{"id":147196,"date":"2025-11-27T10:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=147196"},"modified":"2025-11-26T21:51:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T02:51:45","slug":"5-years-the-wwe-survivor-series-main-event-was-better-than-wrestlemanias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/27\/5-years-the-wwe-survivor-series-main-event-was-better-than-wrestlemanias\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Years The WWE Survivor Series Main Event Was Better Than WrestleMania&#8217;s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WWE Survivor Series is a prestigious PLE that has taken place every November without fail since 1987 in WWE&#8217;s calendar of PLEs. It&#8217;s also the only &#8220;Big Four&#8221; event that hasn&#8217;t moved months, unlike the other events, which have taken place in multiple months. Most recently, the Royal Rumble occurred in February this year for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Survivor Series has been home to some iconic moments that will live in infamy. Especially, some main events that WWE has produced at Survivor Series have been match of the year contenders.<\/p>\n<p>Undeniably, WrestleMania is the Showcase of the Immortals and the biggest event in WWE history. However, that doesn&#8217;t mean that WrestleMania is exempt from having a few stinkers close out the show.<\/p>\n<p>There have been several instances when the main event of Survivor Series has outshone WrestleMania. We&#8217;ll examine five times that Survivor Series&#8217; main event showed WrestleMania how to put on a good main event.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Team SmackDown Vs. Team Raw &#8211; Survivor Series 2005<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Raw vs. SmackDown: Survivor Series 2005\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5lmIjsfMHw0?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>For sure, WrestleMania 21 was Batista&#8217;s crowning moment when he defeated Triple H for his first World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. Their match was solid, with the 2005 Royal Rumble match winner triumphant.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the traditional Survivor Series elimination match between <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/14\/every-wwe-survivor-series-main-event-from-the-2000s-ranked\/6\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Team SmackDown and Team Raw<\/span> <\/a>was outstanding. Batista, JBL, Bobby Lashley, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton waved the flag for the blue brand. Meanwhile, Raw&#8217;s contingent was comprised of Shawn Michaels, Carlito, Chris Masters, Big Show, and Kane.<\/p>\n<p>Team SmackDown had the upper hand, but surprisingly, the World Heavyweight Champion Batista went for an early shower. However, SmackDown&#8217;s togetherness shone through, and they had a 3-1 advantage with Shawn Michaels on his lonesome. Michaels&#8217; tenacity shone through as he registered quickfire eliminations by removing Rey Mysterio and JBL from the equation with Sweet Chin Music.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147240\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147240\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-147240 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/22-43.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic of WWE Survivor Series main events better than WrestleMania.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/22-43.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/22-43-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/22-43-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147240\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ultimately, Randy Orton became a hero as for the third consecutive year he was the sole survivor after he saw off Michaels with an RKO, securing the win for Team SmackDown.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. Diesel Vs. Bret Hart &#8211; Survivor Series 1995<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Diesel vs. Bret Hart \u2013 WWE Title No Disqualification Match: Survivor Series 1995\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kxYJlvMtBWQ?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>Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam Bigelow headlined WrestleMania 11 instead of Diesel&#8217;s WWE Championship match with Shawn Michaels. However, nothing was going to deny Big Daddy Cool from main eventing Survivor Series 1995 as he put the WWE Championship on the line against Bret Hart in a No Disqualification match.<\/p>\n<p>The Excellence of Execution was seeking his first WWE Championship reign in a year since dropping the title to Bob Backlund at the 1994 iteration of Survivor Series.<\/p>\n<p>Diesel and Hart hit a home run in a remarkable WWE Championship match. Both competitors showed heel tendancies throughout. The Spanish broadcast table broke for the first time, which became a staple in high-profile matches in WWE.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Diesel attempted the Jackknife, but Hart played possum and rolled up Diesel to become a three-time WWE Champion. Diesel was incensed that his 358-day reign as WWE Champion was no more, and he refused to hide his displeasure by attacking the new WWE Champion after the match.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Bryan &#8211; Survivor Series 2018<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan - Champion vs. Champion Match: Survivor Series 2018\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UZ1lEn4gzAU?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>Brock Lesnar headlined WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series in 2018, and the Beast Incarnate was the reigning Universal Champion. Lesnar looked set to square off with AJ Styles for the second year in succession, but Daniel Bryan had other ideas by turning heel and defeating Styles for the WWE Championship. Despite the heel vs. heel dynamics, the fans were pulling for Bryan to see off Lesnar.<\/p>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, Lesnar dominated the match, and the new WWE Champion had little offense. Lesnar used his size and strength to his advantage. Moreover, Lesnar has a good reputation for working well with smaller guys.<\/p>\n<p>The WWE Universal Champion was dominant, but Bryan almost sprung up a surprise when he took Lesnar down with his patented Running Knee. However, Lesnar was not going to be denied as he defeated SmackDown&#8217;s WWE Champion with a devastating F-5. This bout was miles better than Lesnar and Reigns&#8217; drab affair that closed out WrestleMania 34.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. Elimination Chamber Match For The World Heavyweight Championship &#8211; Survivor Series 2002<\/h2>\n<p>Survivor Series 2002 was the first time that fans witnessed the Elimination Chamber match. Raw&#8217;s finest competitors, including the defending World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H. His <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BZ6_FNqmEf4&amp;t=295s\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Gold Belt was on the line against his rival Shawn Michaels<\/a>, Chris Jericho, Kane, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam in the main event inside Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n<p>Chris Jericho and Triple H&#8217;s main event at WrestleMania 18 for the Undisputed WWE Championship had the unenviable task of following The Rock and Hulk Hogan&#8217;s epic.\u00a0 Nevertheless, at Survivor Series 2002, the Elimination Chamber match was off the charts. Triple H&#8217;s trachea was crushed by Rob Van Dam.<\/p>\n<p>Somehow, the Game found some strength to continue. Triple H and Michaels were the final two competitors, with Triple H still reeling from a crushed trachea. Michaels shocked the world when he dethroned Triple H to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. 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?start=12&#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 WWE Championship match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the 1997 iteration of Survivor Series was remarkably good. Michaels didn&#8217;t wrestle at WrestleMania 13, but Bret did against Steve Austin in a hard-fought battle. Nevertheless, Undertaker&#8217;s WWE Championship victory over Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13 had the honor of going on last, but it was an underwhelming main event.<\/p>\n<p>No love was lost between Michaels and the Hitman, which was evident in their high-profile WWE Championship match. Hart gave it his all, but it wasn&#8217;t enough as Michaels became a three-time WWE Champion after the Montreal Screwjob happened. Nevertheless, despite the screwy finish, Michaels added another WWE Championship to his collection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/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 this 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 a prestigious PLE that has taken place every November without fail since 1987 in WWE&#8217;s calendar of PLEs. It&#8217;s also the only &#8220;Big Four&#8221; event that hasn&#8217;t moved months, unlike the other events, which have taken place in multiple months. Most recently, the Royal Rumble occurred in February this year for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":147241,"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":[396,8701],"class_list":["post-147196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-wrestlemania","tag-wwe-survivor-series"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147196","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=147196"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147242,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147196\/revisions\/147242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}