Ruthless #15: WWE Survivor Series 2003 Revisited

·1 hr 55 min·5 clips

Shawn Michaels, covered in blood, desperately pins Christian to keep Stone Cold Steve Austin's job alive.

The episode opens with host Matt Farrell introducing the focus on WWE Survivor Series 2003. Guest Steve Bennett, host of the Sportscasters podcast, joins and expresses initial surprise at covering 2003 instead of an earlier era. They begin by discussing the opener, a traditional Survivor Series elimination match pitting Team Angle (John Cena, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Hardcore Holly, Bradshaw) against Team Lesnar (Brock Lesnar, Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan). The match features quick eliminations, with Hardcore Holly getting disqualified before the bell. The hosts compare Team Lesnar to the legendary 1987 Survivor Series team led by Andre the Giant. They praise the work of Angle, Benoit, and Lesnar, rating the match around 3 to 3.5 stars. Next, they cover a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon, followed by a women's title match between Molly Holly and Lita, which they deem serviceable but forgettable. The Ambulance Match between Shane McMahon and Kane is reviewed, highlighting Shane's daring bumps and the violent conclusion. A backstage segment with Brock Lesnar denying his tap-out loss sets up future storylines. A segment with Mark Cuban getting an RKO from Randy Orton is discussed as a memorable celebrity appearance. The SmackDown tag title match between Los Guerreros and The Basham Brothers is analyzed, noting the solid tag team work. The main event, Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff, is detailed extensively. The stakes: if Team Bischoff wins, Stone Cold Steve Austin is fired. The match features numerous Hall of Famers, including Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and Booker T. The climax sees Shawn Michaels bleeding heavily, eliminating Christian and Jericho, only to be betrayed by Batista, leading to Randy Orton pinning him. Austin loses his job, and the episode concludes with Austin's emotional farewell speech and a stunner to Coach. The hosts also briefly discuss the Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Vince McMahon, noting its placement after the emotional peak.

As heard by us

A relaxed Survivor Series rewatch catches early Randy Orton, Basham Brothers confusion, and WWE's pay-per-view staying power.

Ruthless #15 treats WWE Survivor Series 2003 as both a history check and a loose pay-per-view hangout, with Matt Farrell guiding the rewatch through the Stone Cold Team versus Fish Off Team elimination match, The Undertaker's buried alive match with Mr.

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Why you'd press play

You get WWE Survivor Series 2003 with early Randy Orton, The Undertaker vs. Mr. McMahon in a buried alive match, and the Basham Brothers' fake-brother setup in the mix.

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