Survivor Series 1991 took place on 27 November 1991 from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Current Champions

  • WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan
  • Intercontinental Champion: Bret Hart
  • Tag Team Champions: Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal)

Hulk Hogan defends the WWF Championship against the Undertaker, the Deadman is celebrating the event of his one-year anniversary with the company.

Gorilla Monsoon introduces the event and immediately sends us to the footage of Randy Savage being bit by Jake Roberts’ snake, which has become iconic. Roberts’ feud with the ‘Macho Man’ came as a result of Ultimate Warrior’s departure, hence he missed the post-match celebration at SummerSlam. Warrior was fired as soon as he stepped through the curtain, ending the storyline with Jake. President Jack Tunney bans reptiles from ringside and books Savage versus Roberts at This Tuesday in Texas.

Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, Mountie, Warlord w/Sensational Sherri, Harvey Wippleman & Jimmy Hart & Mr. Perfect vs. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart, Virgil, British Bulldog & Rowdy Roddy Piper

The entire heel team have a manager (or executive consultant in the case of Perfect) and Flair has what appears to be a tag title belt blacked out. There’s some serious talent in this match despite the presence of the Warlord and having sad that, they begin with Piper planting one on Sherri. British Bulldog hits a Running Powerslam on the Mountie and covers but Flair nails him off the top. Flair eliminates Bulldog. Piper versus Flair is a running theme throughout the match and I like that Flair is presented a huge deal. Mirroring the first elimination, Hart hits a double axe handle on Warlord from behind and Piper covers for three. Virgil slaps the Million Dollar Dream on DiBiase only for Ted to escape. Referee calls for the bell amid confusion and brawling. Every remaining participant is disqualified except for Ric Flair, who had slipped out to ringside. Post-match Piper takes it to Flair and DiBiase. I understand wanting to protect people but surely Mountie and Virgil could have done the job before the end. [**]

Bobby Heenan celebrates Flair’s victory before Mean Gene talks to ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage about his upcoming match with Jake Roberts. Savage brings out Miss Elizabeth but my eye is caught by the size of the green feather on Savage’s hat.

Colonel Mustafa, Berzerker, Skinner & Hercules w/General Adnan & Mr. Fuji vs. Sgt. Slaughter, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, Texas Tornado & El Matador

A lot has happened since SummerSlam with Slaughter abandoning the ‘triangle of terror’ and leads his team alongside Duggan. Heenan and Monsoon are doing the big sell job on Slaughter’s transformation, regaining the favour of his country. This match is the opposite of the last one with two good workers out of the eight (El Matador and Texas Tornado), whereas the opener had six good workers out of eight. Flying forearm by Santana on Skinner and Slaughter tosses the ‘Alligator Man’ back inside. A second attempt at a flying forearm sees Skinner duck. Texas Tornado gets the tag and takes the fight to Berzerker. Duggan and Hercules get tags. Neither man budges as they clash with shoulder blocks. Why they would give Mustafa, the least mobile of all participants, the long sequence with Duggan I’ll never know. Sarge gets the hot tag and clotheslines Mustafa, then covers to eliminate. Berzerker’s clothesline is less effective. Heenan says it’s three against two when it’s clearly three against four. Slaughter kicks Berzerker’s leg and he genuinely does the splits. Referee allows a tag to Santana, who was practically on the far side of the ring. Hercules out thanks to Santana’s flying forearm despite Skinner trying to break it up with a boot to El Matador’s head. Heels are down to Skinner and Berzerker now. Blind tag to Slaughter, who rolls Skinner up for three. Clothesline by Duggan sends Berzerker to the showers. The faces celebrate a shut-out. [*1/2]

Gene Okerlund introduces Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, whose theme says ‘trust me’ over and over again. Jake is wearing a fetching grey, green and purple sweater. Jake claims he was told the snake that bit Randy Savage had been de-venomed. They talk about Jake’s upcoming match against Savage on Tuesday night. Good promo but it’s Jake Roberts, he barely cuts a bad one.

The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer vs. Hulk Hogan (c) – WWF Championship

The Gravest Challenge build-up featured Ric Flair confronting Hogan on the Funeral Parlour. How they didn’t do Flair versus Hogan at WrestleMania I’ll never know. They should have done it without a title at stake, it would have been far less predictable. Undertaker emerges from a casket and strikes Hulk with the urn. Flair puts the boots to Hogan. Piper and Savage hit the scene with chairs, they strike ‘Taker but he’s unaffected. It’s a great build-up and does anybody else read into the placing of this match, halfway through the show? I once saw Undertaker talk about this match some years ago and he said that the fans were more on his side than Hogan’s, that’s certainly not the case during the entrances. Hulk attacks the casket Paul Bearer brought to ringside. Lots of choking by ‘Taker to begin with and even Bearer gets in on the act. Undertaker whiffs on a huge elbow drop. Clotheslines and a slam doesn’t put Undertaker on the mat. I’d say 90% of this match has been Undertaker choking Hogan and putting a halt to Hogan’s brief comebacks. Tombstone Piledriver and Hulk gets straight back up. I hate that. Hulk Up offence and this time the Undertaker goes down to one knee. Here comes Ric Flair as Hogan slams Undertaker, only for Bearer to trip him. Hogan tries to drag Bearer up, then sees Flair at ringside. Hogan clocks Flair. Back in the ring, Undertaker takes the big boot but Bearer again grabs Hogan. Uppercut by Undertaker and the famous Tombstone on a steel chair slid in by Flair. “Uh, you got me brother.” One, two, three and we have a new WWF Champion. A miscarriage of justice according to Monsoon as Heenan celebrates. It was a poor match, in truth. [*1/2]

Hulk Hogan has to be helped to the back as we cut away to Mean Gene and Roddy Piper. Hot Rod isn’t happy about Jack Tunney, Ric Flair and the Undertaker being the new WWF Champion. In contrast, Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair are delighted that Hulkamania is dead. Perfect is wearing a brilliant brightly coloured shellsuit. Back to Okerlund, who is with IRS and his partners the Natural Disasters. Jake Roberts was supposed to be on their team but both he and Randy Savage were pulled from Survivor Series. Sean Mooney is a busy boy as he gets the word from Big Boss Man and Legion of Doom. If anybody needs a charisma bypass, it’s Jack Tunney. The WWF President has found Mean Gene to say that the Undertaker can’t enjoy his title win, the rematch will take place at This Tuesday In Texas. Tunney will be at ringside to ensure a fair outcome.

I do have one question. If Hogan was so injured and his neck jarred by Undertaker’s piledriver on the chair, how did he think he’d be back for the payday (and to regain the title) at This Tuesday In Texas?

Beverly Brothers & Nasty Boys w/The Genius & Jimmy Hart vs. Bushwhackers & The Rockers

Does Monsoon have to say ‘tag team specialist’ for the Rockers during each match? Very bright colours sported by Marty and Shawn Michaels. Bushwhackers are still massively over but sadly Butch takes an early shower after a second-rope clothesline by Brian Knobbs. Top rope crossbody by Michaels nearly puts Saggs away. A ‘spike slam’ by the Beverly’s eliminates Luke, who was still being called Butch by both Monsoon and Bobby Heenan. Beverly’s and Nasty Boys work together to weaken the remaining Rockers. Backslide by Michaels manages to pin Beau Beverly. Weirdly, Monsoon is making disparaging remarks about the Rockers. Jannetty picks up Saggs to slam but strikes Michaels in the face by accident, Shawn stumbles into a pin by Knobbs and he’s gone. It’s three-on-one in favour of the heels. Michaels is furious and shoves Marty. Somehow Monsoon and Heenan have missed that Shawn got pinned and can’t understand why Michaels has walked out. Jesus Christ, they have been poor in this match. Gorilla thinks that he was counted out. Honestly, that’s horrendous commentating. Jannetty leaps off the top onto both Nasty Boys, then ties up with Blake Beverly. Small package on Knobbs, Saggs turns the pinfall over and Jannetty is out. Even after seeing the replay, Monsoon can’t fathom that Michaels was pinned. [**]

Heenan claims that there was an article in the WWF Magazine about dissention amongst the Rockers, Monsoon just won’t accept it. I enjoy Gorilla’s commentary but this is just absurd.

IRS & Natural Disasters w/Jimmy Hart vs. Big Boss Man & Legion of Doom

Some big boys in this match and even though he’s the smallest, IRS is no small man. Lots of fast pace from the Boss Man but he can hit like a truck. Earthquake tags in and he wants Animal in. Earthquake catches Animal and hits a backbreaker. Dropkick by Animal. Now it’s IRS back in to try his fare against Animal. Hawk takes over. Miscommunication as Hawk shoots IRS into the ropes. Earlier on, Boss Man tried to get up on the top rope but slipped and seemed to decide against it. Typhoon in, Hawk and Boss Man work him over. Earthquake versus Hawk now, it seems everybody is getting a turn against everybody. IRS tries to slide away Boss Man but gets his tie stood on. Referee distracted, IRS nails Boss Man with his briefcase and pins him for three. IRS tries the same trick on Hawk but he ducks and Irwin catches Typhoon, who is eliminated. Earthquake confronts IRS, despite having been the one who gave the briefcase to IRS. ‘Quake leaves with Typhoon. IRS is up against both WWF Tag Team Champions. He’s able to weaken Hawk but the tag to Animal spells the end. IRS takes a double clothesline and rolls outside. IRS walks away to the back only to find the Big Boss Man blocking his path. IRS is brought back inside the hard way and Hawk hits a top rope clothesline for Animal to get the three on Irwin. [**]

Survivor Series ends with Sean Mooney talking about Hogan wanting his title back at This Tuesday In Texas before Okerlund has located the Undertaker and Paul Bearer. They aren’t too disappointed with the title defence in just a few days and close a casket on Hulkamania.

The Verdict: From a historic standpoint, the Undertaker winning his first WWF Championship is worth a watch but the clip has been shown to death. The matches are really poor and the commentary is difficult to keep up with. Given that This Tuesday In Texas will have Hogan vs. Undertaker II and Savage vs. Roberts, surely that’ll be the better show.