Classic Review: WWF Survivor Series 1990

The 10th and final Classic Review of November. What a run it’s been for us all. Thank you. We end on the final true Survivor Series show, a night exclusively comprised of Survivor Series matches.

If you missed the prior nine Classic Reviews, here’s the list:

• WWF Survivor Series 1987

• WWF Survivor Series 1988

• WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars 1983

• WWF Survivor Series 1989

• NWA Clash of the Champions: Thanksgiving Thunder ‘90

• ECW November to Remember 2000

• WCW Clash of the Champions 17 (1991)

• WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event (11-25-1989)

• ROH Bound By Hate 2008

I almost went with something else because I’ve watched this show a fair amount in my life, but I decided that actually the easiest go of any idea I could come up with for a November show was this one. The first four Survivor Series — or Survival Seriouses, if you are Bad News Brown — are just not shows that require much attention.

I also considered, for instance, a TNA show, but the ones I’d most want to have watched feature Christopher Daniels matches and 20 minutes of Christopher Daniels often feels like 90 to me. And I thought about maybe doing one of the early Starrcades that took place in November, but I’ve watched those so many times over the years.

Anyway, on we go!

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WWF Survivor Series
November 22, 1990
Civic Center - Hartford, CT

• Oh, at the moment at least, you can watch this full show on WWE Vault on YouTube.

• I bet Little Vinny didn’t expect he’d be running fucking WrestleMania from this venue in five short years, having seen his empire decay to an alarming degree.

• Jesse Ventura is no longer with us. We’ve got Gorilla Monsoon joined by the vastly inferior “Hot Rod” Roddy Piper. This show has a grand finale match where survivors on both sides — this is a concept you’re expected to understand but not ask questions about, because in theory nobody is a “heel” or a “face” — will meet at the end. Nobody wonders what happens if only “good guys” survive in the matches.

• Hey, real quick: I’m gonna skip over the egg and the Gobbledygooker. We’ve all seen it, and it’s SO funny, and we’ve all talked about it. But in case you were thinking of paying to see what I thought of that, I’ll be kind and not dupe you.

• Backstage: After the heels enter for the opener, Mean Gene is with the babyfaces. Animal suggests there are “Little Tornadoes” and “Little Doomers” along with “Little Warriors.” Warrior ends this yelling about skeletons or some shit.

Ultimate Warriors vs Perfect Team

Ultimate Warriors — again, great team name, really put some thought into that — are the Warrior, who is still WWF champion for a minute more, Intercontinental champion Texas Tornado, and the Legion of Doom. On the other side you have Mr. Perfect and the three-man Demolition squad of Ax, Smash, and the newbie Crush.

Ax is so done, brother, my man isn’t even wetting his hair.¹ Heels all out together, don’t even get to hear the Demos’ song. Tornado out alone, then the Big Doomers, then the Warrior.

We start with Animal vs Smash, as Animal just tackles Smash. Piper talks too much on commentary even for a guy who’s supposed to be talking all the time. Perfect bounces around for the babyfaces to try and jolt this thing early, he wasn’t even the legal man.

Tornado comes in with great right hands on Smash, but he’s kind of a moron so he gets easily dragged into the heel corner for the tag to Grandpa Ax. And Ax winds up in the iron claw in moments, but Smash saves.