WWF Survivor Series 1989

For 1989, the WWF decided to tweak their strategy for Survivor Series – realizing that they had a winning formula to drive feuds and build angles on pay per view – but that the five-on-five format was starting to work against them. As was best exemplified in the Andre the Giant/Jim Duggan & Jake Roberts team match from the year before – they could put together interesting psychological battles – but often much of the concept was lost on the audience by having to sit through overlong bouts, not getting to the meat of the match until over twenty minutes in. It served them better instead to pair four against four, providing them the elbow room to run five matches instead of the usual four – and allowing them to book their action in a more succinct manner.

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Opening Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Dream Team (Dusty Rhodes, Brutus Beefcake, The Red Rooster, and Tito Santana) v The Enforcers (The Big Bossman, Bad News Brown, The Honky Tonk Man, and Rick Martel): Another change for '89 was the addition of snappy team names, which was always something I loved - reading them on VHS box at the store, and imagining the exciting afternoons I was in for. Santana and Honky Tonk start, and Honky gets an advantage, so he tags in Martel - who had an issue with Santana after their tag team (Strike Force) broke up back at WrestleMania. He hits a crisp dropkick, so Tito runs to the Red Rooster (still Terry Taylor. Still the gimmick where he's a farm animal). He gets caught in the wrong part of town, however, and the heels cut the ring in half. Double knockout spot allows him to get the tag back to Tito, and he unloads with dropkicks on Martel. Backdrop, but Martel blocks the figure four. Undeterred, Santana gets a rollup, but Martel reverses, and Tito heads to the casa at 9:15. Rhodes tries his luck next, unloading the elbow smashes, and a dropkick gets two. Beefcake works the arm, but Rooster gets caught with a backbreaker. Bossman in for a back elbow, and he grabs a bearhug. Rooster fights out, and gets the bad news of Bad News, who chokes the chicken. A double team with Bossman doesn't work out, however, and News... well... let's just say News isn't exactly the type of fella who takes kindly to law enforcement. He walks out on them at 15:26. Hey, he did literally the same thing last year - and Honky was team captain, to boot - so if he wasn't smart enough to warn his teammates this time around, serves them right for recruiting him. Beefcake jumps the dazed Bossman, but quickly gets overwhelmed, and Honky hits a side suplex for two. Criss cross, and Beefcake catches him with a high knee for the pin at 17:24 - which he used for an elimination in the very first Survivor Series match, as well. Martel attacks, grabbing a chinlock, and somehow not tripping over his bootlaces on the way. Backbreaker, but Beefcake catches him with a sunset flip to put him out at 20:13. He quickly bails to Rooster, who quickly walks into a Bossman slam at 21:00. Bossman makes the mistake of asking for Rhodes (when Beefcake is dying), and I guess the wishbone split his way (he looks like he ate enough turkeys to have several opportunities at it), and Dusty finishes with a bodypress at 22:02. Afterwards, Bossman beats Rhodes with his nightstick, until Beefcake saves with his hedge clippers.
Survivors: Dusty Rhodes, Brutus Beefcake
Good booking here, allowing Bossman to look strong on the way to defeat, and building Brutus Beefcake up - who was scheduled to get an Intercontinental Title push the following summer - before a parasailing accident more or less ended his career. Match was well paced, but the bulk of the action was 'kick-punch' type of stuff. * ½

Survivor Series Elimination Match: The King's Court (Randy Savage, Earthquake, Greg Valentine, and Dino Bravo) v The 4x4's (Jim Duggan, Bret Hart, Hercules, and Ronnie Garvin): Valentine and Bravo, the former 'New Dream Team,' have seemingly forgotten that they were ever a tag team at all by this point in WWF history. The 2x4's do a synchronized 2x4 routine during the entrances, in a cute bit that essentially to exemplifies late 80s WWF in about thirty seconds. Savage and Hercules start, and Hercules gets a press slam right away, so Savage trades off to Valentine. Herc with a delayed atomic drop, and everyone trades off with quick tags, popping in and out to hit a couple of quick spots, and then tag out again. We end up with Hercules and Earthquake, and a quick Earthquake-splash finishes at 3:57. Not a bad showing there, considering he was a last minute replacement for Barry Windham (who bailed on the WWF), though it makes sense, as he was a newcomer, and they were building him up. The 2x4's trip him up, and Garvin works him over, but gets caught in the heel corner, and double teamed by the not-New Dream Team. Valentine goes for the figure four (he and Garvin had an issue over it), but gets blocked, so Savage hits a flying axehandle instead, then brings Greg back in to finish the job. He controls, but runs into a clothesline from Jim Duggan, and gets pinned at 7:32. Bravo jumps him during the celebration, and Savage snaps his neck across the top rope for two. Earthquake looks to finish, but misses an elbowdrop, and we get Garvin/Bravo. Garvin with the Garvin Stomp (a finisher so ridiculous, I didn't even buy it as a nine year old supermark), as it's basically Garvin stomping (hey!) the laid out opponent's various body parts in a clockwise fashion, full circle. Even he realizes it sucks, and tries a Sharpshooter to finish instead, but Bret takes umbrage to that, and tags in – facing off with Savage. Hart with an inverted atomic drop, but Bravo sticks his nose in, ruining everyone’s fun. Bret lets Garvin have him, but Garvin can't even handle that, getting caught in a sidewalk slam at 11:17. The 2x4's unload on Earthquake next, so he bails to Savage, and now we have a proper mini-match. Bret forces him into the face corner, and he and Duggan work some double teams, tying Savage up in the ropes. Backbreaker gets two, and an inside cradle for two. Sailing elbow off of the 2^nd rope misses, however, and Bravo comes in for a big elbowdrop. Bearhug, and Earthquake in with a double chokeslam, as the King's Court cuts the ring in half. Heel miscommunication allows Hart to tag to Duggan, and then, in a brilliant, but subtly display of psychology - after Duggan misses an elbowdrop, instead of trying to capitalize, Savage railroads him into his home corner, helping him tag Hart - which he knows he will do, because a) he just missed a spot, and b) he's Jim Duggan. Stupid, stupid Jim Duggan. Splendid mastery of ring psychology there, as Savage knows Duggan is fresh, but Hart just took the brunt of the abuse from all three heels, and will be easy pickings. And, indeed, he leads Bret right into the heel corner for more abuse. Bravo with a shoulderbreaker, and Savage's Big Elbow finishes Hart at 19:06. Duggan is left alone, but he doesn't quite have the mental capacity to mount a chess game comeback the way Jake Roberts did in the same situation the year before. He holds his own well enough (clothesline, clothesline, clothesline!), but interference from the Court's group of manger's puts him on the floor for the countout at 23:25.
Survivors: Randy Savage, Earthquake, Dino Bravo
Match was a perfect example of what I discussed during the introduction, as they worked some great psychological bits - but didn't take so long to get to them that the crowd had grown impatient, and in fact wrapped the whole thing up in just over twenty minutes. The pacing was much better this way, even if again, the actual wrestling between this lineup (outside of some nice - if brief - work from Hart/Savage) wasn't much more than an exhibition of kicks and punches. **

Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Million Dollar Team (Ted DiBiase, Zeus, and The Powers of Pain) v The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, and Demolition): Quite a lineup, actually, though WWF Champion Hulk Hogan is working the middle of the show, giving the Ultimate Warrior a chance to headline - and test the waters for the impending title change at WrestleMania VI, four months down the line. The biggest issue here is between Hogan and Zeus - in one of the sillier things the WWF ran - as Hogan made the feature film No Holds Barred, co-starring Tom Lister (or 'Zeus'). In the film, Zeus was the villain, and Hogan defeated him handily. However, the angle was that Zeus was a real-life person, and came to the WWF to avenge the loss in the film, which even as a child seemed pretty ridiculous. I mean, from the earliest age, your parents explain to you that movies (especially anything scary) are 'just make-believe,' and while you may buy into wrestling as authentic, this was pushing it too far. Do you see Carl Weathers chasing Stallone around the streets of Beverly Hills trying to get the win back from Rocky? Maybe he was just the greatest method actor alive - Robert DeNiro, or Daniel Day-Lewis on crack? A better take might have been having him show up as himself, saying he always wanted to break into wrestling, but Hogan was a prima donna asshole on set, and wouldn't get him a tryout. So here he is for revenge. Or, he's the actor from the movie, and Hogan was a prima donna asshole on set, not pulling his punches during takes - really hitting him - and, since he's a big'un, he wants revenge. Neither of those are great angles, and make Hogan look to heel-ish (remember, this is the era where people are contractually forbidden from mentioning his bald spot, let alone make him look bad) - but still would have been better than the stupid, intelligence insulting shit they went with instead. Hogan starts with Zeus, but somehow the WWF World Champion can't manage to outwrestle a movie actor. Zeus no-sells literally everything Hogan throws at him, and grabbing a chokehold until the referee disqualifies him at 3:21. Even as a kid, watching this on VHS for the first time some five year after the fact, I thought that was the most ridiculous elimination. Of course, it was all to set up a later blowoff - in this case a special pay per view presentation of Hogan's movie, coupled with a cage match between Hogan/Beefcake and Zeus/Savage the next month. Luckily they came to their senses after that, and ended the Zeus experiment once and for all. DiBiase runs in to capitalize on Hogan, but runs into a boot, and Hulk gets the tag to Jake. Roberts is a Molotov cocktail, beating DiBiase all around the ring, and tags Demolition in for some double team fun. He catches Ax with a back elbow off of a criss cross, and Warlord pins him after manager Mr. Fuji trips him up with the omnipresent cane at 9:50. Smash tries to avenge him, but gets poked in the eyes, and the Million Dollar Team goes to work. Smash catches DiBiase with a fluke stungun to comeback, but doesn't realize Barbarian has been tagged in, and gets leveled with a flying clothesline to get sent back to Demolitionville at 13:42. Jake comes in, immediately going for the DDT, but Barbarian railroads him into the heel corner, and the fun begins. Backbreaker, and the Million Dollar Team take turns working him over - DiBiase in particular reveling in taunting him. Barbarian misses a flying headbutt, however, and Hogan's a broken home of fire. Suplex on Barbarian for two, but Warlord runs in, and they hit a nice spike piledriver - causing the referee to throw both men out at 19:51. Hogan's in trouble, however, and DiBiase easily locks the Million Dollar Dream. Hogan powers out, and Jake gets the tag, unloading. Short-arm clothesline, but interference from valet Virgil allows DiBiase to get the pin – with two feet on the ropes for good measure at 23:51. Hogan's still down in the corner - selling the beating wonderfully - and DiBiase goes to work on the neck and shoulder. Ted with a side suplex, but Hogan HULKS UP!! Big boot! Legdrop! Happy Thanksgiving at 27:32.
Survivor: Hulk Hogan
Everyone worked hard, but this never went anywhere – even at thirty minutes. Still, certainly not a bad match, and well booked – eliminating non-wrestler Zeus early on, and keeping everyone else strong. * ½    

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Roddy's Rowdies (Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, and The Bushwhackers) v The Rude Brood (Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, and The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers): Perfect jumps the Rowdies, but runs into an onslaught of bites - as the entire team takes turns biting him. Sanitary. We start more properly with Snuka and Jacques Rougeau, and Jacques tries to dazzle him with a display of somersaults, but runs into a big chop. Backbreaker, and Snuka finishes Jacques with the Superfly Splash at 4:00. Rude tries his luck, but gets headbutted, so Perfect gives it a go, only to get headbutted into Rude - in a cute bit. Piper with an atomic drop, and Raymond Rougeau tags in. Savate kick gets two on Piper, but Piper counters a backdrop with a piledriver, and both Rougeau's head home to wait for Canadian Thanksgiving at 7:30. Perfect's first to the dance, and hits the necksnap, cutting the ring in half with a front facelock. Dropkick countered with a slingshot, and Butch gets the tag. He literally bites Perfect's ass as his main offensive maneuver, but Perfect counters with actual wrestling, and rolls him up at 10:46. Piper immediately runs in with a rollup of his own, but Perfect kicks out at two, so Luke tags in to resume the biting exhibition. Perfect doesn't want to have all the fun, however, so he tags Rude - but he isn't such a saliva connoisseur, and it's a Rude Awakening for Luke at 12:14. Snuka in, but what's left of the Brood work him over with ease - though not bothering to reach into their vast arsenals too deeply, keeping it mostly based in fists and feet. Double knockout allows Snuka a tag to Piper - giving us the showdown with Rude - and they slug it out. Backdrop by Piper, but they spill to the outside, brawling up the aisle, and it's a double countout at 18:35. They had a pretty hot issue at the time - building towards a WrestleMania blowoff - but by that point, the WWF changed gears, deciding to push Rude to a main event feud for SummerSlam, and needed to keep him strong with a win at the biggest show of the year, as opposed to losing a blowoff. Back in the ring, Snuka tries to hold off Perfect, but a dropkick puts him on the floor. Suplex back in gets two, and they do a dull reversal sequence. Perfect-plex (fisherman's suplex) finishes at 21:27.
Survivor: Mr. Perfect
This was the Survivor Series formula to a tee - the midcard tag wrestlers first to go, a double countout to further an established feud, and the victory goes to the guy they're building up. That being said, certainly the dullest match on the card - particularly the slow heat segment on Snuka - as, despite some incredible talent in the ring, they chose not to showoff their ability. ¾*

Main Event: Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Ultimate Warriors (The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart, and The Rockers) v The Heenan Family (Bobby Heenan, Arn Anderson, and The Colossal Connection): Heenan himself had to get in the ring to head up his family's team, because he's just that much of a man. Also, because Tully Blanchard got bounced from the WWF not long before this. The Rockers jump everyone to start, but Andre the Giant quickly puts a stop to it (by being Andre the Giant), so Warrior runs in to make the save, and dumps Andre with a series of clotheslines – getting the quick countout at 0:27. Andre was falling apart physically at this point (he would be retired within six months), and just biding time, making a few last appearances to close out his career. Anderson starts with Neidhart (separated from Bret Hart tonight, to gauge the crowds reaction to Bret as a single) more properly, but gets shoulderblocked to hell, so Haku comes in with a thrust kick to eliminate Neidhart at 3:32. Shawn Michaels in, and he and Marty Jannetty trade off working the arm with quick tags. Jannetty gets a bodypress for two, and a diving back elbow gets two. He misses a blind charge, however, and Heenan feels brave enough to tag in. Jannetty still has enough coke in the system to fight him off, though, so Bobby quickly scampers back to Haku - in a great bit. Haku with the savate kick, and Heenan insists on tagging again. He stomps away as if he's responsible for the entire blitz, and pins Jannetty at 8:53. And then immediately bails back to Arn Anderson. Beautiful. He's not much happier - having to faceoff with Warrior - and walks right into a bearhug. He goes to the eyes to escape, and Shawn comes in. He flies around to dodge Arn, and hits a Warrior-assisted flying bodypress for two. Haku in, but he misses a bodypress, and Shawn finishes with a flying version of his own at 12:54. Odd transition there – as he has having a mini-match with Anderson, and they switched off to Haku for the express purpose of doing the elimination - likely because he was scheduled to go at thirteen minutes, though it came off looking clumsy, and awkward. Anderson comes right back in, dumping Shawn to the floor, but Michaels gets a sunset flip back in for two. Double knockout, as Anderson gets increasingly frustrated with Heenan now that he could actually use the help out there. Criss cross, and Anderson nails him with the spinebuster at 15:47. He's well worn, and doesn't really have anyone to tag, so Warrior has an easy time unloading shoulderblocks on him. Press slam, and the splash finish Anderson at 18:19. And then there was one. Warrior stalks him on the floor, as Heenan begs for the rest of the Family to come back and help. No one shows, so he tries begging off, but Warrior's a barbarian. Heenan takes a couple of Flair flips, and tries to bail, but Warrior drags him back in for the diving shoulderblock at 20:28. Survivor: The Ultimate Warrior
Match was more fun than great wrestling – but it definitely worked for what it was – with Heenan playing a great, cowardly heel, Anderson fitting perfectly into the roll of the frustrated henchman, and Warrior, the savage, biding time until he can finally get his sweet revenge. *

BUExperience: While the action isn’t technically as good as the previous year, the format change was undoubtedly an improvement – leading to peppier matches, and more intrigue. That was certainly a step in the right direction, as even as a kid, I remember classifying the first two Survivor Series’ as ‘those ones with the really long matches.’

That being said, nothing was actually settled here – with all the big issues getting the ‘tune in next time!!!’ treatment – but it’s certainly a lively, nostalgic look back at the time period. **