14 Best Survivor Series Matches Ever, According To Dave Meltzer

Survivor Series is traditionally one of WWE's "big four" pay-per-view extravaganzas, playing host to several marquee matches with wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer picking out the best of the bunch.Since its inception in 1987, Survivor Series has been a permanent fixture on WWE's pay-per-view calendar. The sparkle of Survivor Series may have waned over the years with a heavy emphasis on matches between Raw and SmackDown. Nevertheless, Survivor Series is unique as it has played host to some exceptional traditional Survivor Series elimination matches.RELATED: The 10 Best Survivor Series PPV Matches, According To Cagematch.netBefore brand warfare took center stage at Survivor Series from the reintroduction of the brand split in 2016, Survivor Series did produce some stellar world championship bouts on the card. There have been controversial moments at Survivor Series over the years but wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has critically analyzed the best matches at the event, and he does not hesitate to give credit to a match that he sees as worthy of a high rating.

14 Team SmackDown Vs. Team Raw Vs. Team NXT - 2019 (4.25 Stars)

The addition of NXT at Survivor Series 2019 certainly freshened things up, and the three-team elimination match featuring Raw, SmackDown, and NXT was outstanding. Team SmackDown was comprised of Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, King Corbin, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G. Raw featured Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Ricochet. Tommaso Ciampa, Damian Priest, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, and NXT UK Champion Walter were a surprising addition but they represented the black and gold brand.

Walter didn't last long as he was eliminated by McIntyre. The action was fast and furious, and Keith Lee captivated the audience with his superb outing. Ultimately, Reigns picked up the win for Team SmackDown with a spear on Lee in a match that should have closed out the show.

13 Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair - 2018 (4.25 Stars)

Fans were supposed to witness Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey collide with SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch. Unfortunately, Lynch's nose was broken by Nia Jax, and Charlotte Flair stepped in for The Man.

Rousey and Charlotte tore the house down in a physical match that lived up to its expectations. The Queen caused Rousey to bleed from the mouth as she viciously elbowed her jaw. Counters and near falls kept fans on the edge of their seats but Charlotte attacked the Raw Women's Champion with a kendo stick in the sternum to get herself disqualified.

12 Team Raw Vs. Team SmackDown Tag Teams - 2016 (4.25 Stars)

2016 brought WWE back to the early days of Survivor Series when tag teams would face off in traditional Survivor Series elimination matches. Raw had the Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day, The Bar, The Club, Enzo & Cass, and The Shining Stars. Team SmackDown featured the SmackDown Tag Team Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno, American Alpha, Breezango, The Hype Bros, and The Usos.

RELATED: Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown: Every Tag Match Between The Brands, Ranked

This turned out better than fans expected it to be. Breezango and The New Day were eliminated within the first two minutes of the bout. However, the final five minutes saw The Usos and The Bar tear it up with Cesaro applying the Sharpshooter on Jey with Jey submitting and The Bar earning the significant win for their brand.

11 Adam Cole Vs. Pete Dunne - 2019 (4.25 Stars)

The NXT Championship was defended on the main roster of Survivor Series for the first time in 2019 and fans were in store for a treat with Adam Cole putting the gold on the line against Pete Dunne. Cole and Dunne knocked it out of the park in a remarkable NXT Championship match.

It was a great advert for viewers who don't tune into NXT regularly. Dunne pushed Cole to his absolute limit but Cole retained the NXT Championship with the Last Shot at the back of Dunne's head.

10 Team Bischoff Vs. Team Austin - 2003 (4.25 Stars)

The stakes were high in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match pitting Eric Bischoff's team against Steve Austin's side in 2003. Bischoff fielded a strong team comprised of Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Christian, Mark Henry, and Scott Steiner. Austin's squad was Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and The Dudley Boyz fighting to save his career.

Michaels almost overturned a 1-3 deficit as he eliminated Christian and Jericho in his bid to save Austin's job. However, interference from Batista saw Orton pick up the scraps, and he pinned Michaels to ensure that Bischoff's team would be victorious.

9 Brock Lesnar Vs. AJ Styles - 2017 (4.25 Stars)

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar was expecting to face Jinder Mahal at Survivor Series 2017, but he ended up colliding with new WWE Champion AJ Styles after The Phenomenal One beat Mahal on the SmackDown before Survivor Series.

RELATED: Every Brock Lesnar Match At Survivor Series, Ranked From Worst To Best

Lesnar dominated the match but Styles had a few near falls which had fans believe that Styles could beat Lesnar. Nevertheless, the outcome was predictable with The Beast Incarnate beating Styles for his first victory at the fourth attempt at Survivor Series.

8 Roman Reigns Vs. Drew McIntyre - 2020 (4.25 Stars)

Survivor Series 2020 was all about The Undertaker's retirement after an exceptional 30-year career. However, the main event pitted SmackDown's Universal Champion Drew McIntyre against Raw's WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

Reigns and McIntyre's chemistry together was great, and they showed why they were the reigning world champions of their respective brands. Despite McIntyre's best efforts, it was the reigning Universal Champion who stood tall with the Guillotine Choke.

7 First Elimination Chamber Match - 2002 (4.25 Stars)

The inaugural Elimination Chamber match took place at Survivor Series 2002 with Triple H defending the World Heavyweight Championship against five hungry challengers in Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Kane. They knocked it out of the park in a brutal match that saw Triple H's trachea crushed.

Michaels was the standout performer, and three months into his return after sustaining a serious back injury that ruled him out of action for four years, he executed the Sweet Chin Music on Triple H to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his career.

6 Team SmackDown Vs. Team Raw - 2016 (4.5 Stars)

At Survivor Series 2016, the stars aligned in the five-on-five traditional Survivor Series elimination match between Raw and SmackDown. Team SmackDown comprised of WWE Champion AJ Styles, Shane McMahon, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, and Randy Orton. Their opponents were Team Raw's Universal Champion Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho, and Braun Strowman.

This was a brilliant match to close out the show with the first elimination not coming until the 16 minute-mark with Strowman eliminating Ambrose. Nevertheless, Team SmackDown triumphed all thanks to Bray Wyatt beating Rollins and Reigns for back-to-back falls.

5 Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Bryan - 2018 (4.5 Stars)

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar almost faced AJ Styles at Survivor Series 2018 for the second year in succession but Bryan turned heel and beat Styles for the WWE Championship on an episode of SmackDown days before the show began. However, Lesnar and Bryan produced a barnburner of a match that rightfully main evented the show.

This was one of the best matches in The Beast Incarnate's career, and he dominated Bryan as he had the size and strength advantage. Bryan is a wily veteran, and he refused to stay down but Brock put him out of his misery with an F5 to secure the win.

4 Team Cena Vs. Team Authority - 2014 (4.5 Stars)

The main event at Survivor Series 2014 featured John Cena leading Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan into the battle. His side collided with The Authority's chosen wrestlers comprised of Seth Rollins, Kane, Mark Henry, Rusev, and Luke Harper.

Show eliminated The World's Strongest Man within minutes to give his side the advantage. Ultimately, Show turned heel after he nailed Cena with a thunderous KO punch. The night belonged to Ziggler who had a performance of a lifetime to put The Authority temporarily out of business, and Sting made his long-awaited WWE debut.

3 Team WWE Vs. Team Alliance - 2001 (4.5 Stars)

The mediocre Invasion storyline came to an end at Survivor Series 2001 with Team WWE and Team Alliance slugging it out in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. The teams were star-studded with WCW Champion The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kane, The Undertaker, and Big Show flying the flag for Team WWE. Team Alliance was looking to put WWE out of business, and WWE Champion Steve Austin, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, and Booker T were the men looking to do it.

This is arguably the greatest traditional Survivor Series elimination in WWE history. The drama intensified in the closing stages with Angle aiding the WWE, and Rock earned the bragging rights over Austin to put Team Alliance out of business.

2 Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels - 1992 (4.5 Stars)

Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels would go on to become two of the biggest stars in WWE history. At Survivor Series 1992, the Hitman put his WWE Championship on the line against Shawn Michaels, who was looking to become a double champion as he was the reigning Intercontinental Champion.

This was a strong outing from both men, and the Excellence of Execution put on a technical masterclass. HBK showed why he was going to become a future WWE Champion with a stellar performance but Hart retained the WWE Championship with the Sharpshooter.

1 Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin - 1996 (4.5 Stars)

The rivalry between Bret Hart and Steve Austin kicked off at Survivor Series 1996 after Bret returned to action following an eight-month hiatus. Austin was on an upward trajectory, and matching up his skills against someone of the caliber of Hart was great to see where Austin was at.

Austin continued to get better and better, and it's no surprise that he went on to become one of the pioneers of the Attitude Era. Ultimately, Austin was seeking to finish off Hart with the Million Dollar Dream but Hart countered it to beat Austin to gain the upper hand in their rivalry.