The 32nd annual Survivor Series is this weekend, and the nerds sat at the roundtable to discuss the five big talking points!
1. WHAT DO YOU MAKE TO THE LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO THE CARD?
DOM: I have finally broken down and admitted it; Becky Lynch is my favourite wrestler right now. So clearly I’m gutted that she’s missing out on this huge contest. However, Daniel Bryan is my all time favourite wrestler and my favourite run of his was as the cocky heel, best in the World, ROH champion. Pretty much giddy to see the dragon slay the beast. #ihavetil5referee
ROSS: Let's not beat around the bush here, Becky Lynch v Ronda was going to be incredible. The two biggest stars at the moment meeting one on one was a main event worthy match, with Becky currently lightning in a bottle. It sucks we are missing out on that. However, Charlotte is a brilliant wrestler and they will have a great match. The Daniel Bryan match is going to be a shit storm in my opinion as I think he is lying down for Brock and the two of them embrace as Heyman guys.
RYAN: Worry for Bryan vs Brock, history of head injuries against a beast! Charlotte a worthy sub & can keep rivalries going between all 3.
PETE: Charlotte got really really screwed by this. They went from potentially being able to build her back up over the course of several months into Mania after getting more or less buried by Becky Lynch in their feud to throwing her in against Rousey when her only wins in recent memory have been on MMC. She's even been losing clean on house shows for a full month now. How the fuck are we supposed to believe she has a chance? I don't really give a shit about Lesnar at all so the title switch means nothing regarding that match.
SIMON: We’ve had Lesnar vs Styles last year so I’m happy we have something different this year. Plus I’m cool with a Heel Bryan.
ROBIN: Bryan v Lesnar is a match about 4 years in the making, so I'm happy to see that. Shame about Lynch v Rousey but that'll probably be at Wrestlemania now which is just as fine by me.
ALEX: With the way the card is changing at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE Superstars gets revived before the show and Lesnar drops the title to Curt Hawkins. Daniel Bryan takes on Curt Hawkins in the main event, 2.8 stars.
GREG: I think they realised that if they didn’t pull the trigger on Bryan and Brock now it’d never happen. Personally I hope this isn’t a classic Lesnar squash. Bryan would do well cheating his way to a win, reaffirming his heel status and avoiding those neck breaking suplexes!!!
PHIL: Very strange to change the card last minute but I suppose AJ had the title for bloody ages, so could be a good shout. Heel vs heel though...odd one!
JAMES: I'm sad for Becky. However if they're continuing Rondas unbeaten run I'm happy for her to not lose. She's the most popular person in the company at the moment so not losing will help her continue the amazing roll she's on. No idea what to think on Brock v D-Bry. I was hoping Styles might do Lesnar this time. He's also the only Lesnar singles match I can remember enjoying in the last 3 or 4 years. Again don't think he needed to lose twice in a row D-Bry I'm intrigued as to what they do.
ROB: We saw AJ v Brock last year and to be fair to AJ I think the poor bastard is knackered. He hasn't had an absolute classic match in a while and I think a bit of time out the spotlight will do him good. D-Bry also has hardly had the greatest return to the ring and now he's got a bit of attitude he might get some of the interest back from the crowd. That being said, Brock is not a man I would put in the ring with someone whose brain is one concussion away from being an innocent smoothie. As for Ronda v Charlotte, I hated the hug from becky, I've lost interest in face Charlotte, and I have absolutely no hope or optimism about where this Becky thing ends up now. So basically, I can't wait.
CHARLIE: I was looking forward to both matches! Don't get me wrong, I think the 2 changed matches are still good but it was all about Becky vs Ronda and hopefully the pop of seeing AJ beat Brock.
MAT: Gutted about Becky Lynch, but Charlotte as her replacement is nearly good as it gets.
MIKE: They did the same last year to Jinder, and you have to feel for AJ and Becky, but I’m figuring it won’t work out for them like it did to him (RIP Jinder). Becky is the most talked-about wrestler in WWE after her SD Live adventures, and AJ will be back in the main event shuffle soon enough.
RO: I only just caught up with all that's gone on and it's definitely a shocker, but I am looking forward to Ronda vs Flair. I'm nervous about Lesnar vs Bryan purely because of how wreckless Lesnar is (I think he legit killed the Singh bros on raw) and how fragile Bryan is... all it takes is one bad German and Bryan could be done for good.
2. WHAT WILL BE THE MATCH OF THE NIGHT?
DOM: The Dragon v The Beast
ROSS: The Cruiserweights will put on a classic again, but sadly they will have a dead crowd. Rollins v Nakamura could well steal the show.
RYAN: Rollins vs Nakamura if they get enough time. Both high quality!
PETE: Murphy vs Ali? I dunno, I'm really oddly pissed off by this show. Mostly with what they did to Charlotte.
SIMON: I expect Nakamura vs Rollins to be a belter but I feel it’s been overshadowed by Ambrose’s heel turn. That mad cunt will probably ruin it for us.
ROBIN: Lesnar v Bryan, if it isn't a squash.
ALEX: AOP vs The Bar
GREG: Ronda v Charlotte is very intriguing but I’m all about the classic survivor series elimination match up. It’s one of my favourites of the year.
PHIL: Seth vs Naka should be immense! Hopefully spark some life back into naka's current performances.
JAMES: If they get at least 10, hopefully 15 and the crowd isn't a sack of shit the Match of the Night will no doubt be Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali. 205 live main event is nearly always match of the week unless there is a takeover so I see no reason for this to be any different.
ROB: Fuck knows. Maybe some highlights of NXT War Games they show on the big screen?
CHARLIE: Traditional mens 5 on 5 Survivor Series match.
MAT: Rollins v Nakamura on paper should be a barn burner. But my match of the night will be Lesnar v Bryan.
MIKE: Hopefully the men’s elimination can get back to the heights of 2016, but maybe Rollins and Nakamura will steal the show (when doesn’t Seth steal the show these days?).
RO: I'd say Rollins vs Naks... maybe Flair vs Ronda.
3. SURVIVOR SERIES IS ONE OF THE BIG FOUR - WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF THE EVENT?
DOM: I’m sure there’s hundreds of memories that I’ve cherished over the years but I haven’t got the best memory for these types of things. Right now, I am gonna go with CM Punk’s Survivor Series debut with Team DX in 2006 or when Stone Cold tried to murder HHH by dropping him off that crane in the car in 2000.
ROSS: The Gobbledegooker birthing out of that big egg and Mean Gene falling on his face trying to dance with it in the ring? That was class! In reality, I just love the big traditional tags, spent many a childhood afternoon watching the early nineties ones. I also loved the feel good moment of HBK winning the first ever Elimination Chamber in 2002. That was great.
RYAN: The Undertaker debut - remember how scary he looked!?!
PETE: Goldberg daddying Lesnar two years ago. The match I've rewatched the most (partly cos it's short).
SIMON: I loved the Invasion storyline so I’ll go with Survivor Series 2001 which concluded it.
ROBIN: Probably Bob Backlund beating Bret Hart in 94. It was just mental. I couldn't fathom how an old man who was champion before I was born could beat my favourite wrestler like that. Blew my mind.
ALEX: I’m very partial to Ziggler’s outstanding comeback in the 2014 main event, which featured Sting’s first appearance. Inspiring stuff, especially for Ziggler fans such as myself.
GREG: Taker beating Hogan with Flair’s help in 91. My first ever video.
PHIL: The big old title tournament 20 years ago of course. "They're in cahoots damn it!"
JAMES: Favourite Survivor Series memory....the only one I can remember is 1999 when all of Godfathers teammates came out dressed as Godfather. One of them was D-Lo Brown.
ROB: The WCW v WWE one. It was still real to me then. I genuinely thought that WWE had been saved. What a dumb idiot.
CHARLIE: 1998 tournament for the WWF title. Bossman getting mugged off, The Rock with heel turn of the century (other than Hogan...). Had it all!
MAT: I’m so not qualified to answer this properly, so I won’t.
MIKE: I’d probably go back to my first SS in 1990, and the debut of Undertaker in the match that truly gave me an insight into how good Bret Hart and Ted Dibiase were. With Bret trying to overcome a 3-on-1 disadvantage, he managed to even things up before they put on a mini 5-minute clinic, with Dibiase snatching the win with a reversal. Hooked me in!
RO: Taker's debut is up there... maybe even the Shield debut... And HBKs performance in the 2003 Survivor Series elimination match.
4. IN 1990 THEY HAD THE ONE AND ONLY SOLE SURVIVOR MATCH WITH ALL THE WINNERS OF THE PREVIOUS MATCHES. SHOULD THAT BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE?
DOM: There’s definitely merit to it. But there’s no real rhyme or reason to who’s on which team etc. What about if any survivors are entered in to a money in the bank match for a title shot at the end of the night?
ROSS: I loved the idea as a Kid, even if it just meant we got Hogan and Warrior beating like 20 heels on their own after Tito Santana gave it a go too...
RYAN: Yes! Survivor Series should be all elimination tag matches.
PETE: No. In general wrestlers shouldn't wrestle more than once a night, it's always diminishing returns in terms of the show.
SIMON: I have no clue what that is if you want me to be honest.
ROBIN: Not a bad idea if they were basing the large majority of the event on brand supremacy via survivor series style matches, with little to no other types matches. Could have a tiered system of matches (5v5 main event singles, 5v5 mid card singles, shit tier singles, Cruiserweights, women, tag teams, legends) and then the winners at the end all join in a mixed 12 v 7, or however it turns out. Could be a massive disaster but I'd watch it out of morbid curiosity.
ALEX: Please god no, there’s only so many different ways these survivor matches can end up. There are already 3 on the card at the moment, I don’t think I could bear to watch another one.
GREG: That’d definitely be really fun. But they’d need an angle and it could get a bit convoluted in this day and age. Back then they would’ve just wheezed and clotheslined their ways through it. That wouldn’t cut the mustard in 2018.
PHIL: I'm always game for a mix up back to the future...let's see what happens.
JAMES: I like that idea. But 9 survivor series style matches seem a little much. Or even 11? Good for a one off to win something. But not now.
ROB: No that sounds rubbish. I don't need to see AOP twice.
CHARLIE: Yeah, I think the big 4 need their own identity and it has to an extent with the elimination tag matches but I'm always game for sole survivor!
MAT: That’d be a monster card unless they throw a few tag teams in? I think that could be cool to change it up every few years.
MIKE: Nah, never give Vince the chance of a face or huge wrestler overcoming ridiculous odds. He’ll always go for it, and potentially destroy any good run or heat anyone has. Just ask The Nexus.
RO: Wouldn't mind seeing that.
5. WHAT SHOULD THE WINNING BRAND GET FOR WINNING SURVIVOR SERIES?
DOM: Sprite. The drink.
ROSS: It should definitely be more than bragging rights in my opinion. How about the winning brand gets to headline the following Wrestlemania?!
RYAN: Winning brand has 1st picks in draft & sole survivors safe from swaps.
PETE: The winning McMahon gets to personally slap everyone on the losing brand.
SIMON: Maybe have a 6 man match for winning brand’s top title? Or have the 5 compete for the number 30 spot at Royal Rumble?
ROBIN: I can't think of anything. To the best of my knowledge, the best WWE came up with (excluding an ongoing storyline based reward) was a meaningless trophy, so I'm not far behind them with 'nothing'.
ALEX: Shane McMahon becoming an active member of the winning brand’s roster. After all, he is the best wrestler in the world.
GREG: I literally don’t know. I personally find it a bit weird every year when all the heels and faces suddenly bound together for the good of the brand. Like why do they even give a shit?! Becky and charlottes awkward hug a case in point. They should get one free trade maybe? I dunno?
PHIL: Winning brand should get a lovely lamb lunch with Vince!
JAMES: Exclusive rights to two NXT picks. Don't even have to call them up now. Say Smackdown win and they think top potential- Bianca Belair and Velveteen Dream- they choose them now. Then whenever they're ready for the roster Smackdown is guaranteed those wrestlers.
ROB: A blozzer from A-Train.
CHARLIE: Saudi marks and sparks vouchers
MAT: They should receive a big trophy that their brand can have and have a tournament for in a yearly, highly lucrative, pay per view in a country that is a recovering basket case. They could have the tournament to dub the best in the world or something.
MIKE: Kayfabe, first pick in the draft, I reckon. But maybe the losing Commissioner is banished for a while? (Please be Stephanie).
RO: Gin and a bucket of Colonels finest fried poultry... and a big arse ugly trophy.
Thanks to all the nerds who took part and we hope that you enjoyed the read!
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