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SURVIVOR SERIES FLASHBACK - 10 yrs. ago (11-18-01): Rock pins Austin to "save" WWE, Hardys vs. Dudleys, Immunity Battle Royal

Nov 20, 2011 - 12:33:13 PM
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WWF SURVIVOR SERIES
November 18, 2001
Greensboro, N.C.
Report by Wade Keller, PWTorch editor


In a nostalgic kick, the PPV opened with a short collection of the various intro clips for WWF TV shows over the years.

A typically strong opening montage previewed the PPV including brief clips of footage from decades ago.

Fireworks shot off as Jim Ross and Paul Heyman introduced the event from ringside.

(1) Christian pinned Al Snow to retain the European Title in 6:00. Snow gave Christian a Snow Plow, but Christian got his feet under the ropes to break the count. Christian then finished off Snow a minute later. Solid back and forth opener. (*3/4)

The Alliance confronted Steve Austin backstage, trying to figure out if he was on their side. Shane, Stephanie, RVD, Booker T, and Kurt Angle yelled at Austin. Angle suggested maybe he should be the leader. Austin said his watch says it's time to follow the leader, and he is the leader. "I am taking down the WWF if I have to do it myself," Austin said. Austin looked at RVD and told him not to be paranoid. Why would RVD be paranoid? Austin told everyone to get out. Shane and Steph were their usual abrasive selves, overacting.
McMahonVinceArt_130GG_38.jpg

Vince McMahon told Linda McMahon that "sh-- happens," and to be prepared to accept what happens from a business perspective. Michael Cole approached them for comments. William Regal confronted Vince and said he will relish the opportunity to put him out of business. Vince again said, "Sh-- happens." It just came across as an excuse to swear.

(2) Steven Regal beat Tajiri at 4:00. Regal looks to be in his best shape in years. Tajiri opened with a strong kick, but Regal soon took over. Regal's nose was already bleeding from the first Tajiri kick. Tajiri fought back with his series of rapid-fire kicks. Regal cut him off with an elbow to the face, then went to the ropes with Tajiri attempting a Tarantula, but the move was screwed up. They went to the other side of the ring and did the spot right, although Regal quickly broke the Tarantula and twisted Tajiri's neck between the top two ropes. Tajiri came back with a roundhouse kick to Regal's head. Regal, though, finished off Tajiri virtually out of nowhere with a powerbomb. Interesting match, but not particularly smooth. Torrie Wilson ran to the ring to check on Tajiri. Regal, bleeding heavily from his nose, returned to the ring and grabbed Torrie by the hair and then powerbombed her. He didn't exactly let her down with ease, either, although she was flailing out of control on the bump, too. The crowd was pretty indifferent other than a few oohs and ahhs for the kicks. (*1/2)

Test complained to the woman applying oil to his body that she wasn't rubbing it into his skin enough.

Jonathan Coachman interviewed Edge who mocked Test's voice, doing a good impersonation.

(3) Edge (U.S. Champ) beat Test (IC Champ) in a unification match in 9:00. Heyman mentioned that the U.S. Title was born in Greensboro, N.C. and that the IC Title dated back to 1979 when Pat Patterson won it in Rio de Janeiro (a phantom title win created by the WWF and recognized by the national magazines at the time as legit). Test beat on Edge at ringside a minute into the match, dropping him face-first over the security barrier. Heyman continued to do a good job stressing the historical significance of the unification of the two titles. Test leaped off the top rope, but Edge caught him with a dropkick. Test just doesn't look sure-footed on the top rope, so it's just not something that does him any good to try. He should play to his strengths with "big man power moves" and not try things outside of his comfort zone. Test went for the Pump Handle Slam, but Edge escaped and dropped him to the mat for a two count. Test speared Edge and scored a near fall. Nice looking spear. Edge escaped a head scissors attempt and speared Test for another near fall. Edge then rolled up Test for a three count. Good crowd pops for the near falls. Okay match, but both wrestlers are still missing something that makes their matches special. Edge should be better than he is at this stage, but some intangibles aren't there yet. (**)

Stephanie talked to Kurt Angle about how terrible life will be if the Alliance loses. She's panicked about having to cook her own food and scrub her own toilets. She said she doesn't want to be a regular person. Angle assured her she isn't a regular person.

Lita and The Hardys had a pep talk, but as soon as they walked away, Lita looked stressed out. Trish then walked out of Team WWF's locker room where Hardy had just been and Lita looked even more worried.

(4) The Dudleys beat The Hardys in a cage in 13:00. Quote of the Night: Paul Heyman on Jeff Hardy's blue hair: "I'd rather be bald than have hair like that." Stacy flirted with Nick Patrik at ringside and got the keys to the cage from him. She unlocked the cage door and shoved a table into the ring. They set up the table, but Matt Hardy escaped the cage, leaving Jeff alone. The rules to this match are ridiculous because even though one of the Hardys escaped, now the other had to fend for himself against two opponents. Jeff climbed the cage to escape, but instead of escaping, he saw D-Von had climbed onto the table in the ring. Jeff dove off the top of the cage toward D-Von, but D-Von was playing possum and he moved. Jeff crashed through the table. The Dudleys then pinned Jeff to win the match. The ridiculous rules (mixing pinfalls with the escape rules) really took away from the match. Jeff had to be helped out of the ring on a stretcher by paramedics. Solid cage match, on the high end of what you'd expect from these two teams, yet we've seen them so much against each other, the feud is played out. The rules knock a quarter-star off an otherwise three-star bout. (**3/4)

From WWF New York, Mick Foley said he has been part of both the WWF and WCW, and he is rooting for the WWF. He said, though, that the Commissionership is a joke as long as he has to answer to Vince McMahon. He said if the WWF wins, he will be at Raw to address Vince.

Test assaulted Scotty 2 Hotty backstage.

(5) Test won the Immunity Battle Royal. The battle royal included Kidman, Shawn Stasiak, Stevie Richards, Perry Saturn, Test, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Tommy Dreamer, Dallas Page, Raven, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Crash, Funaki, Billy Gunn, Chuck Palumbo, Albert, Spike Dudley, Hurricane Helms, Tazz, Hugh Morrus, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. Tazz walked to the ring after the match started. Heyman wondered what he was doing. Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hugh Morrus joined in late. Heyman said they were fired by The Alliance. Ross said they must be wildcard entries. At 4:00 it was already down to Test, Albert, Dreamer, Bradshaw, Tazz, Gunn, Richards, and Storm. Heyman celebrated when Gunn eliminated Tazz. Tazz went after Heyman, who panicked and ducked. Ross told Heyman he just soiled his pants. He told him to be a man for once. Heyman: "Why is everyone always so hostile around me?" Ross quickly responded: "Because you're so easy to hate." When Ross said Heyman ran like a woman, Heyman said that was sexist and Ross should be fired for that comment. The final four were Gunn, Storm, Test, and Bradshaw. Test eliminated Bradshaw and Storm. Gunn then surprised Test from behind, but Test nailed him with a big boot to knock him over the top rope for the win. Clearly this was just thrown together without any effort to make it anything special. (*)

Shane McMahon told Booker to trust him and Steve Austin. "We have to stay together as a team," Shane said. "If we don't do that, we don't have a shot." Booker said he hopes he's right.

(6) Trish won a six-woman match also including Jacqueline, Lita, Ivory, Molly Holly, and Jazz to capture the vacant WWF Women's Title. Heyman said Jazz was a ferocious ECW competitor. A sloppy mess of a match ended on a decent note with a nice bulldog by Trish where she pushed off the top rope with her feet. No mention of Chyna, the previous title holder. (DUD)

McMahon gave a pep talk to his team.

(7) Rock & Undertaker & Kane & Big Show & Chris Jericho beat Steve Austin & Booker T & Kurt Angle & Rob Van Dam & Shane McMahon. Austin and Rock began against each other. When Rock had Austin covered, Shane ran in and broke up the count. Ross said going back to the Abe Lincoln days, the stakes have never been higher. When Paul blamed Vince for putting him (ECW) out of business, Ross said, "Look in the mirror!... Count your beans!" Jericho and Van Dam each tagged in next. Jericho put Van Dam in the Walls of Jericho. Shane interfered to break the hold. Kane and Angle tagged in next. At 9:00 Big Show tagged in and threw Angle and Van Dam around. Angle gave Big Show an Angle Slam out of nowhere. Booker then did hit Show with the Scissors Kick and then did the Spinarooni. Shane got tagged in and scored the pin.

After Big Show was rolled out of the ring, Rock tagged in and beat on Shane. Rock tagged in Kane and told him to chokeslam Shane. Kane did so. Undertaker then pulled out the ol' Tombstone on Shane. Jericho then tagged in and hit a decent looking Lionsault and scored the pin. Give credit to the McMahons. Vince pulled himself from the match entirely, and Shane was the first out for his team and didn't do much to try to upstage anyone. Booker took over for Team Alliance against Jericho. At 11:00 Van Dam tagged in against Jericho. Jericho tagged in Kane. At 15:00 Van Dam gave Kane the Five-Star Frog Splash. Kane got right up and set up a chokeslam, but Van Dam nailed Kane with a nice kick and scored the pin. Chaos then broke out as everyone brawled at ringside as Van Dam went for a top rope sidekick on Kane and scored the pin.

Taker began taking on everyone by himself. Austin then blindsided Taker with a Stunner. Austin then dragged Angle, who was the legal wrestler in the ring, and Angle scored the three count on Taker. That left Austin & Van Dam & Angle & Booker vs. Rock & Jericho. Rock had to wrestle basically alone at this point since Jericho was kneeling in the corner, unable to stand on his own. Rock made a cover on Booker, but Austin intervened and broke up the count. Rock schoolboyed Booker for a pin at 20:00.

Van Dam then took on Rock. Jericho then tagged in and a minute later pinned Van Dam. That left it two on two - Rock & Jericho vs. Austin & Angle - a rematch from Smackdown on Thursday. Heyman continued to talk super-confidently about The Alliance coming out ahead as if it were a foregone conclusion (which made no logical sense), while Ross kept a more realistic outlook realizing it could go either way at this point.

Rock put Angle in a Sharpshooter and Angle tapped out at 30:00. Austin, who was bleeding from his mouth, entered the ring, the last man left to fend for the Alliance. Jericho blocked Austin's attempt to apply a Boston Crab. Jericho rolled up Austin, but Austin reversed it in a sloppy sequence resulting in Jericho getting pinned.

That made it Rock vs. Austin. Jericho came up behind Rock and planted his face in the mat. Heyman celebrated, "Jericho has double-crossed The Rock. This is the end of the WWF!" Ross said Jericho was a fool because that could cost him his job. Austin covered Rock, but Rock kicked out, popping the crowd. Jericho walked back toward the ring, but Undertaker ran up behind Jericho and escorted him to the back, chewing him out for his betrayal.

Rock and Austin exchanged sharpshooters. At 40:00 Rock gave Austin a Stunner and went for the cover. Nick Patrik ran out and yanked Earl Hebner out of the ring. Austin gave Rock a Rock Bottom, but Rock kicked out before Patrik could count to three. Austin punched Patrik because he didn't count fast enough. Austin then dragged Hebner back into the ring and tried to give Rock a Stunner. Rock shoved Austin into Patrik. Austin then gave Rock the Stunner. Heyman for the umpteenth time declared that the era of the WWF was over. Angle then entered the ring and nailed Austin with the WWF Title belt and Rock then hit a Rock Bottom and scored the pin on Austin. Good match that played of the drama of the major stipulations well. (***1/2)

Heyman was speechless. Stephanie cried hysterically backstage. The PPV ended with Vince McMahon stepping onto the stage, throwing off his jacket, raising his arms in the air, and celebrating the survival of the WWF.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]


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