Survivor Series 2022

[DavidB6937]

By the 3 hour mark I'd already drafted my post in my head about how fucking shit the crowd were for the majority of the night. And how the women's match was one of the sloppiest things I've ever seen.

And then Jey hugged Sami and quite frankly I couldn't give a shit about anything else that happened on the show.

[SuperBacon]

Finn Balor vs AJ Styles was dreadful. The reaction to Balor (deathly silence) was quite sad as I've always liked him.

I wonder if their match in Japan was any better...oh wait.

The 3 way was the best match of the night, I genuinely enjoyed that and I can't stand Theory or Lashley so fair play to them.

Both War Games matches were boring, but then I think it's a rubbish gimmick match to be honest.

[DCW]

I don't see the allure of War Games either. Like a really boring cage match without the option of escape. Delighted how the Sami business was handled though, hopefully WWE go the distance with him.

[The King of Old School]

19 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Finn Balor vs AJ Styles was dreadful. The reaction to Balor (deathly silence) was quite sad as I've always liked him.

I wonder if their match in Japan was any better...oh wait.

The 3 way was the best match of the night, I genuinely enjoyed that and I can't stand Theory or Lashley so fair play to them.

Both War Games matches were boring, but then I think it's a rubbish gimmick match to be honest.

Probably unpopular opinion but i really hate the thinking that both the women and men have to have the same match stipulations on the night for some equality nonesense.

The first main roster War Games match should have been the Bloodline vs Sheamus and co. The women's match at the start should have been a 5 on 5 elimination.

Next year they could easily build to a women's War Games match to let them have there turn.

[FUM]

1 hour ago, Louch said:

How’s it dangerous? Fans will still watch regardless. 

Halving their viewers since then says otherwise. Fans switch off if they’re not getting satisfaction from the product. Satisfaction tends to come in the form of their favourites being booked strongly.

[Vamp]

6 hours ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

None of WWE’s WarGames matches have been under roofed cages, makes it better imo, especially for crazy high spots

That's what ladder and TLC matches are for.

I've seen people jumping off cages, there's only so many ways you can jump off a cage. But I haven't seen the current WWE lot have a proper wargames match. And it's not like they can't do fresh stuff with the cage ceiling. 

I know this will sound like a "back in the day we had proper wrestling" complaint but having to change a match designed to create drama and intensity so that someone can jump from a high place is shite. No wonder people are saying the crowd were shite. They were probably spending the whole show waiting to see who was gonna jump off a cage next. 

And if anyone really thinks that they need to be able to do crazy highspots to make a wargames match interesting then they must have a really low impression of the wrestlers involved. Fuck, it's a match with a built in heat and comeback moments. It's not 2002 anymore. You don't need to make matches so that someone can make a music video about them with a shit metal song over the top.

I get why small companies don't have roofs on their wargames matches. That's fine. But the WWE taking a roof off the cage so that people can jump off it feels like RoH putting corner platforms on their cage scramble match in the early 2000s. Its not all that far removed from Cornette wanting to take things back to the 80s. 

[pol_pot_rick]

5 minutes ago, Vamp said:

RoH putting corner platforms on their cage scramble match in the early 2000s

WWE have done this for WarGames now too 

[Mikeymike83]

1 hour ago, pol_pot_rick said:

WWE have done this for WarGames now too 

Legitimately had a double take at that. Thought it was someone taking a photo of his hasbro's or what not!

[Guest]

Wwe as a roof on elimination chamber and hell a cell. War games gimmick is that it is two rings and a extended cage so you can sell a more expensive replica to kids. It’s a USP

[Supremo]

Is something actually wrong with Ronda Rousey? Like seriously, is she OK? I honestly think her getting booed at the end of her last run has broken her brain and she’s purposely being as bad a performer as possible to spite everyone. What a double header she had between that horrendous promo on Smackdown, followed by this pile of shit match. Bad, bad TV. No wonder Becky is jumping off cages her first night back. Probably trying to get injured again to avoid having to feud with Ronda.

I mainly just came out of this show with a greater appreciation for Blood and Guts. Both War Games matches were mostly boring and crap, performed to abject silence.

Until the last five minutes of the Men’s match of course, which was another masterpiece. I genuinely teared up when Jey hugged Sami, Sami looking down at the life he sacrificed for these pricks. Phenomenal. This remains the best and most exciting thing in the business. Roman vs. Sami Zayn at Wrestlemania is the match. You can argue otherwise, but you’d be wrong.

Manifest it.

[Hannibal Scorch]

2 hours ago, Supremo said:

Is something actually wrong with Ronda Rousey? Like seriously, is she OK? I honestly think her getting booed at the end of her last run has broken her brain and she’s purposely being as bad a performer as possible to spite everyone. What a double header she had between that horrendous promo on Smackdown, followed by this pile of shit match. Bad, bad TV. No wonder Becky is jumping off cages her first night back. Probably trying to get injured again to avoid having to feud with Ronda.

I think the QAnon loving, Sandy Hook denying Ronda's brain was broken a long time ago.

Why is no-one talking about what a shit gimmick War Games is? 30 minutes of a match where there are no stakes as nothing can really happen until the last person is in. Absolute bollocks.

[Mr.Showtime]

I remember enjoying the NXT war games matches, or the majority of them at least. But I agree that these two were dull, except for the storyline elements in the men's match.

Was that the first time in a while there were only 2 people doing commentary for a WWE show? I don't usually pay too much attention to the commentators and don't get as wound up by them as others do, but there was something off for me with a lack of a third to play off the fairly straight Cole and Graves (Wade Barrett?). They sounded kinda bored. But then I hate Byron Saxton and it would probably have been him, right...

[Statto]

2 hours ago, Mr.Showtime said:

Was that the first time in a while there were only 2 people doing commentary for a WWE show?

Cole & Wade did Crown Jewel as a duo last month, and I think there was at least one before that which was just Cole & Graves - that pairing is now the official "premium live event" commentary team, with no more brand teams/rotation. But obviously Graves didn't go to Saudi Arabia for some reason.

Proper Survivor Series matches > War Games.

[The Gaffer]

Maybe it's because I've not been burned out on watching any of the NXT ones, but I really enjoyed the two War Games matches. I'm really easy with wrestling that looks and feels slightly preposterous (Wargames 2000 still being high up in the FOOK household due to the inherent insanity of a title match like that happening on broadcast television) and they were both casually watched spectacles for me, going in with zero expectation. Multiple grapplers going to town with the full Smackdown: HCTP suite of hardcore adornments is always good for me. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by Gay as FOOK

[BomberPat]

I just don't think WWE's style is conducive to a good War Games match, and especially not when they're doing two on one show. The size of a WWE ring, combined with how HD and brightly lit everything is, and the lack of a roof on the cage, means it never feels as locked in and claustrophobic as the old Crockett/WCW matches did, and the reliance on signature moves and coordinated spots combined with the lack of blood means there's never really a sense of escalating intensity or violence - the only way WWE know to make a match seem more "dangerous" or "violent" is throwing a load of bin lids and kendo sticks into the ring, and we've seen that a million times, and don't really associate it with danger or violence any more. It never feels like the period of the match prior to the last entrant coming into the ring matters, because there's a never a genuine sense that the teams are working to disadvantage or break down their opponents ahead of time.

There was a point on commentary in the women's match when Michael Cole said "there's no point going for a pinfall or submission at this stage, because you can only win the match once every member of both teams has entered the cage". Well, yes, you couldn't win the match with a submission, but you could break your opponent's arms and legs so they can't fight back once the match does begin, and why wouldn't you?