Survivor Series Elimination Matches Through the Years

w/ Alex Archer

Andre the Giant's 1987 Team

With Survivor Series just around the corner, I decided to analyze the elimination matches from years past. From the first Survivor Series in 1987 that saw Team Andre defeat Team Hogan, all the way up to last year's event that saw Team Barrett come out on top of Team Orton, you can find all the winners right here (female wrestlers and midgets not included... sorry Sleazy, Cheesy, and Queasy).

When you look at the Survivor Series elimination matches from a Face vs. Heel perspective, Face teams have produced 77 survivors, where the Heel teams have only produced 36 survivors.

Randy Orton: Top Survivor

While the heel teams seem to be at a distinct disadvantage if you look at those numbers, it's interesting to note that Randy Orton has had the most success in elimination matches, surviving 4 times (03, 04, 05, 08) as a heel. When he entered the match as a face in 2011, he was unable to find the same success, being eliminated by Wade Barrett.

Randy Orton is also tied with Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage for the longest Survivor Series elimination match winning streak with wins in three consecutive years. Randy was victorious in 03, 04, and 05. Warrior and Hogan were both victorious in 88, 89, and 90. Randy Savage survived as a face in 87 and 88, and then again in 89, as his "Macho King" heel persona.

The King's Court - 1989

Joining Randy Savage on the list of wrestlers who have survived as both a heel and a face are 1-2-3 Kid (face: 93, heel: 95), Paul Roma (face: 87, heel: 90), British Bulldog (face: 95, heel: 97), Billy Gunn (face: 97, heel: 96), The Nasty Boys (face: 92, heel: 91), Ric Flair (face: 06, heel: 91), and The Warlord (face: 88, heel: 90).

Ric Flair holds the record for longest span between Survivor Series wins at 15 years. He was the sole survivor in 91 when Team Flair took on Team Piper, and was again the sole survivor in 06 as Team WWE Legends defeated Team Spirit Squad.

Below is a list of all the survivors dating back to the first ever Survivor Series elimination match, including some pictures of some of the more unlikely survivors.

Survivors Through the Years

The Barbarian - 88

Randy Savage - 87, 88, 89    
Jake Roberts - 87
Ricky Steamboat - 87
Paul Roma - 87, 90
Jim Powers - 87
Jim Brunzell - 87
Brian Blair - 87
Andre the Giant - 87
Ultimate Warrior - 88, 89, 90
The Warlord - 88, 90
The Barbarian - 88
Hulk Hogan - 88, 89, 90
Mr. Perfect - 88, 89
Dino Bravo - 88, 89
Earthquake - 88
Dusty Rhodes - 89
Brutus Beefcake - 89
Tito Santana - 90, 91
Ted Dibiase - 90
Rick Martel - 90
Hercules - 90

Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake - 89

Jim Duggan - 91
Texas Tornado - 91
Sgt. Slaughter - 91
Hawk - 91
Animal - 91
Beaut Beverly - 91
Blake Beverly - 91
Brian Knobbs - 91, 92
Jerry Sags - 91, 92
Ric Flair - 91, 06
1-2-3 Kid - 93, 95
Marty Jannetty - 93
Bret Hart - 93
Bruce Hart - 93
Keith Hart - 93

The Beverly Brothers - 91

Mabel - 93
Mo - 93
Bushwhacker Luke - 93
Bushwhacker Butch - 93
Lex Luger - 93
Razor Ramon - 94
Jerry Lawler - 94
Bam Bam Bigelow - 94
King Kong Bundy - 94
Undertaker - 95
Savio Vega - 95
Fatu - 95
Henry Godwinn - 95
Shawn Michaels - 95, 06, 08
Ahmed Johnson - 95
British Bulldog - 95, 97
Doug Furnas - 96

Furnas & Lafon - 96

Phil Lafon - 96
The Rock - 96, 01
Billy Gunn - 96, 97
Road Dogg - 97
Ken Shamrock - 97
The Interrogator - 97
Hardcore Holly - 99
Godfather - 99
D'Lo Brown - 99
Val Venis - 99
Mark Henry - 99
Big Show - 99, 04, 10
Chris Benoit - 00, 03
Perry Saturn - 00
Jeff Hardy - 00
John Cena - 03, 04, 06

Kurgan the Interrogator - 97

Randy Orton - 03, 04, 05, 08
Eddie Guerrero - 04
Triple H - 06, 07
CM Punk - 06
Matt Hardy - 06
Bobby Lashley - 06
Jeff Hardy - 07
Rey Mysterio - 08, 10
Great Khali - 08
Cody Rhodes - 08, 11
Kofi Kingston - 09
The Miz - 09
Drew McIntyre - 09
Wade Barrett - 11

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