Survivor Series, WWE.com
4. Team Smackdown vs Team Raw – Survivor Series 2005
When 10 wrestlers all compete in one match it’s very difficult for all of them to walk out of the match looking strong. But this match from 2005 Survivor Series proved that idea wrong. For Smackdown, Rey Misterio, Bobby Lashley, Batista, Randy Orton, and JBL took up the blue brand’s cause against Shawn Michaels, Kane, Chris Masters, Carlito, and The Big Show representing RAW.
The match was a track meet from start to finish but the big guys involved had huge moments as well. Although being eliminated first, Bobby Lashley, who had only been on the Smackdown roster for 2 months, came out looking like a superstar after tearing through his opponents before getting caught by an illegal chokeslam by Kane. Along with Kane, the big boys also thrived, as Big Show and JBL seemed reinvigorated by the match-up and Chris Masters and Batista went back and forth in a contest to determine the biggest monster.
And of course, like most matches, the brightest stars shined the most. Mysterio was a human pin ball all match, Michaels was his usual legend self with the most eliminations (3), and Orton did what he seemed to always do in his career, win. When it was all said and done, “The Viper” was the only survivor.
To cap off what was a terrific match, the WWE decided to use this opportunity to further an angle. Just as the Smackdown team was celebrating and thought all was right in the world, that familiar gong went off. The Undertaker, who just a month before at No Mercy had been locked into a casket and set on fire by Orton, came back for revenge. This led to a vicious Hell In A Cell match the following month at Vengeance that welcomed Taker back for another incredible run by The Deadman. A great match that furthered the careers of 10 guys and an angle that led to one of the most intense feuds in the company, No. 4 is an example of booking done right.