Hulk Hogan goes up against André the Giant for the WWF Championship, while Randy "Macho Man" Savage battles Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the WWF Intercontinental Championship at The Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Detroit, Michigan.

The first-ever Survivor Series event was broadcast live on pay per view from the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio on Thanksgiving day, and featured four of the titular elimination matches. The venue attendance was reported to be 21,300.