Honorable Mentions
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Bret Hart vs. Diesel for the WWF Championship (1995)
Diesel's year-long run as WWF champion culminated in an excellent outing with Hart at Survivor Series 1995. Their last one-on-one encounter at the Royal Rumble ended in a draw, whereas this rematch saw Hart win decisively to regain the gold. It's widely regarded as one of the best bouts of Diesel's career and proved he could hang with the best the business had to offer.
Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (1996)
One year later, Hart made his long-awaited return to television after almost eight months away to silence Stone Cold, who had repeatedly been talking trash about The Hitman during his hiatus. Austin rose to Hart's level and pushed him to his limit before eating defeat. This match is often overlooked in favor of their classic at WrestleMania 13.
Kurt Angle Arrives (1999)
Survivor Series has seen several all-time greats make their first-ever appearance over the years, but Angle's 1999 debut tends to be forgotten because of how it pales in comparison to the rest. His swift defeat of Shawn Stasiak was fine, but the pompous fashion in which he carried himself left a lasting impression and jump-started a legendary run.
Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (2005)
Long before it became the norm in 2016, Raw and SmackDown first faced off in a traditional elimination tag team match at the 2005 installment, and the bout was overflowing with star power. Randy Orton emerged as the sole survivor, only to be confronted by a returning Undertaker who laid waste to everyone representing the blue brand.
Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan (2018)
Lesnar and AJ Styles had an absolute gem of a champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series 2017, but The Beast Incarnate's bout with Bryan the following year was slightly better. Despite the heel vs. heel dynamic, they gelled exceptionally well and lived up to the '"dream match" hype.
