WWF Survivor Series 1991 (Version II)

Original Airdate: November 27, 1991

From Detroit, Michigan; Your Hosts are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan

Opening Survivor Series Elimination Match: Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Virgil v Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, Mountie, and Warlord: Sadly, no snappy team names this year. With the Big Gold Belt no longer an option, the WWF has Flair carrying around a custom made belt here, which they blur to give the impression that it might be the WCW belt. For years, I believed it to be one of the tag belts, but recent evidence has shown that it was actually a custom made belt (you can Google images), which used the same design template as the tag belts. Of course, at a distance, you can't read the writing on the plates, so why they commissioned a belt that looked so similar to the tag design to begin with is another mystery entirely. Piper wants Flair to start, but he gets DiBiase instead - with Flair taking a cheap shot from the apron right away. Ya gotta love Slick Ric. Piper takes it out on DiBiase though, and crotches him across the top rope. That annoys Sherri, since she was probably counting on some Teddy Bear love that night, so she tries attacking - Roddy responding by forcibly kissing her. Of course today, that would be an instant lawsuit, but back in 1991, he was just a scamp. Piper takes Ted down in a hammerlock before tagging, and the faces take turns working the arm in a fun segment. Hart ends up missing a cross corner knee to allow Ted to capitalize with a spinning-toehold, but Bret counters and a pinfall reversal sequence ends in the Hitman armdragging him over for an armbar. Criss cross goes Ted's way with a hiptoss, and he passes over to Flair - Ric quickly missing an elbowdrop, and taking an inverted atomic drop. Tag to Davey for a slingshot into the corner, as Piper tries to control himself on the apron. Smith with a press-slam before finally giving Roddy the tag, and Piper wastes no time - blitzing Flair with rights until the Nature Boy falls out of the ring! Roddy follows to send him into the steps out there, but Flair gets away, and quickly tags out to Warlord on the way back in. Warlord wants a test-of-strength, but Piper wisely lets Davey Boy pinch-hit for him. Smith throws a dropkick, but misses a cross corner charge, and Mountie tags in with a jumping backelbow. He fails to cut the ring in half, however, and Hart gets the tag - Mountie quickly passing over to DiBiase. Bret takes out his aggressions on the Million Dollar Man with a backbreaker and a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but a criss cross ends in a double-knockout spot. Tags to Davey and Mountie, and Smith delivers a press-slam. That draws Flair in for some chops, but Davey no-sells, so DiBiase comes in too. Smith fights them all off and hits the Running Powerslam on Mountie, but the referee is caught up trying to clear the ring, and Flair dives onto Smith with a flying axehandle for the pin at 10:55. Piper rushes right in to attack Ric, but gets caught in the heel corner, and overwhelmed against all four men. That allows Flair a snapmare to setup a kneedrop, but a second one misses, and Piper capitalizes with a figure four! The other heels save, and Ted gets the tag - coming in with a kneebreaker on the Hot Rod. Spinning-toehold, but Piper counters with an inside cradle for two, so Mountie tags in to try a Boston crab. Piper actually manages to tag out to Virgil while in the hold, and he does his Golden Gloves routine on Ric, then hits a backdrop. Tag back to DiBiase, and Virgil is all too ready for that one! He delivers a series of turnbuckle smashes on his former boss, but gets reversed into the ropes, and hit with a powerslam. Virgil gets dumped to the outside for the heels to abuse, and Warlord gets the Full Nelson on him, but Bret saves with his own flying axehandle behind the referee's back, and Piper covers at 17:00! Nice booking there, mirroring the cheap way the heels eliminated Bulldog. Roddy quickly adds a schoolboy on DiBiase, but it only gets two, so Roddy follows up with a vertical suplex. Back to Virgil for a few clotheslines, and he looks to put DiBiase away with the Million Dollar Dream, but Ted drops into the turnbuckles to escape. That's enough to allow a tag to Flair, and he schools Virgil in the corner ahead of delivering a side suplex. Tag to Mountie for a dropkick, then to DiBiase for a 2^nd rope flying elbowsmash and a gutwrench suplex - the heels cutting the ring in half. Virgil manages to fight DiBiase off by countering a backdrop with a swinging neckbreaker for the tag to Piper, and Roddy gets in there with Flair! Ten-punch in the corner and a series of turnbuckle smashes put Flair in trouble, so his teammates come in. Roddy's teammates cut them off, however, and Piper corner whips Ric - Flair flipping over the top to the floor. Meanwhile, the brawl in the ring continues, and with the referee unable to restore order, he decides to disqualify everyone in the ring at 22:48. But, of course, Flair is not in the ring, and therefore he is the sole survivor!
Survivor: Ric Flair
I know a lot of people dislike that particular finish, but much like the finish from the opener at the 1994 version of this show, I thought it was quite clever. It's certainly grown on me over time, and I think it's preferable to doing a bunch of cheap countout/DQ finishes for guys you don't want to job the way they usually do in these matches. But, no matter your opinion on the finish, it's hard to find much fault with the rest of the match, as it was non-stop action from the bell to bell. *** ¼ (Original rating: *** ¼)

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Tito Santana, and Kerry Von Erich v Col. Mustafa, Berzerker, Hercules, and Skinner: Hopefully, this will be quick. Like, anything over even ten minutes is going to be a chore. I mean, a team CAPTAINED by Col. Mustafa? Tito starts with Skinner, and a big criss cross ends in Santana knocking him out of the ring with the jumping forearm! Back in, Tito tries the same gag a second time, but this time Skinner ducks him, and passes to Berzerker for a 2^nd rope flying legdrop - Santana dodging! Tag to Von Erich, so Berzerker throws a dropkick, but that misses as well, so the other heels gang up to take the wind out of his sails. See, because he's the 'Tornado.' That's why it's funny. Tags to Duggan and Hercules, and it's another heel gang-up on the Hacksaw. Kind of weird that they had Kerry tag out just to let Duggan do the exact same sequence. Mustafa tries a chinlock (one might guess to inquire about Duggan's after show riding buddy plans), but Duggan reverses a vertical suplex attempt, and he gets the tag to Slaughter - giving us the Slaughter/Mustafa showdown literally no one asked for. And, in suitable fashion, it ends after five seconds when Sarge simply clotheslines him for the pin at 7:57. Berzerker blitzes him at the fall and hammers away, cross corner whipping Slaughter to allow him to take his patented bump. Big boot gets two, but Sarge ends up crotching him on the top rope, and tagging out to Duggan. Jim quickly clotheslines Berzerker over the top, then backdrops him over the top when the big viking climbs back in. Tag to Kerry for a Discus Punch, but Berzerker can't even be bothered to go down for it, and passes to Hercules. Poor Kerry. First he gets his finisher no-sold, and now he has to work with Hercules. No wonder he killed himself. Luckily, he immediately tags Tito, thus likely postponing tragedy by a year. Santana makes do, hitting Hercules with a jumping forearm at 12:05. The heels quickly attack and go to work on Tito, but Skinner fails to notice a blind tag to Slaughter, and gets schoolboyed at 13:31. Berzerker rushes in, but again misses a dropkick (maybe don't try throwing dropkicks?), and Sarge cross corner whips him, then whips him right into a 3-Point Stance from Duggan at 14:19.
Survivors: Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Tito Santana, Kerry Von Erich
This wasn't what anyone might classify as 'good,' but it also wasn't as bad as I remember it being, or as bad as it could easily have been. ** (Original rating: -*)

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Undertaker: Those who grew up on wrestling in the early 90s know exactly what a mid-show main event means. Feeling out process to start, with Hogan unable to make a lot of traction, and actually being forced to bail out of the ring early on. Undertaker grabs a chokehold the moment Hogan climbs back in, and he works the champion over in the corner. Man, Hogan is just getting totally dominated here. He usually controls the early going for a bit before taking a beating and making the comeback, but this has been ALL Undertaker thus far. Bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Hulk dodges, and he can't take 'Taker off his feet! He does manage to clothesline him over the top, but Undertaker still lands on his feet, and sweeps Hogan to the outside for a trip into the steps. Undertaker chokes him with an electrical cable out there, then back in for more choking. Even Paul Bearer does some choking! You've gotta give Undertaker credit, the guy made it all the way to the world title within only a year of his debut (back when that sort of thing didn't happen so often) on basically the gimmick alone, with almost no move set. The level of dedication he had to the gimmick was and is impressive. Hulk is having a Dusty Rhodes kind of night tonight, spending the entire match on his back playing dead. He's not really getting his cardio in tonight, that much is for certain! Hulk powers out of (yet another) choke, but Undertaker cuts off a comeback with a jumping clothesline, and quickly (well, as quickly as Undertaker moves) follows up with the Tombstone! Hogan no-sells and starts mounting a comeback, and actually manages to make some headway this time. Bodyslam and a big boot draws Ric Flair down to ringside, but that distraction allows Undertaker to recover, and Flair slides a chair in for 'Taker to Tombstone Hogan onto for the title at 12:45. It's worth noting that this draws a significant amount of cheers, even from the kiddies in the crowd. The match was a complete and total stinker, but the angle was good, so it wasn't a total loss, or anything. –* (Original rating: -*)

Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Nasty Boys and The Beverly Brothers v The Rockers and The Bushwhackers: Brian Knobbs starts with Butch, and gets knocked around until his tags Jerry Sags. Butch bulldogs him and starts double teaming with Luke to clean house, so the Beverly's come in, but the Bushwhackers clean house on them as well with a pair of Battering Rams. Hey, the Bushwhackers are fine in VERY small doses, and if that is literally the end of their involvement in this, we have a shot, kids! The dust settles on Blake Beverly and Shawn Michaels, and Blake controls with a backbreaker before passing to Knobbs. Shawn gets away from him with a high knee, however, and he tags back to Luke - the dumbass messing around and eating a 2^nd rope flying clothesline at 5:21. Well, they weren't known for their brains. Dust settles on Sags and Michaels, and Jerry vertical suplexes the Rocker, but misses a charge, and eats a flying bodypress for two. Tag to Marty Jannetty for a splash, and he works an armbar as the announcers spend time hyping This Tuesday In Texas. Beau Beverly manages to tag in and hit Marty with a somersault neckbreaker (I guess now that Curt Hennig wasn't competing, that was on the menu again), but Marty lands on his feet during a backdrop, and dropkicks Beau for two. Marty works a front-facelock, but the referee gets bumped during an exchange, and Beau capitalizes with a corner whip. Gutwrench suplex gets two, but Marty manages to tag Butch, and he comes in hot on both Beverly's - only to run into a flapjack/facebuster combo at 10:13. Hey, at least they were the first to go. Marty comes in with a monkeyflip and a rana on Beau for two, but a leg-feed enzuigiri sends him right into a tag to Blake. Jannetty manages to fight him off with an armdrag to allow the tag to Shawn, but Beau is ready with a kneelift. The heels cut the ring in half on Michaels, but Beau tries one backbreaker too many, and eats a backslide at 14:30. Blake rushes right in and keeps the hurt on Shawn with a forward-powerslam for two, and they get back to cutting the ring in half on the Rocker. Shawn manages to avoid getting tossed over the top by Sags ahead of dropkicking him out of the ring, and Michaels adds a nice flying clothesline off the apron out there! He blasts Knobbs with a superkick to prevent a cheap shot, but Jerry is able to swat him out of the air on a flying axehandle attempt, and Blake comes in with a legdrop. Shawn fights him off long enough to tag Marty, but it doesn't take long for him to get overwhelmed, and clobbered. Sags with a pumphandle-slam and a side suplex, but a 2^nd rope flying splash from Knobbs hits knees, and Shawn gets the tag - Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! All five men brawl, but Marty accidentally hits Shawn while lifting Sags for a slam, and Knobbs schoolboys Michaels at 19:41! Shawn totally flips out about it, and tears into Jannetty - foreshadowing their upcoming split. That distraction allows Knobbs to attack, and the heels work Jannetty over, as the announcers keep talking about how Michaels walked out of the match without getting pinned. I guess they missed it, in between all the This Tuesday In Texas hype. Marty manages to fight back and hit a wild flying bodypress into the aisle on both Nasty's, then rush back in with a facebuster on Beau! Inside cradle on Sags, but Knobbs reverses it, and we're done at 23:06.
Survivors: Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, Blake Beverly
I used to really dislike this match, and remember it being quite terrible, but it's actually another one that is better than I recalled it. Yes, it's still far too long for what it is, but there was almost no resting, and the Rockers did an admirable job of carrying the whole thing with their quick bursts of offense in between bouts of selling. ** ¼ (Original rating: ½*)

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Big Boss Man and The Legion of Doom v Irwin R. Schyster and The Natural Disasters: These three (likely drunken) assholes in the front row have been trying to get themselves over all night by standing up and doing Randy Orton poses, and they're getting really obnoxious. Boss Man starts with IRS, and Boss Man quickly gets the better of him by sweeping the leg, and corner whipping him. Tag to Earthquake, but he wants one of the LOD guys instead, and Animal obliges. Earthquake manages a backbreaker, but misses a splash, and Animal responds with a dropkick. Jumping shoulderblock follows for two, so he passes back to IRS. Hawk comes in with a flying axehandle and a hammerlock on the Tax Man, so he passes to Typhoon - Hawk press-slamming Irwin into Typhoon, then dropkicking them both down! Typhoon gets worked over in the face corner, but he manages to get away long enough to tag out to Earthquake. 'Quake power lifts Hawk into the heel corner, but Hawk fights off an attack, and side suplexes IRS to setup a jumping fistdrop. Tag to Boss Man for a straddling ropechoke, but Typhoon passes Irwin his briefcase, and Boss Man gets blasted for the pin at 6:23. Animal heads in, but immediately gets smushed in the heel corner, and Earthquake grinds on a bearhug into a belly-to-belly suplex for two. They cut the ring in half on Animal, but Typhoon misses a charge, and Hawk gets the tag. He comes in all fired up, but eats a cheap shot from IRS - only for a shot with the briefcase to backfire, and finish off Typhoon at 9:37. Earthquake is good and pissed about the error, and decides to walk out on the match at 10:05. Hey, just like Shawn Michaels, right Gorilla? That leaves IRS alone with both tag champions, and you can imagine how that goes for him. Hawk with a powerslam, but a cross corner charge misses, and IRS gets some traction with a couple of elbowdrops. He dumps Hawk to the outside for a trip to the steps (it's Detroit, the tourist attractions suck, deal with it), then back in for a chinlock. Dude, just get pinned already. We all know that it's coming. Stop delaying the inevitable and breaking our balls with restholds. Vertical suplex, but Hawk reverses, and tags out to Animal. Jumping shoulderblock hits, powerslam hits, tandem-clothesline hits. That's enough for Irwin, and he decides to simply walk out, but Boss Man shows up in the aisle, and forces him back into the ring. Animal is ready there with a vertical suplex, and Hawk adds a flying clothesline to end it at 15:21. Well, at least that's one clean fall in this match.
Survivors: Hawk, Animal
This was a pretty boring outing, with three shitty falls, and very little intrigue. ¼* (Original rating: ¾*)

BUExperience: While some of the individual matches were better than I remembered them to be, the show as a whole is still not really worth your time. Yes, there is a rather historical title switch, but aside from that, the entire thing plays as little more than an extended commercial for This Tuesday In Texas, with almost nothing of consequence going on here outside of the big angle.

One thing the 1990 version got right was trimming down the match lengths from the previous editions, but everything on this show tended to run too long, and the star power was really lacking as well. Earlier Survivor Series efforts tended to have JTTS guys pad out matches, while this one had entire matches of JTTS guys. I mean, Col. Mustafa captaining his own team? Come on!

Even still, the WWF machine was so well oiled at this point that even shitty shows like this one manage to be entertaining enough to avoid the DUD-pile – though, I concede, a large factor there is probably my own nostalgia.

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