Elias defeated Matt Hardy. (Pre-show)
Looking to continue his impressive surge up the ranks on Raw, Elias squared off against Matt Hardy on the Survivor Series Kickoff. But first, he took the time to strum little tune for the WWE Universe in Houston that besmirched the great city and its citizens. Hardy was in no mood for music, however, looking beyond determined to silence Elias in H-Town.
The veteran Hardy brought his best, using his cunning and experience to gain the edge at several points in the contest despite Elias’ size and strength advantage. Elias used those attributes to systematically pick Hardy apart, though, zoning in specifically on the former Raw Tag Team Champion’s shoulder.
In the match’s critical moments, Elias weathered a flurry of offense from Hardy, which included a ring-rattling Side Effect onto the hardest part of the canvas. Elias surged back after ramming Hardy’s vulnerable shoulder into the steel ring post, however. The brutal move left the Team Xtreme member defenseless as Elias hit Drift Away for one of the biggest victories of his career to date. (Via WWE.com)
The veteran Hardy brought his best, using his cunning and experience to gain the edge at several points in the contest despite Elias’ size and strength advantage. Elias used those attributes to systematically pick Hardy apart, though, zoning in specifically on the former Raw Tag Team Champion’s shoulder.
In the match’s critical moments, Elias weathered a flurry of offense from Hardy, which included a ring-rattling Side Effect onto the hardest part of the canvas. Elias surged back after ramming Hardy’s vulnerable shoulder into the steel ring post, however. The brutal move left the Team Xtreme member defenseless as Elias hit Drift Away for one of the biggest victories of his career to date. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION, Enzo Amore defeated Kalisto. (Pre-show)
On The ’Zo Train, there is no room for such niceties as sportsmanship or fairness. There is only victory by any means necessary, and Enzo Amore rode that ticket once again to a successful defense of his WWE Cruiserweight Title on the Survivor Series Kickoff.
As expected, chicanery was the entire cornerstone of Muscles Marinara’s offensive strategy. Amore was intent on using the ring to his advantage, charging Kalisto into the corner, bouncing his throat off the ropes and executing a sprinting shoulder tackle to The King of Flight as he was stuck in the Tree of Woe. It wasn’t illegal per se, but an underhanded game plan that directly contrasted Kalisto’s gritty, by-the-book effort to reclaim the title he lost thanks to some similar funny business at WWE TLC.
Amore’s efforts did come back to haunt him briefly when he went for a repeat of his Tree of Woe tackle and missed, giving Kalisto a brief opening that he exploited to the cusp of a Salida del Sol. But Enzo escaped and got the better of a brawl on the ring apron, yanking his challenger face-first into the turnbuckle to set him up for a match-ending JawdonZo.
Such a strategy will likely earn Enzo some disapproval from a WWE Universe who want a champion that retains his title the old-fashioned way. But for Enzo, all that matters is getting the win — even if, tonight, he was lucky just to survive. (Via WWE.com)
As expected, chicanery was the entire cornerstone of Muscles Marinara’s offensive strategy. Amore was intent on using the ring to his advantage, charging Kalisto into the corner, bouncing his throat off the ropes and executing a sprinting shoulder tackle to The King of Flight as he was stuck in the Tree of Woe. It wasn’t illegal per se, but an underhanded game plan that directly contrasted Kalisto’s gritty, by-the-book effort to reclaim the title he lost thanks to some similar funny business at WWE TLC.
Amore’s efforts did come back to haunt him briefly when he went for a repeat of his Tree of Woe tackle and missed, giving Kalisto a brief opening that he exploited to the cusp of a Salida del Sol. But Enzo escaped and got the better of a brawl on the ring apron, yanking his challenger face-first into the turnbuckle to set him up for a match-ending JawdonZo.
Such a strategy will likely earn Enzo some disapproval from a WWE Universe who want a champion that retains his title the old-fashioned way. But for Enzo, all that matters is getting the win — even if, tonight, he was lucky just to survive. (Via WWE.com)
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeated Breezango. (Pre-show)
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn may have been matched up with Breezango on the Survivor Series Kickoff, but it was clear the duo were focused on SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon.
Before the bout got underway, the team suggested that if Tyler Breeze and Fandango wanted to solve a mystery, they should be focusing on why McMahon is still the Commissioner. Instead of taking that case, the creative minds behind “The Fashion Files” cited Owens & Zayn for several violations (unkempt facial hair chief among them) and made it clear that it was time to book them in the system.
Owens & Zayn were not amused by Breezango’s antics, and used their intensity and ruthlessness in the early goings of the contest to make them pay for their clowning. Both Breeze and Fandango refused to stay down, however, taking control of the contest with their unique offensive onslaught.
Just when it seemed as if Breezango were closing in on a victory, though, KO pulled Zayn out of the way of Fandango’s signature Last Dance Legdrop. That opening led to Owens hitting the Pop-Up Powerbomb on Detective ’Dango for the win.
Owens & Zayn may have been successful, but the chips on their shoulders appeared to be bigger than ever. (Via WWE.com)
Before the bout got underway, the team suggested that if Tyler Breeze and Fandango wanted to solve a mystery, they should be focusing on why McMahon is still the Commissioner. Instead of taking that case, the creative minds behind “The Fashion Files” cited Owens & Zayn for several violations (unkempt facial hair chief among them) and made it clear that it was time to book them in the system.
Owens & Zayn were not amused by Breezango’s antics, and used their intensity and ruthlessness in the early goings of the contest to make them pay for their clowning. Both Breeze and Fandango refused to stay down, however, taking control of the contest with their unique offensive onslaught.
Just when it seemed as if Breezango were closing in on a victory, though, KO pulled Zayn out of the way of Fandango’s signature Last Dance Legdrop. That opening led to Owens hitting the Pop-Up Powerbomb on Detective ’Dango for the win.
Owens & Zayn may have been successful, but the chips on their shoulders appeared to be bigger than ever. (Via WWE.com)
The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) defeated The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods).
Five years after The Shield’s debut, Raw Superstars Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose proved that they’re still the most dominant trio in WWE, defeating SmackDown LIVE’s The New Day in the opening match of Survivor Series 2017.
A sold-out crowd packed inside Houston’s Toyota Center witnessed a dream match that set the visceral tone for the rest of the night’s head-to-head battles for brand supremacy. In the early goings, it was Ambrose — a Superstar more than accustomed to absorbing massive amounts of bodily harm — who sustained the most damage as Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston & Big E isolated The Lunatic Fringe and hit him with two successive Unicorn Stampedes and a massive Big E spear through the ropes and to the floor. However, neither Ambrose nor his Shield brothers would stand down in defense of the red brand.
Faced with an unrelenting trio of foes, The New Day was forced to get even more creative than usual. As Ambrose lay supine on the canvas — once again separated from his then-incapacitated Shield brothers — Kingston climbed to the top rope, Woods hoisted E onto his shoulders, helping The Dreadlocked Dynamo leapfrog over his New Day allies for a punishing splash onto Ambrose. For good measure, Big E leapt onto The Lunatic Fringe himself, crushing Ambrose’s ribs with his 285-pound frame.
When an exhausted Rollins attempted to intervene, E scooped up Rollins and Ambrose, hitting the former Raw Tag Team Champions with a double Midnight Hour that seemed to seal the victory for The New Day and SmackDown LIVE. Enter: The Big Dog.
Returning to the fray after being laid out at ringside, Reigns hit Big E with a thunderous Spear that made landfall on top of the pin attempt, breaking the count. A brawl between both frustrated factions ensued, and a Spear to Kingston led many to believe that The Shield’s signature Triple Powerbomb was on the horizon. Reigns, however, had other ideas, going up to the middle rope instead of getting into his usual position for the move. Ambrose and Rollins got the message, and the reunited Hounds of Justice ended the dream match in nightmarish fashion for Kingston, who suffered an impressive (and impactful) Super Triple Powerbomb. Ambrose scored the pinfall over Kingston, and Raw stood triumphant.
After weeks of sieges and psychological warfare, it was The Shield who scored Raw’s first victory over SmackDown LIVE at Survivor Series. Believe that. (Via WWE.com)
A sold-out crowd packed inside Houston’s Toyota Center witnessed a dream match that set the visceral tone for the rest of the night’s head-to-head battles for brand supremacy. In the early goings, it was Ambrose — a Superstar more than accustomed to absorbing massive amounts of bodily harm — who sustained the most damage as Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston & Big E isolated The Lunatic Fringe and hit him with two successive Unicorn Stampedes and a massive Big E spear through the ropes and to the floor. However, neither Ambrose nor his Shield brothers would stand down in defense of the red brand.
Faced with an unrelenting trio of foes, The New Day was forced to get even more creative than usual. As Ambrose lay supine on the canvas — once again separated from his then-incapacitated Shield brothers — Kingston climbed to the top rope, Woods hoisted E onto his shoulders, helping The Dreadlocked Dynamo leapfrog over his New Day allies for a punishing splash onto Ambrose. For good measure, Big E leapt onto The Lunatic Fringe himself, crushing Ambrose’s ribs with his 285-pound frame.
When an exhausted Rollins attempted to intervene, E scooped up Rollins and Ambrose, hitting the former Raw Tag Team Champions with a double Midnight Hour that seemed to seal the victory for The New Day and SmackDown LIVE. Enter: The Big Dog.
Returning to the fray after being laid out at ringside, Reigns hit Big E with a thunderous Spear that made landfall on top of the pin attempt, breaking the count. A brawl between both frustrated factions ensued, and a Spear to Kingston led many to believe that The Shield’s signature Triple Powerbomb was on the horizon. Reigns, however, had other ideas, going up to the middle rope instead of getting into his usual position for the move. Ambrose and Rollins got the message, and the reunited Hounds of Justice ended the dream match in nightmarish fashion for Kingston, who suffered an impressive (and impactful) Super Triple Powerbomb. Ambrose scored the pinfall over Kingston, and Raw stood triumphant.
After weeks of sieges and psychological warfare, it was The Shield who scored Raw’s first victory over SmackDown LIVE at Survivor Series. Believe that. (Via WWE.com)
Team RAW (Alicia Fox, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Asuka, and Nia Jax) defeated Team SmackDown (Becky Lynch, Naomi, Carmella, Natalya, and Tamina) (Women's 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series elimination match).
It’s almost a cliché at this point to say that nobody is ready for Asuka. Yet in the Women’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match, nobody, especially Team SmackDown, was ready for Asuka.
The Empress of Tomorrow scored three eliminations against Team Blue at WWE’s fall classic, including two without a safety net after SmackDown whittled away at Raw’s ranks to leave Asuka as the last woman standing.
Before Asuka faced the odds, however, Team Red landed the first blow when Bayley eliminated SmackDown captain Becky Lynch with a rollup. The blue brand answered with two consecutive eliminations on the back of their powerhouse, Tamina — Bayley with a Superfly Splash and Nia Jax via count-out when a flurry of superkicks and assists from Lana and Naomi sent Raw’s resident muscle to the outside.
With Nia taken out of the running, SmackDown continued its onslaught with Naomi pinning Raw captain Alicia Fox with a roll-up of her own. Sasha Banks answered immediately, though, by submitting the former SmackDown Women’s Champion with the Bank Statement only seconds later.
At that point, Carmella decided to try her luck by going toe-to-toe with Asuka, but Ms. Money in the Bank tempted fate a bit too recklessly by slapping the undefeated Superstar. Asuka answered with a kick to the face, leading to a swift exit for The Princess of Staten Island.
The match quickly turned to a battle of submissions when Natalya and Sasha faced off. Tamina’s presence again proved to be a momentum shifter as she freed The Queen of Harts from a Bank Statement and bulldozed Asuka off the apron, allowing Natalya to submit Sasha with a Sharpshooter.
Left by her lonesome, The Empress of Tomorrow seized her moment accordingly, utilizing her lightning speed and killer instinct to submit both her remaining foes in short order. First, Tamina fell to an armbar after she missed on a Superfly Splash. Natalya tapped to an Asuka Lock moments later, leaving Asuka as the sole survivor.
Before Survivor Series, the members of Team SmackDown could take consolation that they’d only have to face Asuka once. Coming out of it, they’re likely to think that once was plenty. (Via WWE.com)
The Empress of Tomorrow scored three eliminations against Team Blue at WWE’s fall classic, including two without a safety net after SmackDown whittled away at Raw’s ranks to leave Asuka as the last woman standing.
Before Asuka faced the odds, however, Team Red landed the first blow when Bayley eliminated SmackDown captain Becky Lynch with a rollup. The blue brand answered with two consecutive eliminations on the back of their powerhouse, Tamina — Bayley with a Superfly Splash and Nia Jax via count-out when a flurry of superkicks and assists from Lana and Naomi sent Raw’s resident muscle to the outside.
With Nia taken out of the running, SmackDown continued its onslaught with Naomi pinning Raw captain Alicia Fox with a roll-up of her own. Sasha Banks answered immediately, though, by submitting the former SmackDown Women’s Champion with the Bank Statement only seconds later.
At that point, Carmella decided to try her luck by going toe-to-toe with Asuka, but Ms. Money in the Bank tempted fate a bit too recklessly by slapping the undefeated Superstar. Asuka answered with a kick to the face, leading to a swift exit for The Princess of Staten Island.
The match quickly turned to a battle of submissions when Natalya and Sasha faced off. Tamina’s presence again proved to be a momentum shifter as she freed The Queen of Harts from a Bank Statement and bulldozed Asuka off the apron, allowing Natalya to submit Sasha with a Sharpshooter.
Left by her lonesome, The Empress of Tomorrow seized her moment accordingly, utilizing her lightning speed and killer instinct to submit both her remaining foes in short order. First, Tamina fell to an armbar after she missed on a Superfly Splash. Natalya tapped to an Asuka Lock moments later, leaving Asuka as the sole survivor.
Before Survivor Series, the members of Team SmackDown could take consolation that they’d only have to face Asuka once. Coming out of it, they’re likely to think that once was plenty. (Via WWE.com)
United States Champion, Baron Corbin defeated Intercontinental Champion, The Miz.
After weeks of trading nasty, personal attacks over social media, Intercontinental Champion The Miz from Raw and United States Champion Baron Corbin from SmackDown finally squared off.
The Miz instantly had an extra layer of motivation as his wife Maryse — absent in recent weeks due to her pregnancy — watched on from ringside. The Miz’s aggressive streak was apparent as the two jockeyed for position in the early goings with punches and kicks in place of any traditional wrestling holds.
When Corbin finally gained an edge, he couldn’t help but taunt Maryse, which released a rarely seen ferocity from The A-Lister. That fierceness did not throw off The Miz’s typical strategy, though, as Miztourage members Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas did not hesitate to interject themselves into the contest whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Axel and Dallas’ attempts to pull a fast one eventually ran dry, however, with Corbin literally stopping them in the act and decimating both to even the playing field. Miz appeared to have momentum on his side as he wore The Lone Wolf down with a barrage of It Kicks and running strikes, but Corbin brought things to a sudden stop when he caught Miz with a jarring End of Days to give SmackDown LIVE its first win of the night.
After the contest, Corbin grabbed the microphone and stated facts bluntly: He didn’t just shut up The Miz; he just up the entire WWE Universe. (Via WWE.com)
The Miz instantly had an extra layer of motivation as his wife Maryse — absent in recent weeks due to her pregnancy — watched on from ringside. The Miz’s aggressive streak was apparent as the two jockeyed for position in the early goings with punches and kicks in place of any traditional wrestling holds.
When Corbin finally gained an edge, he couldn’t help but taunt Maryse, which released a rarely seen ferocity from The A-Lister. That fierceness did not throw off The Miz’s typical strategy, though, as Miztourage members Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas did not hesitate to interject themselves into the contest whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Axel and Dallas’ attempts to pull a fast one eventually ran dry, however, with Corbin literally stopping them in the act and decimating both to even the playing field. Miz appeared to have momentum on his side as he wore The Lone Wolf down with a barrage of It Kicks and running strikes, but Corbin brought things to a sudden stop when he caught Miz with a jarring End of Days to give SmackDown LIVE its first win of the night.
After the contest, Corbin grabbed the microphone and stated facts bluntly: He didn’t just shut up The Miz; he just up the entire WWE Universe. (Via WWE.com)
SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Usos defeated RAW Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Sheamus.
Survivor Series is the one night a year when Raw and SmackDown go head-to-head in competition, but for Cesaro & Sheamus and The Usos, it was a little more personal than that.
The last two duos in a Tag Team Survivor Series Match last year, the two sides reinvented themselves from the bottom up in 2017 and, thanks to a title upset by The Bar a few weeks ago, met again at the 2017 fall classic in a battle not just for brand supremacy, but personal supremacy. For now, at least, the advantage goes to The Usos.
The SmackDown Tag Team Champions didn’t dominate The Bar, but much like all their classic encounters this year, they did outlast them, using their speed and timing to hold the Raw titleholders at bay each time they got going. There were few maneuvers Cesaro & Sheamus attempted that The Usos didn’t have an answer for. At one point, Cesaro cut a Jey Uso suicide dive short with an uppercut, only to immediately suffer another from Jimmy.
It ended up being Jey who bailed The Usos out of their closest brush with defeat when Cesaro locked him in a Sharpshooter while Sheamus blasted Jimmy with a Brogue Kick in an echo of last year’s Survivor Series conclusion. Jey muscled his way across the ring to break the hold with the ropes, and minus one go-for-broke attempt at a Doomsday Device-White Noise hybrid, The Bar never got that close to victory again.
For one, that double-move was cannily reversed into a Samoan Drop off the top rope. Then, after Cesaro took a double-superkick for his partner from both Usos, the twins chopped Sheamus down to his knees with a series of kicks before meeting in the middle with one final double-blast. Jimmy dispatched Cesaro with a suicide dive to the outside, tagging Jey in as he sprinted through the ropes. From there, one big top-rope splash spelled the end for The Bar.
Given these two teams’ history, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw them clash once again down the line. As far as this time goes, Cesaro & Sheamus will leave Survivor Series in one piece, but the glory belongs to The Uso Penitentiary. (Via WWE.com)
The last two duos in a Tag Team Survivor Series Match last year, the two sides reinvented themselves from the bottom up in 2017 and, thanks to a title upset by The Bar a few weeks ago, met again at the 2017 fall classic in a battle not just for brand supremacy, but personal supremacy. For now, at least, the advantage goes to The Usos.
The SmackDown Tag Team Champions didn’t dominate The Bar, but much like all their classic encounters this year, they did outlast them, using their speed and timing to hold the Raw titleholders at bay each time they got going. There were few maneuvers Cesaro & Sheamus attempted that The Usos didn’t have an answer for. At one point, Cesaro cut a Jey Uso suicide dive short with an uppercut, only to immediately suffer another from Jimmy.
It ended up being Jey who bailed The Usos out of their closest brush with defeat when Cesaro locked him in a Sharpshooter while Sheamus blasted Jimmy with a Brogue Kick in an echo of last year’s Survivor Series conclusion. Jey muscled his way across the ring to break the hold with the ropes, and minus one go-for-broke attempt at a Doomsday Device-White Noise hybrid, The Bar never got that close to victory again.
For one, that double-move was cannily reversed into a Samoan Drop off the top rope. Then, after Cesaro took a double-superkick for his partner from both Usos, the twins chopped Sheamus down to his knees with a series of kicks before meeting in the middle with one final double-blast. Jimmy dispatched Cesaro with a suicide dive to the outside, tagging Jey in as he sprinted through the ropes. From there, one big top-rope splash spelled the end for The Bar.
Given these two teams’ history, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw them clash once again down the line. As far as this time goes, Cesaro & Sheamus will leave Survivor Series in one piece, but the glory belongs to The Uso Penitentiary. (Via WWE.com)
SmackDown Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair defeated RAW Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss by submission.
Charlotte Flair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship victory this past Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE brought not only a new matchup to Survivor Series, but also a battle between, arguably, 2017’s two most dominant female Superstars.
It should come as no surprise then that a big fight feel filled the air in Houston’s Toyota Center as the only two women to ever hold both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles squared off in head-to-head competition.
Flair immediately used her size and strength advantages to take control. Bliss was not afraid, though, turning the tides by viciously dropping Charlotte to the floor two separate times. Little Miss Bliss’ attacks were continuous, giving Flair no breathing room whatsoever (that guillotine, anyone?) and having an answer for every comeback The Queen attempted to mount.
Flair was finally able to get back into the contest with a desperation powerbomb that evened the playing field. From there, the two busted out their best with Five Feet of Fury kicking out of Natural Selection and avoiding a picture-perfect moonsault. Flair escaped defeat from Bliss’ signature DDT by getting her foot on the bottom rope just in the nick of time.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion powered on, despite her ribs having been brutalized throughout the duration of the contest. She connected with a jaw breaking kick to Bliss’ face before locking in the Figure-Eight Leglock for the win to give SmackDown a 3-2 advantage on the scorecard.
Typically, deities outrank royal figures. On this night, however, The Goddess bowed down to The Queen. (Via WWE.com)
It should come as no surprise then that a big fight feel filled the air in Houston’s Toyota Center as the only two women to ever hold both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles squared off in head-to-head competition.
Flair immediately used her size and strength advantages to take control. Bliss was not afraid, though, turning the tides by viciously dropping Charlotte to the floor two separate times. Little Miss Bliss’ attacks were continuous, giving Flair no breathing room whatsoever (that guillotine, anyone?) and having an answer for every comeback The Queen attempted to mount.
Flair was finally able to get back into the contest with a desperation powerbomb that evened the playing field. From there, the two busted out their best with Five Feet of Fury kicking out of Natural Selection and avoiding a picture-perfect moonsault. Flair escaped defeat from Bliss’ signature DDT by getting her foot on the bottom rope just in the nick of time.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion powered on, despite her ribs having been brutalized throughout the duration of the contest. She connected with a jaw breaking kick to Bliss’ face before locking in the Figure-Eight Leglock for the win to give SmackDown a 3-2 advantage on the scorecard.
Typically, deities outrank royal figures. On this night, however, The Goddess bowed down to The Queen. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar defeated WWE Champion AJ Styles.
AJ Styles’ return to the WWE Championship was a Cinderella story in and of itself. But thanks to Brock Lesnar, the clock struck midnight at Survivor Series.
The Phenomenal One’s upending of Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion didn’t only book him a date with The Beast Incarnate, it threw Lesnar on a collision course against an opponent whose tangible skills (speed, stamina) seemed tailormade to exploit The
Conqueror’s supposed deficiency: A will that, if you ask Daniel Bryan, is easier to break than Paul Heyman generally acknowledges.
Lesnar seemed to take that assessment of his skills personally, opening the match with an extended display of savagery that included palming Styles’ head as he threw him across the ring, a German suplex that nearly sent The Phenomenal One through the arena roof and a running knee to a corner-bound Styles.
What got AJ back in the game was his “elusive and abusive” speed, as a cocky Lesnar went for another knee and missed, slamming the cartilage into the turnbuckle and opening the door for The Phenomenal One to go to work. Targeting Brock’s knees, Styles left The Beast on shaky ground and began to pick him apart with quick strikes designed to place doubt into the mind of The Conqueror. A brief fight outside the ring left Brock crawling for purchase after Styles administered a series of flying forearms, and a springboard 450 landed a long two-count on the Universal Champion.
Perhaps the biggest boost to Styles’ confidence was that he managed to evade the F-5 at every turn, most significantly when he reversed it into a Calf Crusher that very nearly accomplished the impossible and submitted The Beast. That was until Brock snaked his massive arm around Styles’ throat and slammed him repeatedly into the mat to break the hold. Yet the move did its job, as Lesnar again tried to hoist Styles up on wobbly knees for his signature move and The Phenomenal One slipped off his shoulders for a Phenomenal Forearm.
Unfortunately, what would have been a surefire finishing strike landed Styles exactly where Lesnar wanted him, as a second attempt at the Phenomenal Forearm delivered the WWE Champion directly atop Lesnar’s shoulders, where the ensuing F-5 spelled the end of the match.
The result, of course, is bound to leave a bitter taste in Styles’ mouth and a sweet one in Mahal’s as he awaits his rematch. But if the state Lesnar was in following his victory — clutching his knee in pain, limping slowly into the locker room and regarding his fallen opponent with new eyes — was any indication, it’s fair to say this match played out more like a “Rocky” movie than Paul Heyman thought it would. (Via WWE.com)
The Phenomenal One’s upending of Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion didn’t only book him a date with The Beast Incarnate, it threw Lesnar on a collision course against an opponent whose tangible skills (speed, stamina) seemed tailormade to exploit The
Conqueror’s supposed deficiency: A will that, if you ask Daniel Bryan, is easier to break than Paul Heyman generally acknowledges.
Lesnar seemed to take that assessment of his skills personally, opening the match with an extended display of savagery that included palming Styles’ head as he threw him across the ring, a German suplex that nearly sent The Phenomenal One through the arena roof and a running knee to a corner-bound Styles.
What got AJ back in the game was his “elusive and abusive” speed, as a cocky Lesnar went for another knee and missed, slamming the cartilage into the turnbuckle and opening the door for The Phenomenal One to go to work. Targeting Brock’s knees, Styles left The Beast on shaky ground and began to pick him apart with quick strikes designed to place doubt into the mind of The Conqueror. A brief fight outside the ring left Brock crawling for purchase after Styles administered a series of flying forearms, and a springboard 450 landed a long two-count on the Universal Champion.
Perhaps the biggest boost to Styles’ confidence was that he managed to evade the F-5 at every turn, most significantly when he reversed it into a Calf Crusher that very nearly accomplished the impossible and submitted The Beast. That was until Brock snaked his massive arm around Styles’ throat and slammed him repeatedly into the mat to break the hold. Yet the move did its job, as Lesnar again tried to hoist Styles up on wobbly knees for his signature move and The Phenomenal One slipped off his shoulders for a Phenomenal Forearm.
Unfortunately, what would have been a surefire finishing strike landed Styles exactly where Lesnar wanted him, as a second attempt at the Phenomenal Forearm delivered the WWE Champion directly atop Lesnar’s shoulders, where the ensuing F-5 spelled the end of the match.
The result, of course, is bound to leave a bitter taste in Styles’ mouth and a sweet one in Mahal’s as he awaits his rematch. But if the state Lesnar was in following his victory — clutching his knee in pain, limping slowly into the locker room and regarding his fallen opponent with new eyes — was any indication, it’s fair to say this match played out more like a “Rocky” movie than Paul Heyman thought it would. (Via WWE.com)
With Survivor Series tied at 3-3 between Raw and SmackDown LIVE, Team Red scored a hard-fought victory over Team Blue in the main event of WWE’s fall classic, cementing Raw’s dominance in a head-to-head competition for brand supremacy. But the win that earned Raw an overall victory over SmackDown LIVE came with no small amount of controversy for the red brand, with tensions between Triple H and Team Raw’s captain, General Manager Kurt Angle, bubbling over in the match’s final moments.
As expected, Braun Strowman proved to be a major player on Team Raw, pinning SmackDown LIVE favorites Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode in short order with two ring-rattling Running Powerslams. Attempting to take The Monster Among Men off the playing field, Team Blue’s John Cena and Randy Orton double-teamed the juggernaut, and with the help of their blue band compatriots, drove the behemoth through one of the ringside announce tables.
Order was eventually restored, with Cena putting away Raw’s Samoa Joe with a damaging duet of Attitude Adjustments, finally getting SmackDown on the scoreboard.
Shortly after, Cena found himself standing across the ring from Angle — the Superstar Cena faced during his debut WWE match on SmackDown back in 2002. Realizing quickly that The Olympic Hero hadn’t lost a step, Cena fell victim to an Angle Lock followed up by an Angle Slam. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon broke up Angle’s pinfall attempt, but a well-timed Coup de Grâce from Raw’s Finn Bálor made Cena vulnerable to a second Angle Slam. Angle then pinned the 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, reducing Team Blue’s ranks to two: McMahon and Randy Orton.
It was Bálor who made the attempt to skin The Viper, hitting Orton with his signature Slingblade and sending his veteran foe into the turnbuckle with a dropkick that left Orton in the drop zone for the Coup de Grâce. The ring awareness of WWE’s Apex Predator, however, won out. He dodged the aerial Bálor and hit a perfectly executed RKO on the Irishman that took Bálor out of the match.
Not only did Shane-O-Mac and The Viper face insurmountable odds given the remaining members of Team Raw — Strowman, Triple H and Angle — but opposition also came from the SmackDown camp. Bitter that they were not included on SmackDown’s Survivor Series team, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn brutally attacked McMahon, forcing the commissioner to fend them off with a steel chair.
After helping Shane fight off the attackers, a distracted Orton was floored with a Running Powerslam from Strowman that led to his elimination. Now, the man who put Raw under siege and formed the perfect team to challenge Raw for brand supremacy was all alone against three powerful foes.
Despite that power, however, lingering tension between Angle and Triple H — who Pedigreed Angle’s son, Jason Jordan, just days earlier — dramatically changed the complexion of Team Raw in the final moments of the match. Seeming to side with his brother-in-law, Triple H hit The Olympic Hero with a Pedigree and placed McMahon on top of Angle to eliminate the Raw GM. As a confused Strowman looked on, Triple H then helped Shane to his feet, only to hit McMahon with the same maneuver that put down Angle, scoring the final pin for Team Red and ending the night for a 4-3 win for Raw overall at Survivor Series.
Not at all pleased with the final moments of the match, Strowman quietly seethed as Triple H held up his hand in victory. The Monster Among Men forced the jubilant King of Kings into the corner and warned the WWE COO not to cross him a second time or Triple H “will never play this game again.”
As Strowman’s back was turned, The Game tried to take down the behemoth, but The Monster Among Men was ready and hit Triple H with not one, but two Running Powerslams.
Triple H might have stolen the glory and raised some serious questions about Strowman’s immediate future, but nevertheless, Raw reigns supreme … at least, for now. (Via WWE.com)
As expected, Braun Strowman proved to be a major player on Team Raw, pinning SmackDown LIVE favorites Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode in short order with two ring-rattling Running Powerslams. Attempting to take The Monster Among Men off the playing field, Team Blue’s John Cena and Randy Orton double-teamed the juggernaut, and with the help of their blue band compatriots, drove the behemoth through one of the ringside announce tables.
Order was eventually restored, with Cena putting away Raw’s Samoa Joe with a damaging duet of Attitude Adjustments, finally getting SmackDown on the scoreboard.
Shortly after, Cena found himself standing across the ring from Angle — the Superstar Cena faced during his debut WWE match on SmackDown back in 2002. Realizing quickly that The Olympic Hero hadn’t lost a step, Cena fell victim to an Angle Lock followed up by an Angle Slam. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon broke up Angle’s pinfall attempt, but a well-timed Coup de Grâce from Raw’s Finn Bálor made Cena vulnerable to a second Angle Slam. Angle then pinned the 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, reducing Team Blue’s ranks to two: McMahon and Randy Orton.
It was Bálor who made the attempt to skin The Viper, hitting Orton with his signature Slingblade and sending his veteran foe into the turnbuckle with a dropkick that left Orton in the drop zone for the Coup de Grâce. The ring awareness of WWE’s Apex Predator, however, won out. He dodged the aerial Bálor and hit a perfectly executed RKO on the Irishman that took Bálor out of the match.
Not only did Shane-O-Mac and The Viper face insurmountable odds given the remaining members of Team Raw — Strowman, Triple H and Angle — but opposition also came from the SmackDown camp. Bitter that they were not included on SmackDown’s Survivor Series team, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn brutally attacked McMahon, forcing the commissioner to fend them off with a steel chair.
After helping Shane fight off the attackers, a distracted Orton was floored with a Running Powerslam from Strowman that led to his elimination. Now, the man who put Raw under siege and formed the perfect team to challenge Raw for brand supremacy was all alone against three powerful foes.
Despite that power, however, lingering tension between Angle and Triple H — who Pedigreed Angle’s son, Jason Jordan, just days earlier — dramatically changed the complexion of Team Raw in the final moments of the match. Seeming to side with his brother-in-law, Triple H hit The Olympic Hero with a Pedigree and placed McMahon on top of Angle to eliminate the Raw GM. As a confused Strowman looked on, Triple H then helped Shane to his feet, only to hit McMahon with the same maneuver that put down Angle, scoring the final pin for Team Red and ending the night for a 4-3 win for Raw overall at Survivor Series.
Not at all pleased with the final moments of the match, Strowman quietly seethed as Triple H held up his hand in victory. The Monster Among Men forced the jubilant King of Kings into the corner and warned the WWE COO not to cross him a second time or Triple H “will never play this game again.”
As Strowman’s back was turned, The Game tried to take down the behemoth, but The Monster Among Men was ready and hit Triple H with not one, but two Running Powerslams.
Triple H might have stolen the glory and raised some serious questions about Strowman’s immediate future, but nevertheless, Raw reigns supreme … at least, for now. (Via WWE.com)