We're first starting with three from last year's Survivor Series: WarGames event. That the show didn't feature an actual Survivor Series match fells wrong. It'd be like hosting Hell in a Cell and, instead of cell matches, we're given some TLC content.
The opening War Pig reel was solid.
The women's side of the match, featuring Team Bianca versus Damage CTRL, was the first contest of the evening and our first pull.
Kai and Bianca was fine, but it admittedly was a bit rough once Sky tried to work with the division top champ. The corner botch was especially pretty bad. Still, everyone honestly had a chance to showcase themselves and most of 'em did well with it, for sure. I do feel Yim was more MIA than expected, though.
Also, Bliss and Cross' handcuff spot was pure comedy. Why do modern cuff spots almost all seem botched or wonky? That's alright, because outside of a bit of roughness from time to time and a bit of fat that could've been trimmed off, this was still a largely a very good contest to start things off.
Belair really enjoyed tossing people at the walls. Rhea, too.
Next, AJ Styles and Finn Balor in singles action. Props to Cole for a decent rundown of the story heading in, referencing their New Japan roles. A few years ago and that'd be unthinkable. Their 2017 contest, won by Finn, was a pretty decent encounter but both were in very different roles at that time.
Now, this was a proxy battle for the larger Judgement Day/Bullet Club WWE unit warfare. As a result, there was a bit of extra baggage here via allies at ringside getting involved a bit and then a brawl between them to the back.
A bit circus-y, but considering the program and the source it made sense.
I also have never been huge on the forearm being a finish, and felt the pacing was a bit off after the OC and JD stuff. A good match that should've been amazing.
Sami and Roman had a moment backstage while Paul looked on.
Third, Theory won the US belt in a three-way match taking the belt from Seth. They, along with Lashley, did well with the triple threat formula, but I admittedly did not enjoy it as much as most seem to have. I thought it was very good, but that's about it. Austin has been borderline comedic, was treated as such throughout this one, and the Looney Toons finish didn't do much for me, either.
The fourth and final pull from "Survivor Series:" WarGames saw The Bloodline take on The Brawling Brutes, Sheamus, McIntyre, and Owens. On paper, this sounded like a potential MOTYC. In reality, the two sides combined for an excellent edition into the stipulation's catalog. This also served as a nice addition to the Bloodline soap opera. While it wasn't as splashy as some of the more recent versions of the gimmick, it made up for it with the old school vibe.
Quality stuff, folks.
Post, The Bloodline celebrated and Sami was fire.
The crowd during this show was pretty solid, which helped add some flavor. The matches were good at worse and fantastic at best and all of it was entertaining. My kids had a blast with this one, too. Props.
Next, we move to Raw for a last look for the set.
Becky wanted Bayley, but got all of Damage CTRL instead. They'd brawl up through the fans and up to the merch table. The Man held her own, making the heel unit look weak as fuck, with security eventually stopping things. Entertainment, but at the expense of Bayley's crew.
Rhea and Mia faced off in singles action next. It was honestly fine, but Mysterio played a role and the entire thing, which ended in a no contest, was really just a pilot. AJ would run out to fuck up Rey's kid and the two units would brawl.
Why does Patrick always sound like he's gasping for air when he finishes the last word of his lines?
Judgement Day and Bullet Club WWE was a decent mixed-atomico. The former would win this, getting a bounce back of sorts from Finn's L to Styles. Good TV. The two matches honestly worked well together.
KO was out to chat with Sami and The Bloodline. He wanted to make it clear that he was done with Zayn. Jey made it clear that he was with Sami now and the two scheduled themselves a match.
Speaking of...
We close with Jey and KO, one on one (+3).
A nice way to follow WarGames, this saw Owens overcome the numbers game to get a bounce back of his own. Good stuff as well, though admittedly nothing must-see.
Thanks, as always for reading.
Note: There might be a change to the rating system at the end of the year, moving away from the star system. Just a heads up.
Match Ratings
- Women's WarGames ***1/2
- Styles vs Balor ***
- United States Title: Rollins(c) vs Lashley vs Theory ***1/2
- Men's WarGames ****
- a. Yim vs Rhea ***
b. Judgement Day vs Bullet Club WWE ***1/2
avg. ***1/4 - Owens vs Jey ***
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