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Each year, WWE hosts its “Big Four” PPV events. Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series are the constants on WWE’s calendar, all offering a whole host of classic events. However, when looking at the history of these four shows, there is one which stands out as being the worst of the bunch. Unfortunately, that show is Survivor Series, and it has perhaps always been the weakest show out of these four marquee and historical PPVs. There are a few reasons for this being the case, with many of the factors being down to WWE’s own doing over the years.
The Survivor Series Theme Couldn’t Carry The PPV For Long
When it began, the format and concept of Survivor Series was quite new and fresh, with the show being made up of “Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Matches”. These would pit the biggest heels and babyfaces against each other in a series of big clashes. However, with a significant lack of stakes to winning these matches, in addition to WWE needing to bring in title matches and other grudge matches to bolster the cards, it was clear that the core concept of the show couldn’t carry it in the long term.
Alternatively, the Royal Rumble has a timeless match which fans have never gotten tired of. The Royal Rumble match is unpredictable, can offer huge moments, returns, and upsets, and it has the biggest stakes imaginable, with a World Title shot on the line. In stark contrast to the Survivor Series elimination matches, it is eagerly anticipated all year round and is by far one of the most watched matches within the WWE Universe. Royal Rumble has a concept which draws fans in to watch it, with it being even more exciting now that there is a women’s Royal Rumble match too. This match alone makes it better than Survivor Series.
WrestleMania And SummerSlam Get More Focus Than Survivor Series
When it comes to WrestleMania and SummerSlam, they are the two events on WWE’s calendar (along with the big Saudi Arabia shows) which receive the most care and consideration. WrestleMania is the biggest showcase in professional wrestling, with it having more glitz, glamor, and star power than any other show in the sport. It is always the best looking event, and even a bad WrestleMania can be enjoyable for the spectacle alone.
SummerSlam has very much been a secondary WrestleMania, also featuring huge matches and an attempt from WWE to have mainstream appeal. It is often stacked, and is now even moving to bigger and better venues to try and bolster it even more. When it comes to Survivor Series, WWE has rarely given it the same focus at the other big events. In 2011, The Rock’s return was a major moment, and in 2016 the clash between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar made Survivor Series feel special, but aside from those two years, it has felt very by-the-book and like any other show, rather than it being presented with special treatment like the other big 4 PPV events.
Survivor Series Has Little Chance Of Being Better Than The Other Big Four PPVs
Over the years, the reputation for Survivor Series has been lessened, getting such little focus as compared to other WWE PPVs. Even shows such as Money in the Bank, Hell in a Cell, and Extreme Rules have been handed more major matches and focus than Survivor Series in recent years especially. It bodes the question as to whether Survivor Series can recover.
After years of the Raw Vs SmackDown theme bringing Survivor Series down to the point where some fans even called for the end of the PPV for good, WWE looks to be revamping the event to the point where it could find some glory. War Games has been brought to Survivor Series in 2022, which has revolutionized the PPV and brought back very real excitement for the show, something which it has been sorely lacking.
With the interest in the WWE product often spiking at WrestleMania and SummerSlam season, it is perhaps no surprise that WWE stacks these shows and presents them as more important, and unfortunately for Survivor Series, even with a new and renewed focus, it will still remain as the least important and weakest big four. There is quite simply more appeal in the other three shows, and that will remain the case due to the reputations those events have built up for themselves already. Survivor Series can still rise and grow, and WWE would be wise to stack the event in years to come, but the fact won’t change that Survivor Series will be in fourth place no matter how good it gets.