WWE Survivor Series 2015: Greatest Title Matches in PPV's History

The Survivor Series pay-per-view is best remembered for its Traditional Elimination matches—but the event has seen plenty of great title competitions, too.

From spectacular contests within Hell in a Cell and the Elimination Chamber to technical masterclasses from the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, we've seen it all at Survivor Series.

This year, the stars of today will attempt to etch their names into the history books of this WWE cornerstone. As the event approaches its 30th anniversary next year, there's plenty of pressure to deliver on this grand stage.

These are the title matches that have since gone on to define the pay-per-view. These bouts set the standards to which this year's card will inevitably be held.

10. Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle (2000)

Kurt Angle has always been known as a technical master rather than a brawler, but he demonstrated an ability to excel at the latter in this WWE Championship match.

This was an important step in the career of the Olympic Hero. Here's where he really began to get to grips with the main event style still present in WWE, and what better opponent for that purpose than the Undertaker?

The Phenom, freshly inhabiting his American Badass persona here, was clearly fired up for this contest. There have been plenty of great eras for The Deadman, but the intensity he had in the immediate aftermath of his 2000 return has rarely been matched.

Angle and the Undertaker didn't meet all that often, but the pair produced some great matches when they did. Both men were feeling their way here, for various reasons, but that brought something special to the match.

9. The Rock vs. Mankind (1998)

Credit: WWE.com

Mankind and The Rock had one of the most compelling feuds of the Attitude Era—and an interesting aspect of the rivalry is that no two matches from it were all that alike.

The "I Quit" Match from the Royal Rumble of 1999 perhaps stands out as their most memorable encounter, but there's plenty to be said for this one, too. Like most of Mick Foley's output, it saw a considerable level of carnage wrought before the closing bell.

Whether or not it reached the highs of other encounters, this was still an essential bout. The "Deadly Game" tournament set the 1998 Survivor Series apart from other editions of the pay-per-view, and this was a very fitting conclusion.

8. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton (2007)

Credit: WWE.com

In terms of ring work alone, a match between Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton was always going to deliver the goods.

Here, Michaels really pulled out all the stops. He was a ball of energy, constantly pulling off something new or a interesting variation on one of his career-spanning staples. Orton wasn't quite the able veteran that he is today but certainly kept up his end of the bargain.

Without any stipulations or other gimmicks, it was down to Michaels and Orton to engage the crowd with sheer ingenuity and athleticism in the ring. From HBK's various attempts at submission holds to the appropriately tattered RKO that finished the bout, it's fair to say that they succeeded.

7. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. John Cena (2009)

Credit: WWE.com

There were some serious problems with the most recent DX reunion, but it's easy to look over its rough patches when it produced matches like this one.

While John Cena of course played a vital role in proceedings, the real meat of this contest was found in the way that Triple H and Shawn Michaels interacted. Their matches have always been terrific, whether they met in singles action or with other competitors in the mix.

It would have been easy for this to go down the typical track of a Triple Threat match, where one man is written off from proceedings so the other two can go at it. However, all three men were regularly in play, leading to some impressive three-man action.

6. Undertaker vs. Batista (2007)

Credit: WWE.com

Last weekend we saw the Undertaker enter Hell in a Cell for what could potentially be the last time, but this match from 2007 still holds up as one of the cage's best encounters.

There's a similarity between this bout and the Phenom's 2002 battle with Brock Lesnar inside the structure. Here, Batista was the young upstart being "made famous" by The Deadman, and The Animal certainly went through hell to retain his championship.

It's easy to forget how mobile Undertaker was in his prime, but he was certainly in fine form here. Despite the length of the bout, the pace started off quick and held steady for much of its duration.

More importantly, this one felt like a real war. The cell was used generously, foreign objects came into play quickly and there was plenty of blood.

Much has been said about this type of match changing careers, but this bout backed up the hype.

5. Sycho Sid vs. Shawn Michaels (1996)

Credit: WWE.com

On paper, this bout looked a lot like the Diesel vs. Bret Hart main event from the year earlier—but it's execution resulted in a very different contest that was only a shade less compelling.

Shawn Michaels—arguably in his prime here—was electric throughout. Sid might not have been able to match him in terms of technique, but his raw power and brutal style certainly made for a beast the fans could get behind. Squint, and you might just mistake him for a prototypical Brock Lesnar.

Of course, Sid can't match Lesnar in terms of in-ring ability, so it's fortunate that Michaels took care of the heavy lifting. Having said that, HBK was perhaps even more entertaining when under attack; his response to an elbow drop being countered was particularly memorable.

This match didn't place higher because it was made up of two separate but engaging performances rather than one cohesive effort. However, it's still something of a diamond in the rough from an overlooked period of WWE history.

4. Bret Hart vs. Diesel (1995)

Credit: WWE.com

While Diesel's time at the top of the card in the mid 1990s wasn't known for great matches, seeing him battle Bret Hart certainly demonstrated his capabilities.

Big Daddy Cool was frequently paired with mastodons over the course of his title reigns, leading to plodding matches that didn't cater to his strengths. The big man fared much better when paired with smaller competitors.

Of course, Bret Hart could likely have had a good match with just about anyone. The Hitman was often praised for technique, but his real talent was a knack for understanding the strengths of whoever happens to be in the ring with him at the time.

This match used its No Disqualification stipulation to full effect, but without overusing foreign objects. We mainly saw Diesel use his power to brawl on the outside and choke Hart out—although The Pink and Black Attack manages to turn the lack of rules in his favour, too.

This was a memorable main event that still holds up today. It was almost certainly one of Diesel's best matches—and perhaps one of Hart's best, too.

3. Tag Team Championship Triple Threat (2002)

In the aftermath of the Attitude Era, the "SmackDown Six" demonstrated that the pro wrestling landscape was changing.

It's fair to say that the SmackDown of that time was well ahead of the curve. The broadcast has often struggled to shrug off its reputation as the B-show, but back in 2002 it was making the most of an excellent roster.

There were few matches that typified the sort of action produced by this era than this exemplary Tag Team Championship match from the 2002 edition of the Survivor Series.

With Los Guerreros pitted against the team of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit and the underrated pairing of Rey Mysterio and Edge, there was little doubt of the talent involved.

This was the gold standard for tag team wrestling—a clash of styles that allowed everyone to demonstrate their abilities in a constant stream of high-octane action. In recent months, the division has once again found some direction, but it has yet to replicate this level of in-ring competition.

2. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (1997)

Credit: WWE.com

It's something of a shame that the controversial conclusion to this match has overshadowed the content of the bout itself.

The Montreal Screwjob has become a crucial moment in pro wrestling history—a defining moment in the careers of several legends and an important factor in the struggle between WCW and the then-WWF.

However, the controversy itself came at the end of a competitive match. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are consistently mentioned in discussions of the best technical wrestlers of all time, so their encounters have rightfully taken on a mythic status.

The action here was terrific—even if a modern viewer will naturally be waiting for the screwjob to unfold throughout. The pair's WrestleMania clash will likely go down as their most essential meeting, but there was more to this match than the circumstances of its ending.

1. The Elimination Chamber (2002)

At the 2002 edition of Survivor Series, we were given our first glimpse of what would become a very familiar structure: the Elimination Chamber.

The unholy offspring of WCW's WarGames and the Royal Rumble, it may well be that the inaugural Elimination Chamber match remains its best outing to date. There are many reasons why, but Shawn Michaels played a big part.

Just months after he made his return at SummerSlam, HBK would be locked in the Chamber with fellow challengers Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and Kane. However, his real target would be the reigning champion and his former best friend, Triple H.

The result was one of the more remarkable title wins you're likely to see in a wrestling ring. Michaels went through hell to claim the championship, and the ticker-tape ending that closed the show felt completely warranted.

The Showstopper avoided championships for much of his comeback run, and looking back, that seems like a wise decision. Any other reign would have struggled to begin in quite as fine form as this one did.

What's your favorite Survivor Series title match? Join the debate in the comments section below.