Mike Reviews Tapes Considered To Be Stinkers WWF Best Of The Survivor Series 1987-1997

Happy Stinky Friday Everyone!

Today we’re looking not at a show that’s a possible Stinker but a Video Tape (ask your parents what those things were kids) instead. Best Of The Survivor Series was released in 1998 and fits comfortably into one of WWF/E’s favourite categories of “completely re-writing history in order to suit our own needs”, which is something the company has become very proficient at over the years.

I’m sure bringing out a history of/best of Survivor Series tape had NOTHING to do with what happened back at Survivor Series 1997 of course and the WWF trying to desperately get a hold on the narrative surrounding it all. Nothing at all…

Michael Cole is our narrator

We open up with a bit on Andre The Giant, with the suggestion being that Hulk Hogan tried following Andre into the movies by making No Holds Barred after seeing the success Andre had with The Princess Bride, ignoring of course that Rocky III came out in 1982 whilst Princess Bride came out in 1987. They make sure to show footage of Hogan trying to act in No Holds Barred to mock him, because he was on the outs with the WWF at the time. Hulk Hogan was hardly a bastion of honour and greatness, but he did draw Vince McMahon A LOT of money so him getting buried in this Survivor Series tape because he had the temerity to have success in WCW just feels really petty. (Mike at the End of the Review:That’s a theme that will resurface as the review goes on, “Start of the Review Mike”)

We head to WrestleMania III, where Hogan retained the WWF Title, but Andre got a phantom three count at the start of the bout, which brings us to Survivor Series, or “organised gang warfare” as Michael Cole refers to it as. Err, my guy, 6/8/10 man tag matches had been part of wrestling for years, adding an elimination rule was hardly making it a gang fight. So we get clips from Survivor Series 1987, with Andre and Hogan trading shots until Hogan gets counted out when he’s busy fighting King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang. We then see Andre suplexing Bigelow, with dubbed in crowd noise because they don’t want to use commentary with Jesse Ventura on it. They could have really made more of Bigelow overcoming the odds to almost win, but he wasn’t in the WWF anymore at this point and this section of the tape was about pushing the message that Andre > Hogan, so that bit didn’t fit. I’d say the match as a whole definitely qualifies for a “Best Of” compilation though as it’s a very good match that led to Andre and Hogan doing big business for their Mania III rematch in 1988.

No we move onto Survivor Series 1989 in order to see Shawn Michaels get presented as the focus star of his match, which wasn’t really the case as the match was primarily there in order to make Ultimate Warrior look good and allow him to kill Bobby Heenan once again seeing as they had an ongoing issue due to Warrior always feuding with Heenan’s clients and also putting Heenan in a weasel suit more than once. Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly have their commentary dubbed over the action so that they again don’t have to include Jesse Ventura. Shawn did some nice stuff in the match and was obviously a promising star even in 1989, but this being presented as some sort of big moment that launched Shawn’s career is a bit of a reach. I also don’t think I’d put it on a “Best Of” VHS either, especially as you had a match on that show where Hulk Hogan, Demolition and Jake Roberts were all on the same team, but the WWF was angry with all four of those guys at the time, so instead we get a Shawn Michaels spotlight.

We head to Survivor Series 1990, where The Undertaker makes his debut. Now this was actually a pretty big moment as Undertaker not only got over right away but he was also booked like an absolute tank in his Survivor Series Elimination Match who only got eliminated by DQ. They present it like Undertaker actually won the match of course, which he didn’t, but fair enough this was something that should definitely be included on a tape like this, as it was a memorable moment and a debut of one of the WWF’s most enduring stars. Plus, there’s not much on Survivor Series 1990 that I’d class as being especially good so this was as good a match as any to include. Thankfully there’s zero mention of the Gobbledygooker.

We then head to Survivor Series 1991, where Undertaker defeats Hulk Hogan and they present it almost like Undertaker squashed Hogan in 5 minutes. They even do a thing where they acknowledge the finish but almost in a “yeah, I mean, Ric Flair DID interfere in the match of course, but COME ON, Hogan was getting killed anyway, let’s get real here guys”. Again, can you tell that Hogan was on the outs with the WWF at this point? We do at least get the real commentary now as Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan weren’t on the banned list. This is something that absolutely should have been included on the tape as it was the first time that the WWF Title changed hands at a Survivor Series, but the way it was presented here just felt like a desperate attempt to pretend that one of the WWF’s biggest stars wasn’t “all that” because he was now over in another promotion. I will say that cutting to Paul Bearer pointing to his head just as Undertaker is about to Tombstone Hogan on a chair like it was Paul’s plan all along made me chuckle.

We head to Survivor Series 1993, where we get Shawn Michaels and his Knights taking on Bret Hart and his family. Owen Hart ends up getting eliminated after colliding with Bret and is steamed about it. This of course led to Owen’s Heel turn in 1994, meaning that Owen was in Bob Backlund’s corner for the match at Survivor Series 1994. This one was all played pretty straight, probably because Owen was still in the WWF at the time. It did feel like the focus was more on Owen being a snivelling jerk rather than Bob Backlund actually winning the WWF Title, but Owen’s plan was a big part of the match anyway so you can accept it. In no way should that 1993 match have been on a Best Of list of anything outside of “Best cures for insomnia” but I guess 1993 was slim pickings and it set up the Bret Vs Backlund match for 1994, which I do think should be on a Best Of but I will concede that it’s not going to be a match for everyone.

We stick with Survivor Series 1994, as we cover Yokozuna getting a dodgy win over Undertaker at Royal Rumble 1994, leading to Chuck Norris (Yes, THAT Chuck Norris) showing up as an enforcer for their Survivor Series 1994 re-match. This was the actual Main Event of the pay per view show, so it’s perfectly fair to include it here, especially as it has the celebrity element. No complaints from me for this portion. Norris keeps King Kong Bundy and Jeff Jarrett from interfering, leading to Undertaker stuffing Yoko, and his Japanese flag, into the casket to pick up the win in a solid enough match for a past his prime Yoko. Yokozuna had basically zero good matches for about a 2 year period between 1994 and 1996 unless he was wrestling Undertaker or Bret Hart, as they were seemingly the only people who knew how to get something out of him.

Off to Survivor Series 1995 next, as we see a Bill Clinton lookalike having some fun with Sunny, whilst Christopher Hitchens probably looks on appalled were he to be bothered to actually purchase the pay per view. We then head to seeing Goldust wrestling Bam Bam Bigelow, which was kind of a nothing match that didn’t mean that much in the long run, but it did involve a current roster WWF wrestler defeating someone who didn’t work there anymore in something approaching a squash, so it’s made it onto the tape. We get pop-in’s from both Goldust and Dustin Runnels as the clips play, as Dustin was doing a Born Again gimmick at the time after rejecting the Goldust character. This really didn’t need to be included in a tape that is focused on the Best Of Survivor Series. It would be like dedicating 2-3 minutes on a history/best of WrestleMania tape to Hercules defeating Haku at WrestleMania V. There’s nothing especially wrong with the match itself but there are so many better options for a Best Of compilation.

And that’s all we get for Survivor Series 1995. We don’t have anything from the fun Wildcard Match where enemies were forced onto the same team in a really good Survivor Series Elimination bout, or any clips from the Main Event between Bret Hart and Diesel, as neither of them were working for the WWF at the time. Bret Hart Vs Diesel was a genuine classic match and probably one of the best matches Kevin Nash ever had of course, but because the match was so good it wouldn’t give the WWF anything to use to knock two guys who now worked for WCW, we sadly don’t get to see any of it and just move on. I mean, that match INVENTED the Main Event commentary table bump, it’s both a great match and historically significant. How on Earth do you NOT include it in a Best Of Survivor Series?!

Thankfully in the Survivor Series 1996 section we get to see Bret Hart Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, seeing as it was an important chapter in Austin’s journey to the top of the WWF. Of course the clips mostly focus on Austin beating Bret up and they cut away once Austin locks in the Million $ Dream without showing Bret’s counter into a pinning hold, instead showing Austin looking mean in the aisle, thus implying that Austin actually won the match. Look, I get that you wouldn’t want to show one of the top guys in your rival promotion pinning your current top guy, but this is a Best Of tape and the match had the ending it had, so suck it up or don’t make the tape to begin with. Austin losing at Survivor Series 1996 was not a bad thing, as it built the feud further and the whole point of the match was that Austin was on Bret’s level but got caught at the end, which is totally fine for a Heel climbing the ranks. Showing Bret catching Stone Cold with a counter hold after Austin had a great showing in the match itself is not going to make him look weak you insecure numpty’s.

Sticking with Survivor Series 1996; we get clips from Mankind Vs The Undertaker, which was a big feud at the time and this match was the first time that Undertaker actually got to pin Mankind in a pay per view singles match, so it’s worthy of inclusion from both a match quality and an historical importance perspective. Sadly we don’t get clips of Shawn Michaels Vs Sid, which was the Main Event of the show, because it featured Shawn Michaels losing via pin to a guy who isn’t in the WWF, so we’re not allowed to see it sadly, even though it was one of the best matches Sid ever had and features one of my favourite moments from a WWF pay per view where a Shawn fan basically deflates in the front row as Sid gets the winning pin.

Instead we skip ahead to Survivor Series 1997, where Kane destroys Mankind. This was Kane’s first pay per view singles match, so it’s a relevant inclusion, and thankfully both Kane and Mankind were still employed by the WWF at the time, so we’re allowed to show it. It was a decent match too, although there’s probably more deserving bouts you could include on a Best Of compilation like this.

Next up it’s time for Owen Hart Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1997, and we actually get a decent little section of the tape where they dedicate some time to the build-up, including an excellent interview between Jim Ross and Austin in a hotel room. Both Ross and Austin nail the delivery here, giving it a genuine feel of realism. It doesn’t feel scripted, it feels like two real people talking like real people and having a normal conversation. Austin got dropped on his head by Owen Hart at SummerSlam and suffered a serious neck injury, but he was bullish about returning and states as much in his interview with Ross.

We get clips of the match between Owen and Austin next; which is sadly not much of a bout due to Austin still being nowhere near ready to wrestle yet, meaning they have to keep it really basic and do their best to avoid Austin taking any serious bumps. Ultimately Austin manages to catch Owen with the Stunner and regains the IC Title. Honestly, considering how Austin quite literally threw the Title in the river the following month, they probably should have just had Austin cost Owen the belt to someone else prior to Survivor Series 1997 and just made this one your standard Grudge Match seeing as the issue was well beyond who was IC Champ by the time this match rolled around. This is one of those matches where it qualifies for a Best Of in the category of historical significance as it was the return of Stone Cold, but it’s not actually a good match overall.

Next up we get Shawn Michaels Vs Bret Hart, with Michael Cole going on a rant about how this was Bret Hart’s “final temper tantrum” in the WWF. Even by the generally low standards of the wrestling business, that line feels particularly petty, especially as Bret was legitimately screwed at this event. Whether you feel it was right or wrong for the screwing to happen, I don’t think anyone can dispute that Bret didn’t have some right to be peeved about it all (although I’m sure some will try). Once a finish is agreed then you can be allowed to be angry when that agreed finish doesn’t happen. Anyway, the match itself between Bret and Shawn is a really enjoyable brawl, leading to a finish where Shawn puts Bret Hart in The Sharpshooter and Vince McMahon demands the bell be rung even though Bret doesn’t submit.

Following the clips of the match; we get an interview between Jim Ross and Vince McMahon where Vince, amongst other things, complains about Bret Hart punching him and suggests that the fight might have gone differently if Vince had decided to fight back. Yeah, sure Vince. This was a big attempt on the WWF’s part to try and make Vince McMahon look like the babyface in this situation, but the fans had no interest in buying into that, leading to Vince just going along with it and becoming the new Heel foil to Stone Cold. We finish off with Michael Cole recapping what happened, defending Shawn Michaels in the process by saying Shawn didn’t want to win that way (until Shawn admitted to being in on it in 2002, it was the accepted view within WWE that Shawn was annoyed as Bret because they ruined his match without telling him what was going to happen), with the closing lines focusing on how Stone Cold Steve Austin needs to be aware, because Vince got the better of Bret and he’ll try to do the same to Austin. So yeah, they even find a way to work this event into furthering existing WWF storylines on a Best of/History of Survivor Series tape.

Is It Really A Stinker?

Oh yes absolutely!

Best of the Survivor Series is probably one of the most pointless the tapes the WWF ever put out, and was done solely as an exercise for the WWF to warp historical events in order to suit their own personal narrative. It didn’t work, either as a dive into history or as a compilation of the best moments from the Survivor Series, as so many important/great matches were left out. A nothing undercard match between Goldust and Bigelow makes it onto the tape for instance because Goldust was currently employed by the WWF. Meanwhile, the matches on that particular Survivor Series event that were actually good had too many people in them that were now in WCW or elsewhere, and thus the WWF wanted to pretend they didn’t exist anymore.

Half of the tape was essentially devoted to just recapping Survivor Series 1997, with the previous Survivor Series events being treated almost as an afterthought. We didn’t get to see anything from the 1988 or 1992 events for instance, and major matches were omitted from events such as 1995 and 1996 because the footage involved people who didn’t work for the WWF at the time and the WWF didn’t want to give them any air time. Just off the top of my head; we were missing the excellent multiple Tag Team Elimination Match from Survivor Series 1988, Bret Vs Shawn from Survivor Series 1992, Flair and Ramon Vs Savage and Perfect from Survivor Series 1992, The Wildcard Match from Survivor Series 1995 (why couldn’t include that one actually? Shawn Michaels was one of the survivors), Bret Vs Diesel from Survivor Series 1995 and Shawn Vs Sid from Survivor Series 1996. I don’t see how you can do a Best Of covering the first 10 years of the Survivor Series without including those bouts.

Though there is an element of that which is understandable (although it highlights a truly pathetic insecurity on the part of the WWF that the very thought of including 1-2 minutes on a tape of Kevin Nash and Bret Hart having an all-time great match together was too much for them) it raises the question of why they’d even both committing to a project like a “History of/Best of…” video if you’re not actually going to dedicate yourself to including the relevant matches/moments? The WWF released a similar tape for WrestleMania’s 1 to 14 around this time, which also had some notable omissions and historical snafus (acting like Mania VIII was the last time Hulk Hogan appeared in the WWF or that Mania IX’s Main Event was Giant Gonzalez Vs Undertaker) but that tape did at least include all of Hogan’s major WrestleMania matches and spent time focusing on Ric Flair wrestling Randy Savage when neither wrestler was in the WWF at the time the tape came out.

The last ten minutes of the tape weren’t remotely an attempt to give an accurate portrait of history or detail some of the Survivor Series’ best moments, and was instead just an outright hit piece on Bret Hart, before the tape closed on them trying to build on the Mr. McMahon Vs Stone Cold feud by suggesting that Stone Cold Steve Austin would have to be wary of Vince McMahon after what happened to Bret. In a business where sleaze is the order of the day, I found Best Of Survivor Series to be especially mucky, to the point that I almost wanted to take a shower when I was done with watching it. It’s a spiteful, bitter and pathetic tape from a company that couldn’t handle that another company had been kicking their arses in a wrestling war, and thus they either wanted to minimise the contributions of those that had been doing the kicking or pretend they didn’t exist at all. Best Of Survivor Series 1987-1997 is a good example of the WWF/E being it’s usual insecure and petty self, and shows that even those at the top of the mountain can be as insecure as the rest of us.

Final Score – Stinker
(Scores done on a scale of Stinker/Stinky/Odourless/Pleasant/Fragrant)