Background
Survivor Series featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Monday Night Raw—World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) flagship television program. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The main rivalry heading into the event was between Diesel and Bret Hart over the WWF Championship. At In Your House 4, Hart served as the guest commentator during Diesel's title defense against British Bulldog. Hart interfered in the match by attacking Bulldog. As a result, Diesel was disqualified and thus retained the title. This angered Diesel and he argued with Hart, resulting in the two brawling with each other. As a result of the circumstances, on October 30 edition of Raw, the WWF President Gorilla Monsoon signed a WWF Championship match between Diesel and Hart to take place at Survivor Series. Diesel and Hart had faced off for the title two times before, at the 1994 King of the Ring (which Diesel won by disqualification), and the 1995 Royal Rumble (which ended in a draw due to outside interference). With those two matches both ending in disqualifications, Monsoon added a No Disqualification stipulation to this rematch.
Another predominant rivalry heading into the event was over the Wildcard Survivor Series elimination match, pitting Shawn Michaels, British Bulldog, Ahmed Johnson and Sycho Sid against Razor Ramon, Owen Hart, Yokozuna and Dean Douglas. On October 23 edition of Raw, the WWF President Gorilla Monsoon made the match to make rivals team with each other and teammates compete against each other, since Bulldog was Camp Cornette teammate of Hart and Yokozuna. Ramon and Douglas had been feuding with each other since September 11 edition of Raw when Douglas interfered in Ramon's match with British Bulldog. At In Your House 3, Douglas defeated Ramon in a standard wrestling match. On September 25 edition of Raw, Douglas was made the #1 contender for Shawn Michaels' WWF Intercontinental Championship. A week before their match at In Your House 4, Michaels had been attacked in a club in Syracuse, New York. As a result, at In Your House 4, Michaels forfeited the title to Douglas. However, Douglas was forced to defend his newly won title against Ramon, who defeated Douglas for the title. Michaels and Sid's rivalry dated back to February 20 edition of Raw, when Michaels introduced Sid as his new bodyguard for his WWF Championship title shot against Diesel at WrestleMania XI. However, despite Sid's interference, Michaels was defeated by Diesel. As a result, on April 3 edition of Raw, Michaels informed Sid that he was no more needed. Sid became angry and he attacked Michaels, putting Michaels out of action for six weeks. This led to an Intercontinental Championship match between Michaels and Sid on September 11 edition of Raw, which Michaels retained by defeating Sid.
The rivalry between The Darkside (The Undertaker, Savio Vega, Fatu and Henry Godwinn) and The Royals (King Mabel, Jerry Lawler, Isaac Yankem and Hunter Hearst Helmsley) dated back to the annual King of the Ring tournament, when Mabel defeated Undertaker in the quarter-final round. On September 25 edition of Raw, King Mabel interfered in Undertaker's match with British Bulldog, setting up a match between Undertaker and King Mabel at In Your House 4. However, on October 9 edition of Raw, King Mabel attacked Undertaker during a Six-man tag team match pitting Diesel, Shawn Michaels and Undertaker against Bulldog, Owen Hart and Yokozuna. Due to the attack, Undertaker was sidelined and was replaced by Yokozuna as King Mabel's opponent. On November 6 edition of Raw, it was announced that Undertaker's The Darkside team would compete against King Mabel's The Royals team in a Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series.
Goldust made his WWF debut at In Your House 4, defeating Marty Jannetty. On November 4 edition of Superstars, Bam Bam Bigelow interrupted an interview of Goldust, setting up a match between Bigelow and Goldust at Survivor Series.
Read more about this topic: Survivor Series (1995)
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