WWE Survivor Series 2021 Review: RAW Reigns
For the first time since moving to FOX in October 2019, SmackDown tried to have “bragging rights” for the next year by winning Survivor Series.
It did not go as planned for the blue brand, except in one area.
Let’s get to a show that was more of an All-Star Game than “brand warfare”.
Reigns Rules
The “Tribal Chief”, the “Head of the Table”, the Universal Champion was the only blue brand superstar to score a pinfall victory over a RAW superstar on the night. He was also the only member of SmackDown to secure victory on the main card.
You would think it would have something to do with interference from his cousins, but to my surprise, the Bloodline and the New Day stayed in the back while the two top dogs battled it out in a slobberknocker of a main event!
Deep into the matchup, E rolled Reigns into the ring, but once he got back inside the squared circle, the Universal Champion flattened him with a vicious Spear. E looked defeated, but he managed to lift his shoulder up barely at two. A pissed off Reigns would Superman Punch E multiple times. Just as Reigns went for his Spear in the corner, E turned the tables and stood right up to the “Tribal King”, showing him he is his equal.
E would Spear Reigns to the floor and hit a Big Ending on the former “Big Dog” after countering a Guillotine, but the “Head of the Table” was too close to the ropes, and he was able to get his hand on the white rope to force the break. Eventually E would attempt another Big Ending, and Reigns would slip out the back, kick him in the back of an injured knee he had been working on the whole match and execute a second Spear for the one, two, three.
Reigns may have walked away and celebrated with his “Special Counsel” as the night closed, but E proved he deserved to be in the main event spot. The WWE Champion and Universal Champion undoubtedly delivered a banger from bell to bell, and it was a great close to a solid Pay-Per-View.
Becky Lynch Defeats Charlotte Flair At Her Own Game
The “Man” and the “Queen” had more of a shoot fight than a wrestling match. The two most decorated women in WWE history kicked off the night with a match that outperformed my expectations! They definitely went into their recent history early. Lynch looked ready to kill when she made her way down the stage.
Flair hit a Spear early. Lynch went for the Disarmher early as well, but Flair countered. Later in the contest, Flair would lock in the Disarmher on Lynch while Lynch secured the Figure Four on the “Opportunity” after connecting on a Manhandle Slam. It was finisher galore!
With all the back and forth, eventually Flair would roll up “Big Time Becks”, but she used the ropes for leverage. The official caught her but didn’t catch Lynch when she returned the favor.
So yes, the “Man” walked out victorious with a screwy finish, but hey, at least there wasn’t a disqualification! I didn’t mind the finish. The match was great, and it made sense with two heels who generally don’t like each other. It was a one-off match. Nothing too special needed to be created. The match served its purpose.
Seth Rollins Survives for Team RAW
So Kevin Owens decided to start the match and IMMEDIATELY leave his team, putting SmackDown at a five-on-four advantage, but it didn’t matter. Happy Corbin quickly got dislodged by a Coup De Grace, followed by King Woods getting ragdolled by the “All Mighty”.
That led to Drew McIntyre taking his place, and with McIntyre and Lashley’s history, it wasn’t too hard to figure out what was going to happen. They brawled all over ringside and got themselves counted out, leaving Team SmackDown with only Sheamus and the “Charismatic Enigma” remaining.
Last year, the “Fella” and Hardy had a deep rivalry over Hardy’s drug issues that resulted in a cinematic Bar Fight. This year, after eliminating Balor with a Brogue Kick, the “Blue Chip Prospect” Austin Theory rolled Sheamus up by grabbing the tights, and Sheamus took his frustrations out on Hardy.
Hardy — who had already been in the ring with Theory — caught him napping and rolled him up to leave him one-on-one with the “Visionary”. The crowd at this point was really behind Hardy as he nailed Rollins with a Twist of Fate. Up on the top rope, Hardy attempted the Swanton Bomb, but Rollins, the slick wrestler he is, got his knees up and proceeded to Curb Stomp Hardy to secure the victory for RAW.
In my Preview and Predictions, I predicted McIntyre and Hardy to survive by outlasting KO and Rollins from RAW, but this booking made more sense I admit. There’s a lot of history between the individuals in this match from the other side (McIntyre/Lashley, Woods/Lashley, Corbin/Balor, Corbin/Lashley, Owens/Corbin, ect) that going with people that don’t have a history in Rollins and Hardy, a true dream match, made sense. The “Architect” — the №1 contender to the WWE Title — now has his ticket to get his match with E because he led the men’s team to victory. I like that story, and KO turning on the whole team at the start also made a lot of sense. The Mysterio’s not costing Theory, or Ridge Holland not out to help Sheamus was a surprise though.
Bianca Beliar Survives for Team RAW
Team SmackDown looked like a cohesive unit early. Besides Toni Storm, who was eliminated by Liv Morgan after a good showing, everybody on the blue brand was left standing by the time the “EST” was down to her lonesome. However, with her beaten and battered, Team Blue could not stay on the same page. They got sick and tired of the “Boss” bossing them around, so they made sure she got counted out.
Then, Beliar rolled up the veteran Natalya and hit the “Queen of Spades” with a Glam Slam to leave her one v. one with Shotzi, and after running into the corner, the strongEST women on the roster was able to lift Shotzi up and execute the Kiss of Death for the victory for Team RAW.
A very impressive feat for Beliar, who with this victory, proves she is still one of the cornerstones of the division with Flair, Lynch and Banks.
RKO-BRO RKO’S Themselves To Victory
The Usos could not generate a clean sweep for the Bloodline. Randy Orton — who broke the record for most PPV matches Sunday — caught Jey Uso in midair with an RKO when it looked like the Usos were going to easily pick up the victory after delivering double superkicks to the “Apex Predator” and the “Original Bro”, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The RKO was absolutely #OuttaNowhere, and at least for now, Orton and Riddle are on the same page, something I did not expect out of this matchup.
Omos Wins Rock 25-Year Battle Royal
So this battle royal had 25 participants to celebrate the Rock’s 25 years in WWE and to set up the storyline with the egg (WHO STOLE IT?!), but it was more of a Pizza Hut sponsored Battle Royal, featuring R Truth eating pizza!
A.J. Styles stood on the announce desk for most of the night as Omos disposed of the competition, but once he got in the ring, Commander Azeez pulled him out following a Phenomenal Forearm to Dolph Ziggler. Sami Zayn tried to team up with the only SmackDown superstars remaining late into the match, Cesaro and Ricochet, but the latter tossed Zayn into Styles’ colossus, who then disposed of the formers for the victory. He eliminated 14 men out of the 24!
After the match, Styles tried to reward himself and the big man with Pizza Hut, but the Street Profits stole the pizza boxes and tossed them out to the crowd. It was a fun match!
Shinsuke Nakamura (W/ Rick Boogs) Defeats Damian Priest Via Disqualification (Kickoff)
With no storyline to this match, WWE decided to put them on the Kickoff Show in an interesting development. McAfee went APE SH*T for BOOGSSSSSSSSS and Nak, especially when Priest hit Boogs with his own guitar! In the end, Priest snapped, hitting Nakamura with the guitar, definitely playing into his new character. Nakamura gave SmackDown the early lead on the Kickoff Show, and they never won another match until the main event.
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The expectations for this PPV were low, and it ended up being a solid PPV led by Reigns/E and Lynch/Flair. No match was bad besides the Women’s Survivor Series match, and that was mostly because the crowd was dead from a good night of action.
The PPV was successful and set up the angle for tonight’s RAW with the egg.
Maybe a Dwyane Johnson appearance?
GRADE: B+
