WWE SURVIVOR SERIES

Orlando

THE MIZ "BATTLE ROYALE" (12:00): Survivor Series is one of WWE's "Big 4" ppv's...although it hasn't exactly been much of a big deal for years. Apparently there used to be a lot of big shows back in the day on the night before Thanksgiving but even this show moved away from the holiday and is now on the Sunday before. While I actually kind of enjoy the actual 5 on 5 elimination style matches...I'd kind of rather also see a big title match or something as the main event. It doesn't help that the winners of these elimination matches get nothing. Last year they did something kind of unique by having matches featuring three teams; NXT vs. Smackdown vs. RAW. This year it was back to basics with no NXT stars in sight. This first, pre-show match was a superfluous battle royale with an oh-so typical ending. The Miz went under the ropes and when Dominik Mysterio thought he won, The Miz came back in and tossed him over the top rope. Not like we haven't seen that before a billion times. This was at least short for a battle royale, so it was fine. **

TEAM RAW (AJ STYLES, BRAUN STROWMAN, KEITH LEE, MATT RIDDLE & SHEAMUS) vs. TEAM SMACKDOWN (JEY USO, KEVIN OWENS, KING CORBIN, OTIS & SETH ROLLINS) (19:25): This is typically the "big" Survivor Series match...so it was a little weird seeing it go on first. Seth Rollins is from RAW, right? Isn't his moniker "The Monday Night Messiah?" There was a draft awhile back that I didn't watch...so maybe he was drafted. Either way, Rollins went in and laid down to get pinned for whatever reason. Maybe because his girlfriend, Becky Lynch, is expecting their child soon and he has to be written out of the show so he can take time off. Whatever. The big story was that RAW won by eliminating everyone on Smackdown without losing any of their team. Jey Uso was the last one left and he lost, thus apparently pissing off his tribal chief, Roman Reigns, who's a heel now in the weird, quasi-homoerotic tribe storyline. This was mostly just an entertaining, forgettable RAW main event type of a match, but it was fun. I will admit that this was a good show and every match was pretty good, which is kind of shocking considering the WWE hasn't been very good for a very long time. **1/2

THE STREET PROFITS vs. THE NEW DAY (13:40): This was entertaining stuff. Both teams are fun to watch and go full speed and do a lot of high flying. Big E was absent...I think he's injured or something. This was the first of the night's champions vs. champions matches. These two teams are tag team champions. The WWE would be a lot better if they didn't have 2 separate rosters...but I guess they kind of do it to keep each show fresh and also to cut down on guy's traveling. Can you believe that the WWE doesn't pay for travel expenses like hotels and airfare? I still can't. Unions have been prominent in the news for various reasons concerning the WWE lately. One reason is a California law that tried to make workers like pro-wrestlers and UBER drivers be employees instead of part time workers as their companies call them. That law was rejected in November by voters. The other big news item was Zelina Vega was fired and then on twitter said she supports unions. She was denied using her WWE name on various internet platforms like Twitch and Onlyfans. Maybe this match wasn't that great since I'm talking about unions. It was actually pretty good, though. **1/2

BOBBY LASHLEY vs. SAMI ZAYN (7:50): This was the one big dud on the show. I love Zayn, but they never push him as a wrestler, they always push him as a conniving snake. I actually just watched an old Zayn match. It was The Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega and El Generico from PWG. It's one of PWG's most famous matches. The WWE has never really believed in Zayn, so it's kind of surprising he's not only still around but has a title (the IC). Lashley is part of the all black guy group, The Hurt Business. This has to be Vince's Black Lives Matter answer. Right? 1/2*

SASHA BANKS vs. ASUKA (13:05): This was really good. Sasha is great and Asuka is at least better than the Barbie Dolls that make up the women's division. Too bad this was just another dumb title vs. title match with no real stakes or purpose. ***

TEAM RAW (LACEY EVANS, LANA, NIA JAX, PEYTON ROYCE & SHAYNA BASZLER) vs. TEAM SMACKDOWN (BAYEY, BIANCA BELAIR, LIV MORGAN, NATALYA & RUBY) (23:20):

The story here was that everyone on the RAW team was treating Lana like the high school nerd that gets bullied and belittled and stuffed in a locker. So of course Lana ends up the sole survivor and wins the match. The problem was that they didn't want anyone to actually get pinned...so Shayna was DQ'd because she didn't break a hold and a Belair and Nia were counted out. The one thing I noticed is that Shayna does all of these hard, Kenta-like kicks that nobody knows how to sell or take. And so it looks like Shayna is in a NJPW ring wrestling models in a WWE ring and it doesn't work at all. But Vince wants pretty faces! Eh, Stardom has pretty faces, too, and they know how to wrestle. This match was kind of a mess. *1/2

ROMAN REIGNS vs. DREW MCINTYRE (24:50): This match was great. I can't even remember the last really good WWE match. It seems like the only good matches that occur in this company are in NXT. These two did big moves and it was mostly all action and mostly back and forth and it was dramatic and very entertaining. Reigns only won thanks to Jey Uso interfering, a Reigns low blow, and a ref bump. I'd really like to see these two main event for a title someday. And I usually can't stand McIntyre...so this was a lot better than I expected. The lame ending was really the only bad thing in this. ***

THE UNDERTAKER RETIREMENT CEREMONY: So Mick Foley, Kane, and a bunch of others came out. Vince said some stuff. And then we got the whole 'Taker entrance and departure. This was the 30th anniversary of 'Taker's debut...so that's why they did it. I guess his last match will be the AJ Styles graveyard match. He hasn't been in a good match in years (remember that Goldberg match in Saudi Arabia? That might've been the worst match I've ever seen) so it's time to go. Now watch him go start wrestling in Impact like Ric Flair, Hogan, and Mick Foley did post-retirement.