10 Facts You Did Not Know About Survivor Series

Since 1987, Survivor Series has been a mainstay on WWE's calendar. It has been one of the most enthralling pay-per-views in history. Traditionally the event took place in the week during Thanksgiving in November. However, since 1995, the event has been held on a Sunday, which is WWE's traditional slot for pay-per-views.

Many die-hard wrestling fans know that The Undertaker debuted at Survivor Series 1990. The Rock in 1996 and The Shield in 2012. Moreover, there are plenty more facts which may blow your mind!

10 1991 Featured The First Singles Match

Undertaker won his first WWF title at Survivor Series 1991

The first four editions of Survivor Series were strictly elimination bouts. However, that all changed hugely at the 1991 Survivor Series. A year after his debut, The Undertaker challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship. It was the first singles match to have taken place at Survivor Series.

Hogan and Undertaker's WWF Championship encounter was lackluster and clearly, they had no chemistry together. Nonetheless, aided by repeated interference from Paul Bearer and Ric Flair, Undertaker defeated the Hulkster to win his first WWF Championship.

9 Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart Featured In The First Singles Main Event (1992)

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart before their Survivor Series 1992 match

Whilst Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker have the distinction of competing in the first singles match at Survivor Series in 1991. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels went one better the following year in 1992. Bret and Shawn became the first men to main event Survivor Series in a singles match.

The Hitman defended the WWF Championship with Michaels the reigning Intercontinental Champion, bidding to become the first man since The Ultimate Warrior to hold both major singles championships simultaneously. Hart successfully retained his title in a brilliant main event with his rival Michaels setting the bar for future WWF Championship main events to follow.

8 The Only Women's Championship Match In The '90s (1998)

After Alundra Blayze departed from the WWF to join rival promotion WCW in December 1995, Blayze was the reigning WWF Women's Champion and she disrespected the title by putting it in a trash can by orders of Eric Bischoff. The title was retired for three years until Jacqueline defeated Sable for the vacant championship in September 1998.

At the 1998 Survivor Series, Jacqueline and Sable made history as the only women to compete for the Women's Championship at the Survivor Series in the 90s. Sable gained her revenge and dethroned Jacqueline in a terrible match. Sable went on to hold the Women's Championship for an impressive six months.

7 Most Pay-Per-View WWE Championship Title Changes Behind WrestleMania

The WWE Championship has changed hands 12 times at Surivvor Series

When the WWE Championship changes hands it is always an exciting moment for both fans and performers alike. The WWE Championship has changed hands 24 times at WrestleMania. However, in second place on pay-per-view, it is none other than Survivor Series.

Survivor Series has been home to 12 WWE Championship title changes over the years. Undertaker was the first man to win the WWE Title at this event in 1991. Roman Reigns and Sheamus are the most recent to do it, five years ago in 2015. CM Punk's historic 434-day reign as WWE Champion began at the 2011 edition, which shows how significant Survivor Series is.

6 11 Consecutive Matches For Bret Hart & Randy Orton

Hart and Michaels are the most prolific performers at Survivor Series

The Undertaker may have the record for the most Survivor Series matches with 18 to his name. However, he is beaten in another department for the most matches in succession. From 2003-2013, Randy Orton competed in 11 consecutive matches and has participated in another three since.

Bret Hart was the first person to achieve this brilliant feat with all 11 of his Survivor Series matches taking place from 1987-1997. The Hitman's final appearance at the Survivor Series was the infamous Montreal Screwjob with Shawn Michaels in 1997 with Hart having a surprising losing record at 5-6.

5 2001 Featured The First Traditional Elimination Match Main Event In Eight Years

Survivor Series is synonymous for traditional elimination matches. Moreover from 1994-2000, the traditional elimination matches took a back seat on the card. Survivor Series 2001 saw the culmination of the Invasion angle with Team Alliance comprised of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shane McMahon, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and Kurt Angle. They took on an equally as strong Team WWF side which featured The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kane, The Undertaker and Big Show.

It was the first time since 1993, that a Survivor Series traditional elimination bout closed the show. Ironically, The Undertaker was a part of that match in 1993, and part of history once more in 2001. It was definitely worth the wait as Team WWF put Team Alliance out of business with Rock pinning Austin for the first time.

4 WWE Championship & World Heavyweight Championship Change Hands On The Same Night For The First Time (2002)

2002 Survivor Series was the second time no traditional elimination matches took place. The first instance was in 1998 with the main focus being the "Deadly Game" tournament to crown a new WWF Champion. Nevertheless, history was still there to be made at Survivor Series held at Madison Square Garden.

Big Show upset Brock Lesnar to become the only man to win the WWE Championship twice at Survivor Series, a record which still stands to this day. In the main event, Shawn Michaels bested Triple H and four others in the inaugural Elimination Chamber to win the World Heavyweight Championship. It marked the first time that both world titles changed hands on the same night, which was a big deal.

3 Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart Is The Only Survivor Series Rematch (1997)

Over the years, there have been plenty of rematches taking place at the same event. Shawn Michaels clashed with The Undertaker twice at WrestleMania, and Triple H three times with The Undertaker at Mania. However, in the 33-year history of Survivor Series, a singles rematch has happened just once.

That honour would go to none other than Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at the 1997 Survivor Series. The two rivals first clashed at Survivor Series 1992 with Bret as WWF Champion and Michaels as Intercontinental Champion. Five years later, it was another WWF Championship match with Bret the reigning WWF Champion and Shawn as European Champion.

This time the result was different as Michaels walked out as a three-time WWF Champion due to the Montreal Screwjob. Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles almost joined Michaels and Hart in 2018 as a Survivor Series rematch but Daniel Bryan defeated Styles for the WWE Championship, which stopped that rematch from happening.

2 Randy Orton Has The Most Sole Survivor Victories

When it comes down to traditional Survivor Series elimination matches, no one is more prolific than Randy Orton. Orton made his first Survivor Series appearance in 2003 as a member of Team Bischoff. He outlasted Shawn Michaels to become the sole survivor for the first time. The Legend Killer repeated the feat two more times in 2004 and 2005 to draw parallels with Macho Man Randy Savage to become a sole survivor three years in succession.

However, Orton continued his brilliance at Survivor Series with two more sole survivor finishes. The Apex Predator's team overcame Batista's team with Orton lastly eliminating Batista in 2008. His most recent sole survivor heroics was in 2016 as a member of Team SmackDown alongside Bray Wyatt.

1 Kurt Angle Became The First WWF Champion To Retain The Title Since 1992 (Survivor Series 2000)

Michaels and Rock won the title in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998

Title changes aplenty in the 1990s at the Survivor Series. After Bret Hart retained the WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels in 1992, the title changed hands, six years in a row. Bob Backlund started it off in 1994 when he defeated Bret. The following year, Bret won the title from Diesel, Sid in 1996 outlasted Shawn Michaels, Michaels dethroned Bret in 1997, The Rock in 1998 won the vacant title and Big Show won the gold in 1999 from Triple H in a triple threat match.

The WWF Championship was not defended in 1993 as then-champion Yokozuna was featured in the Traditional Survivor Series elimination bout. At Survivor Series 2000, Kurt Angle squared off with The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. History suggested that Undertaker would win the title but Angle flipped the script and became the first man in eight years to successfully the defend the title at Survivor Series.

NEXT: The 10 Best Survivor Series WWE Title Matches Ever, Ranked