30 years of WWE Survivor Series: Ranking each event

2. Survivor Series 2002

Following an amazing event the year before, the 2002 edition of Survivor Series did not disappoint to follow it up. There were just six matches on the card but not a single of one of them could be put into the below-average category.

The opener saw Jeff Hardy team with The Dudley Boyz to take on 3-Minute Warning and Rico in a Table Elimination Match and even when tables were busted, people weren’t eliminated as you had to actually put your opponent through one. So if you think there were only five tables broken in the match, you’re sorely mistaken. Great start to get the MSG crowd fired up.

Next up was a Cruiserweight Championship Match between Billy Kidman and Jamie Noble that was much better than I remembered it to be when I went back and watched. That was followed up by a solid match for the Women’s Championship between Trish Stratus and Victoria, who was so much better than anyone ever gave her credit for.

The WWE Championship Match between Brock Lesnar and Big Show had some great build to it with Lesnar having a broken rib and Heyman telling him that he couldn’t beat the giant. Lesnar was still actually giving promos at the time and said he was ready to go and while the match was short, Lesnar looked like a monster with the suplex and the F-5. He had everything locked up and then Paul Heyman turned on him in a great moment In less than five minutes, those three guys told a great story and that’s not easy to do.

The penultimate match of the night was a Triple Threat Match for the tag titles and featured six of the best wrestlers in the world. Look at his lineup. Chavo & Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio. There’s no way that could go wrong and it obviously didn’t.

The main event of the night was the very first Elimination Chamber Match and was Shawn Michaels’ second match back after more than four years away. The structure really was a sight to see and provided great entertainment all night long . Triple H was a beast here as he actually had his larynx crushed when RVD jumped off one of the pods and he still went another 20 minutes. Watching HBK in the confetti was a very cool moment as he and Trips tore the house down after all the other eliminations. Great end to a great show.