WWE Missed Opportunities: Grand Finale Match of Survival

It's that time of year again. It's November, which always means Thanksgiving. Traditionally, that has always meant it's time for Survivor Series in WWE.

Only WrestleMania has been running on an annual basis longer than Survivor Series, which started in November 1987.

Back then, the entire card was filled with elimination matches, consisting of teams who would engage in five-on-five (and sometimes four-on-four) matches. The groups would have captains and a team name. It made the event interesting and separated it from any other event on the WWE calendar.

WWE still does the elimination matches from time to time, but it's nothing like it used to be.

1990 was one of the better Survivor Series of all time. There were five traditional elimination matches on the card, featuring Superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Legion of Doom and Jake Roberts.

The event also marked the debut of The Undertaker.

WWE also unveiled a unique idea at this event that had never been done at Survivor Series. The night would end with one final elimination match dubbed the "Grand Finale Match of Survival."

Prior to the event, WWE didn't go into great detail as to what this match would be, only to say that it would be held. In fact, fans didn't really find that out until the latter part of the event.

The Grand Finale Match of Survival ended up pitting the men who had survived their matches earlier that night in one final match to determine the night's final survivors.

In this case, WWE placed the heels on one team and the faces on the other. That left one team facing an uphill battle, as the match started out five against three.

Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Tito Santana would be on one side with Ted DiBiase, Rick Martel, Warlord and the team of Power and Glory on the other.

The match itself wasn't great and seemed extremely rushed.

Santana eliminated Warlord less than 30 seconds into the match, and the entire thing was over in just nine minutes. It came across as something WWE didn't put much thought into and amounted to a poorly booked ending to the show. 

In the end, Hogan and Ultimate Warrior outlasted the others, becoming the ultimate winners of the night together. It would have been better to find a way to have just one winner or one sole survivor.

With that said, it's a shame WWE never expanded upon this idea. In fact, the Grand Finale Match of Survival was never held at Survivor Series again.

Had WWE made it an annual fixture at the event, it could have been used as a launching pad for the careers of Superstars on the verge of breaking out, similar to the King of the Ring tournament.

But it could have served other purposes as well.

Being so close to the end of the year, it would have made an excellent way to determine a No. 1 contender for a title match at the Royal Rumble.

Survivor Series isn't what it used to be. At one time, fans were given a set of unique elimination matches that they only saw once a year. Now, the event is done just like any other event WWE puts on.

The Grand Finale Match of Survival had plenty of potential. WWE just never saw it.