# Survivor Series (2009)
**Survivor Series (2009)** was the 23rd annual [Survivor Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/survivor-series) professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), held on November 22, 2009, at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) • [2](https://www.wrestleview.com/uncategorized/3603-survivor-series-results-11-22-09/) The card was built around two championship Triple Threat matches, [John Cena](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-cena) defending the [WWE Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/wwe-championship) against his D-Generation X teammates Triple H and Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show and Chris Jericho, alongside three traditional Survivor Series elimination tag team matches.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Sunday, November 22, 2009, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) |
| Edition | 23rd annual Survivor Series, described on the broadcast as the second longest running pay-per-view in WWE history[2](https://www.wrestleview.com/uncategorized/3603-survivor-series-results-11-22-09/) |
| WWE Championship | John Cena def. Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat Match[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) |
| World Heavyweight Championship | The Undertaker def. Big Show and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) |
| Grudge match | Batista def. Rey Mysterio after the referee stopped the match[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) |
| Traditional elimination matches | Team Kingston def. Team Orton; Team Miz def. Team Morrison; Team Mickie def. Team Michelle[4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/1494234) |
| Attendance and buys | Announced crowd of 12,500; 225,000 pay-per-view buys[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) |
## Event overview
The 2009 edition returned the traditional multi-wrestler elimination format to a prominent place on the card, with three such matches booked alongside the championship bouts.[5](https://411mania.com/wrestling/411-ppv-roundtable-preview-wwe-survivor-series-2009/) The broadcast team consisted of Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and [Matt Striker](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-striker).[6](https://wrestlingrecaps.com/2011/04/16/wwe-survivor-series-2009-11222009/) The show opened with the five-on-five elimination match between Team Miz and Team Morrison, whose captains had been former tag team partners and co-hosts of WWE.com's "The Dirt Sheet."[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
## Championship main events
**WWE Championship.** John Cena defended the title against [Triple H](https://www.edgepedia.org/triple-h) and [Shawn Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/shawn-michaels) in a Triple Threat Match, an every-man-for-himself contest in which the two [D-Generation X](https://www.edgepedia.org/d-generation-x) teammates each sought the championship. WWE's event report framed the story as loyalty proving unaffordable when the title is at stake, and Cena retained.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) Cena had recaptured the WWE Championship from Randy Orton the previous month at Bragging Rights, winning a one-hour, Anything Goes Iron Man Match in Pittsburgh.[7](https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwebraggingrights/2009)
**World Heavyweight Championship.** The Undertaker defeated Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho and [Big Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-show) in the second Triple Threat Match, retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE's report noted the win as another significant victory for [The Undertaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-undertaker) at the pay-per-view where his career had been launched nearly 20 years earlier.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
## Batista and Rey Mysterio
The singles grudge match saw Batista turn his fury on his former friend [Rey Mysterio](https://www.edgepedia.org/rey-mysterio), administering an attack so one-sided that the official stopped the match, awarding the victory to Batista.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
## Traditional elimination matches
Three traditional Survivor Series elimination tag team matches appeared on the card, each won by the team whose captain delivered the decisive pinfall or survived:[4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/1494234)
- **Team Kingston def. Team Orton.** WWE's report called it one of the most closely contested traditional matches, with team captain [Kofi Kingston](https://www.edgepedia.org/kofi-kingston) carrying the day by pinning his nemesis, [Randy Orton](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-orton).[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
- **Team Miz def. Team Morrison.** United States Champion The Miz, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger, Sheamus, and [Dolph Ziggler](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolph-ziggler) defeated Intercontinental Champion John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Finlay, Evan Bourne, and Shelton Benjamin. The win gave The Miz a second consecutive pay-per-view victory over his former tag team partner.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) • [8](https://wrestlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/WWE_Survivor_Series_2009) In the opening stretch of the match, Evan Bourne eliminated Dolph Ziggler with the Air Bourne shooting star press before Drew McIntyre eliminated Bourne with the double arm DDT.[6](https://wrestlingrecaps.com/2011/04/16/wwe-survivor-series-2009-11222009/)
- **Team Mickie def. Team Michelle.** In the Divas elimination match, captain Mickie James and Divas Champion Melina prevailed over Michelle McCool's team, which included Alicia Fox, Jillian Hall, Layla, and Beth Phoenix.[3](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009) • [1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/)
## Attendance and commercial performance
The event drew an announced crowd of 12,500 to the Verizon Center.[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) Pay-per-view buys totaled 225,000, down roughly 30 percent from the 2008 edition and down 34 percent from the 341,000 buys of Survivor Series 2007.[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) • [9](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/01/survivor-series-2009-ppv-buyrate-drops-30-from-2008-524624/) A retrospective review notes that the Survivor Series name came close to being retired months later, a consequence of the declining buyrate during WWE's 2009 experiment with gimmick-named pay-per-views.[1](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/) • [10](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/02/survivor-series-ppv-buyrate-down-26-in-2009-525609/)
## References
1. [Survivor Series 2009 Review & Final Grade, WrestleFile](https://wrestlefile.com/events/survivor-series-2009/)
2. [Survivor Series Results - 11/22/09, Wrestleview](https://www.wrestleview.com/uncategorized/3603-survivor-series-results-11-22-09/)
3. [Survivor Series 2009, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/2009)
4. [All-time Survivor Series results, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/1494234)
5. [411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE Survivor Series 2009, 411Mania](https://411mania.com/wrestling/411-ppv-roundtable-preview-wwe-survivor-series-2009/)
6. [WWE Survivor Series 2009 11/22/2009, Wrestling Recaps](https://wrestlingrecaps.com/2011/04/16/wwe-survivor-series-2009-11222009/)
7. [WWE Bragging Rights 2009, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwebraggingrights/2009)
8. [WWE Survivor Series 2009, Wrestlepedia](https://wrestlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/WWE_Survivor_Series_2009)
9. [Survivor Series 2009 PPV Buyrate Drops 30% From 2008, WrestlingInc](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/01/survivor-series-2009-ppv-buyrate-drops-30-from-2008-524624/)
10. [Survivor Series PPV Buyrate Down 26% In 2009, Gimmick PPVs, WrestlingInc](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/02/survivor-series-ppv-buyrate-down-26-in-2009-525609/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Professional wrestling promotions and championships › Survivor Series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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