WWE Survivor Series 2013: 10 Greatest Performers in History of Marquee Event

John Cena, Randy Orton and Big Show are already among the greatest performers in the pay-per-view's history, but WWE Survivor Series 2013 will afford them another shot to impress and climb the all-time list.

The event has seen its share of classic matches and stunning moments since it began in 1987.

Who has made the biggest impact at Survivor Series? Who has made the most contributions to its greatest hits collection?

The 10 greatest performers in the PPV's history have been compiled here, ranked based on how many times they were a part of the main event, how often they survived traditional Survivor Series elimination matches and the number of highly rated bouts they were a part of. 

The ratings shown throughout the slideshow are out of five stars and are what Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, via ProFightDB.com, awarded them.

Honorable Mention

Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior were two of the biggest stars in the event's early years. In between 1987 and 1990, Savage was in one Survivor Series main event and Ultimate Warrior served that role twice.

They were also one of the last men standing six times between them. Other stars had longer stretches of contributing to the event, though. 

Steve Austin is just behind Savage and Warrior. He was a key element of the classic Team WWF vs. Team Alliance match in 2001 and had a stellar showing against Bret Hart in 1996. He just wasn't a part of the pay-per-view as consistently as the men who made the list.

Kane's contributions to the great main events of 2001 and 2002 are tempered by his less memorable bouts, such as an ambulance match against Shane McMahon.

10. Chris Jericho

Main Events: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: None

Chris Jericho has been one of the key cogs in some of Survivor Series' best matches but not often the main star.

His best bouts were the star-studded tag team clashes in 2001 (4.5 stars) and 2003 (4.25 stars) as well as challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship inside the Elimination Chamber in the year between those. Neither his battle against John Cena for the world title in 2008 nor his Triple Threat match against Undertaker and Big Show are among the event's top matches.

The excitement he brought to the pay-per-view between 2001 and 2003 is enough to edge him past the event's early stars like Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior.

Jericho was one of the last men eliminated in each of those contests, dropkicking and showboating his way to the final chapter of those classics.

9. Undertaker

Main Events: 1994, 2001, 2007

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1995

Undertaker is one of the few Superstars whose Survivor Series history spans most of the event's existence.

He made his debut at the 1990 edition of the pay-per-view and some 19 years later defended the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 2009. At his best, he delivered a great match against Batista in 2007 that Wrestling Observer gave 4 stars, battled for Team WWF in 2001 and won the WWE Championship against Hulk Hogan in 1991.

It's his worst that prevents him from climbing higher on this list.

Some of the most forgettable bouts in Survivor Series lore involve "The Deadman," like his casket matches against Kamala in 1992 (given a "DUD" rating)and Yokozuna (2.5 stars) in 1994. 

8. Triple H

Main Events: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 2006, 2007

His win-loss record at Survivor Series is almost the reverse of Undertaker's WrestleMania streak, but in terms of standout performances, Triple H has contributed to the event like few others.

He's been in several of the pay-per-view's main events and contributed to highly rated matches such as the Triple Threat bout in 2009 (3.75 stars) and the Elimination Chamber match in 2002, which earned a 4.25 rating from Wrestling Observer.

Throw in his enthralling clash with Ric Flair in 2005, main event fights against Steve Austin and Goldberg, and one could argue that he was the event's marquee star for the early part of the 2000s.

7. John Cena

Main Events: 2008, 2009, 2010 (as referee), 2011, 2012

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 2003, 2004

Eventually, John Cena will slide upward on this list simply based on opportunity.

In the last half-decade, he's been one of the marquee stars at Survivor Series. That was even true in 2010, when he refereed the Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett match. Cena provided the narrative stakes, as an Orton win meant Cena would be fired while a Barrett win would have resulted in Cena being freed from Nexus.

Some of his bouts have been entertaining, including the Triple Threat match in 2009 that earned 3.75 stars and the tag match with The Rock as his partner that brought in a 3.5 rating.

It's the lack of great matches at the pay-per-view that has Cena looking up at six men above him on this list.

His work against Chris Jericho in 2008 (3 stars) and against Ryback and CM Punk in 2012 (3 stars) was solid, but those performances were not nearly as moving or thrilling as the classics that other Superstars have composed at the event.

6. Big Show

Main Events: 1999, 2001, 2005

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1999, 2004, 2010

Survivor Series has been the showcase of Big Show's dominance much the same way the Royal Rumble has for Kane.

He eliminated an entire team by himself in 1999, eliminated both Luther Reigns and Kurt Angle in 2004 and did the same to Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre and Alberto Del Rio in 2010. Each time out he's been a compelling, destructive force.

Big Show's win over Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in 2002 is not a classic by any stretch, but it gave us one of the most shocking moments in the event's history when Paul Heyman turned on Lesnar to help Big Show win the title. Thanks to Rikishi running Steve Austin over, Big Show pulled double duty in 1999, winning the WWE title against The Rock and Triple H.

Add to that his contribution to the classic Team WWF vs. Team Alliance match in 2001 (4.5 stars), and Big Show lands just outside the top five, even with less main events than others.

5. Hulk Hogan

Main Events: 1987, 1988, 1990

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1989, 1990 (twice)

When Survivor Series began, WWE was in full Hulkamania mode.

Hulk Hogan was the biggest wrestler on the planet, and that translated to him being the star of the event for its first few years. As the captain of his teams, he was the pay-per-view's main attraction in three of the Survivor Series' first four years of existence.

His classic elimination bout in 1987, which earned a 3.75 rating, remains one of the best of its kind.

Similarly to his effect on WrestleMania, Hogan helped build this franchise. That earns him a high ranking here, but longevity pushes a few Superstars past him.

4. The Rock

Main Events: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2011

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1996, 2001

Two of the greatest nights in Survivor Series ended with The Rock as the last man standing.

He won the Deadly Games tournament in 1998, instantly becoming WWE's top heel by aligning with Vince McMahon. In 2001, in the match some consider the greatest match in the pay-per-view's history, Team WWF vs. Team Alliance (4.5 stars), it was The Rock who outlasted his opponents, serving as the hero the audience was glued to until the very end.

He had a similar stretch of being the event's marquee star as Hulk Hogan, but the Rock added another main event (3.5 stars) to his resume two years ago when he competed in his first match in years.

3. Randy Orton

Main Events: 2004, 2005, 2010

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008

Up until recently, Survivor Series was beginning to feel like Randy Orton's event.

He outlasted his opponents and stood as the sole survivor three years in a row. Beyond being booked to be the winner each of these times, Orton used the event to elevate his stardom, delivering memorable performances in these traditional elimination tag team bouts.

Fans will remember his title match in 2007 against Shawn Michaels, which garnered a 3.5 rating, and when he hit Mark Cuban with an RKO in 2003. The excellent Team Austin vs. Bischoff clash from 2003 (4.25 stars) has been Orton's opus so far, but it's not enough to move past two Superstars who stocked the Survivor Series archives with classics.

2. Bret Hart

Main Events: 1992, 1995, 1997

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1993

Hulk Hogan was a bigger star at his peak and Big Show's win-loss record at the event is more impressive, but when tallying up the greatest matches in Survivor Series history, it's Bret Hart's name that comes up more often.

His match with Shawn Michaels in 1992 earned 4.5 stars from Wrestling Observer. "The Hitman" also delivered standout performances in a 20-man tag match in 1987 (4 stars), against Austin in 1996 (4.5 stars) and, in the match that is famous for "The Montreal Screwjob," gave a performance that got him and Michaels a 3.75 rating.

While with The Hart Foundation, Hart was one of the more consistent performers in Survivor Series' early years, and he later transitioned into a headliner, battling Diesel, Bob Backlund and others for the WWE Championship. 

1. Shawn Michaels

Main Events: 1992, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2009

Elimination Tag Match Survivor: 1995, 2006, 2008

No one has produced more memorable, more spectacular performances at Survivor Series than Shawn Michaels.

As either a member of The Rockers or the gutsy, World title contender that provided the comeback story of the year in 2002, Michaels stole the show several times over. However one ranks the greatest matches in Survivor Series history, "The Heartbreak Kid" is certain to end up all over that list.

Wrestling Observer has given nearly every match that Michaels has had at the event a quality rating.

Michaels' bout with Bret Hart in 1992 earned a 4.5 rating, while the Elimination Chamber match that he won in 2002 garnered a 4.25, and his match against Triple H and John Cena in 2009 was awarded a 3.75.

His excellence has spanned nearly the entire history of the event, from being an exciting part of traditional elimination matches in the late '80s to headlining the event the year before he retired.