Seeing R-Truth stand across from The Rock is a bit of a ridiculous site, especially considering Truth's current standing as the comical 24/7 Champion. Truth can go with the best of them though and proved he belonged in the main event. The match ended when Rocky pinned The Miz, only to hit his partner with a Rock Bottom and sending a message before their upcoming WrestleMania clash. The unexpected return of The Rock to Survivor Series proved to be one of the best surprises fans could ask for.
NEXT: Survivor Series: 5 Best Raw Vs. SmackDown Matches (& 5 Worst)
