It’s the one night a year where Raw and SmackDown Live go head to head, but did it live up to it’s legendary billing?
Pre-Show:
Smackdown Live vs RAW- Tag Team Survivor Series Elimination Match
Result: Usos’ pick up the win for Team Smackdown Live
Grade: C
Thoughts: I mean; I was going to give my proper thoughts on this match that was fun but really sloppy but who cares? EVIDENTLY WWE management don’t as they just didn’t count this result into their overall standings in order to maintain a ‘clean-sweep’ for RAW. Towards the end; the match definitely picked up as it was left with The Usos and New Day for Smackdown and Roode/Gable and the Reivival left for RAW which was always going to be good. Usos’ eventually picked up the win with a splash onto Dash Wilder but still…who cares?!
Main Show:
Smackdown Live vs RAW- Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match
Result: Nia is the sole survivor for Team Raw- Makes it 1-0 to RAW
Grade: C
Thoughts: Similar to the first match we saw; a match that just never really picked up and got going with a couple of exceptions opened the night. The heat Nia had was absolutely nuclear due to her attack on Becky last Monday but…is it just me that thinks you shouldn’t give the rub of being the sole survivor for your team to someone who just concussed and broke the nose of a fellow competitor at the top of their game? It makes sense to incorporate the angle into a story to garner heat for Nia but still; it just didn’t sit right for me outside of kayfabe. But alas; this happened.
Seth Rollins (Intercontinental Champion) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Champion)
Result: Rollins wins via pinfall- makes it 2-0 to RAW
Grade: B+
Thoughts: Well this was bloody lovely!! To be expected obviously but still; these two had fantastic chemistry straight from the bell. Both men can put on respective match of the night candidates and they did so again here; whilst not reaching quite the heights of later matches it still was brilliant. The result however was…off for me. Why didn’t Dean cost Seth? It would have protected Seth whilst also giving a huge win to Nakmaura that he can brag about for the foreseeable future. However; after this match, it was clear the plan WWE had for all the matches so it was actually to be expected. Still; great match and the first one of the night.
AOP (RAW Tag Champs) vs The Bar (SD Live Tag Champs)
Result: AOP win via pinfall- makes it 3-0 to RAW
Grade: D-
Thoughts: I have to talk about it; Enzo Amore is an embarrassing dick who is clearly desperate for any type of attention and he got what was coming to him. Done. BUT. GOD THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE REGARDLESS OF THAT. Drake Maverick, the general manager of the best main roster product available, pissed himself live on PPV. That actually happened. And it helped AOP win. JESUS.
Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali- WWE Cruiserweight Title Match
Result: Murphy retains via pinfall
Grade: A
Thoughts: Aw this was SO good and exactly what we needed after that travesty beforehand. Whilst the GM was pissing himself; the competitors of 205 Live were proving why they truly do present the best hour of main roster TV every single week. What’s mental is that honestly; this was to the quality most TV matches have been at for the last few months. Buddy Murphy is my second favourite wrestler in the world just now so I’m delighted he retained but it’s going to be absolutely amazing when Ali finally wins that belt. The bumps, the insane moves and the story-telling were all imperative to the action and culminated in a fantastic crescendo. PLEASE watch 205 Live regularly; it’s bloody brilliant.
Smackdown Live vs RAW- Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Match
Result: Braun, Bobby and Drew win for team RAW- makes it 4-0 to RAW
Grade: C-
Thoughts: I legitimately think this was the weakest elimination match out of the three which is absolutely mental; especially looking at the star power involved. Joe getting eliminated after less than 60 seconds is ridiculous. Shane McMahon absolutely spamming OMG moments from 2K19 like he’s had them saved up for the last 15 minutes against the AI and then just a very…sudden, bland end to the match. Rey vs Finn was really good and Miz being the cheering on captain was hilarious but still- what happened?! 2 years ago; they put on one of the best main roster matches of the year and now we have this- great. Result is good because it helps, particularly, Braun and Drew which is absolutely a positive.
Ronda Rousey (RAW Woman’s Champ) vs Charlotte Flair
Result: Ronda wins via DQ- Makes it 5-0 to RAW
Grade: A
Thoughts: WOW this was incredible. These two women had like…four days to plan this match and it was absolutely amazing. The brutality of both women helped add a huge fight feel to a situation that already felt huge after the whole Becky injury. The story of Ronda keep synching in the armbar which eventually led to Charlotte bubbling over and brutalising Rousey with multiple weapons. In what is a clear heel turn; it’s going to be really interesting to see how they handle this. Because it completely failed with Becky AND the crowd were very much, again, on Charlotte’s side during the beatdown. It’s going to be an interesting Road to Wrestlemania AKA BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR AHHHH…yeah; it’s going to be fun!
Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champion) vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Champion)
Result: Lesnar wins via pinfall- Makes it 6-0 to RAW
Grade: A+
Thoughts: Well this was, not only match of the night, but on of the matches of the year in terms of main roster shows. The juxtaposition from the honestly uncomfortable start where Bryan was dropped on his head MULTIPLE times and just…rag dolled about to Bryan KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF BROCK LESNAR’S HEAD was just absolutely amazing. This match REALLY showcased something; when Brock cares about the match he’s in and the opponent he’s facing, the match is going to be fantastic. He’s shown it at the last three Survivor Series’ PPV and this was the best of the three. Bryan, obviously, lost but Brock made him look like the most credible threat he’s had; debatably more than both Goldberg and Roman who actually beat him. Bryan as a heel is unbelievably fun. His mocking of Brock’s bouncing, to running about the ring in order to tire him out to finally just absolutely battering Brock for large amounts of the bout; I cannot WAIT to see where he goes from here.
Overall Thoughts: Whilst the high points were definitely high; I still can’t say I loved this show. And while the low points were really low; I can’t say I hated it either. Rollins vs Nakamura, Murphy vs Ali, Charlotte vs Ronda and Bryan vs Lesnar were all fantastic. All three elimination matches and the tag match were bad to decent which massively leaves me deflated. I really enjoyed half the show and I really didn’t enjoy the other half. Additionally; with the blatant ignoring of Smackdown’s win on the preshow; I have to give the show overall a grade of…
Overall Grade: C-