On Nov. 29, the 39th annual Survivor Series event will take place in Petco Park. Considered one of the "Big Four" PLE events on the WWE calendar (along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam), the Survivor Series is the second-longest running PLE of all time.
Over the past 38 years, some of the most notable moments in WWE history have taken place at the Survivor Series. Let's take a journey through the big highlights and reflect on more of this iconic event's history.
1. The Survivor Series began in 1987 on Thanksgiving from the Richmond Coliseum in Ohio.
The event featured four Survivor Series elimination matches. Andre the Giant was the sole survivor for his team in the main event. It was the first WWE PLE since WrestleMania III earlier that year.
It was the first of 38 Survivor Series events, second only to WrestleMania (41).
Of the 38 Survivor Series events, no city has played host more times than Boston. The PLE took place in Boston on four different occasions, most recently in 2022 where the Bloodline claimed victory in the main event.
2. The Survivor Series has been a history-making event for The Undertaker.
The Undertaker made his WWE debut at the 1990 Survivor Series. He was introduced as a mystery partner for Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Team who faced off with Dusty Rhodes' Dream Team in a Survivor Series elimination match.
At the 1991 Survivor Series, one year after his debut, The Undertaker won his first WWE Championship. He defeated Hulk Hogan and ended a nearly 250-day reign.
No one has more wins at the Survivor Series than The Undertaker. In 18 matches, he accumulated 13 wins.
Since this inaugural match, there have been 35 more Elimination Chamber matches, which became its own WWE PLE in 2010.
3. Similarly, the Survivor Series was a major event in the career of The Rock.
The Rock made his televised WWE debut at the 1996 Survivor Series. He was the sole survivor for his team in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match.
The Rock turned heel, aligned himself with Vince McMahon and won his first WWE Championship at the 1998 Survivor Series. He defeated Mankind (Mick Foley) in the final match of a tournament for the vacant title and became what was known as the "Corporate Champion."
At the 2011 Survivor Series, The Rock made a successful return to the ring in his first match since 2004 and set the stage for back-to-back WrestleMania main events against John Cena.
4. The Survivor Series has been home to other major WWE debuts.
Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle made his televised WWE in-ring debut at the 1999 Survivor Series. He defeated Shawn Stasiak.
At the 2012 Survivor Series, the trio of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose made their main roster debut as The Shield.
WCW icon Sting made his WWE debut at the 2014 Survivor Series, setting up a rivalry with Triple H on the road to WrestleMania 31.
5. The 1997 Survivor Series was the setting for the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
The Montreal Screwjob was the real-life conflict between Bret Hart, Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels.
Hart was headed to WCW but was still in possession of the WWE Championship. He did not want to lose the title in his home country of Canada.
As the match neared its conclusion and Michaels attempted to lock in Hart's patented Sharpshooter, McMahon quickly called for the bell, ended the match and awarded the WWE Championship to Michaels unbeknownst to Hart.
6. The first Elimination Chamber match took place at the 2002 Survivor Series from Madison Square Garden.
Shawn Michaels won the World Heavyweight championship in the match. He returned to the ring just three months prior after a four-year absence.
Since this inaugural match, there have been 35 more Elimination Chamber matches, which became its own WWE PLE in 2010.
For more WWE coverage, check out the ESPN hub page with schedules, title history and more.