{"id":145904,"date":"2025-11-13T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=145904"},"modified":"2025-11-14T05:44:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:44:06","slug":"every-wwe-championship-match-at-survivor-series-in-the-1990s-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/13\/every-wwe-championship-match-at-survivor-series-in-the-1990s-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"Every WWE Championship Match At Survivor Series In The 1990s Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WWE Survivor Series is the second-oldest premium live event behind WrestleMania, with the inaugural edition taking place in 1987. However, there were no singles matches on the card until 1991, and that was for the prestigious WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional Survivor Series elimination match is the event&#8217;s unique selling point, but the WWE Championship is the industry&#8217;s biggest prize. Survivor Series in the 1990s featured memorable moments, with traditional elimination matches dominating the event.<\/p>\n<p>Eight WWE Championship matches featured at Survivor Series in the 1990s, and it wasn&#8217;t a happy hunting ground for defending champions. Only one reigning WWE Champion managed to walk in and walk out with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p>The WWE Championship changed hands six times in a row from 1994 to 1999. For sure, there were some controversial moments in these WWE Championship matches at Survivor Series in the &#8217;90s. Some lived up to the billing, whereas some were duds and boring affairs not worthy of being WWE Championship bouts at Survivor Series.<\/p>\n<h2>8 &#8211; Hulk Hogan Vs. The Undertaker &#8211; Survivor Series 1991<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker - WWE Title Match: WWE Survivor Series 1991\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DHK2d6WFdk8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The 1991 iteration of Survivor Series was historic for two things: it was the first Survivor Series to feature a singles match, and it was the first time that the WWE Championship was defended at the event. Hulk Hogan entered as the reigning WWE Champion, and his WWE Championship was on the line against The Undertaker. The Deadman was aiming to mark his first year in WWE with a WWE Championship reign to boot.<\/p>\n<p>The match was dubbed as &#8220;The Gravest Challenge,&#8221; and there was nothing special about the bout. The match was slow and methodical. Undertaker nailed Hogan with the Tombstone Piledriver, but the Hulkster no-sold it by getting up instantly. Unsurprisingly, there were several instances of outside interference from Undertaker&#8217;s manager, Paul Bearer, and Ric Flair.<\/p>\n<p>The Nature Boy placed a steel chair in the ring, and Undertaker planted Hogan with his patented Tombstone Piledriver onto the chair, becoming the WWE Champion for the first time, and becoming the youngest WWE Champion at 26, a record he&#8217;d hold for close to two years.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>7 &#8211; Triple H Vs. Big Show Vs. The Rock &#8211; Survivor Series 1999<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Triple H vs The Rock vs Big Show - WWE Title Triple Threat Match: Survivor Series 1999\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qnpGjPqHy6Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Fans were expecting a blockbuster triple threat match for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1999 between Triple H, The Rock, and Steve Austin. However, Austin was ruled out of action as an unknown assailant knocked him down in the parking lot. In reality, Austin&#8217;s neck injuries reared their ugly head once again, ruling him out of action for nigh on one year. Enter Big Show, who stepped in as Austin&#8217;s replacement, and Show was on a high as he prevailed in a one-on-four elimination match earlier in the night.<\/p>\n<p>Triple H and Rock worked in unison for a moment as they aimed to remove Show from the equation. Triple H attempted to use the numbers game to his advantage as D-Generation X interfered, but they were unable to stop an inspired Big Show. Mr. McMahon got involved in the proceedings, and he clocked his future son-in-law with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p>Show seized the opportunity and he nailed Triple H with a jaw-dropping Chokeslam, clinching the WWE Championship for the first time. Show was just nine months into his WWE career, and he had tears in his eyes when he held the WWE Title.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>6 &#8211; Bret Hart Vs. Bob Backlund &#8211; Survivor Series 1994<\/h2>\n<p>Bret &#8220;The Hitman&#8221; Hart held the WWE Championship since WrestleMania 10, and he was thriving in his eight-month reign as champion. Hart&#8217;s latest challenger was former WWE Champion Bob Backlund. Backlund last held the WWE Championship in 1983, and many didn&#8217;t fancy Backlund to recapture the WWE Championship. Their WWE Championship match went on longer than needed. There were some slow moments in the match, but the crowd remained heavily invested.<\/p>\n<p>Hart&#8217;s younger brother, Owen, got involved, and Hart&#8217;s parents, Stu and Helen Hart, were present at ringside. Backlund cinched in the Crossface Chickenwing, and it felt like an eternity as Hart had nowhere to escape. He was locked in the hold for almost 10 minutes, and Owen intervened by getting their mother, Helen, to throw in the towel, causing the Hitman to lose the WWE Championship, with the King of Harts celebrating like he had just won the lottery.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5 &#8211; The Rock Vs. Mankind &#8211; Survivor Series 1998<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - The Rock vs. Mankind - WWE Title Tournament Final: Survivor Series 1998\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gb_nCcmrWGI?start=1090&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The rivalry between The Rock and Mankind became one of the most fascinating in the Attitude Era, as they traded victories. The final of the Deadly Game tournament at Survivor Series 1998 pitted The Rock and Mankind against each other. One thing that was guaranteed was that the victor would become the WWE Champion for the first time in their career. Mankind was the odds-on favorite to prevail as the McMahons were backing Mankind throughout.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145969\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145969\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145969 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic for the WWE Survivor Series.\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/11-26.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145969\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fans were pulling for the babyface Rock to get the job done, but they knew it was going to be a tall order. Rock and Mankind had an entertaining battle, but the finish was what no one expected. A callback to the Montreal Screwjob, a year prior, Rock cinched in the Sharpshooter, and Mr. McMahon called for the bell. Rock was announced as the new WWE Champion, and he embraced Mr. McMahon and Shane McMahon, as it was a ruse all along, with Rock turning heel once again, and becoming the Corporate Champion.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4 &#8211; Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels &#8211; Survivor Series 1997<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels | WWE Title Match: Survivor Series 1997\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L_72bAYabGI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The hotly anticipated rematch for the WWE Championship between bitter rivals Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1997 was iconic. Just like their 1992 encounter for the industry&#8217;s biggest prize, it was a champion-versus-champion match. The Heartbreak Kid entered as the WWE European Champion and the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history; the European Championship was not on the line. The Excellence of Execution had the hometown advantage with the crowd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada backing him every step of the way.<\/p>\n<p>They had a mini-match before the bell officially sounded as they brawled outside of the ring. Hart and Michaels&#8217; encounter was intriguing, with some back-and-forth exchanges. This was the only rematch in Survivor Series history, which is a remarkable feat considering how many rematches take place at the same PLE.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Michaels put Hart into Hart&#8217;s Sharpshooter, and referee Earl Hebner called for the bell with Hart never submitting. This incident was known as the Montreal Screwjob, in which the Heartbreak Kid clinched his third WWE Championship reign, and Hart departed WWE to join WCW, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3 &#8211; Shawn Michaels Vs. Sycho Sid &#8211; Survivor Series 1996<\/h2>\n<p>Shawn Michaels rocked up to Madison Square Garden at Survivor Series 1996 as the defending WWE Champion, and his title reign was in jeopardy with Sycho Sid looking to unseat the Heartbreak Kid for the title. Despite Michaels being the biggest babyface in the company, he was on the receiving end of deafening boos with the New York crowd backing Sid. Fans grew tired of the Heartbreak Kid&#8217;s WWE Championship reign, but Michaels wasn&#8217;t backing down without a fight.<\/p>\n<p>Arguably, this was the most excellent match in Sid&#8217;s WWE career. They knocked it out of the park in a remarkable WWE Championship clash. Michaels&#8217; manager, Jose Lothario, was knocked to the ground with a camera. Furthermore, Michaels took his eye off the ball, concerned about Lothario&#8217;s well-being. Ultimately, Sid was still a heel despite receiving a babyface reaction, and he nailed Michaels with a camera, followed by a Powerbomb to clinch his maiden WWE Championship, much to the delight of the MSG crowd.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels &#8211; Survivor Series 1992<\/h2>\n<p>Aforementioned, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels&#8217; first meeting was at Survivor Series in 1992. Their encounter five years later was more memorable because of the Montreal Screwjob. The WWE Championship was at stake, and Michaels was bidding to become a double champion as he entered their showdown as the reigning Intercontinental Champion. This was the sixth main event at Survivor Series, and it was the first time that a traditional Survivor Series elimination match didn&#8217;t headline it.<\/p>\n<p>Both Hart and Michaels showcased their qualities, and this match is often overlooked in their WWE Championship trilogy. Arguably, it&#8217;s the best match in their trilogy, with Hart making Michaels look like a star. The Showstopper had to settle as the Intercontinental Champion, as it wasn&#8217;t his time to add the WWE Championship to his collection, with the Excellence of Execution retaining the WWE Championship with the Sharpshooter.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Diesel Vs. Bret Hart &#8211; Survivor Series 1995<\/h2>\n<p>Diesel&#8217;s experiment as the WWE Champion in the New Generation Era received mixed reviews during a testing time for the company. Big Daddy Cool&#8217;s WWE Championship was on the line, with Bret Hart looking to regain the WWE Championship for the first time since he dropped the title to Bob Backlund a year prior in 1994. Diesel and Hart had a solid WWE Championship match at King of the Ring 1994, and they backed it up at the 1995 Royal Rumble with an <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kxYJlvMtBWQ\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">intriguing rematch at Survivor Series 1995<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite both being babyfaces, they displayed heel tendencies throughout. There was a first in this match, as the Spanish broadcast table broke for the first time. Diesel attempted the Jackknife, but it was to no avail, as Hart played possum and rolled up Diesel. The curtain was brought down on Big Daddy Cool&#8217;s 358-day WWE Championship reign with Hart clinching his third WWE Championship. The seeds were planted for Diesel&#8217;s heel turn as he attacked the referee and laid out the Excellence of Execution with a Jackknife.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on WWE Survivor Series and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WWE Survivor Series is the second-oldest premium live event behind WrestleMania, with the inaugural edition taking place in 1987. However, there were no singles matches on the card until 1991, and that was for the prestigious WWE Championship. The traditional Survivor Series elimination match is the event&#8217;s unique selling point, but the WWE Championship is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":146136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,4,3],"tags":[8701],"class_list":["post-145904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-wwe-survivor-series"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145904"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145970,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145904\/revisions\/145970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}