Mr. Tito’s PHAT WWE Survivor Series 2024 Review with Discussions on Matches & Show Grade

So yeah, WWE Survivor Series 2024 just happened as a Premium Live Event and it lived up to the hype. Sure, everyone (including me) was hoping and expecting a massive storyline change, such as Paul Heyman and/or CM Punk turning heel or maybe an appearance by The Rock, but it didn’t happen… However, those surprises didn’t need to happen. What we witnessed is the Triple H administration giving us yet another great show and the Bloodline storyline keeps delivering high quality moments.

Initially from my column last week, I was thinking surprises COULD happen but then I realized, and no offense to Canada, that this event was in Vancouver and the WWE would want to save the Rock and possibly a Heyman heel turn (if that happens) for a future date. The NoDQ Review folks tend to agree that the 1st episode of RAW on Netflix will be the day when the storyline stuff erupts and truly begins to set the table for Wrestlemania 41. Tonight was Solo’s version of the Bloodline losing on the battlefield, but the war continues. Solo beat Roman in Saudi while Roman got revenge at Survivor Series. We’ll likely continue onward until the Rock is revealed to be behind Solo reforming the group and pushing out Roman.

Overall, I enjoyed the show and shall give it an [ A- ] (“A” minus) for a show packed with great action, great suspense, and not a bad match on the card at all. 5 matches, too, as each match was allowed to breathe.

THAT SAID, reportedly, Jimmy Uso broke his toe jumping off the cage while Bronson Reed was reportedly getting looked at for his leap off the top of the cage. Didn’t I just get done saying it? The 5 on 5 Bloodline match DID NOT need a cage match to be great. Usually Triple H is conservative on how his workers work, but when it comes to War Games, he gives everyone the green light to potentially hurt themselves. The FACT is that Triple H’s storytelling is so well done that he does not need excessive violence to get wrestlers or matches over. Your creative team is working well at developing characters, preparing promos, and building storylines… Why risk a bad injury?

Anyway, onto my show review.

First match was the Women’s War Games match between Rhea Ripley, Bayley, Naomi, Iyo Sky, and Bianca Belair versus Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, Candice LeRae, and Raquel Rodriguez. WWE needs to learn a lesson here… “LESS IS MORE” when it comes to Nia Jax. Having her come out first was the biggest mistake, as it forced us to watch more minutes of her performing and getting more sloppy as she became tired. Between Nia and Jade Cargill, both of them LOOK THE PART but just aren’t physically and mentally with it. Both lack confidence, but in the case of Nia Jax, I’d question how much she prepares for performing. I guarantee that Rhea, Tiffany, and Bianca are actually stronger than her and can lift heavier weights than her. You can just see Nia out there, struggling to lift other women even though, in theory, as a thicker performer, she should be one of the strongest out there. Nope.

Don’t get me started on those chairshots, too… Ugh. What the hell… They realized that they couldn’t smack each other on the head, so they had to change their trajectory to hit wrestlers on the sides… Very messy.

THAT SAID, the Women’s War Games match became better with time and once more female wrestlers entered the ring. Then it became highly entertaining. Liked how Tiffany wanted to cash in, as her briefcase was in the trash can that she brought into the ring. Crazy spots by Iyo Sky and Tiffany at the same time (though all of the wrestlers waiting to catch each were frozen in time…). The match got better and better once the focus was off of nepotism Nia and onto the more well trained and less-entitled female performers. Then, Rhea Ripley arrived and she’s well above the rest of the division. THAT is a star, along with Bianca Belair. Belair did some sick flips tonight to get away from her opponents and was amazing as usual. When are we going to get that Rhea and Bianca feud?

And then Liv Morgan entered the match. Just pure heat and I was enjoying every second of it. Match went, as I expected, with Rhea Ripley getting the win here to set up the fear that Rhea can beat her when there isn’t anywhere to go or hide for Liv. Great storytelling and awesome finish with Ripley slamming Liv through the table.

Match has a slow start but warms up with time and becomes very enjoyable.

Second match was Nakamura vs. LA Knight. Overall, it was a well worked match but it felt too much like it was a TV match rather than a PLE one. This was the shortest match of the night at barely being under 10 minutes and it ended LA Knight’s reign as US Title. Honestly, I don’t know where LA Knight can go from there, as he’s not going to join the main event scene and he looks pale in comparison when the Rock is around. Another repackaging of Nakamura, as Triple H loves the guy.

Up next, the IC Title was defended with Bron Breakker versus Sheamus versus Ludwig Kaiser in a Triple Threat. This match was tremendous, as it was highly physical between the 3 wrestlers and it seemed to mirror other multi-person matches that Sheamus has worked for the past few years. Each of the 3 took turns beating the literal crap out of each other and with it being a Triple Threat, one could briefly rest while the other 2 worked to keep it fresh. I like Bron Breakker and admire his physical gifts, I just don’t know about him yet as a dominant top guy. Needs more than just the look and amazing athletic ability. Very enjoyable, worth checking out if you’re selective on limiting your time watching the PLEs.

One comment… Ludwig Kaiser looked so out of place here, just based on appearances. While Sheamus and Bron are both jacked up, Ludwig is barely over 200 pounds and that’s because he’s 6’3”. He’s billed at 209, which means he may be 10-15 pounds lighter. As I was watching the match, I kept thinking “one of these things does not look like the others”. I’m not saying he should take any special vitamins to get jacked up, but this is why weight classes exist in MMA and Boxing. Someone 30-40 pounds lighter can’t hit as hard, let alone take abuse to their body versus a heavier fighter.

Gunther vs. Damian Priest was good, but the ending sucked with Finn Balor interfering once again and that makes Gunther look weak as a champion. Sorry, but I don’t care about this Judgment Day drama and Triple H seems to refuse to give up on pushing smaller Finn Balor down our throats. Overall, good big man match but terrible ending.

I cannot say enough about how GREAT the Men’s War Games match was… It was perfection, aside from a few dangerous spots that seem to have injured a few wrestlers this evening. The storytelling was amazing with the “New” Bloodline being in-unison as a team and using cool strategy, such as sending out Jacob Fatu earlier to deliver harder punishment to the OG Bloodline.

Then, however, there was some real animosity on the OG Bloodline group. The wounds of their previous break-ups were still fresh and that created tension within the OG group, but then the addition of CM Punk made things uncomfortable. Roman was weary of Punk at the start of the match and then we had some great drama with Roman blocking Punk from going out there and letting Sami Zayn go next. Then, CM Punk returns that favor by blocking Roman from going out 4th and instead inserting himself. GREAT to see Punk performing out there…

SOOOOOOOOOOO many great moments in this match, where do I begin? For one, people knew how to use chairs and most every move was nailed correctly. I thought Bronson Reed had a great night and fit well with the “New” Bloodline. LOVED the two teams acting like they absolutely hated each other with the taunting and the heels just punishing the babyfaces before all wrestlers entered the ring. Solo locking the door from the inside was such a heel move and then he paid for it when Roman just climbed over the fence.

The spots with Roman and CM Punk were amazing… Earlier in the night, Punk was speared by accident from Roman and that leads you to think there would be tension. However, the MOMENT OF THE NIGHT was when CM Punk lifted Roman off of the table as Bronson Reed was still in midair. Perfectly timed and looked incredible. That save ended the tension between the two and from there, the “New” Bloodline was screwed! And that they were… The two injuries discussed above resulted in moves that took out Bronson Reed, as he missed a top-of-the-cage slash into the table when Punk rescued Roman and then later when Jimmy hurt his toe splashing Jacob Fatu through the table. The Haku brothers were hurt as well, so it left the OG Bloodline and CM Punk to all surround Solo Sikoa to finally delivery him his medicine. Lots of superkicks by the Usos, Sami Zayn’s big kick, Punk hitting the GTS, and Roman hitting the spear finished Solo and caused him to lose the match. Perfectly done.

Then, afterward, the OG Bloodline and CM Punk celebrated though there was obvious tension between Roman and Punk. Paul Heyman arrived during the match and encouraged both Punk and Roman to squash their beef in order to focus on the match. While there was some tension, nothing happened and no other performers came out as a surprise. THE END.

LAST WORD: This show just had 5 matches total within 3 hours to enjoy and I’m 100% OK with that. LESS IS MORE, as I was more interested in the storyline implications rather than the pure result of the matches. This was just another chapter in the Bloodline and Liv/Rhea storylines in which a battle was won, but the war continues… And I’ll be grateful to watch it continue because the WWE his seriously hitting on all cylinders right now.

Check out this show! I recommend it!

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ