Ups and Downs from WWE Survivor Series 2024

Last night was a memorable Survivor Series: War Games event that featured a title change, two War Games matches and tons of drama. Overall the main thing to take away from WWE’s point of view was that the crowd was happy and that they made a ton of money. That is all that WWE cares about and rightfully so as that is what all business models are about.

But from fans point of view there were several items of note to take from the event that were good, bad and ugly. From decisions about the direction of the war games, from winners and losers, how matches were laid out, directions going forward and more.

Consider this my personal opinions which in the grand scheme of things probably mean nothing and shouldn’t be taken with more than a grain of salt. But as they say, lets get this party started and go with Ups and Downs from this weekend’s Survivor Series: War Games:

DOWN: Finn Balor & Judgement Day vs. Damian Priest continues

If there was one thing that was universally agreed upon it was that Finn Balor gets more love from Paul Levesque than from the fans. The leader of the Judgement Day has been a focal point of Levesque’s from NXT to the main roster and despite at times being too stale, Balor continues to be pushed as a threat.

But all of us thought that after SummerSlam, the Priest-Balor feud was over as Priest not just beat up Balor and pinned him but destroyed Judgement Day.

What was the point of this blow off if we are going to continue for another few months?

The Priest-Gunther rematch was a fantastic match and you could see the crowd was really getting into it. It was also the perfect time to either start a new feud for Priest (Drew McIntyre would have been ideal) or even have Goldberg interfere if the plan is to set up a Goldberg-Gunther match in 2025.

Instead we get a rehash of Priest vs. Balor/Judgement Day feud that many fans were hopeful was done with.

For Priest its a step backwards as he has been positioned to be a main event star but now is dragged back down to feuding with Judgement Day. A Judgement Day that has been positioned as more lackeys than stars and flailing over the last few months. If anything this feels like a lifeline for Judgement Day at the expense of Priests’ main event push.

UP: Triple Threat match was what “REAL WRESTLING” is all about.

To all AEW fans who like to complain about “real wrestling” this is what real wrestling is all about. Action and moves that make you at home feel that the wrestlers are honestly beating each other to the point that they are going to seriously hurt one another. That is what we got from the triple threat match between Bron Breakker, Sheamus and Ludvig Kaiser for the Intercontinental title.

ESPN got it wrong with their 30 under 30 as the #1 wrestler under 30 is Breakker and its not even close. Unlike MJF and Dominik he is a guy who has the combination of size and speed that makes you pause when you watch him. Several times during the match your breath was taken away at just how fast and explosive Breakker moves for a guy his size.

This is a guy who is 6’ 250 pounds and ran a 4.48 40 at the NFL combine; that is faster than several NFL wide receivers who currently play. He literally moves faster than guys who are much smaller and lighter and hits with the power of guys bigger than him.

Sheamus meanwhile continues to look like he has not lost a step and is a very large man who also is mobile and physical. Add in the underrated Ludvig Kaiser, who understands how to be a fantastic heel in today’s era with its restrictions.

The match itself featured a perfect combination of hard hitting action, big move spots and yet told the story of each man. Breakker was the super athlete who looked to land the knockout blow, Sheamus the tough brawler who wanted to rough things up and Kaiser the sneaky and sadistic heel who looked to inflict damage when he had the chance. It didnt’ involve guys kicking out of insane finishers, selling the damage and beating from the match and not having a fast pace that makes you feel like your watching a dance routine.

Breakker getting the win was also the right call as he has been the subjected to losing due to his “inexperience”. From Sami Zayn to Jey Uso, Breakker has had his momentum at times paused due to questionable booking. But this win allows him to move on to a possible bigger feud which he has deserved.

DOWN: Women’s War Games match delved into unwatchable and a mess of a match.

At some point in time, it might behoove the WWE to admit that the men and women don’t both need a War Games match. I am all for women’s wrestling but its okay to admit that their are certain matches that just are not made for them.

The War Games match was a perfect example of too much spots, too many props and no suspense.

From the weak looking chair shots, using a toilet seat as a weapon, every woman taking a minute or two to look under the ring for plunder. We also had the obligatory top from the cage dives that at times take away from the pacing and action in the match.

Unlike last year, there wasn’t a reason for either team to be united as both heel champions were feuding with each other last month. Iyo Sky was a tweener nearly a month ago going after Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill for the tag titles. Even Candice LeRae and Tiffany Stratton have no incentive to back Liv Morgan, let alone trust each other.

I like Nia Jax in her latest run and Bayley is a cornerstone and future Hall of Famer in the making but both women were sloppy at times in the ring. Blame the agents and Levesque for the decision to have Nia work the full war games match at thirty-eight minutes.

If anything you have your bigger wrestlers go last to hide the fact they get tired the longer they work.

The match just felt flat and discombobulated with the outcome never in doubt that Rhea Ripley getting some revenge on Liv Morgan. The whole match would have been better had it just been a 5 on 5 traditional elimination match. Meanwhile outside of Liv and Rhea, none of the other women came out of this match with any established direction going forward.

UP: Gunther and Priest had a fantastic match that had a bit of everything sans Finn Balor interference.

It has to be said that the Gunter-Priest match was once again a fantastic match between two of the more talented big men in the industry. It was also a perfect way to protect the challenger while not making the champion look weak or stupid.

Gunther continues to amaze as he has gone a complete transformation from when he first came on the WWE radar back in January 2019. The artists formerly known as Walter has changed not only his body but also his approach as he has shown more of his personality ever so slightly. His matches feature a blend of technical wrestling with power moves.

Priest meanwhile is continuing to find his niche as an emergency babyface wrestler and show more of his personality. His first match with Gunther was impressive and told a story of a champion who came up short due to a betrayal. Here it was once again an injured challenger who again gets betrayed and loses without giving up.

Both men sold each others moves and Priest sold the injured shoulder that added extra emphasis. It was one of those matches that you would have no problem seeing them wrestle again at the Royal Rumble.

DOWN: LA Knights’ title loss and misuse during his championship run.

From the moment that LA beat Logan Paul for the title, you can argue that his title reign has been hampered by poor booking and circumstances. In short, WWE dropped the ball with Knight as champion and the title loss at Survivor Series makes it obvious.

Part of the issue has been the lack of established heels not in The Bloodline over on Smackdown. Once Logan took his long hiatus, the lack of heels reared it ugly head when LA started his title run. I like Carmelo Hayes but between the lack of size and lack of build he has gotten on the main roster, fans didn’t take his challenge seriously.

Meanwhile Andrade and Legado Del Fantasma have been put on deep holding patterns with .500 booking that was a Vince McMahon staple. Grayson Waller and Austin Theory have been reduced to glorified jobbers and comedic fodder. And AJ Styles has taken time off due to nagging injuries with the latest being a Lisfranc to his midfoot.

Enter Shinske Nakamura who was brought back after back to back feuds with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes where he lost in all the matches. His new look and music is edgy and catchy but its still a guy who was coming in cold and with no heat.

The title change on Saturday night came out of nowhere and the build to this match was short and not with any explanation. It felt like a title change for the sake of a title change on a roster where the majority of champions hold their titles for long periods of time..

It will be interesting on how WWE handles LA and Shinske going forward as they are two of the long wrestlers on the card not in the Cody bubble or LA Knight bubble. A year ago it was inconceivable that LA Knight could fade into the background as he was a breakout star.

Now it feels like LA Knight’s star and prospects are fading and WWE doesn’t seem to have an answer.

UP: Men’s War Games hit a home run not with just the action but the follow up act which is must see.

The biggest gripe going into every match with two different wrestlers is the dreaded “Can they co-exist” when there is bad blood between each other. Too often we have seen it beaten like a dead horse only to have the babyfaces triumph and nothing is gained from this.

Kudos to all those involved in the Punk-Roman drama as it was the perfect blend of hostility between allies, one-upmanship and drama. From Roman preventing Punk going third and instead having Sami Zayn enter for the team, to Punk walking past Roman to go 4th and even both men starring each other down at one point.

Adding Paul Heyman screaming from the outside that it was a do or die moment was the crowning moment where everything finally came together for now.

Now the drama comes from wondering what is next with the favor that Heyman owes Punk.

Will it be that Heyman has to chose Punk over Roman for WrestleMania main event?

Does Punk get a title shot over Roman at the opportune moment?

Will Heyman screw Roman over when Roman vs. Punk happens?

Everything is up in play now after Punk helped OG Bloodline which makes for great matches and angles going forward.

Meanwhile the action in the ring was brutal at times and filled with drama thanks to all participants. Jey Uso being the last member introduced for OG Bloodline is telling as he has become one of the most popular if not popular wrestlers in the world. Meanwhile Jacob Fatu was the MVP of the match as he has shown more and more why WWE Management has a lot of high expectations from him. Similar to Bron Breakker, Jacob is a big, powerful and athletic wrestler who can blend power moves with high risk moves.

The outcome was rather cathartic as it was Solo Sikoa facing the entire wrath of Punk and the OG Bloodline. After trying to explain why he was in the right he went to attack only to get beaten up with kicks and finishers from everyone until Roman pinned him after a Spear.

While it wasn’t on the brutality level of Drew-Punk Hell in a Cell, it was still a fantastic match that did its job and made everyone look good in the end.

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