The 1987 Survivor Series marked the debut of this iconic WWE event, originally produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Held on Thanksgiving Night, November 26, 1987, at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Township, Ohio, the event was part of WWF’s “Big Four” annual pay-per-views, which includes WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam. This first Survivor Series 1987 event set a precedent for future WWE spectacles and introduced fans to a unique format centered on elimination-style tag team matches.
In the main event of Survivor Series 1987, André the Giant led his team to victory over Hulk Hogan’s team, ultimately emerging as the first “sole survivor” after eliminating Hogan’s teammate, Bam Bam Bigelow. This historic night also featured memorable undercard matches, including Randy Savage’s team defeating The Honky Tonk Man’s team and The Fabulous Moolah’s team besting Sensational Sherri’s team. Additionally, a 10-tag-team elimination match saw Strike Force and their teammates overcome The Hart Foundation’s team, further establishing Survivor Series as a cornerstone of WWE history.
WWE Survivor Series 1987 Results
- Brutus Beefcake, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated Dangerous Danny Davis, Harley Race, Hercules, The Honky Tonk Man and Ron Bass (with Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart) in 5-on-5 Survivor Series match.
- The Fabulous Moolah, The Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuki Yamazaki and Noriyo Tateno), Rockin’ Robin and Velvet McIntyre defeated Dawn Marie, Donna Christanello, The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin) and Sensational Sherri (with Jimmy Hart) in 5-on-5 Survivor Series match.
- The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid), The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell), The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau), Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana) and The Young Stallions (Jim Powers and Paul Roma) defeated The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov and Nikolai Volkoff), Demolition (Ax and Smash), The Dream Team (Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine), The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) and The Islanders (Haku and Tama) (with Bobby Heenan, Mr. Fuji, Jimmy Hart, Johnny Valiant and Slick) in 10-on-10 Survivor Series tag team match.
- André the Giant, Butch Reed, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang and Rick Rude (with Bobby Heenan and Slick) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow, Don Muraco, Hulk Hogan, Ken Patera and Paul Orndorff (with Oliver Humperdink) in 5-on-5 Survivor Series match.