It's the SURRRRVIVOR SERIES!!!

[Kamaras-Tash]

I absolutely despised SS98 at the time, hated it. It's one I've  never rewatched at all over the years and was shocked at how much praise it got online etc. I can understand the show long/months long storyline and the twist at the end but the action on the card was no better than an episode of Raw iirc. Maybe I just never recovered from Duane Gill coming out at the start when for some reason I though it would be HBK. 

 

[Chili]

What a fucking angle.

It's all by accident in a way, but the cobra's behaviour after the Snake bite is amazing and makes Jake look like an other wordly villain. The way it just watches the medics with it's raised neck and hood out is just terrifying, the bit where Roberts is sat in the corner and the cobra is almost protecting him, just sat in front of him, both observing the complete chaos and the shot at the end with Roberts looking at the cobra, as they BOTH look like they're smiling to each other like they're in it together. Magnifique. Piper is great here too selling the sheer panic of it, especially as he's not into snakes for real, watch him absolutely shit it when Roberts comes at them. Savage with his groggy selling. Everything!!! This is around the time I began watching WWF so I had no prior knowledge of face Jake Roberts. I only knew the cobra carrying version and he genuinely scared me. When I first saw this angle I actually ran to a corner of the room and hid my face, Dad probably telling me it was ketchup or an animatronic or something probably. Jake Roberts August 91-April 92 heel work is just out of this world. 

*Yes it's technically WWF Superstars but it was aired on Survivor Series and I think a lot of people tie it in with that show.

Edited November 28, 2025 by Chili

[The Gaffer]

3 hours ago, BomberPat said:

A few years of relative normality, but with the big tag matches feeling less and less important as main event wrestlers wrestling and tagging together happened on TV all the time so the novelty had worn off, and then you end up arse deep in Survivor Series as a vehicle for Red Shirt vs. Blue Shirt brand warfare bollocks, and then War Games.

Sound assessment, though I'd give special mention to 2003's Team Bischoff Vs. Team Austin.

It was full on stodgy meathead era Raw and the stakes were perhaps a little too implausible but it was a good angle, great craic on the night and - in retrospect - one of Shawn Michael's top ten performances.

I expect the Vault to upload the actual match in the coming days, but for now...

 

[Lorne Malvo]

The Team Austin vs Team Bischoff video package before the match has always vividly stuck in my brain for some reason, just one of those everlasting memories. Jericho goading Austin with 'what ya gonna do about it Sthheve?', Biaschoff at his smarmy cunt best with 'Stone Cold 'DTA!' is gonna have to trust... five...other...people', Linda McMahon telling Austin he can't go about beating people up randomly... A cracking video package that got me really invested in the match despite the fact I was hardly watching Raw at the time. 

[TheScarlettChad]

Ruined by him returning three weeks later

[BomberPat]

Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff is fantastic, which is especially amazing considering Austin was at his absolute worst around that time - there's a lot to dislike about early brand split RAW, but Sherriff Austin phoning it in and running around beating up every other act without ever getting any comeuppance made for miserable telly. 

[TheScarlettChad]

Sherrif Austin was after this, I thought? He became Sherrif BECAUSE he was fired. 

[Fog Dude]

Yeah he was "co-GM" alongside Bischoff heading into Survivor Series, but then they brought him back as Sheriff of RAW soon afterwards. Same difference though as Pat said, it still stunk the place out.

[The Gaffer]

Sheriff Austin was so bad that it gave us that most rare of things - a genuinely funny Triple H performance: 

 

[SuperBacon]

22 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

I'm working from home today and because of this thread, I've stuck on the 1989 Survivor Series for background. 

 

I'm thankful ... for the UKFF. And my polka dots.

I popped on the OSW review of it last night, forgot a young Shane McMahon was one of the extra refs on the outside. He looks about 12!

[SpykeDudlei1]

On 11/28/2025 at 2:41 PM, Chili said:

What a fucking angle.

It's all by accident in a way, but the cobra's behaviour after the Snake bite is amazing and makes Jake look like an other wordly villain. The way it just watches the medics with it's raised neck and hood out is just terrifying, the bit where Roberts is sat in the corner and the cobra is almost protecting him, just sat in front of him, both observing the complete chaos and the shot at the end with Roberts looking at the cobra, as they BOTH look like they're smiling to each other like they're in it together. Magnifique. Piper is great here too selling the sheer panic of it, especially as he's not into snakes for real, watch him absolutely shit it when Roberts comes at them. Savage with his groggy selling. Everything!!! This is around the time I began watching WWF so I had no prior knowledge of face Jake Roberts. I only knew the cobra carrying version and he genuinely scared me. When I first saw this angle I actually ran to a corner of the room and hid my face, Dad probably telling me it was ketchup or an animatronic or something probably. Jake Roberts August 91-April 92 heel work is just out of this world. 

*Yes it's technically WWF Superstars but it was aired on Survivor Series and I think a lot of people tie it in with that show.

Every time I see this, it still amazes me that because of how loosely Jake is holding the cobra its head swings scarily close to Savage’s head/neck before seemingly ‘remembering his spot’ and latching onto the arm instead. That could’ve been a whole different nasty visual.

[air_raid]

Does anyone recall (from Pick Your Poison, perhaps?) whose idea it was? Savage was crackers to do it regardless.

[BomberPat]

on the Dark Side Of The Ring episode about Jake Roberts, Jake tells a story about Savage insisting that Jake let the cobra bite him first to prove that it was properly de-venomed. And when he did it, Savage still didn't trust him, and started talking about Jake might have "antidotes or serums", which instantly became a phrase to be added to any self-respecting Macho Man impression, because it's incredibly fun to try and say in his voice.

In terms of whose idea it was, Jake's story starts with Vince pitching it to him, though whether anyone got in Vince's ear before that, who knows?

[SpykeDudlei1]

Jake being the true carny that he is though often adds in a little extra ‘sauce’ to his story about Savage approaching him to ask if the snake has been de-venomised etc.

He’ll often claim that Savage said he didn’t trust him because (slightly paraphrasing Jake quoting Savage) “someone might see it as a way to become the new intercontinental champion by taking out the Macho Man” or something along those lines.

Yeah, sorry Snake Man. You’re about 4.5 years too late there. Not to mention 2.5 years removed from Savage’s first World title run.

Edited December 2, 2025 by SpykeDudlei1

[Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz]

On 11/28/2025 at 2:41 PM, Chili said:

What a fucking angle.

It's all by accident in a way, but the cobra's behaviour after the Snake bite is amazing and makes Jake look like an other wordly villain. The way it just watches the medics with it's raised neck and hood out is just terrifying, the bit where Roberts is sat in the corner and the cobra is almost protecting him, just sat in front of him, both observing the complete chaos and the shot at the end with Roberts looking at the cobra, as they BOTH look like they're smiling to each other like they're in it together. Magnifique. Piper is great here too selling the sheer panic of it, especially as he's not into snakes for real, watch him absolutely shit it when Roberts comes at them. Savage with his groggy selling. Everything!!! This is around the time I began watching WWF so I had no prior knowledge of face Jake Roberts. I only knew the cobra carrying version and he genuinely scared me. When I first saw this angle I actually ran to a corner of the room and hid my face, Dad probably telling me it was ketchup or an animatronic or something probably. Jake Roberts August 91-April 92 heel work is just out of this world. 

*Yes it's technically WWF Superstars but it was aired on Survivor Series and I think a lot of people tie it in with that show.

Totally agree with this, the way the Cobra and Robert’s were both in the corner, it was amazing! 
Jake accidentally standing on the snake wasn’t ideal though. Didn’t the Cobra die not too long after the angle?