After the glorified house show stopgap of Crown Jewel, WWE programming has found its way back to more consequential storytelling with a Survivor Series PLE that featured two WarGames matches.
The women’s division match was sheer entertainment, the men’s match was all story, and the other three matches on the card were solid enough, and crucially not overcooked, to fill the space between.
WarGames – Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Naomi, Bayley & Iyo Sky def. Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton & Candice LeRae: There wasn’t a great deal of story heading into this match outside of the Ripley / Morgan feud, but what the women’s division’s WarGames match delivered was chaos, unpredictability, a little zaniness (trashcan Iyo!), and almost non-stop excitement. There were a couple of moments where the threads of production became visible with a couple of missed cues or camera work that gave away upcoming spots, but every competitor gave it every they had and together delivered an all-encompassing crowd-pleasing spectacle.
With each incoming wrestler pulling a different weapon from under the ring before entering the cage, this match really capitalised on the countdown aspect of WarGames and allowed each wrestler to work a different kind of exciting spot to pop the live crowd. Ripley finally getting her hands on Morgan and getting the pin after an avalanche Riptide through a table was a great finish – and it was also subtly bookended later in the night with Roman Reigns getting his win back on Solo Sikoa.
Like Bronson Reed in the men’s match but for different reasons, it was a delight seeing Candice LeRae featured here. She’s a seasoned, versatile performer – and bonus points for matching her gear to Nia’s while Tiffany Stratton pointedly did not(!).
United States Championship – Shinsuke Nakamura def. LA Knight (c): This title change was quite unexpected and felt a little like a vote of no confidence in LA Knight, in all honesty. I’m prepared to be wrong and see him pop up to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship next, but after Knight being the odd man out in the triple threat match with Andrade and Carmelo Hayes (and even in their wider story and rivalry), this felt faintly damning.
Although he’s been poorly utilized throughout his WWE run, Shinsuke Nakamura is a singular in-ring talent capable of thirty minute wrestling masterpieces. Nakamura scooping the belt here actually puts the United States Championship more in line with the Intercontinental Championship as not only a secondary men’s singles title, but also a super worker’s title.
It’s going to be interesting to see where Nakamura goes from here and whether he ends up being a transitional champion. Saddled now with a more orientalist moody ronin gimmick and being less of his kooky authentic self, his repackaged presentation doesn’t inspire too much confidence – but here’s hoping.
Intercontinental Championship – Bron Breakker def. Sheamus and Ludvig Kaiser: The commentary team was very keen to play up the “workhorse” / “workman’s title” element of the Intercontinental Championship throughout this match, and the three competitors told an unflashy story very much in that vein. Kaiser hastily taking advantage of the “all triple threat matches are inherently No DQ” WWE rule was interesting.
Sheamus failing to capture the elusive IC title because of weapons shenanigans keeps his long journey to the belt relatively hot, and he’ll deserve a huge pop if and when he finally manages to snag it – ideally at WrestleMania?
World Heavyweight Championship – Gunther (c) def. Damian Priest: After his clean loss to Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel and the crisis of confidence angle Priest was working in the build to this match, this was Gunther’s best story-driven match since WrestleMania. Juxtaposed against Priest, who’s been finding his confidence on the mic and who brought a real swagger to his in-ring work here, this match was clear, hard hitting, and actually well served by the interference finish involving Finn Bálor.
In his growing confidence, Priest failed to account for the possibility of his petulant and princely ex-friend showing up to mess with him. And despite lashing out at Bálor in the moment, Gunther needed the help to escape with the title. Gunther keeps the belt but the tainted victory only fuels the fires of his self-doubt. Heavyweights tellin’ good stories – long may they run.
WarGames – Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, “Main Event” Jey Uso, Sami Zayn & CM Punk def. Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & Bronson Reed:
Obligatory monthly racism callout…
“If there’s anyone crazy enough to get in the ring with this bunch of animals, it’s CM Punk” – Michael Cole
“Jacob Fatu looks like a savage, he competes like a savage but that guy is not a savage, he’s a very cerebral individual” – Corey Graves
Graves’ disclaimer does nothing, functionally, to counteract the prevailing racism of these statements. To suggest a Samoan American “looks like a savage” is to reprise the historical (and continuing) language of colonialism. There’s no effort at meaningful subversion going on, and with respect, neither of these commentators has the relevant authority or heritage to be doing that anyway.
To be clear, the ongoing racism on commentary when it comes to the new Bloodline is not something for which Cole and Graves are solely accountable – it’s a problem with the entire product and speaks, I suspect, to a deficit of people of color in lead creative roles in WWE.
Back to the wrestling, this second WarGames match of the night was driven almost entirely by story, character, and intrigue. Could Reigns and Punk work together? What is the favor Paul Heyman now owes to Punk? Is The Rock going to show up? etc. etc.
Reigns and Punk’s petty, passive aggressive interplay in the holding cell before entering the match was exquisite. Whatever these two are cooking is going to be utterly compelling.
Supreme shoutout to Jimmy Uso for his performance here. He was on fire throughout the match, moving with energy and zeal while delivering big moves like the Whisper In The Wind and of course, a humongous Uso Splash from the top of the cage. There’s something special about veterans who keep deepening their craft, adding new moves and exploring new ideas.
This match was well booked, well paced, and with an isolated Sikoa taking everyone’s finishers, had a perfect cathartic conclusion to round out this phase of OG vs. New Bloodline. The fact that the sequence played so well to the live crowd is testament to the work everyone put in during this undoubtedly gruelling match – and testament too to the fantastic character work Sikoa has been doing this year. And with all the feeling this match evoked, it was the right call not to bring The Rock in at this stage.
Lastly, Bronson Reed, get down from there!! In all seriousness, wishing Reed a full recovery after what appears to be a shoot injury following his Tsunami attempt from the top of the cage. His work this year has been stellar and seeing him in this high-profile match was great. Big things ahead so get well soon, Auszilla!
Curtain Call: Whether running two WarGames matches on the same night every year as a guarantee is going to become tired remains to be seen. But the years where Hell In A Cell was an annual PLE certainly wore out that concept. Its return as a one-off match type this year really fit the Punk / McIntyre story though. The Elimination Chamber taking on a #1 contender’s angle has helped that match stay relevant and positions it as a meaningful (rather than arbitrary) stop on the ‘road to WrestleMania’. At the moment, the WarGames match doesn’t really count for anything, but it is very, very fun (if rather dangerous).
All in all, massive applause to everyone involved in both WarGames matches. These double-cage, ten-person matches are surely some of the most intensive in terms of production and planning, and despite the match formula running twice in one night with the women’s division opening the show and the men’s division closing – the two matches were booked differently enough for them each to feel unique.
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