5 Survivor Series moments that changed the course of WWE
One of WWE's traditional 'Big Four' pay-per-views is almost upon us, and WWE is pulling out all the stops to make it a must watch show. This year, the moment that created the most buzz (at the time of writing) was Smackdown Live' invading RAW provided a much-needed fillip to the storyline as well as to the falling ratings.
Traditionally though, Survivor Series has produced some unforgettable debuts of legends (The Undertaker, The Rock and Sting), gimmicks (Elimination Chamber) and high-profile matches (Goldberg vs Brock, The Rock/Cena vs The Miz/R-Truth).
This year too, WWE fans are waiting with bated breath, primarily for the Traditional 5-on-5 elimination match for brand supremacy, and for the clash between the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and the WWE Champion AJ Styles. One wonders what surprises are in store and whether the event in Houston, Texas would be looked back upon a few years down the line as having changed the game.
Here's a look at some of the top moments at Survivor Series that changed the course of WWE.
#5 Stone Cold Steve Austin run over
It was in October 1999 that Austin had been diagnosed with a damaged neck and needed surgery. Stone Cold had built up a lot of momentum over the past 18 months, with a long-running feud with the McMahons which had sent ratings through the roof.
WWE realised that the Austin-McMahon duel had given WWE an edge over WCW in the Monday Night Wars and it was paramount that the long-term health of Austin was taken care of.
So, WWE had to take Austin out of the scheduled Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, involving The Rock and HHH. So, whilst brawling with Triple H in the parking lot of the Joe Louis arena where Survivor Series 1999 was to be held, he was run over by a speeding car that knocked out.
It prompted a wonderful storyline with fingers being pointed at possible assailants that shaped the course of the WWE over the next year.