Survivor Series 2020: Honest Review

 Survivor Series 2020 really was a big event! Not only did we see RAW and Smackdown do battle to determine the superior brand, but we celebrated 30 years of the Undertaker and said goodbye to a legend of this industry. The evening had some questionable booking but strong moments throughout and today I’m going to be discussing my honest thoughts on the PPV!

Note, I was very happy to see the Miz win the dual-brand Battle Royal over on the kickoff show.

Men’s Elimination Match

Well first off it must be said that I was surprised to see the traditional five on five men’s elimination match kick start the 2020 Survivor Series PPV. It was not the bout I was expecting to see open the evening but was not left disappointed after an action-packed entertaining opener was presented to fans. There was a nice mix of superstars involved here and throughout we saw some simple storytelling for several talents however, it was clear the further the match progressed that the main story being told here was the development of what has been going down between Jey Uso and Roman Reigns. With Paul Heyman watching closely backstage and commentary putting a lot of emphases on the importance behind Jey’s performance on the night, it was clear what the WWE was doing here. Throughout the match itself, we witnessed several strong and entertaining moments from Rollins sacrificing himself to Keith Lee scoring the final pinfall to pick up the win for the red team. There was also a slight character development for Styles, Otis had a very strong performance, and the clean sweep for team RAW in this opening, contest was a rare moment that set the tone for the rest of the evening.

 

The New Day Vs the Street Profits

One of the contests I was most looking forward to this weekend was the dream match between two of the best tag teams on the scene today The New Day and The Street Profits. This is an encounter I have wanted to see for a while now and boy did, they live up to expectations, not disappointing in the slightest. From the get-go, the energy was there and we quickly learned that the veterans the New Day did not come to play showcasing an edge, attitude and aggression we haven’t seen in a while that gave this match a little more depth and the classic veteran vs newbies storyline that left us all hooked. It was great to see Kofi for a while slow down the pace of the action, grounding Montez and working on his ribs which came into play later on in the match when Ford struggled to get the pinfall following a frog splash due to the injured ribs. This match was a lesson for the Street Profits, a dream contest, and in the end it was the “newbies”, the Smackdown tag team champions who scored one of the biggest victories of their careers in one of the best matches of the evening.

Sa
mi Zayn vs Bobby Lashley

The most predictable match of the evening was without a doubt Sami Zayn vs Bobby Lashley and because of that fact this was the contest I was least excited for. Fans were not given a reason to anticipate this bout and the action didn’t prove anyone wrong. Sure, it had its entertaining factors. The Hurt Business being at ringside and Zayn trying to get Lashley disqualified was a nice touch and Bobby’s power was on very clear display but the predicable loss for Sami came as no surprise and this bout was by far the most forgettable of the night.

 

Sasha Banks vs Asuka

2020 has seen Sasha Banks and Asuka work several epic one on one matchup with the pair delivering fantastically well every single time they share a ring and while another contest was not something I was personally wanting to see I had no doubt that the action we were going to see from them this past weekend would yet again be strong and must-see. We know what these two women can do upon sharing the ring and the expectations were most certainly high. Now, what was clear early on in this contest was how well these two women know each other. All their previous encounters came into play this passed weekend, as we saw a slower start focusing on submission, holds, and punishing each other. The two varying characters had two very different approaches which was pointed out by commentary with Banks more emotionally involved and Asuka calmer, however, despite that, this was a back and forth battle throughout, the momentum changed  several times with neither woman in control for too long and while this was one of the shorter collisions between the pair they proved why they are champions and two of the best of the best. It was also great to see Banks pick up a much-needed victory!

Women’s Elimination Match

The women’s traditional five on five elimination match was one of the contests I was most looking forward to especially considering the build and the varying talents involved and I’ll admit I was not left disappointed. One of the key stories being told was Lana’s bullying angle. With Jax instructing that Lana is not to be tagged and then being instructed to stay on the steps it made for uncomfortable viewing but none the less had us all rooting for Lana and had her standing out as a major babyface adding more story to this elimination battle. There were also several strong moments throughout the match including Peyton Royce surprise big pinfall victory over Bayley and spots that highlighted the faces of the women’s tag team division which felt needed and important. Now, I’ll admit that there was so much I enjoyed here and I feel as though we witnessed some strong performances from the like of Belair, Royce, and Liv Morgan however, the ending and it was booked didn’t sit well with me. Of course, I love the story that we are seeing from Lana and her little moment she got and I understand why it was booked this way but I would have much preferred to have seen Belair as a sole survivor and winner for the blue team and Lana find some kind of redemption in another way.

Add caption

Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre

And then of course, we had the main event, the collision between the two top dogs, the faces of the WWE, the men everyone has been talking about, Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns. The build to this match was incredibly intense with both men representing something completely different and walking into this battle with different attitudes but what was clear very early on was just how much both men were determined to walk away with the win and as a result, the two powerhouses were very evenly matched throughout. These two superstars are very different men to who they were the last time they collided and that was also evident throughout the contest from their performances in the ring and character work. The power of both men was on display but what was interesting was seeing Reigns work a slower pace at the start of the contest. The explosive moves from both men made for exciting viewing and what we got here was a brilliant main event that turned out to be far better than I expected. I was genuinely watching this and unsure as to what way it was going to go but in the end, it was the involvement of Jey Uso and a low blow that aided Reigns in the victory. The ending was smart adding more depth to Reigns and Jey’s story while also protecting McIntyre. A strong main event I really did enjoy!

Farewell Undertaker

Survivor Series 2020 celebrated 30 years of the Undertaker! A man who has been the face of professional wrestling, a leader, an icon, a legend, and truly one of the best of all-time. The farewell segment to close the show left so many fans including myself incredibly emotional but what a special moment this was! Taker has paved the way for so many superstars, inspired so many, and been one of the biggest reasons behind the WWE global success and his legacy most certainly will live on forever.

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoyed Survivor Series this year! Taking out Sami Zayn vs Bobby Lashley and the questionable booking decisions for the elimination matches this was a strong PPV that provided us with fantastic matches throughout and entertaining content that left everyone hooked! The emotional ending was a brilliant way to close the night and celebrate the career of the Undertaker. Now, I would love to know what you guys thought so feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria.