The 2002 Survivor Series was the 16th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling

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(PPV)

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...

produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's

Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

and

SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...

brand divisions. The event took place on November 17, 2002, from

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New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

. The official theme song was "

Always Always may refer to: Film and television * ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom * ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg * ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...

" by

Saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

, who performed the song and Chris Jericho's entrance music live from

The World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

. This was the first Survivor Series held under the WWE name, after the promotion was renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE in May, and also the first Survivor Series held under the first brand split. The main event from the Raw brand was the first-ever

Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...

match for the World Heavyweight Championship involving reigning champion Triple H,

Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...

, Chris Jericho,

Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...

, Rob Van Dam, and Kane. Michaels won the match after last eliminating Triple H. The predominant match on the SmackDown! brand was

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...

versus Big Show for the WWE Championship, which Big Show won to win the title. The featured match on the undercard was a

triple threat elimination match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...

for the

WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separate ...

involving Edge and Rey Mysterio,

Los Guerreros Los Guerreros (English: The Warriors) was an American professional wrestling tag team, which consisted of Eddie Guerrero and his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. Both wrestlers were members of the Guerrero family. They wrestled as a team in World Champi ...

( Eddie and

Chavo Guerrero Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federatio ...

), and Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Los Guerreros won the match and became WWE Tag Team Champions after last eliminating Edge and Mysterio. This was the second Survivor Series event not to include any Survivor Series elimination matches, the first being in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

Production

Background

Survivor Series is an annual

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...

(PPV), produced every November by World Wrestling Entertainment (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, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, referred to as the "Big Four", and was considered one of the "Big Five" PPVs, along with King of the Ring until its discontinuation after its 2002 event. The event is traditionally characterized by having Survivor Series matches, which are tag team elimination matches pitting teams of four or five wrestlers against each other. The 2002 event, however, did not feature such match, and was the second of only two times a Survivor Series match did not occur at the titular event—the first was at the 1998 event. In place of the Survivor Series match, the 2002 event included the first-ever

Elimination Chamber match The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...

, in addition to an elimination tables match and a

triple threat elimination tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...

. The 2002 event was the 16th event in the Survivor Series chronology. It was scheduled to be held on November 17, 2002, from

. The official theme song of the event was "

" by

. The band performed the song and Chris Jericho's entrance music live from

. This was the first Survivor Series to be held under the first

brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...

introduced in March, which split the roster between the

and

brands where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform; Survivor Series featured wrestlers from both brands. It was also the first Survivor Series held under the WWE name, following the renaming of the company from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE in May. It was also the first Survivor Series to feature the World Heavyweight Championship, following its introduction on Raw in September after the

WWE Undisputed Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...

became exclusive to SmackDown! and renamed to WWE Championship.

Storylines

The event featured seven

professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during, and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – Raw and SmackDown! – while storylines played out on their weekly television shows, ''

'' and ''

''. The main

feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...

heading into Survivor Series on the

brand was between Triple H, Rob Van Dam,

, Kane, Chris Jericho and

over the World Heavyweight Championship. The feud started on the September 2 episode of ''Raw'' when Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the World Heavyweight Championship in the form of the Big Gold Belt. Later on that edition, Triple H successfully defended the title over

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

but lost in a tag team match to both Ric Flair and Rob Van Dam towards the end of the show. On the September 9 episode of ''Raw'', Rob Van Dam became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, and Big Show in a

fatal four-way elimination match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. On the September 16 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam lost the WWE Intercontinental Championship to Chris Jericho after interference by Triple H. At Unforgiven, Van Dam faced Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship, which he after Ric Flair hit him with the

sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, often metal head, attached to a long handle. The long handle combined with a heavy head allows the sledgehammer to gather momentum during a swing and apply a large force compared to hammers designed t ...

, allowing Triple H to finish him off with the pedigree, thus retaining the title. On the September 30 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H defeated Bubba Ray Dudley to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Later that night, Kane won the Intercontinental Championship from Jericho despite interference from Triple H and Ric Flair. The match was made between Triple H and Kane for No Mercy in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. On the October 7 episode of ''Raw'', Kane successfully singlehandedly defended the World Tag Team Championship (that he had won on September 23) in a four team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match as The Hurricane had been attacked earlier that evening (by Triple H and Ric Flair) and was thus unable to compete. On the October 14 episode of ''Raw'', Kane and The Hurricane lost the tag titles to

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and Jericho. Later that night, Triple H defeated Van Dam in a Canadian lumberjack strap match after Ric Flair nailed Van Dam from behind with the World title belt while the referee was distracted. At No Mercy, Triple H went on to defeat Kane in the title unification match, winning the Intercontinental Championship and unifying it with the World Heavyweight Championship. On the October 21 episode of ''Raw'', Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff announced that the first ever

would take place at Survivor Series. Bischoff did this, as he wanted the Elimination Chamber match to be better than

's Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy. On the October 28 episode of ''Raw'', Bischoff stated that the Elimination Chamber would be a combination of WWE's Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and WCW's War Games matches, in that a countdown timer comes from the Rumble and War Games, the enclosed cage format from War Games, and the elimination process from the Rumble and Series. Bischoff also added that the match will involve six superstars. This led to Bischoff revealing the six participants for the contest; Triple H, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Kane and Shawn Michaels. Later that night, when Triple H took on Kane in a

Casket match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

, Shawn Michaels (who Triple H put out of action after their Unsanctioned Street Fight at SummerSlam) emerged from the casket and assaulted Triple H. To gain further payback, Michaels then nailed him with the

Sweet Chin Music Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional w ...

, allowing Kane to put Triple H in the casket and closed the lid to win the match. On the November 4 episode of ''Raw'', Booker T and Kane defeated Triple H and Jericho in a tag team match after Michaels interfered again. Afterwards, Michaels accepted the offer of being part of the Elimination Chamber match. The main feud on the

brand was between

and Big Show over the WWE Championship. Lesnar won the title at SummerSlam by defeating then-champion The Rock. Two months later at No Mercy, Lesnar defeated The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match to retain the title, pinning him after an F-5. On the October 24 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Big Show was traded to the SmackDown! brand and immediately issued a challenge to Lesnar, who accepted later that night. Later that night, after Lesnar and The Undertaker cut promos to one another, Big Show threw The Undertaker off the stage, thus injuring his neck. On the October 31 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Lesnar faced off against Rey Mysterio, which ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered and tossed Mysterio into the crowd. Shortly after the match ended, Big Show chokeslammed Lesnar through the announce table. On the November 7 episode of ''SmackDown!'', after Lesnar defeated Eddie Guerrero in a non-title match, Big Show attacked Lesnar and slammed him off the stage. On the November 14 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman was convinced more than anyone that Lesnar could not win, trying to talk him out of defending the title. Lesnar refused and decided to call Big Show to the ring. As Big Show came out, Lesnar drove him through the steel steps. Moments later, Lesnar took out Big Show with five chair shots then nailed him with the championship belt. The other main feud on the card was between three tag teams, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, Edge and Rey Mysterio, and

( Eddie and

), over the

. On the October 3 episode of ''SmackDown!'', General Manager, Stephanie McMahon announced an eight team tournament to determine the inaugural WWE Tag Team Champions that would conclude at No Mercy. Los Guerreros defeated Rikishi and Mark Henry in the first quarterfinal round. On the October 10 episode of ''SmackDown!'', in the second quarterfinal round, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit defeated John Cena and Billy Kidman while Edge and Rey Mysterio defeated

and Tajiri to advance to the semifinals. On the October 17 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Edge and Mysterio defeated Reverend D-Von and Ron Simmons to advance to the finals. Later, Angle and Benoit advanced to the finals by defeating Los Guerreros. At No Mercy, Angle and Benoit defeated Edge and Mysterio in the finals to become the first WWE Tag Team Champions. On the October 24 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Edge and Rey Mysterio defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contenders tag match to earn a shot at the tag titles. Later that night, the

WWE Tag Team Champions WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separate ...

, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit fought each other in an Unforgiven rematch, which Benoit won after interference from Los Guerreros. On the October 31 episode of ''SmackDown!'', both Benoit and Angle cost one another their matches. Angle helped Edge defeat Benoit then later that night, Benoit returned the favor by helping Eddie Guerrero defeat Angle. Afterwards, Angle and Benoit brawled at the Halloween party, ending with Angle delivering an Angle slam and Benoit bashing the bottle into Angle's head at the same time, knocking each other down. On the November 7 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Angle and Benoit lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Edge and Mysterio in a

2 out of 3 falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

after Edge pinned Angle in the third and final fall. Victoria0407

Another feud coming from the Raw brand was between Victoria and Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's Championship. At Unforgiven, Trish Stratus had captured her third Women's Championship from Victoria's mentor

Molly Holly Nora Kristina Benshoof (''née'' Greenwald; born on September 7, 1977) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler signed to WWE as a producer, she is best known for her appearances with the said company from 2000 to 2005 under the ring na ...

(who Trish lost the title to at King of the Ring). On the September 23 episode of ''Raw'', Stratus successfully defended the Women's title against both Molly Holly and Victoria in a Triple Threat match. Then on the September 30 episode of ''Raw'', Victoria challenged Stratus for the Women's title in a one-on-one contest but got Disqualified after hitting Stratus with a steel chair. On the October 7 episode of ''Raw'', after Stratus defeated Stacy Keibler in a Bra and Panties/Paddle on a Pole match, Victoria attacked Stratus and performed a

Moonsault A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Japanese and American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being u ...

on her. Victoria claimed in the interview that back in their days as fitness models, WWE wanted both of them but Trish stole her spot. The two fought again for the Women's Championship at No Mercy with Stratus retaining. For the following four weeks, the two would have many clashes on Raw including on the November 11 episode of ''Raw'', when Stratus ambushed Victoria following Victoria's attack on

Terri Runnels Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels A transcript of the article can be found a (born October 5, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestling manager, television host, and professional wrestler. Runnels began her professional wrestling career in ...

. It was announced that the title would be put on the line in a hardcore rules match.

Event

Preliminary matches

Before the event aired

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

on pay-per-view,

Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (EC ...

and William Regal defeated The Hurricane and

Goldust Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE f ...

in a match that aired on ''

Sunday Night Heat ''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...

'' which was originally advertised to be on the main card. The first match of the event was an Elimination Tables match as Jeff Hardy, Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley faced

3-Minute Warning 3-Minute Warning was an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins Matt Anoa'i and Eddie Fatu, most notable for their time with WWF/E under their ring names of Rosey and Jamal, respectively. As they were the members of the ...

( Rosey,

Jamal Jamal ( ar, جمال ''/'') is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "beauty",Jamal
at BehindTheName.com and a surna ...

) and Rico. Spike was eliminated first as Rosey and Jamal performed a Double Flapjack on him. Rosey was next to go, as he was eliminated by Jeff Hardy with a

Swanton Bomb Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

. A miscue was picked up on the audio, as Rico was supposed to be knocked off the top rope, by Hardy, and Rico could be heard yelling in frustration "Come on Jeff, goddammit!" With Hardy lying on the ground, outside of the ring, the remaining 3-Minute Warning member, Jamal, delivered a

diving splash Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

off the top rope through a table on Hardy, eliminating Hardy from the match. At this point it was down to Jamal and Rico against Bubba Ray. As Bubba Ray fought for his team, he eliminated Jamal after performing a Top-Rope Powerbomb. D-Von Dudley appeared, and along with Bubba Ray, they performed the 3D onto Rico for the win. The next match was for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, with reigning champion Jamie Noble taking on Billy Kidman. Nidia accompanied Noble to the ring, and interfered with many parts of the match, including slapping Kidman across the face. Noble went after Kidman, but missed, and knocked Nidia off the apron. Kidman managed to hit the Shooting star press for the win. Billy Kidman was named Cruiserweight Champion. The third match was for the WWE Women's Championship. It was a Hardcore match with reigning champion Trish Stratus taking on Victoria. Victoria choked Trish with a broomstick at the turnbuckle and hit her with a trash can lid. Trish recovered, and sent Victoria into an ironing board before hitting her several times with a Singapore cane. Victoria (with a bloody nose), went under the ring, and came back out with a fire extinguisher. Victoria sprayed Trish with the extinguisher and gave her a suplex, capturing the Women's title.

Main event matches

The fourth match was the match between

and Big Show for the WWE Championship. Lesnar came into the match with injured ribs, which Big Show took advantage of earlier into the match. However, Lesnar gained control over Big Show and executed an F-5 but Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman pulled the referee out of the ring. Big Show hit Lesnar in the ribs with a chair, chokeslammed Lesnar onto it and pinned Lesnar, winning the match and the WWE Championship. The final match on the undercard was a Triple threat Tag team match for the

between the teams of Edge and Rey Mysterio,

( Eddie Guerrero and

), and Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. A back and forth match between the three teams, until Edge delivered a Spear to Benoit, eliminating the team of Angle and Benoit. The final elimination was the team of Edge and Mysterio, when Eddie forced Mysterio to submit to the

Lasso from El Paso ''Lasso from El Paso'' is an album by Kinky Friedman, released in 1976. "Sold American" was recorded live while on tour with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. It was Friedman's last album of original material for more than 40 years. Critical rec ...

, thus Los Guerreros winning the match and the WWE Tag Team Championship. After the match, Scott Steiner made his return to WWE, and attacked

Christopher Nowinski Christopher John Nowinski (born September 24, 1978) is an American neuroscientist and author. After extensively researching concussions in American football, Nowinski co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation, where he is currently the CEO, ...

and Matt Hardy after they had given an insulting promo about New York City and its citizens. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV

The main event was the first-ever

match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Chris Jericho,

, and

. The match started off with Triple H facing off against Van Dam, while the remaining four superstars were locked in the four chambers. Superstars entered the match at five-minute intervals. Van Dam controlled much of the beginning against Triple H. The next entrant was Jericho. Jericho and Triple H doubled teamed Van Dam until the next entrant entered. The fourth entrant, Booker T then made his way into the match. Van Dam delivered a Five Star Frog Splash onto Triple H of the top of a pod, legitimately damaging the latter's throat. Booker T would capitalize on this and delivered a Missile Dropkick to Van Dam to eliminate him from the match. However, Booker T would be the next elimination after Jericho pinned him following a Lionsault. The fifth entrant, Kane, dominated upon his entry into the match. The sixth entrant, Michaels, experienced brief control only to be chokeslammed by Kane. However, Kane would be the third elimination after receiving a Superkick from Michaels, a Pedigree from Triple H, and finally a Lionsault from Jericho. Jericho would be the next elimination after Michaels pinned him following Sweet Chin Music. The final elimination was made when Michaels delivered

to Triple H and pinned him, thus winning the match and the World Heavyweight Championship. The show ended with Michaels embracing with his newly won championship inside the chamber as confetti dropped outside it.

Reception

In 2015, Kevin Pantoja of 411Mania gave the event a rating of 9.0 mazing writing, "I remembered how great SummerSlam was but forgot how good Survivor Series was. The worst rating I gave out was just under three stars. Every single match was at the very least fun and we got all new Champions which is always intriguing. Seriously, one of the better shows I've reviewed and one of the best Survivor Series Pay-Per-Views."

Aftermath

Shawn Michaels and Triple H continued their feud over the World Heavyweight Championship. On the November 25 edition of ''Raw'', Michaels defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Van Dam; however, Michaels retained the title by disqualification when Triple H attacked Van Dam. The following week on ''Raw'', Van Dam faced off against Triple H, with Michaels as Special Guest referee, to determine the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon. Triple H defeated Van Dam to become the number one contender, and he and Michaels brawled with one another. The next week, on the December 9 edition of ''Raw'', Michaels attacked Triple H and

with an iron shovel outside the arena. Michaels then smashed Triple H with a

trash can A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...

, causing him to fall inside a dumpster. Shortly after, Michaels climbed to the top of a trailer and jumped off onto Triple H. At Armageddon, Triple H defeated Michaels in a

Three Stages of Hell match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

to win the title. The first match was a Street fight, which Triple H won. The match that followed was a Steel Cage match, which Michaels won. The third and final match was a

Ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...

, which was won by Triple H. The following month, at Armageddon, Kurt Angle defeated Big Show to end his near one-month reign as WWE Champion. At the Royal Rumble, in January 2003, Angle defeated Chris Benoit to retain the title, and

won the Royal Rumble match by last eliminating The Undertaker. Lesnar went on to defeat Angle for the WWE Championship two months later at WrestleMania XIX,

pinning Pinning may refer to: * Pinning, the effect of certain weapons that cause their targets to be pinned down * Pinning ceremony (nursing), a symbolic welcoming of new graduates into the nursing profession * Pinning force, a force acting on a pinned ob ...

him after an F-5. Two months later, at

Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

, Lesnar defeated Big Show in a

Stretcher match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

to retain the WWE Championship. Later that year, at

Vengeance Vengeance may refer to: *Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film * ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo * ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...

, Angle defeated Lesnar and Big Show in a No Disqualification Triple Threat match to become the new WWE Champion. Angle won the match after pinning Lesnar following an Angle Slam. Angle went on to defeat Lesnar and retain the WWE Championship the next month at SummerSlam, forcing him to submit with the

Ankle lock A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are fe ...

. Lesnar then regained the WWE Championship from Angle on the September 18 episode of ''SmackDown!'', in an Iron Man match winning 5-4.

Results

Elimination tables match eliminations

* D-Von Dudley did not participate in the match but interfered and helped Bubba Ray Dudley eliminate Rico

Triple threat elimination match eliminations

Elimination Chamber entrances and eliminations

References

External links

*
hoffco-inc.com – Survivor Series 2002 review

Official 2002 Survivor Series website
{{WWEPPV, Survivor Series Events in New York City

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

2002 in New York City Madison Square Garden Professional wrestling in New York City 2002 WWE pay-per-view events November 2002 events in the United States