By5MinuteWrestlingReviews@5MinWresReviews
Welcome to our 1st ever RETRO REVIEW of Survivor Series 1996! We plan on going through and reviewing both WWF and WCW PPV’s from this point forward in a chronological basis, so be sure to follow along with us! This was a solid Survivor Series, and featured a great matchup between Bret Hart and Steve Austin, along with a fun brawl between Undertaker and Mankind. There was some big news in the main event, as Sycho Sid beat Shawn Michaels in a good match to win the WWF World Heavyweight Title. To top it off, we saw the debut of a guy named Rocky Maivia who might just turn into something someday.
Survivor Series Eight Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Doug Furnas, Philip LaFon & The Godwinns (Henry O. Godwinn & Phineas I. Godwinn) (w/Hillbilly Jim) vs. Owen Hart, The British Bulldog & The New Rockers (Leif Cassidy & Marty Jannetty) (w/Clarence Mason): Jannetty and Lafon start off with some solid exchanges to start. Phineas gets worked over in the corner for a while. Henry gets a hot tag and hits Slop Drop to eliminate Jannetty. Owen comes in immediately and hits a spinning heel kick to climate Henry. Bulldog hits a powerslam on Phineas to get another quick elimination. Furnas gets worked over and Owen hits a great missile dropkick and Perfect plex for 2. Cassidy tags in and eats a top rope reverse suplex from Lafon for the elimination. Owen hits a belly to belly and 2nd rope elbow drop for 2. Bulldog hits a low blow while the ref is turned, and Lafon keeps getting worked over with strikes. Lafon dodges a double clothesline and Furnas trips up Owen. Lafon gets a rollup on Bulldog for the pin. Owen goes after the leg, but Furnas gets the hot tag and hits a great dropkick. Furnas gets the win for his team with a nice looking German eliminating Owen. ***3/4
Mankind (w/Paul Bearer) vs. The Undertaker: Bearer is locked in a cage above the ring so he can’t theoretically get involved. Mankind attacks before the bell and a brawl outside ensues. Taker works an armbar and attacks the mandible claw hand of Mankind. They brawl in the crowd and Mankind takes a back body drop to the concrete. Mankind hits a front flip from the apron to the floor, and follows with running knees to the corner. A piledriver out of nowhere connects for Mankind but Taker blocks the claw. Taker kicks Mankind right into the steel barricade, and Old School follows. Mankind locks the Mandible Claw to reverse a chokeslam, but Taker gets up before his arm hits the mat for a third time. Taker hits a chokeslam, and Mankind misses on an apron dive. Taker hits a back drop suplex, and Mankind pulls out a spike and uses it. Taker is finally able to hit a Tombstone for the win, after catching Mankind in the corner. ****
Survivor Series Eight Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Crush, Goldust, Hunter Hearst Helmsley & Jerry Lawler (w/Marlena) vs. Jake Roberts, Marc Mero, Rocky Maivia & The Stalker (w/Sable): Goldust and Mero work some basic wrestling early before Stalker comes in with a funky clothesline. Rock tags in and does a nice kip up then lands a dropkick on Lawler. HHH tags in and works over Rock in the corner as we get a preview of many matches to come. Jake gets the hot tag and crushes HHH with a clothesline. Lawler comes in and mocks Jake’s drinking but turns into a DDT for the pin. Stalker and Goldust go at it and Stalker gets hit from behind, which leads to Curtain Call for the pin. Mero gets worked over by the heels for and HHH cranks an abdominal stretch for far too long. Mero finally gets out of it and hits a moonsault on HHH to eliminate him. Mero misses a plancha and Crush hits a heart punch for the elimination. Another heart punch on Jake follows for the pin. Rocky is the last guy in for his team and hits a double cross body. Crush accidently punches Goldust and Rock follows with a cross body on Crush for the pin. Shoulder breaker on Goldust gave Rocky the win. **1/2
WWF World Heavyweight Title #1 Contendership Match: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin: Austin gives the double bird and they start exchanging wrestling holds. A slow build occurs for the first 5 minutes or so, with Hart hitting a lariat/atomic drop sequence leading to a rollup for 2. Hart hits a top rope elbow for 2. Austin rams Bret into the ring post outside, but Bret takes him over the barricade and lays in kicks. Bret gets slingshot into the Spanish announce table. Austin continues the offensive onslaught before they trade punches. Bret hits a piledriver for 2. Austin hits a superplex for 2. Stunner gets a 2, and Austin locks the Texas cloverleaf. Austin has a surfboard lock on, but Bret escapes and locks a sleeper. Austin escapes and locks the Million Dollar Dream, but Bret pushes off the turnbuckles and is able to get Austin’s shoulders to the mat for the 3 count. ****1/2
Survivor Series Eight Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Diesel, Faarooq, Razor Ramon & Vader (w/James E. Cornette & The Nation Of Domination) vs. Flash Funk, Jimmy Snuka, Savio Vega & Yokozuna: Flash Funk is wearing some awful colored attire and him and Vader spill outside early. FF hits a moonsault to the outside. Funk gets worked over by the heels and runs into a monster spinebuster from Faarooq. Vega tags in and got pushed into the ring post, and a Diesel Jackknife powerbomb got the 3 count. Snuka comes in and lays chops and headbutts to Razor and follows with the Superfly Splash for the pin. Diesel comes in with a chair afterwards and the match breaks down with an all-out brawl leading to a double DQ. Ouch. ½*
WWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) (c) vs. Sycho Sid: Sid lays down big right hands to start. HBK fires back with strikes and locks in a figure 4 as he continues to work the knee. Sid fights back with kicks and HBK sells like crazy for him. They brawl outside and Sid tosses Michaels on the barricade and then continues to lay in strikes back inside. A big backbreaker from Sid gets 2. Michaels shows fight to some surprising boos, but misses a top rope slash and sells by doing a headstand. HBK lands some strikes but Sid hits a chokeslam to huge applause. A powerslam gets a nearfall for Sid. HBK kips up but runs into a clothesline for 2. Sid grabs a videocamera and takes out Lothario at ring side, but turns right into Sweet Chin Music. HBK checks on Lothario, and then accidently cross body blocks the ref. Michaels checks on Lothario again which allows Sid to hit him with a camera. Sid hits his powerbomb in the ring to pick up the 3 count and the title. ***1/2
Overall: 7.75/10
This was a very fun and easy show to watch, as aside from the last 2 elimination matches, every match was good to great. The Hart and Austin feud had some fuel to the fire, and HBK had his lengthy title ended by Sid. This is one of the better WWF PPV’s of the year, and the Federation is picking up steam as we head into 1997.
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