Well Survivor Series sure was something else, wasn’t it? I hate admitting it, but the bulk of my predictions that I thought were “guaranteed outcomes” ended up being entirely wrong. In a way, that’s a good thing as it meant I was kept on my toes and surprised the entire time, although I have to admit that I’m not a fan of a number of the decisions made throughout the night.
Still, it’s nice to keep things a bit more optimistic, so I figured for this 3-Count review, I would focus on my three favorite moments of the evening. If you want to find out what parts I wasn’t too fond of, be sure to check out the post-show review podcast embedded at the bottom of this article.
1) Braun Strowman
One of the most dominant people in the night was Braun Strowman, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it was a necessity. There’s no way he would have bounced back easily from being given the same treatment Ryback has had at Survivor Series in the past with a very quick pin elimination or anything of the sort. Strowman needed to look like a beast, and he did just that, laying waste to everyone in his path.
However, his elimination was probably the best part about the part he played at this event. Taking the elbow drop from Shane McMahon fulfilled one of the much-needed spots of the show and gave him a reason to be counted out, particularly with the fun inclusion of James Ellsworth holding his feet back. But it was so satisfying to see that he didn’t take this in stride. Strowman’s an angry monster and he had every reason to be pissed at Ellsworth, which meant the little guy was doomed. Tossing him off the stage and into a table was a nice emphatic way to prove that Strowman still had a lot left in the tank and if he had remained in the match, Team Raw probably would have won.
2) The Shield Reunion
All throughout the men’s elimination match, the crowd was against Roman Reigns, except for one instance: when The Shield briefly reformed. Not only was that something many people were looking forward to in general, it also gave us the perfect way to eliminate AJ Styles while keeping him strong and it came about in a logical way that rarely ever happens in WWE.
So often, characters do strange things just to serve the narrative (“plot induced stupidity” for those who follow writing tropes) which can be somewhat frustrating to watch, as it takes you out of the element and reminds you that you’re watching something scripted. But when Dean Ambrose started attacking AJ Styles and fighting off security guards, it was awesome to see Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins help Ambrose, as he was going against Team SmackDown. Why not take advantage of a situation that is bending to your will, right? Team Raw wanted to win and if that meant using a member of Team SmackDown to accomplish the task, so be it.
Justifying why members of two opposing teams would act in unity with each other was a tough road to navigate, but WWE found a way that felt natural and it was so much better in the end than if they would have just had them do it for the sake of it with no reasonable explanation.
3) Best Friends in the Social Media Lounge
Nearly all of the pre-show was inconsequential and didn’t matter in the slightest bit, but one of the gems of the evening was Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho hanging out in the social media lounge with Tom Phillips. It’s been a running gag that they call him different variations of his name and pick on him to the point where he almost busts out laughing, but they stepped it up today to a whole new level. At times, Phillips had to look away and smile, nearly breaking character, because of the shenanigans going on.
“Tom” is French for “dumb moron” might have been the thing that made me crack up the most, but I laughed a lot at Twitter user @caprimaree being put on the list and equated to Capri Sun. “You probably don’t even quench thirst, do you?”
These two are some of the top heels in the company, yet they consistently find ways to be entertaining in the process rather than just brooding bad guys. Pairing them up was a brilliant decision and a wise investment, giving Owens the chance to show off a more comedic side to him that he didn’t frequently showcase in the past while Jericho has been on fire with some of the best work he’s ever done.
For more opinions on the show as a whole, check out the latest edition of the Smark Out Moment wrestling podcast SMACK TALK as the panel reviews Survivor Series with our immediate reactions following the event before the dust has fully settled.
Hosted by Anthony Mango along with Calen Ferris
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