WWE Survivor Series 2011: The Greatest Championship Matches in Event History

This is it!

The 25th anniversary of the Survivor Series is this Sunday and it should be the most important one in the history of the classic event.

As we know, The Rock makes his long-awaited return to the ring to team up with his über-nemesis, John Cena, to take on the conspiracy-fighting Awesome Truth a.k.a The Miz and R-Truth.

It should be a night long remembered as the seeds of WrestleMania will be planted that night.

There have been many great matches in this event over the decades and some of them were for prestigious championships.

Whether fought in the ring or within the confines of a cage made no difference, as only one person would survive at the end of it all and in some cases, legends were made and legacies were broken. 

The show's moniker rings true at every turn: Only the Strong Survive!

Let's have a look back at some championship matches that rank up there as the greatest in Survivor Series history.

1991: Death Triumphs over Immortality

Dubbed the "Gravest Challenge," the 1991 main event pitted then-WWE Champion Hulk Hogan against the fast-rising Phenom, The Undertaker.

We rarely witness the immortal Hulkster get pushed to the limits of his abilities like this. It happened against André and the Ultimate Warrior, but this was his greatest challenge yet. 

The Undertaker was younger, faster and maybe just as powerful, and Hulk Hogan had to learn rule number one the hard way as Paul Bearer and Ric Flair made sure Hulkamania and its five amendments were swept away into darkness.

Rule number one? Just win, baby! Just win.

Since part two eludes me, watch the ending here.

1992: Bret vs. Shawn, Champion Against Champion

Was there ever a more spectacular yet intense rivalry than Bret "Hitman" Hart versus the "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels? I don't think so.

This was one of their first great battles as singles performers. They did wrestle over Bret's Intercontinental championship earlier and even invented the famous ladder match, but this time around, it was for the big one—the WWE Championship.

HBK had won the IC strap from the British Bulldog a little while before this match and so his title was not up for grabs. He had everything to gain here.

Let's just say this particular encounter was only a small taste of things to come. Great things.

This is an amazing promo.

1994: Backlund Meddles in Family Business

WrestleMania 10 was the year Owen Hart broke out of his older brother Bret's shadow but failed in his quest to take the title off him.

Being consumed with rage and jealousy, the King of Harts would stop at nothing to destroy his brother's legacy. 

In the meantime, Bob Backlund, a former champion, had returned to the company at 43 years old and declared he was never defeated for his title. Having snapped after being beaten by Bret, the deranged veteran allied himself with the black sheep Hart brother and lured the Hitman into a Submissions match at Survivor Series 1994.

Bret, always being a consummate and fighting champion, agreed to the stipulation and the match was on.

In the end, though, Owen feigned concern over his brother being in an inescapable move and convinced their mother into throwing the towel.

As it happened for Backlund 10 years prior, the match was ended prematurely, as was Bret Hart's second WWE Championship reign.

1997: Montréal

Oh...my...chest hairs!

Perhaps the most controversial moment in pro-wrestling history. 

The Montreal Screwjob of 1997 was the explosion of years of bottled-up anger and resentment between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

This story is legend now but back then, it set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the WWE as we know it today—a still-existing company.

I think we have seen this from all angles possible. The match itself was great. Notice how we French-Canadians like to get involved in matches ourselves. Must be our amazing beer because they don't do things like that in the rest of the country.

We be awesome! 

Part two.

1998: The Corporate Screwjob

The Rock...Corporate Champion?

Really? Really?!!

I suppose so. One year after the infamous events of Montreal, Mr. McMahon was at it again, and this time he screwed over both Stone Cold and Mick Foley.

It is great to see how life comes full circle as both these legends, Rock and Foley, will be at this Sunday's event in New York City. You just know Mick will be there.

The Rock was already on a path to greatness back then, and his heel persona served to elevate his character to new heights. Something John Cena should consider sometime. Make no miz-take about it, in a few days the Awesome Truth will be revealed and all will be well with the world.

Part two.

Part three.

2001: Edge and the Dudleys Unify 2 Worlds

The new decade began and coincidentally enough, it was the end of an era.

The Monday Night Wars were over and Vince McMahon was the sole ruler of the entire wrestling universe. Something had to be done with all these new people and championships on the roster, and so it was to be survival of the fittest.

Pre-Rated R Edge was the WCW United States Champion and Test, a traitor and member of the Alliance, held the prestigious WWE Intercontinental Championship. They were each other's counterpart in their respective worlds, but now it was all about to collide and there could be only one left.

Let's just say the right man won.

Later on, the same thing was to happen for the Tag Team Championship, but history would not repeat itself as those damned Dudleys capitalized on an error committed by Jeff Hardy to win their way out of the cage and become the undisputed champions of the world.

Here is the Dudleys vs. Hardys match for the WWE and WCW Tag Team titles. Sorry, it is backwards.

2002: The Elimination Chamber

This year had quite its share of splendor.

WrestleMania X8 crowned a new undisputed champion, The Rock battled Hulk Hogan and Brock Lesnar arrived, but then there was something far more impressive than all that combined: the arrival of the dreaded Elimination Chamber.

Six participants looked inside and were released one at a time—it was then that the carnage began. Booker T, Kane, Y2J, RVD, HBK and champion HHH each came out and each felt the wrath of the cage. They were eliminated one by one until only two remained.

Shawn Michaels made history that night, despite being battered and bloodied, as he pinned former friend and ally Triple H, the World Heavyweight Champion, to return to the top of the mountain after surviving his career-ending back injury four years earlier.

Part two.

Part three.

Part four.

Part five.

Part six.

2006: Lita Says Goodbye

People can be out of line and sadly, the way this legendary (LEGENDARY) Diva was allowed to leave is insulting.

You know what? It's alright because Kharma (meant to be spelled that way) is a brat and when the time comes, justice will be served. I really hope the rumors of Lita's return are accurate because as she restores sanity in this fallen-from-grace division, you will all chant her name again..Lita Lita Lita!

To have a match for the Women's championship against her, Mickie James must have been honored to have been the one to send her off. Both are great performers and WWE has never been the same since they left.

Let's get Lita, Mickie and Chyna back NOW!

Part two.

2007: The Caged Animal Faces the Impending Darkness

Batista the animal was the World Heavyweight Champion, yet he couldn't defeat The Undertaker despite putting him through the most pain imaginable. It had to come to an end somehow, and they found themselves inside hell on Earth.

There is no mercy inside the cell, only destruction and in this one—treachery! 

Edge made his way inside and delivered a message to the Phenom: that's MY title and I want it back.

I absolutely love the con-chair-to on the steel steps...priceless moment. In the end, Batista won, but it was a tarnished victory and ultimately neither him nor 'Taker would make it to the new year holding the gold.

That honor belonged to the Ultimate Opportunist.

Part two.

Part three.

2007: The Legend Killer Viper Strikes Again!

The Heartbreak Kid has outshined many Superstars in his time but defeating Randy Orton, the WWE Champion, was a task perhaps even the Showstopper could not complete.

The rules were simple: Orton could lose his title upon being disqualified, but Michaels would be should he ever use his patented finisher, the "Sweet Chin Music" superkick. It wasn't easy to remember and for that reason, it cost HBK in the end.

Randy Orton, like the calculating snake he would become, found an opening and struck. He delivered the RKO and 1-2-3 seconds later, the match was over. The Viper had made history and made his way onto the list of greats by beating one of the best.

Shawn Michaels, however, got the last laugh that night and silenced his champion opponent with a perfectly executed Sweet Chin Music to close the show.

Part two.

Part three.

2008: WWE Wars Episode Who Knows What: Return of John Cena

John Cena had been injured since his altercation with Batista at SummerSlam that year. It was his first match in months and one man stood in his way: the amazing World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho.

Both were very acquainted with each other as they waged war over the WWE championship five years prior, but this was a whole new ball game. Jericho wanted to end the days of Cena and by the look on his face in the beginning, he despised every "hypocrite" and "parasite" attending the show that night.

John Cena is superman. He endures all that is administered to him and when you least expect it, he takes matters into his own hands and comes out the winner. The man has incredible strength, no question about it.

Too bad they changed his finishers' names from "STFU" and "FU" to "Attitude Adjustment" and just "STF." This is PG after all, but it did add a little something more to his goody goody character.

Part two.

Part three.

Part four.

Who Will Survive at the 25th Anniversary?

It is almost upon us, the quarter-century anniversary of one of the most beloved shows in WWE history.

Survivor Series is a classic, and I hope WWE does it justice this Sunday by giving us fans the best show possible. We will have our 5-on-5 Superstar match and that is how we know who's the best. Only the strong survive.

Beth Phoenix commands and to prove her point, every Diva has been invited to the party where she hopes to teach Eve a lesson by showing the entire world that Pin Up Strong is the way to go.

Will Awesome Truth be able to withstand the combined assault of The Rock and John Cena? Can the two superpowers keep their egos in check in order to succeed?

This is shaping up to be an exciting show. History will be made once again in NYC.

What we will see has never been done before and will never see the light of day again, either.