The Games We Play
I have to be honest, this year’s Survivor Series just didn’t resonate with me. Instead of dragging you through a lengthy recap, let’s get straight to the point. There were some interesting moments, but overall, it didn’t quite live up to the expectations of an event that’s been around for almost 40 years.
Both WarGames matches seemed a bit flat and peaked too soon. We barely touched on the individual rivalries and stories simmering within the overall setup. Well, except for the ongoing feud between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, which emerged as a standout focus in the men’s match. It totally made sense given their intense animosity; no amount of steel cages can reverse that much hatred. Meanwhile, the build-up to the women’s match almost got lost amid all the action between IYO SKY, Asuka, and Kairi Sane.
The promotional buzz before the men’s match made it sound like a star-st extravaganza, but it mostly felt casual and low-stakes. Despite the hype leading up to the event, much of it ended up feeling underwhelming. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk *almost* exchanged some heated words after Cody accidentally bumped into Punk, but it fizzled out quickly. As for the women’s match, it kept things from becoming repetitive with torn teams.
In an interesting turn, Charlotte showed up for Alexa and seemed to genuinely put her differences aside with Rhea, at least for that night. The most entertaining part of the women’s match was when Becky hilariously tried to stop AJ Lee from entering. Becky nailed her role here, absolutely understanding the mission and never wasting a moment.
This setup hints at a larger conflict between Becky and AJ going forward. Becky’s fate seemed to hang in the balance as she took on the entirety of her opponents after stepping up as team captain. She ended up tapping out to AJ, with ref Jessika Carr making the call. Becky quickly took to social media to express her grievances over it, so I’m curious about where this will go next.
The men’s match also gave fans a moment of nostalgia with Jey Uso trying to recapture their attention. I get that it sounds a bit like an old man grumbling, but it signified the casual tone of the match. Like I said earlier, it felt just like an all-star game.
However, the most notable moment was the hooded figure aiding Team Vision in their victory. I have a hunch it’s Austin Theory based on various reports before this. But literally no sooner did that happen than we got the lead-up to Cody vs. Roman:
Roman appeared to reconcile with Punk, but he’s still got unfinished business with Cody. Honestly, if I were sharing a ring with someone whose catchphrase is, “What do you want to talk about?” I’d feel some type of way, too.
It’s unclear if WWE can top the buildup from their last encounter at WrestleMania, so I’m interested to see how they make this compelling beyond the “Roman wants his title back” narrative.
Overall, it’s tough to find any positives. The flow and story beats didn’t connect well. Paul Heyman mentioned on a sports network that this was merely an appetizer for WrestleMania. Honestly, I couldn’t agree more; it felt like an unsatisfying teaser for WWE’s spring spectacle. That’s fine for the event in Las Vegas next year, but it was a disservice to the experience in San Diego this year.
Some Interesting Bits
- Liv Morgan made a triumphant return! That was the big news coming out of the match between John Cena and Dirty Dom. It was a match filled with ludicrous antics because, as some had expected, it was crucial for John not to lose his final PLE while also not being able to defeat Dom. The booking had Dom feigning injury from a nasty fall outside after a failed Huracanrana that left the audience totally bewildered.
- Nikki Bella and Stephanie Vaquer faced hurdles as their bout followed Liv’s grand comeback and preceded the men’s War Games showdown. Talk about a tough gig! The crowd did momentarily perk up for big moments like the Devil’s Kiss on the announce table. On her part, Nikki shone in the heel role, surprising everyone when she attacked Stephanie at the bell. It was refreshing to see a babyface like Steph struggling early on—which isn’t common—showing she isn’t just an unstoppable force. Though she won ultimately, it felt like a well-deserved comeback.
- Rhea’s love for the Terrifier franchise intrigues me. While I can’t quite connect with it as a horror fan myself, I applaud Rhea’s enthusiasm. She might just become my favorite if she becomes Rhea the Clown!
As credits rolled on Survivor Series, I couldn’t help but think of a specific gag from Ren & Stimpy. If you’re familiar with the show, you get the reference.
Quite frankly, the highlight of the night was John Cena’s last PLE. Overall, though, the event flopped, offering little reason to feel it was worth the time spent on a Thanksgiving weekend. Here’s hoping when the show hits its 40th edition, it rolls out something truly special instead of whatever this turned out to be.
What do you think, wrestling fans? Who do you think that masked man was?
