Survivor Series underwent many changes in its final week. Becky Lynch was replaced by Charlotte due to injury, and AJ Styles being replaced with Daniel Bryan after Bryan won the WWE Championship.
The New Day, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson, The Colons, Sanity & The Usos (Team Smackdown) vs. The Revival, Lucha House Party, The Ascension, B-Team & /Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (Team RAW) (20-man Tag Team Survivor Series Match)
On the kickoff show a backstage segment revealed that Mandy Rose would be the fifth Smackdown Women’s team member. The first match happened on the kickoff show with the Smackdown tag division facing the RAW tag division. Smackdown’s New Day came out and introduced their team. Kofi Kingston sat out this match for the New Day with Alexander Wolfe doing the same for Sanity. A rule in this match that sets it apart from the traditional Survivor Series match is that if someone gets pinned their teammate is eliminated as well. Kalisto started against Epico. Dash Wilder eliminated The Colons after hitting a Shatter Machine. Something happened where Kalisto landed awkward then got replaced by Lince Dorado. Anderson took out the B-Team next, evening the matchup. There was a good spot between Roode and Gable where Roode did a Backbreaker while Gable frogsplashed onto Eric Young. This eliminated Sanity. Big E took out The Ascension by pinning Viktor. Lince Dorado took out Gallows & Anderson after a combination of moves including a Moonsault. The Usos did a double team to take out Lince Dorado for the pin. Dorado got dropped on his head during that spot.
The final four teams were New Day, The Usos, Roode & Gable and The Revival. Big E got a hot tag from Woods and did three Belly-to-belly Suplexes to Dash Wilder. Big E’s thunder was taken once Gable tagged in while Big E was going off of the ropes. Gable did an impressive Deadlift German Suplex into a Neckbreaker with the help of Roode. After a few more moves later everyone did a dive to the outside spot. Roode got Superkicked by Jey Uso, then Jey did a dive of his own. Gable did a German Suplex to Jey off of the top rope to everyone on the outside. As everyone laid wasted outside of the ring, Xavier was fighting off Gable and Roode. Gable did a flip off of the top rope because he assumed that Xavier was hurt, but instead went into the arms of Big E for an Up Up Down Down. This eliminated the RAW captains. Woods went off the top rope for a dive but instead got caught in a Shatter Machine to eliminate New Day. The final two teams were The Usos and The Revival. Dash Wilder did a Superplex with Scott Dawson hitting a Splash right after. Jey Uso came in to split up the pin. The Usos gave both guys a Superkick. After that Jimmy Uso hit a Frogsplash onto Dawson to end the match.
This match had lots of botched spots. Kalisto also might have hurt himself? I don’t understand why it had to be 10 people for each team. Couldn’t it just be 5 from each brand? When it became the final four wrestlers, the match became much more entertaining. The first half of the match was hurrying through pinfalls. Why not just not do this match in the first place? Because there were some teams in this match that we hadn’t seen in months on TV. Despite the majority of the crowd being present it felt like nobody was there.
Carmella w/ R-Truth, Naomi, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville & Asuka (Team Smackdown) vs. Mickie James, Tamina, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks & Bayley w/ Alexa Bliss (Team RAW) (Women’s Survivor Series Match)
The first match on the actual show was the women’s RAW versus Smackdown match. When Nia Jax came out she was welcomed with a massive amount of boo’s because she sidelined Becky Lynch on Monday. Banks and Bayley replaced Natalya and Ruby Riott after a brawl happened backstage earlier. Early in the match everyone was brawling in the ring. Naomi got roll-up pinned to be the first elimination. Carmella responded with a roll-up pin to Tamina to eliminate her. Carmella had a dance break to celebrate this elimination. Deville was on a roll against James, but Mandy tagged herself in and did nothing except land a pin, taking credit for the work that Deville put in. Deville was offended by this. Carmella was eliminated by Bayley after a Bayley-To-Belly Suplex.
The crowd started out loud for this match but was sitting on their hands at this point. Rose tapped to a Banks Statement from Sasha. When Nia finally got involved in the match the hate came back to her. Asuka got a pop for going after Jax. Outside the ring Asuka was hit with a Meteora from Banks off the ring apron. Bayley and Sonya Deville were brawling to the outside with both of them being counted out and eliminated. Asuka was the final member for Smackdown and fought Banks first. As Sasha went to the top rope Nia pushed her off, making her fall into an Asuka Lock to eliminate her. Nia was the last one left for RAW. Nia hit a Samoan Drop to win the match.
I can only assume that they want to reap the benefits of the heat that Nia got from actually injuring Lynch, but this finish didn’t seem right. She beat Asuka clean? Did something happen to Asuka recently that made her a very weak wrestler? After the match a scoreboard appeared showing that team RAW was up 1-0, so maybe the match on the Kickoff show just didn’t count.
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
The first of many Champion versus Champion matchups of the evening was Seth Rollins versus Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura came out in nearly all-blue attire. This match was also the first time that these two fought each other. Mid-way through the match Rollins dumped Nakamura to the outside then did three Suicide Dives in a row. Later on Rollins got put in a Triangle Choke but escaped by throwing Nakamura into a Buckle Bomb. Rollins did a Superplex and then a Falcon Arrow for a two count. After a Reverse Exploder, Nakamura tried for a Kinshasa but instead Rollins responded with his Rainmaker Knee move. Rollins went to the top for a Frogsplash but Nakamura dodged then hit a Kinshasa. Rollins kicked out. A combo of moves ended with Rollins hitting the Curbstomp for the win. Good match with the crowd waking up near the end. I didn’t like how the Kinshasa was a throwaway move in this match.
The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) w/ Big Show vs. Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) w/ Drake Maverick
The two tag teams who are champs on the main roster faced off next. As the match was starting former WWE employee Enzo Amore tried to hijack the crowd while sitting in the first few rows. He was escorted out of the building only moments later. Drake Maverick got put in a choke by Big Show after putting an AoP member’s leg on the rope during a pin. Big Show stopped choking Maverick after he peed himself. This distraction let AoP give Sheamus a double team move to win the match. From inside the ring to outside, this was a lame 10 minutes.
Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match)
The next match was the only brand neutral match. Mustafa Ali challenged for Buddy Murphy’s Cruiserweight Championship after he won the belt in Australia. This match was explosive from start to finish. Ali went to the top rope at one point for a Backwards 450 but got thrown to outside the ring. Outside the ring Murphy tore apart a commentary table. Ali regained control and did a Spanish Fly off the table onto the floor. When trying for another Reverse 450 in the ring Ali got a Superkick and then two Powerbombs for a two count. Murphy got the win with a Murphy’s Law. One of the shorter matches on the show but still a great match. Sad that the Cruiserweights remain the side show.
Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush, Finn Balor, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre & Braun Stroman vs. The Miz, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio & Shane McMahon (Men’s Survivor Series Match)
The next match was the men’s RAW versus Smackdown Survivor Series match. Braun was very insisting on starting the match. Drew tagged himself in and took out Samoa Joe with a Claymore Kick. Very quick start to the match. This first pinfall caused Smackdown to strategize outside of the ring. After McIntyre tagged out Ziggler came in. Hardy was replaced with Shane McMahon moments after. This was a rematch from the World Cup finals from weeks ago. Ziggler gave Shane a Famouser for a close pin attempt. Ziggler landed a Zigzag after being thrown into the ropes. The Miz intervened to save Shane. The Miz tagged in a and tried for a Figure Four but Ziggler escaped. Ziggler landed a Dropkick at the end of an exchange with Braun tagging himself back in. He stood in RAW’s corner for a moment only to get tagged out by McIntyre. Stroman and McIntyre started brawling with the rest of the RAW teaming coming over in attempt to restore order. Mysterio landed a 619 on Stroman with the fight going to the outside afterwards.
McMahon took apart the middle commentary table, and then three Smackdown members put Stroman on the table. Shane did an Elbow Drop off of the top rope, through the table. On the replay it was funny seeing Baron Corbin scream “No!” as he saw Shane dive. Back in the ring now The Miz was fighting McIntyre. Balor tagged himself in and then kicked McIntyre in the head. Balor did a Stomp to The Miz and then a roll-up for a two count. Balor tried a Coup De Grace but Miz left the ring. Outside the ring Balor attacked Miz and Hardy. Mysterio came in the ring and gave Balor a Crossbody. Balor reversed a move and then scored a two count on Rey. Balor dodged a 619 and then landed a Swingblade. Mysterio avoided a Coup de Grace and then actually landed a 619 with the Frogsplash follow-up to eliminate Balor.
Minutes later Hardy tried for a Swanton Bomb but Ziggler reversed it by putting his knees up. Shane did a Coast To Coast onto Ziggler while heavily selling his table spot from earlier. This eliminated Ziggler. An even more fatigued Shane McMahon tried for another Coast To Coast, this time on Lashley, but Stroman hit him out of mid air to interrupt it. Shane kicked out of a pin by Lashley and tagged in Hardy. Stroman came in as well. Hardy tried for a Twist of Fate but got reversed into a Powerslam to eliminate him. Mysterio got a Powerslam shortly after to be eliminated as well. The Miz was given a Powerslam to be eliminated as well. The final Smackdown member was Shane McMahon.
McMahon was hit with a Running Powerslam to end the match. Although the same spot over and over from Stroman was a lame finish, this match in general was really fun. The constant chaos was what you like to see in a match like this. It felt like an all star game, which I’m surprised WWE doesn’t promote these matches as.
Backstage Seth Rollins is told that at TLC he will defend his IC belt against Dean Ambrose.
Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey
The second last match on the card was Charlotte versus Ronda Rousey. There was awkward “brawling” at the start where it looked like nothing was actually happening. Charlotte threw Ronda head first into the bottom turnbuckle. Ronda got cut open around the lip at some point in the match. Off the top rope Ronda rolled into an Armbar, which turned into a Triangle Choke. Charlotte reversed it into a Boston Crab which Ronda escaped. After doing a Fireman’s Carry Ronda shouted at the crowd. When she turned around Charlotte Speared her for a two count. Charlotte put in the Figure Four but Rousey escaped it. Rousey hit a move called the “Piper’s Pit” and then tried for a move but Charlotte fought it off. Outside the ring Charlotte hit Ronda with a Kendo Stick to end the match via DQ. She continued to tee off on Ronda after the bell.
The angle after the match made sense to me but the match itself wasn’t very good. It’s usually the other way around when I criticize a segment. Since the current program is to allegedly have Ronda face Becky at Wrestlemania, maybe these two can fight each other on another PPV in the future in the meantime. I know they are on different brands, but it’s not impossible. Charlotte fought off referees and then wedged a steel chair in between Ronda’s head and torso. She stomped the chair, with people finally pulling away Charlotte after this.
Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar
The main event of the evening was Daniel Bryan versus Brock Lesnar. As usual Heyman did the introduction for Lesnar. After about three minutes of the match Lesnar started to dominate Bryan. This happened for way too long, with Lesnar hitting all of his spots. Bryan got F5’d for like the 500th time, but hit the ref on the way down. After noticing this, Bryan kicked Brock in the groin then went for a pin, but only got a two count. After going in and out of the ring for spots Bryan caught himself in another F5 attempt but reversed it into a Yes Lock. Bryan turned it into a Triangle Choke that Brock turned into an F5 to end the match. After the match a scoreboard shows that RAW beat Smackdown 6-0. Oh, that’s why the pre-show match doesn’t count, because Smackdown won.
It felt somewhat uncharacteristic for Bryan to do a Triangle Choke. And hold on, didn’t Bryan turn heel on Tuesday? It’s nice to see that Brock worked hard in this match. By no means was this a night off for him. I don’t understand why I would cheer for either of these guys in this match. I thought it was a disappointing main event.
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