Who forced and stopped Vince McMahon from discontinuing WWE Survivor Series? Exploring a forgotten fact

WWE Survivor Series is considered one of the most looked-forward-to yearly wrestling events. One of the event's highlights is the traditional tag team matches, usually between two stables or the company's brands. Despite being a historic show, part of WWE's "Big Four", it was almost cancelled for good in 2009.

That year, WWE Survivor Series took place in November at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. It featured the likes of The Undertaker, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Randy Orton, and more. The main event featured a triple threat match between John Cena, Triple, and Shawn Michaels. Despite the big names, the event reportedly had difficulty selling tickets.

Survivor Series is considered one of the company's Big Four events, joining SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania. Low ticket sales, which dropped 26% compared to the event a year prior, worried Vince McMahon, which made him remove the event.

During WWE's 2009 Financial Results, which took place in February 2010, Vince McMahon stated that the Survivor Series was obsolete. He noted the concept worked years prior, but now it's "not advantageous as the consumer now looks as what actually they are buying."

The now 78-year-old acknowledged that it was one of the original PPV events, but it has outlasted its usage and wanted to re-brand it. Which also meant they would remove the name "Survivor Series."

WWE and Vince McMahon couldn't discontinue Survivor Series due to fan backlash. Aside from the public outcry, a fan petition also emerged to retain the event. Months after the initial announcement, in June 2010, the company released tickets for that year's event.

What significant changes happened to the WWE Survivor Series recently?

The scene of the 2009 WWE Survivor Series

Fans are used to seeing SmackDown vs. RAW for its traditional 5-on-5 matches. However, there are times when the company used the event for star-centered feuds, like John Cena vs. The Authority in 2014. In 2019, NXT also competed alongside the two main roster brands.

WWE Survivor Series has added another change to its line-up since 2022, which was adding the WarGames match. While speaking with The Ringer, Triple H stated that the event had been fantastic for over three decades and needed to evolve, so they decided to introduce WarGames into the main roster.

Who are the stars involved in WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023?

One match is officially announced for this year's Survivor Series event. Seth Rollins will team with Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn against The Judgment Day and JD McDonagh. Although not officially announced, Damage CTRL could also be present with Kairi Sane and Asuka against Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Shotzi.

It's fortunate that Survivor Series remained and brought several unforgettable moments in the years since.

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What are your favourite memories from Survivor Series? Sound off in the comments section below.