Probably the first night after two guys wrestled in the coliseum, a promoter somewhere at a seedy dive bar in Rome came up with the idea to toss a lion in the next time as a “special attraction.”
And so it has gone in professional wrestling: For decades and even centuries, the folks backstage have been coming up with ways to expand beyond the traditional one-on-one set-up and pack more butts into seats. It began by getting women and midgets involved; it has expanded to finding every variation of a cage or ladder. But one of the earliest innovations simply sprung from the idea of if fans liked seeing a single competitor take on another, surely they’re like two duos fighting it out twice as much.
Then in 1987, Vince McMahon and his brain trust took the idea a step further, leading to the birth of the Survivor Series.
Survivor Series first came about around the concept of five-man teams striving to survive against each other in matches where if one member of a group got eliminated, the match continued, meaning you could potentially end up with every handicapped combination down to five-on-one. The format has been tinkered with over the 26 years—sometimes there will be teams of four, sometimes massive armies of tag teams, sometimes the aforementioned ladies and little people—but these matches, which have fallen away from being the centerpiece of the show, remain a hook for any old school fan—and hopefully some newbies as well.
This month at Place to Be Nation, the Five Count shares our favorite Survivor Series teams of all-time.
Ben Morse
5. THE TEAMSTERS (Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart & Jeff Jarrett)
One of the best “cool heel” groups ever put together, Shawn Michaels remained at the height of his evil powers in 1994 while Diesel teetered on the verge of breaking out even bigger than his “boss.” The duo of Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart remained firmly hated following their summer feud with Bret Hart and brought a nice mix of high-flying, submission skills and pure power. Jarrett at the time may have been the relative rookie, but he fit right in with the rest.
Unfortunately, the Teamsters didn’t get much of a chance to show what they had as a unit, with Diesel dominating the Bad Guys before a miscommunication between he and HBK led to a mass walkout by the heels and screwy win for Razor Ramon, but who would you rather hang out with?
4. TEAM AUSTIN (Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam & The Dudley Boyz)
You need to really break down the team that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin assembled to represent him against Eric Bischoff’s avatars at Survivor Series 2003 for control of Raw to appreciate its impressiveness. Shawn Michaels served as captain; a shoo-in hall of famer even then and a guy forever tied to the WWF and WWE. Booker T had regained footing as a top-level guy and also carried the legacy of WCW. Rob Van Dam looked to be the future of the business and remained the most popular remnant from ECW. Finally, the Dudleys had proven themselves as among the most elite teams in history both through their ECW and WWF/WWE runs.
So basically Team Austin represented the best every aspect of the Monday Night Wars had to offer. Ultimately, they didn’t get the job done due to outside interference by Batista, but there’s no denying their greatness on paper and the gutsiness of Michaels’ performance in almost taking out the opposition singlehandedly.
3. RUDE’S BROOD (Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect & The Fabulous Rougeaus)
The sextet of entrances prior to the Rude’s Brood vs. Roddy’s Rowdies match at Survivor Series 1989 will forever in my mind spotlight all that the WWF got right musically in the 80’s—yes, even the Bushwhackers theme—but once the bell rang, no question one team had the other outclassed.
Survivor Series teams usually have a contrasting mix of personas and characters, and that particularly held true during the Federation years, but even though there may have been differences amongst the members of Rude’s Brood, to me they had a cohesion that pushed them to the next level. Having four guys with egos who loved to preen but then possessed impressive technical skills and could wrestle circles around their competition fell right in my wheelhouse of fandom; putting them in against unruly brawlers like Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and the Bushwhackers only added contrast.
Even if Snuka’s star had faded by 1989 and the Bushwhackers always served as cannon fodder, besting Piper always meant something in the WWF, and this match made Perfect in particular look like a star, leading to a huge 1990 for him, and reminded that Rude could hang on a main event level.
2. TEAM D-X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk & The Hardy Boyz)
By the mid-point of last decade, the glory days of Survivor Series being dominated by elimination matches had long since passed, but 2006 represented a brief resurgence, with most of the main event players save for Batista, Booker T and The Undertaker getting injected into group warfare. From this mix emerged one of the coolest and most inarguably over teams in the history of the event.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels had reunited as D-Generation X; no longer the upstart rabble-rousers of their run a decade prior, they now stood as respected veterans and credible legends. When their feud with the Rated RKO duo of Edge and Randy Orton carried into Survivor Series, while the heels recruited the rag-tag trio of Johnny Nitro, Gregory Helms and Mike Knox, DX pulled together a far more impressive squad consisting of the newly reunited Hardy brothers, Matt and Jeff—the latter just back in WWE following a few years in TNA—plus blue chip ECW representative CM Punk, less than a year into his big league run.
You had the past, present and future all represented. You had the novelty of not only the DX reunion, but the Hardys, one of the greatest tag teams of the Attitude Era, partnering back up for the first time in years. And you had Punk making his debut on a truly grand stage, an underground sensation whose best days clearly lay ahead. Every entrance pop exceeded the one before it, and the cherry on top came when HHH acquiesced to the rabid Punk chants and let the rookie be the one to complete the DX catchphrase.
DX and company dispatched their opponents in fairly short order, winning with a clean sweep and peppering in classic moments like HBK superkicking Mike Knox after asking who he was and later sliding outside the ring to put an arm around Melina, who freaked out upon realizing she had cuddled up to somebody other than Johnny Nitro. Every member of this dream team turned in a stellar performance and then raised their hands for a photo-op you still see front and center on WWE.com every November.
1. THE WARRIORS (The Ultimate Warrior, The Texas Tornado & The Legion of Doom)
Not only did Survivor Series 1990 mark the first WWF pay-per-view I ever watched live at my house, it more or less served as my gateway into being a regular wrestling fan. I vaguely remember seeing SummerSlam of the same year at my friend Dave’s house, but that may have been the VHS; Survivor Series my dad ordered for us to watch Thanksgiving night, and it hooked me. No small part in that came from the very first match out the gate as Mr. Perfect’s “Perfect Team” of himself and Demolition took on The Warriors.
Obviously given that last paragraph, I’m speaking somewhat out of nostalgia here, but to be fair to me, what assemblage of wrestlers in history could be cooler to an eight-year-old neophyte than The Ultimate Warrior, the Texas Tornado and the Legion of Doom? Given that I already loved comic books, this quartet immediately grabbed my attention as super heroes come to real life, with herculean physiques, brightly colored outfits and more face paint than a Halloween parade. That their opposition consisted of a smarmy pretty boy and his three-leather-clad henchmen—so basically prototypical super villains—didn’t do much to hurt the cause either.
Stepping away from my childhood bias, I still make the case that the Warriors stand up there as the most dominant and impressive Survivor Series team of all-time. From a technical skill standpoint they may have been lacking—and that may be a huge understatement—but I’ll contend that Survivor Series matches don’t call for submission holds or chain wrestling since you’ve got small armies waiting on the apron to break that stuff up; they call for brutal, explosive power, which the Warriors possessed in spades. The LOD had been steamrolling opponents for half a decade, the Tornado came fresh off upsetting Perfect and becoming my instant favorite and the Warrior himself skyrocketed to the top of the WWF through smash mouth dominance. These guys’ combination of punches, clotheslines, tackles and slams essentially represented the ideal Survivor Series offensive assault.
Besides that, you had the WWF Champion and Intercontinental Champion on one team with the more or less uncrowned Tag Team champs and arguable top team of the previous decade riding shotgun. In terms of credibility, it’s hard to match the Warriors. When it comes to a team built for Survivor Series, possessing championship credibility and the optimal tools to take out the guys across the ring, I’ll still put the Warriors up above all who came before and have come since.
Derek Cornett
The Survivor Series holds a special place in my heart and has long been the pay per view that I can watch a countless number of times and love every time. In ranking the shows themselves, 1988 would be at the tops and the epitome of excellence in my pro wrestling fandom. As I approached this Five Count, I wanted to dive into some of my favorite teams and how they have shaped this pay per view and made it one of my favorite attractions in pro wrestling.
5. TEAM ORTON ‘09 (Randy Orton, CM Punk, William Regal & Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase)
After watching this match again, I miss the “good old days” of Survivor Series matches. This was a real treat to see Orton and Punk together with Rhodes and DiBiase coming into their own and Regal being a grizzled veteran. Orton was quite the chicken shit during this match while then turning it on throughout the contest. They were opposed by a very energetic Team Kofi, which really added to the match. Punk in the midst of becoming a very powerful incarnation of his character and was energetic, maniacal, and downright entertaining. His mini story with Kofi gave the match some extra sizzle. Rhodes and DiBiase showcased their talents and were really coming into their own. With Orton’s leadership they would go on to very different career paths. Regal wasn’t able to do too much but his presence just adds to the contest.
This match has a great collection of talent and some very fun action. It is upsetting to see some very quick eliminations early on, but the story is told and you see some very fun allegiances and how it would change 4 years later. This is a bright moment in recent years of the Survivor Series and something worth going back to look at.
4. TEAM WWF (The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, & The Big Show)
Contrary to popular belief, I have always felt this team trumped their opponents, the Alliance. This was a real collection of talent and five men who came together for a real purpose. Kane and Big Show are staples in the WWF at this point, regardless of their short histories with the company. Jericho and the Rock had a great story coming into this match and allowed personal tension to boil over into the contest. The Undertaker was underutilized during this time and should have been the real leader of the WWF. His speech on the broadcast sends chills up your spine and shows just how important that character is to the history of the WWF.
This team reminds me a lot of the 1987 Andre team with the three giant characters and the two skilled additions of Rock and Jericho. I know the personal love for Rock rings true with others more than me, but he was a fitting leader for this group and the issues with Jericho really helped the story progress forward. This team will always be the most “important” in the history of the WWF and one that I always love see coming together.
3. TEAM D-X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk & The Hardy Boyz)
What an all-star lineup for this time. This team is a real past, present, and future combination of some of my favorite talents of all time. It is no secret that I was on the CM Punk train long before 2011 and the “pipe bomb.” I saw him being even more than what he has become and I think we have seen the cusp of what it means to be a star. The Hardy Boyz were always an enjoyable team to watch. I fed into their shtick and enjoyed their bump, bump, bump style of working. Co-captaining the team was D-X, but a far shy from the greatness of 1997. Shawn Michaels has always been one of my favorites, while Triple H has never been at the top of my list. This is one of the few moments in his career that he gives someone a chance to get some glory and allows Punk to get a pop.
This team is great for a number of reasons, but primarily because they were put together and supremely dominant. Few teams have ever been completely intact when all is said and done and these five men do it without breaking a sweat.
2. THE HULKAMANIACS ‘89 (Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, & Demolition)
This is one of my favorite Survivor teams of all times because they were in the first Survivor Series I ever watched. My earliest wrestling memory is the September 1989 Saturday Night’s Main Event, which was a big show to push this pay per view. I remember watching Hulk Hogan and bleeding orange. Jake the Snake was one of the most captivating characters, and I carried my fake snake around all over as a child. Demolition was my favorite team at the time, until I learned about the Road Warriors. They were mean, they were strong, and the paint put me over the top.
This team is one that was forged in gold, but lost some sizzle when they got to the ring. Hogan was the sole survivor, but the rest of the team didn’t put on the best showing. I still love the 1989 Survivor Series and will always have a special spot for this team due to all the dynamics that went into putting them together.
1. ANDRE THE GIANT’S TEAM (Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang & Butch Reed)
This is without a doubt my favorite team of all time. I love the whole story of why this team came together and how each piece is so intricate to the momentum of the match. Some say Butch Reed is a weak link, but he is far from it. Months earlier he could have been the IC champion, and it would be interesting to see how the team would have been formed if that had happened. Rude is starting to get into his groove in the WWF and has a pretty decent showcase throughout the contest. He is without a doubt going to be a star and this is his first real glimpse for the WWF fans. King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang are lumped together here for the most part. They are just two huge dudes that play their roles all the way through the contest. They beat up on the smaller babyfaces and make them look like a million dollars. The real meat and potatoes of this team is the captain, Andre the Giant. This is Andre’s big comeback to the ring and he says it before the contest and proves it to be true when he is the sole survivor.
This team is so special to me because it is the epitome of a cohesive unit. Each person plays their role and the sheer size and look of this team is overwhelming. I loved that they survived and were the team to set the standard when it comes to heels and main events and are without a doubt my favorite of all time.
Steve Rogers
What goes into ranking the best Survivor Series teams of all time? Part of it is the factor of the talent on teams themselves. In many ways it is picking your top all-star teams of all time as for all intent and purposes the Survivor Series Elimination match teams can be seen as such, even in years where the main event talent are tied up with singles and other non-traditional Elimination matches on that year’s card.
Also entering into it is the success factor of the team. How many members survived until the end, and so far only six times has a team remained intact (well, if you want to be TECHNICAL about it, so did The Big Show’s “team” in 1999, even though he took out his teammates beforehand), so that does bear consideration for such a list. But generally the star power of said team and the combination of different participants in the eliminations, for example Savio Vega, Fatu and Henry Godwinn not being involved in eliminations as part of 1995’s The Dark Side team, while The Undertaker took out three out of the four Royals, with Mabel eliminating himself, does keep them from this list.
And sure, sometimes a team with one lone survivor at the end can still be considered a legendary team when taking into account all the various factors of the match (feuds and storylines between members of each side, the need to put someone over but still keep the other guy strong with count outs, DQs and such, etc). So those are two key factors in making a list of the top Survivor Series teams of all time.
5. RANDY SAVAGE’S TEAM (Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan & Brutus Beefcake)
Someone had to be first! Granted all of the matches of the first Survivor Series—actually all of the matches in the first four Survivor Series—were Elimination style, but this was a pretty darn good curtain jerking team to help mold the template. So the first winning team in Survivor Series history does have some sentimental value to it. There are plenty of more stacked teams through the years, and while the match was ostensibly a mid-card/IC contender match, you are still looking at a group that includes actual Hall of Fame talent and some big fan favorites of the era.
4. THE RADICALZ (Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn)
Few times in WWF/WWE history did you have an entire stable represented in a gimmick match set up perfectly for stables to be in, and dominate. Oh sure the 1997 Gang Rulz mid-card factions made appearances in that year’s Survivor Series, but with the exception of the Nation of Domination (whom lost in their match), none stack up historically among all-time stables like the Radicalz did. Heck, in this match they went up against three former members of D-X along with the future R-Truth, so in a way the match stands as a “passing of the torch” if you will. Of course with future booking plans for Benoit, personal demon issues with Guerrero and Malenko’s retirement to being a road agent, the revival of the group was just about as short-lived as their existence; but still, unless you want to count wrestlers under managerial employ, none of the great stables in WWF/WWE history have been completely represented in a Survivor Series team.
3. THE VISIONARIES (Rick Martel, Warlord, Power & Glory)
Granted not an all-time great listing of talent, and for the most part booked as such so that the heel team could be lopsided at five versus three going up against the face team in the main event, but a 4-0 wipe out of Jake Roberts’ Vipers was nothing to sneeze at. Also had some good storytelling elements with Power & Glory versus the Rockers as well as the Martel-Roberts feud. So it wasn’t a bad pick for the very first time a Survivor Series team would finish a match intact.
2. TEAM WWF (The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, & The Big Show)
Not too many traditional Survivor Series matches are as stacked with in ring talent and personality as the 2001 edition, and the WWF Team gets the nod due to being the team that went over. Of course Team Alliance’s Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T and Rob Van Dam are nothing to sneeze at, and Shane McMahon was always an entertaining character and a giving worker. But since it was the WWF going over, they get to be placed on this list. To say nothing about the match being an absolute classic, as well as setting up Jericho’s night at Armageddon the next month perfectly and giving The Rock his going over moment over Austin.
1. TEAM D-X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk & The Hardy Boyz)
Future Hall of Famers abound on this team that went up against Team Rated RKO in Philly to help with the DX-RKO war. The Hardys had just reunited and were in midst of title belt feuds with Gregory Helms and Johnny Nitro, and this is the WWE PPV debut of Punk who matched up nicely with the heel Mike Knox from ECW, also making his PPV debut. Sure you can say the match seemed like a glorified squash, but at the same time it fit the storylines that were being told at the time, specifically with the DX-RKO feud. And while you could find “all-time” teams to put Team D-X in the same conversation with, even that year with Ric Flair’s Legends, the fact that the team was booked to be intact at the end does help put it at the top of any conversation.
Justin Rozzero
Honorable Mention: TEAM D-X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk & The Hardy Boyz)
You know this is going to be a very star-studded list when this team is just my honorable mention, but here we go. In 2006, D-X was far from my favorite act. It was a cool novelty at first, but got really old, really fast, especially during their never-ending feud with the McMahons. By November, though, things were feeling a bit fresher as they entered a feud with the red-hot Rated RKO. Here they led a team of the resurgent Hardy brothers and the up and coming CM Punk. Jeff Hardy had returned late in the summer and was about to kick off the most consistent and effective stretch of his career. Matt had been bouncing around a bit, but he began to team sporadically with his brother again and it was starting to get him out of his funk. Having them team here alongside Michaels and Triple H really made this a heavy star power team. At one time, the Hardys would have been the young kids getting the rub, but in late 2006, they were seasoned veterans, standing just a tier below the megastars that stood next to them. Punk had been on TV for about five months at this point, but had a huge following from his time on the indys. With this show in Philadelphia, the crowd was rabid for him and he even seemed to out-pop his four teammates. This was a great rub for Punk and it was the first time he really got to hang with the big boys on such a big stage. The match was fairly quick and basically a squash, with all five men surviving. It also brought us one of the best Survivor Series moments of all time when Michaels superkicked and eliminated Mike Knox just moments into the match and that asked his partners who Knox was. This was great stuff all around and easily the peak of the D-X reunion tour.
5. RIC FLAIR’S TEAM (Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, The Mountie & The Warlord)
Woooo! It didn’t take Ric Flair long to bring his special brand of cool to the WWF. Just months after debuting, he was leading a team of swank 1991 style heels to the ring against a team loaded with upper mid card babyfaces…and Virgil. Just having Flair and DiBiase on the same team was enough to make this an awesome match. Two of the most dominant and prominent heels of the era joined forces to be assholes. It doesn’t get much better than that. The Warlord had a solid 1991, mainly feuding with the British Bulldog. He was lumbering in the ring but he was decent enough for a power guy and knew how to play his role well. I liked him here as the pure muscle to back up his smaller teammates. And The Mountie…The Mountie! Jacques Rougeau was great in the ring and had a bombastic persona that fit right in. It is hard to find a team with such pure heel talent and legacy at this time period. Flair would be the sole survivor after everyone was counted out. It was very fitting because, whether due to skill or luck, Naitch was always just one step ahead of the rest.
4. ANDRE THE GIANT’S TEAM (Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang & Butch Reed)
Speaking of awesome heel teams, here is one loaded with beef, brawn, piss and vinegar. Led by Bobby Heenan, this group of monsters was looking to end the reign of Hulkamania and friends. Andre had taken the summer off for back surgery and was as ornery as ever, wanting revenge for WrestleMania. Bundy and the Gang were his hoss backup and were headed in different directions as Bundy was heading out the door right after this show. Butch Reed was ostensibly the weak link but still a fine power worker and as the fifth guy you could do a lot worse. Rounding out the crew was newcomer Rick Rude who was the smallest on the team but based on pure strength he could hang with anyone else out there. After losing at Mania, Andre gets the last laugh here as he is the sole survivor, finally eliminating a game Bam Bam Bigelow. This match was a great showcase to reestablish Andre and also get guys like Rude and Gang some shine.
3. THE TEAMSTERS (Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart & Jeff Jarrett)
Seeing a trend? Love me some heel teams, baby. And this was a great one featuring the best heel players of late 1994. Diesel was smoking hot at this point as he and Shawn Michaels were reigning Tag champions and the bloom was coming off the rose that was their relationship. It was to the point where Diesel felt like the alpha dog of the duo for the first time since his debut. Owen Hart was coming off his World title feud with his brother and he had a bigger task still to come later in the night, but he fit like a glove with this team of athletic, snotty heels. Same goes for Jeff Jarrett, who had mainly been a lower mid-card act and you could argue this was the first time he positioned as a legit upper mid-carder, especially considering where he was heading in 1995. Neidhart is there by association but fit just fine too. Diesel was clearly the star here, just destroying the opposition and eliminating four of them before an errant Michaels superkick rattled his jaw and sent him stalking down the aisle after his friend. The whole team would follow and be counted out, giving them the loss but it was clear they were much more dominant than the faces. When you factor in where Diesel was headed just days later, it makes his performance here that much more important. Plus, they had a great name: The Teamsters!
2. THE ALLIANCE (Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam & Shane McMahon)
We can sit here and argue day in and day out about what went right and what went wrong with the Invasion. But none of that can take away from the load of talent involved in the Elimination match that would end the angle at Survivor Series. The face team was well stocked too, but with Undertaker and Kane at their laziest and Big Show at his most unmotivated place, the names were outweighing the ability at that point. This team, though? This team had it all. Steve Austin was arguably in the midst of the greatest stretch of his career, clicking on all cylinders in and out of the ring, working at the maniacal pace of a guy who knew he was running out of time. Rob Van Dam was molten hot having jumped to the promotion in July and instantly started out-popping top WWF stars. He was in the thick of the World title hunt and positioned as a major player here. Kurt Angle was on that level as well, coming off a WWF title run a month before and having just turned his back and joined the Alliance; Angle was a force in the ring and still at full health. Booker was a step behind here, but still living off a strong WCW reputation and was definitely seen as the WCW kingpin out of those that had come aboard. Rounding things out is Alliance honcho Shane McMahon. Shane was a bump machine and was the perfect fall guy to take the first big fall and put even more heat on his team for being a smarmy prick and adding himself to the team. Since I am looking at this list as my favorite teams, it lands here on the list. But if we were objectively ranking THE BEST Survivor teams ever? This would be top of the heap. King of the hill. A-number one!
1. RUDE’S BROOD (Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect & The Fabulous Rougeaus)
And here it is: The most swank, superb, fantastic, beautiful, gorgeous, talented, perfect heel Survivor Series team of all time. This is it. Right here in front of you. Four awesome heels. All dickheads. All tremendous in their own way and all in their heel prime. The Rougeau Brothers just oozed douchebag arrogance. Mr. Perfect embodied pure self-absorption. Rick Rude exuded cockiness. They are a heel unit to not be fucked with. And even better: they were all great in the ring, and they knew it and they had no issue telling you about it. Mr. Perfect would be the sole survivor, but the team as a whole holds a special place in my heart as my favorite Survivor Series team of all time.
And now, our overall Five Count…
5. THE TEAMSTERS (Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart & Jeff Jarrett)
They lost to the Bad Guys, but if you had your choice, you know you would have rather tagged up with HBK, Big Daddy Cool and company, admit it.
4. TEAM WWF (The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, & The Big Show)
Victors in perhaps the most important Elimination match—from a storyline standpoint—in WWF to this point, every man on this team has held multiple World titles and got the job done.
3. ANDRE THE GIANT’S TEAM (Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang & Butch Reed)
The winners of the inaugural Survivor Series’ main event match and an impressive collection of physical specimens. When you can consider Rick Rude the runt of the litter, you’ve got something special.
2. RUDE’S BROOD (Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect & The Fabulous Rougeaus)
Great team name, greater talent; one of the work rate marvels of the early Survivor Series days, but also a crew stocked to the brim with character. They may not have all made it to the end of the match, but they picked apart Roddy’s Rowdies and looked great doing so.
1. TEAM D-X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk & The Hardy Boyz)
Perhaps a bit shockingly, the top spot does not go to a team from the “golden age” of early Survivor Series, but a group from less than a decade ago in the midst of a period the show had become somewhat forgettable. However, it’s tough to argue against the talent comprising this combination, with one of the greatest tag teams in WWF/WWE history, a current Hall of Famer and another guy more than assured his spot, plus one of the top stars of today in his rookie year. They put on a great match, dominated, and won as a fully intact team; 2006’s Team D-X stands as proof that WWE can still do classic Survivor Series matches right if they want to.
