Classic Review: WWF Survivor Series 1987

Hey! This is going to be a busy, busy, busy month for TMAR, as I’m going for November Sweeps! Instead of one Classic Review, November will have ten (10) Classic Reviews! You should really sign up so you can catch all this hot action, plus all the normal posts — the free weekly TV reviews for Raw, Smackdown, NXT, Dynamite, and Collison, plus premium subscriber reviews for WWE Crown Jewel this weekend and AEW Full Gear in a few weeks, and there’s always the possibility of more stuff!

We start here, with the first-ever Survivor Series. This show absolutely has to be among the 10 or maybe even five most-watched shows for me ever. The Survivor Series was a change-of-pace concept and became the WWF’s second regular pay-per-view series, but it was really mainly invented to take a fat dump on Jim Crockett and Starrcade, as the WWF scheduled this show for the same date as the ‘87 event from Crockett, then bullied cable systems into carrying Survivor Series exclusively or risk losing their access to carrying WrestleMania IV, and we’re talking the WrestleMania that followed the one that was an unheard-of mega-phenomenon. After 1987, Starrcade moved to December.

But all my great concern over WWF business practices aside, it’s a very fun show, or at least I’ve always thought so. Maybe this time I’ll hate it, really give it the what’s for, and you guys can pull quotes for your X accounts at how riotously rude I’ve been.

Probably not!

WWF Survivor Series
November 26, 1987
Richfield Coliseum - Richfield Township, OH

This arena out in the little town of Richfield Township, halfway between Akron and Cleveland, hosted three of the first six Survivor Series (1987-88 and 1992) and was home to the Cleveland Cavaliers between 1974-94, when Gund Arena (now “Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse,” which we can all agree sounds so much better) became the Cavs’ new home in downtown Cleveland.

The Coliseum held about 20,000 for basketball and the report for this show was 21,300. Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura¹ are our hosts on Thanksgiving Eve. After a funky little music video intro, it’s time to get down to action as teams of five strive to survive!

Well, almost.

• Backstage: Craig DeGeorge is with Honky Tonk Man’s team, who will kick off against Randy Savage’s team. Honky Tonk has Hercules, Danny Davis, King Harley Race, and Ron Bass, which means they also have both Jimmy Hart and Bobby Heenan in the corner. Honk talks that mess, and says he will hit Elizabeth with the Shake, Rattle n’ Roll if she gets in the ring. Seems rude!

• Backstage: Mean Gene Okerlund is with Savage’s team. He’s got Jim Duggan, Brutus Beefcake, Jake Roberts, and Ricky Steamboat, who is deep in his Karate Kid gimmick. Savage walks in late after Steamboat and Duggan have spoken. Beefcake and Jake don’t get to talk.

Randy Savageᶜ, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Jake Roberts, Brutus Beefcake & Ricky Steamboat vs Honky Tonk Manᶜ, Danny Davis, Ron Bass, Hercules & King Harley Race

Not eight months before this, Savage and Steamboat were blood rivals. Savage gets a huge ovation for his solo entrance after the others come out separate, which was the same for Honky and his squad.

Beefer and Herc start it off, Bruti gets the sleephold on fast but Herc tags Davis. Both of them get a hiptoss and Ron Bass comes in to take one, too. Takes one tag for everyone to get confused about who’s legal, as Davis returns to the apron and then has to be slingshot back in. Jake tags in and the people are immediately chanting for the DDT. That move was crazy over. Steamboat gets in after Jake and takes it to Davis, the ex-referee is getting smoked in here before he dodges one move and tags Harley in.

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