Survivor Series 2003

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Survivor Series

November 16, 2003

American Airlines Center

Dallas, Texas

News & Notes: Much has happened between Unforgiven, No Mercy, and Survivor Series. So, as usual, I will split the opening section between Smackdown and RAW. Let’s begin with Smackdown’s extra storylines.

Vince appointed a new GM after defeating Stephanie. He selected Paul Heyman to lead the show! Meanwhile, the mysterious Japanese men who aided Tajiri at No Mercy reappeared in Tajiri’s corner. They haven’t named them yet, but they will call them Akio (Jimmy Yang) and Sakoda. Tajiri attempted to recruit Ultimo Dragon to join the group, but he refused and paid the price. Mysterio came to Ultimo’s aid. Tajiri also dealt with Jamie Noble, who wanted to avenge Nidia. Noble fought Tajiri on Heat for the Cruiserweight Title, but Tajiri won. (They will soon drop the storyline about Tajiri’s gang. WWE based Tajiri’s faction on the Yakuza, and Tajiri feared it would cause problems with the real Yakuza.)

On RAW, Coach and Al Snow worked the commentary job for only one week. Austin booked a match between JR and Coach for the announcer’s position. Bischoff tried to help Coach by letting him pick the stipulation, so Coach chose a Country Whippin’ contest. Eric and Jericho even attacked JR until Austin ran them off. However, JR beat Coach with a Stunner. Elsewhere, Heidenreich traveled to RAW since things didn’t work out on Smackdown. He helped Austin enter the building because Bischoff banned him, so Austin looked at his tryout tape. Jon teamed with Hurricane and Trish, and he showed them Little Johnny! (We don’t know who he is.) In other news, Cade, Jindrak, and Maven feuded with Evolution after Evolution jumped them to steal their TV time. Lastly, Booker T received a cryptic note that said, “I still remember!” (They never explain it.)

The PPV: A creepy voice asks if you have what it takes to survive, defy destiny, cheat fate, and sidestep certain damnation. Goldberg has to survive a game of evolution and opportunity, but there are no rules. Meanwhile, can Shane survive his final encounter with Kane? A reckless maniac will fight a monster, and someone won’t walk away. Then, when Team Angle meets Team Lesnar, it’s a battle of attrition. Can David’s technical prowess overcome Goliath’s power? Next, will Austin survive the night? Can he trust anyone? Austin placed his fate in his team’s hands. Will he lose the life he created? Also, can Taker defeat the darkness and survive the demons to end Vince’s tyranny? Vince is the face that decides all men’s fate. He believes a higher authority called him to bury the Undertaker. Taker vows to hold him accountable for his actions.

Now, fireworks explode while generic rock replaces “Build a Bridge” by Limp Bizkit. Cole welcomes the viewers to Dallas for a night that is truly about survival.

Cena arrives for the opening contest. He wears a Joe Namath jersey and does his usual rap. Cena says the whole pay-per-view is ass-backward. They put the main event on first. He came through the curtain like a fetus, and his opponents are the afterbirth. Cena says they better bring a bigger ambulance and dig a larger grave because he’s going to bury everyone. Plus, Cena wonders if he can trade his teammates for a one-night stand with Sable. Cena addresses the Big Show afterward. Show is a giant, but Cena is a giant whistle, so Big Show can blow him. Once Cena finishes, everybody else joins him. Hardcore Holly jumps Lesnar when he appears.

Team Angle (Kurt Angle, John Cena, Chris Benoit, Bradshaw, & Hardcore Holly) vs. Team Lesnar (Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Matt Morgan, & Nathan Jones)

Storyline: Lesnar and Big Show lost to the Undertaker in a handicap contest, so they almost scuffled over the loss. However, Heyman had a business offer for Brock. He gave Lesnar a Survivor Series team to battle Kurt Angle. Heyman presented an OVW talent named Matt Morgan, the returning Nathan Jones, and Big Show. Then, Heyman tried to add Cena, but Cena didn’t like people telling him what to do. Besides, he didn’t fit in with Team Sasquatch. Since Cena defied Heyman, A-Train attacked Cena and joined Team Lesnar. Meanwhile, Angle selected Benoit despite tensions. He added the APA, but Team Lesnar injured Faarooq with a chair. Hardcore Holly came next because he wanted revenge on Lesnar for the broken neck. Holly sought a fight backstage, but Heyman told him he must wait. Finally, Cena desired payback, so Angle chose him, much to Benoit’s chagrin.

The Match: Holly won’t stop attacking Brock. They disqualify him when he shoves Brian Hebner. Then Bradshaw avoids A-Train’s Vader Bomb and eliminates Train with a Clothesline from Hell. Unfortunately, Show dispatches Bradshaw with a chokeslam. Now, Cena enters the fray and falls victim to attacks by Lesnar, Morgan, and Jones. They slam Cena and toss him around until John scores the Throwback on Lesnar. This allows Benoit to tag and scuffle with Lesnar and Big Show. Benoit gets a Crossface on Show, but Brock breaks it up, and Show puts Benoit in an ab stretch. Once Benoit escapes, Morgan throws Chris outside so Lesnar and Jones can beat him up. A brawl erupts before Benoit fights back and tags Angle.

Kurt suplexes everybody and pins Morgan after an Angle Slam. Jones also submits to the anklelock, but Lesnar quickly takes out Angle with an F5. With Angle gone, Benoit battles Lesnar. He beats him into a corner with chops and keeps locking Brock in the Crossface. Eventually, Benoit makes Brock tap out! Big Show targets Benoit afterward, so Benoit answers with low dropkicks and a flying shoulder tackle. Show tries to get a breather by shoving Benoit into Cena. What he doesn’t realize is that Cena tags Benoit. Show chokeslams Benoit, but Cena decks Show with a chain. The shot enables Cena to lift Big Show and hit the FU for the three!

Thoughts: This was a nice opener. They structured it about as perfectly as you could. Morgan and Jones stuck to what they knew and kept their participation to a minimum, so they didn’t expose them. Plus, Benoit and Cena looked strong. This accomplished everything it needed to.

Survivors: Chris Benoit & John Cena (13:15)

Benoit shakes Cena’s hand after the bout, so I should discuss the controversy surrounding this encounter. WWE knew they needed to turn Cena into a babyface. However, Michael Hayes believed Cena should give Benoit the FU on the go-home Smackdown. Hayes wanted to make Cena seem like a rebel who played by his own rules, but everyone else thought the move would get the wrong reaction. The creative team wouldn’t let Hayes have his way, so he went behind their backs and told Vince about the idea. Vince agreed, and they filmed Cena giving Benoit the FU. Cena’s actions resulted in confused silence from the crowd, so they edited the segment out of the broadcast and acted like the FU never happened.

Backstage, Vince knocks on Shane McMahon’s locker room door. Shane doesn’t look amused when he sees his father. Vince asks him if he realizes a father and son are competing on the same show against two brothers. There is an ironic fate and spirituality to this. Vince says he feels like a higher power is protecting him, so how does Shane feel? Shane says he only feels sorry for Vince. When he hears this, Vince leaves but runs into Stone Cold Steve Austin in the hallway. They stare at each other until they laugh. The laughter grows, but Austin stops abruptly and glares at Vince before moving on.

Now, it’s time for Molly Holly vs. Lita for the Women’s Title. During this contest, Molly wears a wristband with “CH” written on it. The letters stand for Crash Holly because he passed away shortly before this PPV.

Women’s Title Match: Molly Holly (c) vs. Lita

Storyline: Molly and Gail took exception to all the attention everyone gave Lita after her comeback. They unleashed their frustrations on Terri by insulting and even attacking her! Lita saved Terri from a beating. However, the attack was a trap. Molly lured Lita in, and Gail disguised herself as a fan to ambush Lita. Later, Lita defeated Trish, Victoria, and Gail to become the #1 contender, so Molly and Gail came after her again. This time, Lita received help from an unexpected source. Christian rescued her. Likewise, Chris Jericho kept aiding Trish in Trish’s feud with Victoria. Lita and Trish thought Christian and Jericho were up to something, but both men expressed romantic interest. A picture in Lita’s book sparked old feelings in Christian. Plus, Jericho asked Trish on a date. Elsewhere, Evolution bullied Lita, but Bischoff warned Lita to play ball with him when she complained.

The Match: Lita takes Molly to the mat, lands a monkey flip, and brings her outside. She rams Molly into the apron and rolls her inside for a suplex. Then Molly catches Lita on a leapfrog and tosses her over the ropes. On the floor, Molly drives Lita into the barricade before returning to the ring. There, Molly does a swinging neckbreaker, a rear chinlock, and a dragon sleeper. When Lita escapes, Molly performs a handspring elbow. Lita answers with a flying crossbody, a corner clothesline, and corner punches.

Molly responds with a side slam and tries to return the favor in the corner. As Molly throws punches, Lita pulls her down into a powerbomb. A Russian leg sweep follows, but Lita misses the moonsault. Now, Molly hits the Molly-Go-Round, which only earns two! She complains to the ref and removes a turnbuckle pad. Lita rolls Molly up, but Molly kicks out. Molly gives Lita a drop toe hold against the exposed buckle, and pins her.

Thoughts: This was a solid little bout. They maximized their minutes despite the lack of them. Molly and Lita told a simple yet effective story in a short duration, and the crowd reacted well to it. I wish they had given them more time because what we got was nice.

Winner: Molly Holly (6:48)

Ambulance Match: Kane vs. Shane McMahon

Storyline: Kane attacked Shane in the hospital after Unforgiven. He emptied a blood bag on Shane’s face and rammed him into the walls. Later, Shane lured Kane backstage and locked him in a limo. Then Shane wedged a block on the accelerator, sending the limousine crashing into the side of an 18-wheeler trailer. While Kane recovered in the hospital, Shane challenged him to a match. The challenge made an unconscious Kane wake up and go after the doctors. Next, Shane faced a mystery challenger. He wanted Kane but got Test. Kane tried to distract Shane to cost him a victory, but it didn’t work. Finally, Shane invited Kane to a restaurant named Kowloon. They sat down peacefully, but Kane taunted Shane about his mother and the things Kane had done to him. Shane said Kane was pathetic, not evil.

The Match: Shane takes Kane over the ropes with a crossbody, and Kane almost lands on his head. Kane recovers and tries to use the steps, but Shane whacks the steps into Kane’s face with a chair. Now, Shane clears the Spanish table and decks Kane with a monitor. Shane performs the flying elbow to put Kane through the desk, but Kane sits up as Shane rises. So, Shane lures Kane into the crowd and leads a chase backstage. Shane hides and ambushes Kane with a Kendo stick. With Kane dazed, Shane gets in an SUV and backs into Kane. The impact sends Kane smashing through a security booth. Shane calls for another ambulance and puts Kane on a gurney, but Kane fights back.

Kane rams Shane into walls and equipment cases as they head back. (The camera feed cuts in and out. They probably did this to hide edits. I’m guessing they pre-taped the backstage stuff.) In the arena, Kane throws Shane onto the ambulance’s hood, cracking the windshield. Shane rallies and swings the door into Kane’s face, but Kane gives him a big boot and nearly closes him inside. Once Shane escapes, he scores a float-over DDT. Shane sets up a wooden box and a trash can against Kane and does a coast-to-coast dropkick off the vehicle’s roof! He drags Kane into the ambulance, but Kane stops Shane from closing the second door. Kane slams, tosses, and lawn darts Shane against the sides of the ambulance, leaving Shane woozy. The onslaught allows Kane to Tombstone Shane on the floor and shut him in the ambulance.

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl with some impressive spots. They kept it at a nice length and didn’t overdo it. Plus, it had a decisive victory, and the right person won. The point of this feud was to present Kane as more of a monster. He needed to win in the end. They gave Shane enough to make him look valiant. The only problem was that they might have given Shane too much. It was sometimes hard to buy him getting that much offense on Kane. (On a side note, Kane took some nasty bumps. He almost landed on his head and took a door flush to his face. It wouldn’t surprise me if you said he suffered at least one concussion in this.)

Winner: Kane (13:34)

Josh Matthews asks Brock Lesnar how he feels about his team losing tonight. Brock says he didn’t lose, so Josh reminds him he tapped out. The comment bothers Brock, so he takes a moment to calm himself before getting in Josh’s face. Brock says he didn’t tap out and didn’t lose. He says Josh is acting like he was the only person in the ring. Brock tells Josh to line up anyone in the back. He could beat any of them because he is the WWE champion. As Lesnar says this, he notices someone behind Josh and asks, “What the hell do you want?” Goldberg enters the scene and introduces himself as the World Heavyweight Champion. He asks if Lesnar will wish him luck in his match tonight. Brock only glares at him, so Goldberg laughs and walks away.

Next, Coach appears in a neck brace. Coachman wants the fans to know he will be okay after taking a 3D from the Dudleys. He thanks the fans for their well-wishes and almost leaves, but he spots Mark Cuban in the crowd and interviews him. They joke about referees, but Cuban also says he can’t wait to see Austin kick Bischoff’s ass. This comment draws Bischoff out to confront Mark. Eric invites Cuban to repeat what he said to his face. Bischoff says he rented the arena for the night, which makes it his building. He threatens to have security remove Cuban, or he’ll do it himself. Then Bischoff slaps him, so Mark shoves Eric, and Bischoff falls to the floor. While Cuban laughs at Bischoff, Randy Orton gives Mark an RKO out of nowhere! Orton and Bischoff leave together afterward.

Elsewhere, Evolution is throwing a party with women and champagne. Triple H removes his shirt, but Flair stops him. Ric says the champ can’t get weak in the knees because he still has to fight tonight. Flair toasts to Triple H’s upcoming victory, but Hunter says it’s only a formality. The title is as good as his. While he says this, Orton arrives. He wants to brag about what he did, but he stops to talk to the ladies first. One woman pinches Randy’s nipples. Orton regains his composure and says he killed Mark Cuban. Plus, Flair will be proud of him when he does the same to Austin later. Hunter tells Randy to take care of Austin while he deals with Goldberg.

WWE Tag Team Title Match: The Basham Brothers (c) (w/ Shaniqua) vs. Los Guerreros

Storyline: Heyman punished the World’s Greatest Tag Team for not calling him during his absence. He took their tag title shot and gave it to the Bashams. The Bashams used twin magic, a club, and Shaniqua’s interference to capture the championships from Los Guerreros! However, the loss caused tensions between Chavo and Eddie. Chavo said Eddie lost his focus. He said he was the only one who supported Eddie while Eddie entered rehab. The comments motivated Eddie to regain the tag belts. Eddie had to defeat the Bashams alone to earn a rematch, so he did shenanigans with Shaniqua’s riding crop to win. Unfortunately, they postponed the bout because the police told Eddie that Vickie’s sister had wrecked her car. It was a prank by the Bashams. Chavo fought them by himself, so he called Eddie gullible.

The Match: Eddie and Chavo clear the ring after a brawl and go after Shaniqua, but the Bashams stop them. Then Eddie does the Three Amigos and a slingshot senton on Danny with Chavo’s help. Eddie takes both Bashams down with a headscissors and an arm drag, but they end Eddie’s flurry with a hotshot. Now, Danny sends Eddie outside, where Shaniqua gives him a clothesline and a slam. Inside, the Bashams double-team Eddie in their corner. They continue with a double slingshot suplex and a rear chinlock. When Eddie escapes, he scores a headscissors and tags Chavo.

Chavo cleans house with knockdowns, a backdrop, and a tilt-a-whirl slam. The Bashams answer with a double flapjack and attempt a double superbomb. Eddie saves Chavo and performs a Frankensteiner on Doug. Chavo adds a somersault senton, but Danny breaks up the pin. More chaos follows as everybody scuffles. The Bashams double-team Chavo, but Chavo fights back. Sensing trouble, Shaniqua distracts the ref so Danny and Doug can switch places. The Guerreros thwart this plan and attack Shaniqua. Eddie hits her with the Frog Splash. Chavo even holds Shaniqua so Eddie can spank her. The Bashams intervene, so Chavo plants Doug with a tornado DDT. The problem is that Chavo accidentally kicks Eddie in the head. As Chavo checks on him, Danny rolls Chavo up with a handful of tights for the three.

Thoughts: This was a solid encounter with a shaky finish. Danny’s roll-up didn’t look pretty. Plus, the rest of the action wasn’t flashy. They didn’t do badly by any means. Most of this looked good, but it felt forgettable.

Winners: The Basham Brothers (7:31)

Los Guerreros have a tense moment after the bout. Chavo tries to explain what happened when Eddie gets in his face. They talk it out and leave, but Chavo doesn’t look happy.

Now, it’s time for Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff. If Austin’s team wins, they will lift the provocation rule. Austin can attack anyone without them provoking him. But if Austin’s team fails, Austin loses his job.

Team Bischoff (Randy Orton, Scott Steiner, Mark Henry, Chris Jericho, & Christian) (w/ Eric Bischoff, Theodore Long, & Stacy Keibler) vs. Team Austin (Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, & The Dudley Boyz) (w/ Stone Cold Steve Austin)

Storyline: Christian and Jericho’s campaign against Austin escalated when Christian lost the Intercontinental Championship to RVD in a Ladder Match Austin ordered. Even in a cage, Jericho and Christian couldn’t take it back from him. Plus, Austin stopped Bischoff from helping Jericho win the World Title. Then Austin stunned Stacy because she wouldn’t drink a beer. Furthermore, Austin brawled with Batista because Batista called him a coward. They suspended Austin for a week and Bischoff booked this encounter. Meanwhile, Test and Steiner set aside their differences and turned on Stacy when she kept screwing up. Later, Steiner joined Team Bischoff after Test broke his foot and blamed it on Austin. Elsewhere, Booker T returned to aid the Dudleys against Jericho, Christian, and La Resistance. The Dudleys also battled with Steiner and Henry. Finally, HBK feuded with Henry and Orton because he refused to help them collect the bounty on Goldberg.

The Match: D-Von and RVD scuffle with Christian and Jericho until Steiner tags. Scott lands belly-to-belly suplexes on RVD, including one from the second rope. The onslaught continues until Booker tags and gives Steiner a scissors kick. A wild brawl erupts after Booker’s Spinaroonie, and Steiner hits Booker with a low blow. He puts Booker in the Recliner so Stacy distracts Scott. This allows the Dudleys to drop Steiner with a back suplex/neckbreaker, and Booker pins Steiner after a Book End. Unfortunately, Henry takes Booker out with the World’s Strongest Slam. The Dudleys double-team Henry, and he fends them off at first. Eventually, Team Austin sends Henry packing with a 3D and a Five Star. RVD is the next to go. Jericho shoves him off the top rope, and Orton performs the RKO. The Dudleys try to deal with Jericho, but Jericho eliminates D-Von with the Flashback.

Shawn and Bubba struggle until Bubba makes a hot tag and cleans house. Bubba nearly gets Christian with a Bubba Bomb, but Jericho intervenes. Christian ousts Bubba with a low blow and the Unprettier. Now, Team Bischoff uses the post to bust Shawn open. Everybody attacks the cut, which bleeds profusely. Orton and Christian mock Shawn as they attack him. However, Shawn surprises Christian with a superkick for an elimination. Shawn catches Jericho with an inside cradle afterward. A frustrated Jericho blasts Shawn with a chair before leaving. Orton still can’t pin him, and Orton’s missed flying crossbody wipes out the ref, so Bischoff interferes. Austin stops him. Steve stuns Orton before dragging Bischoff down the aisle. While Austin beats up Eric, Batista enters the ring and plants Shawn with a Batista Bomb. Orton crawls over and covers for the three.

Thoughts: This was great. The action never lulled, and almost everyone shined. They built to a dramatic and exciting finish. JR’s commentary put it over the top well. He sold the hell out of the ending.

Survivor: Randy Orton (27:27)

Austin looks on in disbelief before entering the ring. Shawn apologizes for letting him down, so Austin shakes his hand and helps him to his feet. Then Austin leads Shawn backstage before returning to the arena.

Steve says he isn’t happy about how things turned out. He didn’t want this to end, but at least it happened in Dallas. He started his career here in 1989. Ending it here makes him feel justified. Austin thanks the fans for joining him for one hell of a ride. He says he loves the shit out of them. Then Steve tries to say more, but Coach interrupts. Coach sings “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” while leading security guards to the ring. He knows Austin wanted him to conduct the post-match interview, so he’s here with friends. Coach tells them to haul Austin’s ass out of the ring, but Coach asks a question first. He wants to know how Austin feels. Austin answers by attacking the guards. He beats them up and goes after Coach. Austin removes Coach’s neck brace and stomps a mudhole before celebrating with beers.

Buried Alive Match: Mr. McMahon vs. The Undertaker

Storyline: The Undertaker confronted Vince and Heyman when Vince boasted about what he did to Stephanie. Heyman offered Taker any match he wanted as long as he could defeat Lesnar and Big Show in a handicap fight. Heyman kept changing the rules, but Taker succeeded and picked a Buried Alive encounter against Vince! This infuriated Vince. He yelled at Heyman for allowing this to happen. Vince vowed to burn down Taker’s house and have his wife raped. Then he threatened to fire Heyman, but Heyman motivated him to become the old Mr. McMahon. Vince only went deeper into madness. He prayed to a higher authority who chose him on this quest for absolution. However, Vince started having nightmares, so he called a priest named Father Frank. When Frank prayed for him, Vince laughed maniacally. He told the priest to pray for Taker instead.

The Match: Vince comes to the ring with his hands clasped together. He prays in the corner with a smug smile before confronting Taker. And then the beating begins. Taker busts Vince open immediately with punches. He crotches Vince on two posts and rams Vince’s leg into them. Taker brings him to the announcer’s table next. He chokes him with cables and hits him with a monitor. Taker even fetches a shovel from the grave and whacks Vince in the face. But wait, there’s more! Taker tries to break Vince’s ankle with the steps. Afterward, Taker carries Vince to the burial mound.

Vince flings dirt in Taker’s eyes. He follows with a low blow and sends Taker into the opening with a shovel. Vince’s efforts are futile because Taker pulls him into the hole and climbs onto the payloader. When Taker reaches for the door, an explosion knocks Taker off the machine. Kane emerges and attacks Taker. He throws Taker into the grave and tells Vince to get into the loader. Vince takes the controls while Kane steals Taker’s bandanna. Kane stuffs the bandanna into his waistband and poses while Vince dumps dirt on top of Taker to win.

Thoughts: This was more of a storyline than anything. The action was completely one-sided. This was a prolonged mauling before the finish. I’m fine with this because of where it leads, but the contest itself wasn’t great. Nevertheless, I can’t fault it because it accomplished its goal and didn’t last too long.

Winner: Mr. McMahon (11:59)

Kane climbs onto the pile of dirt and laughs while pointing at the Undertaker’s name on the headstone. Meanwhile, Cole and Tazz show off the bloody mess Vince left on their table. They can’t believe Kane buried his own brother.

World Title Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Triple H (w/ Ric Flair)

Storyline: Triple H put a $100,000 bounty on Goldberg’s head, so multiple wrestlers sought to collect it. Mark Henry nearly succeeded, but Evolution wouldn’t give him the money because Goldberg kept coming. Then Flair and Orton wanted to convince Shawn Michaels to go for the bounty. Shawn teamed with Goldberg, but tension rose after an accidental spear. The incident led to Shawn vs. Goldberg for the championship. However, Batista returned and Pillmanized Goldberg’s ankle to earn the bounty. Evolution welcomed Batista back into the group and demanded Bischoff hand the World Title to Triple H. Eric almost obliged until Austin announced Goldberg would still face Triple H at the PPV. Later, Goldberg intervened when Batista and Henry jumped Austin. Goldberg tried to Pillmanize Batista, but he escaped. Finally, Goldberg wrestled Batista. Hunter attempted to use the sledgehammer, but Goldberg hit Batista with the weapon while Hunter ran.

The Match: A brawl erupts before the bell, and Flair gets involved. Goldberg spears Hunter and dispatches Flair. Next, Goldberg sends Hunter into the announcer’s table, the barricade, and the steps. Inside, Goldberg lands a powerslam and goes for a gorilla press, but his leg gives out. Now, Hunter pounces on the injury. Hunter distracts Hebner from Flair’s interference, and Ric occupies Earl so Hunter can whack Goldberg’s leg with a chair. The leg work leads to a half crab, but Goldberg secures a rope break. Goldberg rallies. He even prevents a Figure Four by shoving Hunter away, but Hunter collides with Hebner.

The ref bump allows Flair to pass Hunter a pair of brass knuckles. Triple H elbow drops Hebner and fetches the sledgehammer when they don’t gain victory. Hunter charges Goldberg with it, but Goldberg boots him in the face. Goldberg also tosses Flair off the top rope when Ric tries to attack. Ric does more. He attempts another ambush, so Goldberg hits him with the hammer. Batista and Orton arrive and suffer the same fate. But their efforts aren’t in vain. Hunter attacks Goldberg and seeks a Pedigree. Goldberg backdrops him and picks up the hammer again, but he changes his mind. Goldberg throws it down and finishes Hunter with a spear and Jackhammer instead.

Thoughts: This wasn’t great. It was your usual Triple H match. He worked a body part for a while and then used the sledgehammer. The only difference is that Goldberg thwarted the plans. This felt like a paint-by-the-numbers performance. It was a disappointing main event.

Winner: Goldberg (11:44)

The Good:

• Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff

• Shane vs. Kane

• Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar

• Molly vs. Lita

The Bad:

• The disappointing main event

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Randy Orton. This was his night to shine. Plus, I enjoyed seeing him give Mark Cuban an RKO.

UPDATE: After thinking about it for a while, I have to add Shawn Michaels to this. I don’t know how I didn’t pick him to begin with. He had an amazing performance.

Final Thoughts:

This was an overall enjoyable PPV. Most of the matches ranged from decent to great. Plus, they did a good job building storylines and setting up future angles. Survivor Series had a disappointing main event but didn’t ruin the show. The action in Goldberg vs. Triple H was not bad. It simply felt underwhelming.

Thank you for reading. My next review is Armageddon 2003. Look for it next Sunday!