This week in WWE history: Major debuts that changed wrestling forever; WWF nearly driven out of business (November 18-November 24)
WWE continues to be on fire. As if things weren't hot enough for the Sports Entertainment juggernaut, Friday Night SmackDown saw the returns of Paul Heyman and CM Punk in what was an all-time segment.
As proof of how successful the company is these days, WrestleTix reported that nearly 45,000 tickets had been sold for the 2025 Royal Rumble event in under two weeks. The show is still over two months away. These are incredible numbers.
While business is booming under Triple H's creative leadership, it wouldn't have been possible without the past. World Wrestling Entertainment has existed for 70 years now, and multiple stars and marquee events over the decades have helped forge the juggernaut fans know today.
This article will take a look at four major matches, moments, and events from the company's history. This specific article will take a look at four Survivor Series events from the past.
Below are major matches and moments from this week in WWE history:
#4. The WWF battled The Alliance at Survivor Series on November 18, 2001
The first entry on this week's throwback article is an event that took place over 23 years ago. WWE held the Survivor Series event on November 18, 2001, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Over 13,000 fans were in attendance for what many feared would be the last WWE show ever. Vince McMahon's then-WWF battled The Alliance, an invading group made up of stars from WCW and ECW, in a five-on-five Winner Takes All Traditional Survivor Series Match.
Team WWF's Chris Jericho, The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane, and Big Show defeated The Alliance's Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon after almost 45 minutes. Angle proved to be a secret mole, helping secure a victory for Vince McMahon's team and thus keeping the promotion in business.
#3. Batista and Undertaker clashed inside Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series on November 18, 2007
The next entry on this list came at WWE Survivor Series on November 18, 2007. Over 12,000 fans were in attendance at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, for an event that had seven main card matches.
The card was littered with big names. Shawn Michaels went one-on-one with Randy Orton for the WWE Title, Team Triple H battled Team Umaga, and CM Punk locked horns with John Morrison and The Miz in a Triple Threat Match for the ECW Championship. However, the main event of the PLE proved to be the best match on the card, as The Undertaker and Batista stole the show.
The Deadman and The Animal fought inside Hell in a Cell for the latter's World Heavyweight Championship. After almost 22 minutes, Batista defeated The Phenom, although it was thanks to interference from the returning Adam Copeland (FKA Edge) that nobody saw coming, including Batista. The match was fantastic and one to remember.
#2. The Shield made its WWE debut at Survivor Series on November 18, 2012
Survivor Series 2012 changed WWE forever. The event was held on November 18 that year. A reported 8,500 fans were in attendance for the show, which was held at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The main event of Survivor Series 2012 featured John Cena, CM Punk, and Ryback in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship. The Second City Saint ultimately retained his title, thanks to Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Jon Moxley (FKA Dean Ambrose) debuting as part of The Shield and proceeding to lay out Ryback. The Shield turned the company on its head.
After the faction's debut, all three men went on to become world champions. Seth Rollins remains one of the most influential and important people in the company to this day, and Roman Reigns is arguably the biggest wrestling draw since The Attitude Era. They truly changed the game.
#1. Brock Lesnar and Bryan Danielson (FKA Daniel Bryan) clashed at Survivor Series on November 18, 2018
The final entry on this list belongs to the 2018 WWE Survivor Series, which emanated from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on November 18. Over 16,000 fans were in attendance for the show presented by RAW, SmackDown, and 205 Live.
Big stars from the three brands were featured, including Mustafa Ali, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Buddy Matthews (FKA Buddy Murphy), Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, Asuka, and various other names. However, the main event proved to be the most fascinating match.
The final bout on the card was a near-19-minute Champion vs. Champion match between Brock Lesnar and Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan). The Beast was the Universal Champion, and The American Dragon was the WWE Champion. In the end, The Beast Incarnate defeated Bryan in what was one of Brock's best singles matches in the Stamford-based promotion.