WWE Survivor Series 2016: Greatest Title Matches in PPV's History

A return to tradition at WWE Survivor Series 2016 will likely leave the list of greatest championship matches in the pay-per-view's history untouched. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Batista can all rest easy.

The event began as a showcase of tag team wrestling in 1987. Squads collided in elimination bouts. Titles weren't defended.

Survivor Series has since strayed from its roots, but the ongoing battle between Raw and SmackDown is going to change that. The brands will clash in traditional Survivor Series matches. Tag team competition will presumably take precedence over championships.

Just like the old days.

That lessens the likelihood that the Nov. 20 PPV will produce title tilts that match the drama and energy of Michaels vs. Sycho Sid or Batista vs. Undertaker. Kevin Owens may be too busy battling for Raw to try to outdo those men.

Until the next Survivor Series championship classic upends this list, the following are the PPV's best title matches. The bouts' builds, action, big moments and stories determined which came out on top.

Honorable Mentions

• Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart: WWF Championship (1997)
• Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. John Cena: WWE Championship (2009)

There is no more memorable Survivor Series match than Michaels vs. Hart, thanks to its controversial ending.

At the close of one of WWE's most intense rivalries, Michaels emerged as the winner after what became known as the Montreal Screwjob. The ending is the big talking point, but Michaels and Hart put on a good show before that.

Their strong chemistry was on display once more, but they didn't create as much electricity as they did in their first Survivor Series meeting five years prior.

Michaels, whose name pops up again and again on this list, also worked well with Triple H. The allies both sought Cena's title in a fun, well-paced match. 

The contest's first moment was its most memorable. Michael superkicked his friend in the mouth rather than ganging up on Cena.

This was one of many big-match performances from Cena. The bout's in-ring story played up the survival theme, with Cena forced to face two enemies at once. Even with all the talent involved here, though, the bout wasn't as nearly dramatic as the best the PPV has had to offer.

7. Sycho Sid vs. Shawn Michaels: WWF Championship (1996)

Sycho Sid dethroned Shawn Michaels in his magnum opus.

The dynamic between champion and challenger thrilled. Micheals looked to outwrestle the giant. Sid had no qualms about resorting to laying out Michaels' mentor, Jose Lothario, in the name of chasing the gold.

Micheals' selling made Sid look like a Kraken on the rampage. Sid, not known for putting on top-notch bouts, was on fire here.

As Chad Matthews of WhatCulture wrote, "Sid never had a better match than he did that night."

The Lothario element both added drama and may have turned some folks off. Sid attacked the old man with a camera, leaving him hurting on the floor as the announcers wondered if he was having a heart attack.

This left Michaels unable to focus with his father figure in peril. It cranked up Sid's villainy. But it was an uncomfortable angle, one that made some in the crowd cringe. 

6. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels: WWE Championship (2007)

A battle with Shawn Michaels helped cement Randy Orton's rise to WWE's mountaintop. The young, promising Superstar looked like top-tier material in his Survivor Series showdown against The Heartbreak Kid.

A unique twist helped the match. 

Michaels was not allowed to use his signature superkick. Orton would lose the title if disqualified. 

This forced Michaels to fight without his best weapon. It forced him to rely more on mat wrestling, and a few times, he almost instinctively hit the move anyway, nearly costing himself a chance at the WWE title.

The fiery Michaels didn't outdo his best Survivor Series efforts, but there was plenty to love about this underrated clash. 

5. Diesel vs. Bret Hart: WWF Championship (1995)

Bret Hart chopped down the imposing, towering champion Diesel in a dramatic showdown.

The Hitman and Diesel's hate for each other boosted this, as did WWE's assurance that this had the proverbial big-fight feel. As PWTorch pointed out, "The hype for this match was so thorough that every move meant something in the early minutes."

A deliberate, methodical Diesel attacked the gutsy babyface in a hard-hitting affair. 

The title bout had a hearty supply of viciousness, from Hart biting his foe to Diesel sending him through a table. Some may have found the pace of the match too slow, though. 

And Batista's battle with The Undertaker 12 years later saw two enemies cut deeper into each other in an even more brutal clash.

4. Triple Threat Elimination Match: Tag Team Championship (2002)

Los Guerreros vs. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs. Rey Mysterio and Edge

In the heart of SmackDown's tag team golden age, three of the blue brand's squads put on a clinic.

"The SmackDown Six" were tremendous here. Their chemistry helped make that show must-watch, and they used that to craft a thriller for the tag team belts.

The tension between Benoit and Angle, the cheating ways of Los Guerreros and the athletic displays of Edge and Mysterio made for a deep, enjoyable contest.

Angle, Benoit and the men clamoring for their gold nearly stole the show. A history-making match crammed with Hall of Famers would top this that same night. 

3. Batista vs. Undertaker: World Heavyweight Championship (2007)

Batista vs. Undertaker was everything a Hell in a Cell match should be: brutal and bloody, two beasts tearing at each other inside a steel enclosure.

Their rivalry was at a stalemate at this point. Batista and Undertaker both looked to put the other man away in what promised to be the climax.

This was Batista's peak in WWE. His 2007 feud with Undertaker brought out the best in him. And this was one of their most compelling efforts as archenemies.

But with all the suspense WWE built up over who would finally emerge the victor, the ending proved to be inconclusive. Edge interfered to initiate his own rivalry with The Deadman. On one hand, that moment added a surprise element, but it left the war feeling unsettled.

Survivor Series' top two championship matches didn't have that issue.

2. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart: WWF Championship (1992)

This championship contest didn't end with Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon conspiring against Bret Hart, as their 1997 match did, but it was far and away the more entertaining encounter.

Much like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk's instant classic from Over the Limit 2012, Michaels and Hart worked perfectly together. Their chemistry was off the charts, and it's easy to see why WWE would lean on this rivalry for years afterward.

A slow start gave way to a furious ending where each man was within split seconds of scoring a three-count.

Hart withstood The Heartbreak Kid's best shots. He then outdid Michaels with better execution and a bigger heart. Only one Survivor Series title match outdid this one, and that one had history and a handful of marquee stars on its side.

1. Elimination Chamber Match: World Heavyweight Championship (2002)

Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho

Survivor Series 2002 climaxed with the first Elimination Chamber match in WWE history, one that arguably remains the finest of its kind, even some 14 years later.

The bout's format created suspense by having warriors wait inside pods until it was their time to enter the battle. The structure allowed for added violence, steel-shaking spots and some creative high-flying. The mix of talent made for something special, too.

Michaels put an exclamation point on his 2002 return by outlasting a giant, an acrobat and his old comrade, Triple H. Highlights filled much of what Paul Tamburro of Crave called "a brutal, incredibly exciting matchup."

It will be hard to supplant this clash at the next Survivor Series or any other. Novelty, star power, savagery and soaring all combined to make something special.