WWE Survivor Series 2015: Most Exciting Swerves in Event's History

In the 28-year history of Survivor Series, there have been some dramatic moments that stand out as the most shocking in WWE history.

There have been moments that made huge stars in just one night and swerves that changed the trajectory of careers forever.

Whether it's a surprise introduction or a major interference, the swerve can come in many different ways.

Will 2015 have a swerve that ranks as serious and defining as these? It's hard to imagine so given the enormity of the contenders on this list.

Here are the five biggest swerves in the history of Survivor Series.

Steve Austin Gets Hit by a Car (1999)

1999 was the time when Stone Cold Steve Austin was tearing holes through everyone in his path in WWE.

He was very much on top of the company, and in a time when Internet rumors weren't around to predict what was going to happen, this was one of the biggest swerves in Survivor Series history.

It was at the 1999 event where Austin was taken down by a mystery man shortly before he was due to step into the ring and face The Rock and Triple H in a WWE Championship match in the show's main event.

The anticipation and hype to see three of the biggest stars of their generation compete was huge, so when Austin was run down and hit with the car, it sent shock waves through the arena.

The angle rolled on and on for months, as Austin's assailant was kept a secret before Rikishi stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself as the mystery man.

The Shield Arrive in WWE (2012)

Credit: WWE.com

Arguably the best and biggest swerve of the last few years, and one that ultimately created three absolutely huge stars in WWE.

Ryback's fair amount of near-misses with the WWE Championship will no doubt be mostly forgotten in the years to come, but this one will always be remembered due to the fact it coincided with the debut of The Shield.

Ryback had been screwed by Brad Maddox the month before at Hell in a Cell, and he would be denied the title again in controversial fashion at Survivor Series.

As he looked well-positioned to win the Triple Threat match between himself, John Cena and CM Punk, three men dressed entirely in black jumped the barricade and beat down Ryback in vicious fashion.

Nobody had a clue what was going on, but what quickly became clear is that it was NXT rookies Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

The Shield was born, and the most destructive and, arguably, entertaining 18 months in WWE's recent history had just been kicked off.

Nobody could have predicted the impact The Shield would have had after that night, though.

The Rock Becomes Vince's Chosen One (1998)

In the run-up to the 1998 Survivor Series event, The Rock had been quickly establishing himself as one of the hottest properties on the WWE roster.

He had seen off a raft of opponents and had earned himself a shot at the vacant WWE Championship in the main event of the show by emerging through a tournament to face Mankind.

The Rock had already beaten Big Boss Man, Ken Shamrock and The Undertaker to make the final, and as the overwhelming choice of the fans, he was on the verge of becoming WWE's top babyface.

Vince McMahon's chosen one in Mankind was the heel, but that would all change in the latter stages of the main event, and Vince threw up memories from the previous year's infamous Montreal Screwjob by ordering the bell to be rung when The Rock had Mankind in the sharpshooter.

Suddenly, the man everyone loved had become a heel and sold out to McMahon in order to become WWE champion.

It was a stunning swerve and a shocking turn of events but one that would set up epic rivalries like The Rock vs. Steve Austin in the years to come.

Paul Heyman Turns on Brock Lesnar (2002)

Fans of a certain age may find it hard to believe Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were foes at one point, but back in 2002, a major swerve at Survivor Series split this iconic duo in half.

Lesnar was still fairly fresh-faced and was ripping through the WWE roster, taking down anything in his path and living up to his "The Next Big Thing" moniker. 

Lesnar looked certain to be adding Big Show to his list of victims at the 2002 Survivor Series show and had just dropped the big man with an F5 before Heyman interfered in the most shocking fashion possible.

He stopped Lesnar from scoring the winning pinfall, suddenly aligning himself with Show and allowing The Giant to get the victory after causing a distraction.

Show would win the WWE Championship and join forces with Heyman, leaving Lesnar all on his own for the first time in his WWE career.

The Montreal Screwjob (1997)

Credit: WWE.com

It doesn't matter what happened since or what will happen in the future; nothing will top the swerve WWE provided at the 1997 Survivor Series show.

The Montreal Screwjob has been written about so many times, it's tough to flesh it out any more. But in terms of major swerves at the pay-per-view, this is the biggest by some distance.

It was a spectacular bout between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels and one where all the factors involved led to it becoming very, very special.

Hart and Michaels delivered a stellar bout, with the atmosphere and the energy inside the arena adding to the big-match feel.

It was a night that changed the landscape and history of WWE and one that had a significant impact on the careers of all three men chiefly involved: Hart, Michaels and Vince McMahon himself.