# Survivor Series (1991)

The 1991 Survivor Series was the fifth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on Thanksgiving Eve on November 27, 1991, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first Survivor Series to feature a singles match of any kind, which served as the main event; in which The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WWF Championship. The undercard featured four traditional Survivor Series elimination matches.

## Production
### Background

Survivor Series is an annual gimmick pay-per-view (PPV), produced every November by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) since 1987. In what has become the second longest-running pay-per-view event in history (behind WWE's WrestleMania), it is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam, which were dubbed the "Big Four". The event is traditionally characterized by having Survivor Series matches, which are tag team elimination matches. The 1991 event was the fifth event in the Survivor Series chronology and the first to not exclusively consist of Survivor Series matches. The only non-Survivor Series match on the card was for the WWF Championship, which was the first time it was defended at a Survivor Series. The event was scheduled to be held on Thanksgiving Eve on November 27, 1991, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

### Storylines

The main event heading into the event was between World Wrestling Federation Champion Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker for the World Wrestling Federation Championship. Hogan reclaimed the World Wrestling Federation Championship at Wrestlemania 7. The Undertaker debuted in the World Wrestling Federation at the previous year’s Survivor Series. Since debuting, Undertaker had yet to be pinned in a televised match (although he did suffer several pinfall losses at untelevised arena shows). This earned him a shot at Hogan's championship, billing the match as Hogan’s “Gravest Challenge.”
Ric Flair arrived in the World Wrestling Federation on September 9, 1991, claiming to be the “Real World's Champion”. He debuted carrying the WCW World Heavyweight Championship with him, which he had not lost prior to his departure from the company. He immediately began feuding with Roddy Piper. Both men would captain their teams at Survivor Series. Piper's team would consist of Bret Hart, The British Bulldog, and Virgil, while Flair would team with Ted DiBiase, The Mountie, and The Warlord. There were multiple storylines between the two teams as DiBiase and Virgil had been feuding since January's Royal Rumble, The Mountie had begun challenging Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship, with the Warlord and The British Bulldog also involved in a lengthy program.
Sid Justice was originally scheduled to join the Big Bossman and the Legion of Doom while Jake Roberts was originally scheduled to join Irwin R. Schyster and The Natural Disasters. After Justice was sidelined due to an elbow injury, Randy Savage began campaigning to take Sid’s place due to Roberts and the Undertaker crashing Savage and Miss Elizabeth's wedding reception at Summerslam and attacking Savage. Savage would have to be reinstated to take part in the event due to losing a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 7. However, at a television taping for WWF Superstars of Wrestling (which would air November 23), Roberts baited Savage into the ring where he would attack him, tying him in the ropes before allowing his King Cobra to bite Savage. Savage would not be reinstated for the match and Roberts would also not be allowed to compete in the match due to his actions.
The Hogan-Undertaker and Savage-Roberts feuds would continue to build toward the WWF's next pay-per-view event, This Tuesday in Texas.
Jim Neidhart, The Dragon and Big Bully Busick were originally scheduled for the second Survivor Series match on the show but were pulled from the event.

## Aftermath

Due to Ric Flair's involvement in the events leading to The Undertaker's WWF World Heavyweight Championship victory over Hulk Hogan, a rematch was immediately signed for the This Tuesday in Texas pay-per-view event, contested December 3 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. WWF president Jack Tunney was present at ringside to make sure there was no outside interference. During the match, Flair once again attempted to interfere on The Undertaker's behalf, but – in a chaotic series of events that saw Tunney get knocked out – Hogan was able to pin The Undertaker after throwing ash from manager Paul Bearer's urn in his eyes. The following weekend, Jack Tunney vacated the WWF Championship due to the controversial finishes of the last two matches between Hogan and Undertaker and put the title up for grabs at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Meanwhile, Hogan and Flair began wrestling in a series of matches that had been highly anticipated since the late 1980s.
Dissension had been brewing for weeks between Shawn Michaels, and Marty Jannetty of the Rockers, and at their Survivor Series match the two argued after Jannetty caused Michaels to be eliminated by accidentally slamming one of The Nasty Boys into him. In a segment of Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake's "Barber Shop" talk show segment taped on December 2 and aired on January 12, the two aired their grievances before seemingly resolving to stick together and work through their difficulties. However, Michaels superkicked Jannetty and threw him through a plate-glass window that was part of Beefcake's set, cementing Michaels' heel turn. A feud was commissioned, but Jannetty was fired in January 1992, shortly before their first match was to take place; the two eventually met in a series of matches in 1993, when Jannetty returned. However, for Michaels, the "Barber Shop" segment and the superkick jumpstarted his career which would continue to grow during the 1990s and 2000s.

## Results

| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times |
| 1$^D$ | Chris Chavis defeated Kato | Singles match | 7:44 |
| 2 | Ric Flair, The Mountie, Ted DiBiase and The Warlord (with Mr. Perfect, Jimmy Hart, Sensational Sherri and Harvey Wippleman) defeated Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Virgil and The British Bulldog | 4-on-4 Survivor Series match | 22:48 |
| 3 | Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, The Texas Tornado and El Matador defeated Col. Mustafa, The Berzerker, Skinner and Hercules (with General Adnan and Mr. Fuji) | 4-on-4 Survivor Series match | 14:19 |
| 4 | The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Hulk Hogan (c) | Singles match for the WWF Championship | 12:45 |
| 5 | The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) and The Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake) (with Jimmy Hart and The Genius) defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) and The Bushwhackers (Luke and Butch) | 4-on-4 Survivor Series match | 23:06 |
| 6 | Big Boss Man and The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) defeated Irwin R. Schyster and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) (with Jimmy Hart) | 3-on-3 Survivor Series match | 15:21 |
| (c) – the champion(s) heading into the matchD – this was a dark match ||||

### Survivor Series elimination matches

^1
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
| 1 | The British Bulldog | Ric Flair | Pinfall | 10:55 |
| 2 | The Warlord | Roddy Piper | Pinfall | 17:00 |
| 3 | Ted DiBiase | N/A | DQ | 22:48 |
| 3 | The Mountie | N/A | DQ | 22:48 |
| 3 | Roddy Piper | N/A | DQ | 22:48 |
| 3 | Bret Hart | N/A | DQ | 22:48 |
| 3 | Virgil | N/A | DQ | 22:48 |
| Sole Survivor: | Ric Flair | Ric Flair | Ric Flair | Ric Flair |
^2
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
| 1 | Col. Mustafa | Sgt. Slaughter | Pinfall | 7:57 |
| 2 | Hercules | Tito Santana | Pinfall | 12:05 |
| 3 | Skinner | Sgt. Slaughter | Pinfall | 13:31 |
| 4 | The Berzerker | Jim Duggan | Pinfall | 14:19 |
| Survivors: | Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, The Texas Tornado and Tito Santana | Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, The Texas Tornado and Tito Santana | Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, The Texas Tornado and Tito Santana | Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, The Texas Tornado and Tito Santana |
^3
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
| 1 | Bushwacker Luke | Brian Knobbs | Pinfall | 5:21 |
| 2 | Bushwacker Butch | Beau Beverly | Pinfall | 10:13 |
| 3 | Beau Beverly | Shawn Michaels | Pinfall | 14.30 |
| 4 | Shawn Michaels | Brian Knobbs | Pinfall | 19:41 |
| 5 | Marty Jannetty | Jerry Sags | Pinfall | 23:06 |
| Survivors: | Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, and Blake Beverly | Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, and Blake Beverly | Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, and Blake Beverly | Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, and Blake Beverly |
^4
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
| 1 | The Big Boss Man | Irwin R. Schyster | Pinfall | 6:23 |
| 2 | Typhoon | Hawk | Pinfall | 9:55 |
| 3 | Earthquake | N/A | Countout | 10:05 |
| 4 | Irwin R. Schyster | Animal | Pinfall | 15:21 |
| Survivors: | Animal and Hawk | Animal and Hawk | Animal and Hawk | Animal and Hawk |

## Other on-screen personnel

| Commentators Gorilla Monsoon Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Interviewers Gene Okerlund Sean Mooney Ring Announcer Howard Finkel | Referees Earl Hebner Mike Chioda Danny Davis Joey Marella John Binella Others Jack Tunney - WWF President |