Round Three - Team Savage '87 vs Team WWF '01

[IrishCanadian25]

This is a third round match-up in the all time Survivor Series team tournament. These two teams have been selected at random to face each other. Polls will be open for 3 days.

Team Savage '87

Team Savage '87 is from the 1987 Survivor Series, and consisted of Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, Brutus Beefcake, and Jim Duggan. They defeated Rude's Brood 12-2 in round two.

Team WWF '01

Team WWF '01 is from the 2001 Survivor Series, and consisted of The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kane, The Undertaker, and The Big Show. They defeated Team Andre '87, 13-3, in round two.

 

[klunderbunker]

As much as I am of a mark for Savage 87, I can't give it to them. The fact of the matter is that at the end of the day, you have a former champion in Savage, a brawler in Duggan, a decent Beefcake, and two of the biggest what ifs in history. They're against 5 former World Champions. THe power is just too much here. As much as I'd love to see Savage/Steamboat/Roberts from this era against Jericho or Rock, they have no answer for the big three. Show might go out from sheer awfulness, and Jake could catch Kane in a DDT, but the only prayer they have to stop a pissed off deadman is savage. If by some miracle he survives, he walks into a Rock Bottom. With Beefcake and Duggan having fallen victim to chokeslams as tombstones would have no effect, this one goes to team wwf.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

KB, come on!

What is it going to take before people vote considering WWF's state of total disarray at this time? They didn't like each other, they were put together despite their differences to face The Alliance, which also had Austin / RVD issues.

Kane, Taker, and Big Show disliked each other more often than not, and Jericho and Rock hated each other with a passion.

Savage in '87 was a major player already, Steamboat an amazing talent and IC Champ, Roberts was already a well known tactician, and if you recall, Duggan was a beast back then. This isn't 1990's Duggan, this is the Duggan who watched Hogan's back all of the time and won the first ever Royal Rumble!

Team Savage wins this match as a cohesive unit, since Savage and Steamboat's issues didn't materialize for a while after this.

 

[klunderbunker]

What you say about Rock and Jericho is absolute fact and I won't argue it. But I seem to remember the big three getting along at this time. What happened in the rest of their careers means nothing. All they had to do is get through one night, and they did that. Kane and Taker got eliminated in bedlam that involved I think a chair shot and I know a stunner. Taker has kicked out of DDT's before, and I just can't picture him being kept down long enough for an elbow, which he could kick out of. Yes, Savage was a major player, but he was the only true major player. The rest were upper midcard, with Beefcake being boarderline at best. Also, yes Duggan was a beast, but look at what he's against. Finally, who aside from Savage could beat the Rock at this time?

 

[Checkmate]

I'm going to do exactly what I did last round. Team WWF hates each other so much that either the Rock or Jericho is out. Move on from there.

Duggan and Beefcake are auto out of this match. Taker, Kane, or the Big Show could easily take them both. Good big guys against meh midcarders doesn't bode well for team Savage. Now, the interesting match begins.

Savage and Roberts could take down Big Show or Kane, but not both. Roberts then goes out to taker. Steamboat and Jericho/Rock could put on a classic, but then Steamboat is out. Savage comes in and eliminates Jericho/Rock, and possibly even Big Show/Kane. Then we have the dream match of Savage vs Taker. Granted, this is weak Taker, but this is also worn out Savage. Taker is still Taker, and he gets the win here.

Now, try to imagine Jericho and the Rock not taking each other out. Then, you have a glorified squash. Too much power on one side. A good match, but WWF takes this one.

 

[dd23beatlesfan1]

There may have been some dissension on Team WWF, but there is still just too much quality talent who were in their primes in 2001 to lose.

The only one at the time that was having real problems with the team was Jericho, so Jericho, alone, wouldn't be enough to bring Team WWF down.

Savage's team were all in their prime as well, but a Roberts, Steamboat, Duggan, nor Beefcake could beat a Rock or Taker in their primes which they were in in 2001. Duggan, Beefcake couldn't hold a candle to Big Show or Kane and would be easily eliminated.

Steamboat and Jericho would be the greatest thing ever to watch, and I wouldn't be surprised if these two were the big "workhorses" of the matchup. But with Jericho being a heel at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if after a long, touch matchup with Steamboat, he would cheat to win. Ultimately Savage would come in and get revenge for Steamboat and take out Jericho. Once Jericho would be gone, there wouldn't be enough dissesion between Show, Kane, Taker, and the Rock to cause the team problems. They didn't hate each other that much.

So Duggan, Steamboat, and Beefcake are gone at this point, leaving Roberts and Savage against Kane, Big Show, Taker, and the Rock. All guys at this point would be a bit worn down obviously, which might serve as a disadvantage to Kane and Big Show. Savage could probably outlast them, and Roberts could help Savage take them out. But that's a best case-scenario for the Savage team, not what would absolutely happen. Even if Savage and Roberts could take out Kane and Big Show, that leaves them up against Rock and Taker. It's just not going to happen for Savage and Roberts.

Savage was great in 87, but even he couldn't take out Taker in 01. Taker could tombstone Savage and Roberts both by himself at this point. Now there is the wild card in that Taker wasn't the invisible, no-seller "phenom" at this point in his career, so there is a chance that if Roberts and/or Savage hit their finisher on Taker, they could possibly win. But you've got the Rock on the outside who would do everything to make sure the two guys don't get the pinfall.

I think ultimately, Roberts would be eliminated, and at the very best-case scenario, Savage would possibly eliminate maybe the Rock. But he'd ultimately go down to Taker. Honestly, I think Savage would go down to both Taker and the Rock who would win this for Team WWF.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The best way to look at Team WWFR is to look at the situation they were in at the time and the opponents they faced. Not one wrestler on the whole Team WWF did anything of note during the entire Invasion angle. The Rock was missing for most of it, his crowning moment was beating Booker T at Summer Slam. Undertaker & Kane spent the summer making other wrestlers look like shit. Big Show & Jericho did what again? Nothing worth remembering.

BUT, they did beat Team Invasion, in-fighting or not. The two main wrestlers on Team Invasion were Austin & Angle. The whole angle pretty much revolved around them. Shane McMahon is never made to look anything other than super-human, Booker T was one of the only WCW wrestlers given a real chance to shine. RVD couldn't have been more over in 2001. Overall a really good team. You could point out that Team WWF won at the end because Of Angle. But that was towards the end of the match once they'd eliminated most of their opponents.

However you look at it, The Rock, The Undertaker, Big Show, Kane & Chris Jericho is one of the better teams on paper. I don't really want to vote for them. But out of the whole of Team Savage, only Savage himself really did anything in WWF.