Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Asuka, Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane) – War Games

Background: After Bianca Belair made her return in late October, Iyo Sky retained the title against her at Crown Jewel after a returning Kairi Sane (in her first appearance since July 2020) interfered. On the following SmackDown, Sky and Kai said they brought Sane in to make their group stronger, with Sane praising Bayley for her leadership and also said that she forgave Bayley for attacking her back in July 2020. They were then interrupted by Belair, Flair, and Asuka. A six-woman tag team match then took place, which ended in a no contest after Asuka turned on her team, subsequently reuniting with Sane and joining with Damage CTRL. Shotzi attempted to make the save, but was also laid out. The following week, Damage CTRL (represented by Bayley, Sky, Asuka, and Sane) challenged Belair, Flair, Shotzi, and a partner of their choosing to a WarGames match, which was accepted. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis gave Belair’s team until the end of the night to select their fourth member and they chose Raw’s Becky Lynch after Damage CTRL took out the other women on SmackDown. That same night, WWE announced that a Ruffles-sponsored fan vote would be held to determine which team would receive the WarGames advantage.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first match involving these eight girls.

Survivor Series PPV Record: Bianca Belair is 2-2, Charlotte is 3-3, Shotzi is 0-2, Becky Lynch is 2-3, Bayley is 1-5, Asuka is 2-3, Iyo Sky is 0-2 and Kairi Sane is 0-1.

Match: It’s Becky Lynch and Bayley who kick off the match for their teams and it’s a pretty back and forth affair in the early going. We know the babyface team have the advantage. Becky applies the disarm-her but Dakota Kai appears at ringside and jabs Lynch with a kendo stick which Bayley then uses to beat Becky down with. Shotzi is the first girl to leave the cage and enter the match, which she does so with weapons. She picks up the pace, hitting Bayley with a cross body, springboard guillotine and suicide dive. Becky and Shotzi double team Bayley until Iyo Sky enters the match with a chain around her fist. Sky wrestled a fast pace and beats down Lynch ad Shotzi on her own. Damage CTRL keep the advantage for this part of the match. Bianca Belair is next to enter and she uses her braid to whip Bayley and Iyo Sky.

Bianca hits a double suplex on both opponents. Kairi Sane is next to enter. She hits a nice assisted elbow drop on Shotzi who is buried under chairs. Charlotte enters the match and during this period we get Iyo Sky diving off the top of the cage inside a trash can onto everyone else below. Asuka enters last with more weapons. Damage CTRL tie Becky and Bianca together and all four girls hit dropkicks. Asuka blows blue most in Shotzis face. Charlotte hits a moonsault off the top of the cage on all four opponents. Charlotte and Becky then double team Kairi and Iyo before hugging. All hell then breaks loose with all eight women. Bayley saves Kairi from a spear, taking it herself. Bianca then hits Bayley with a KOD before Lynch hits a manhandle slam on Bayley off the middle rope through a table for the win. 

Result: Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Shotzi win by pinfall. 

Review: This was a fun War Games match. I’m not a huge fan of this style of match but they did a good job of keeping it interesting, sprinkled with some fun spots. I loved the Iyo trash can spot. I think this spells the end of Damage CTRL and certainly Bayley’s involvement. A great way to kick off the show. 

Rating: 8/10

Gunther (c) vs. The Miz – Intercontinental Championship match

Background: On the October 30 episode of Raw, Intercontinental Champion Gunther stated that he did not respect Miz, as he viewed Miz more as an “entertainer” than a serious wrestler, with Miz then saying that he himself was the one who had made the Intercontinental Championship prestigious and could do it again. After Imperium began to destroy the “Miz TV” set, Miz attacked Imperium, but Gunther got the upper hand, turning Miz face for the first time since January 2020. Later, Miz asked Raw General Manager Adam Pearce for a championship match against Gunther, but Pearce declined as there were others who also wanted a title match. A fatal four-way match was then scheduled for the next episode to determine Gunther’s challenger for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series: WarGames, which Miz won.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

Survivor Series PPV Record: Gunther is 0-1, The Miz is 3-6.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match. The Miz hits a couple of heavy slaps which angers Gunther. Miz then applies a figure four around the ringpost. Gunther soon takes control, slowing down the pace. Miz fights back, working the legs of the Intercontinental Champion. Gunther hits a powerbomb for a near fall. Gunther applies a sleeper but Miz grabs the top turnbuckle pad and pulls it off. This distracts the referee long enough to hit a low blow and then the skull-crushing finale for a near fall. Gunther fires back with a big clothesline and then a splash off the top rope. Gunther applies a Boston crab and Miz taps out!

Result: Gunther retains the Intercontinental Championship by submission. 

Review: This was a decent match. The crowd really got behind Miz but he was never going to win was he. Gunther wins by submission, he has a few finishers doesn’t he. Miz had a good attempt tonight but won’t be leaving with the gold. 

Rating: 5.75/10

Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar

Background: On the November 10 episode of SmackDown, the Latino World Order (LWO) addressed leader Rey Mysterio’s loss of the United States Championship at Crown Jewel to Logan Paul, who used brass knuckles to win. Carlito blamed Santos Escobar as he had left the brass knuckles on the ring apron. Escobar then left in disbelief of the accusation, but later turned heel on Mysterio by injuring his left knee and striking it with the steel steps. The following week, Escobar said that Mysterio was his hero, but after meeting him, he realized he was wrong. A confrontation with the other LWO members (Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Zelina Vega) occurred, where Escobar attacked Wilde and Toro. Carlito came out for the save but Escobar escaped. Later, a match between Carlito and Escobar was announced for Survivor Series: WarGames. However, the night before Survivor Series Escobar would injure Carlito’s arm, taking him out of the Survivor Series match. Dragon Lee would fend off Escobar and replace Carlito in the match tonight.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match between these two men.

Survivor Series PPV Record: Santos Escobar and Dragon Lee both make their Survivor Series debut tonight.

Match: Dragon Lee comes out of the gate quickly but Santos sees him coming, takes him down and takes control. Escobar attempts to break the leg of Dragon Lee in the ring steps much like he did with Rey Mysterio but Dragon Lee fights him off, hits a hurricanrana off the ring apron and then a plancha. Escobar hits a hurricanrana of his own off the top rope and the nearly rips off the mask of Dragon Lee. Lee hits a stomp off the top for a two count but then runs full pelt into a superkick. This feels like a big test for Dragon Lee, who could be a big time babyface going forward. He hits a sit out powerbomb for a two count. Escobar hits a destroyer and a phantom driver for the three!

Result: Santos Escobar wins by pinfall. 

Review: This was a decent match from these two luchadors. I think Santos was the right winner, he has a lot of momentum and feud with Rey Mysterio for the coming months. The match had a good pace to it and could be the first win of many for Santos Escobar. 

Rating: 6/10

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark – Women’s World Championship match

Background: At Crown Jewel, Zoey Stark was part of a fatal five-way match for Rhea Ripley’s Women’s World Championship, which Ripley retained. On the following episode of Raw, Stark won a battle royal to face Ripley for the title one-on-one at Survivor Series: WarGames.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time singles match between these two girls.

Survivor Series PPV Record: Rhea Ripley is 1-2, Zoey Stark wrestles at Survivor Series for the first time tonight.

Match: It’s a scrappy start to the match as neither girl hold back. Stark dropkicks Ripley out of the ring and then hits her with a cross body from the top. Stark then hits a nice springboard missile dropkick for a two count. It’s all Zoey in the early going, she hits a corkscrew senton for a two count. Rhea launches Stark into the ringpost and takes control from there. Ripley hits a hue chokeslam off the top rope that Stark flips over and I’m not really sure who was more affected. Rhea hits a big kick from the floor and takes control back. Stark counters a Rip-tide attempt and hits a German suplex and running knee for a two count. Rhea counters Z360 and hits Rip-tide for the three.

Result: Rhea Ripley retains the Women’s World Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent match but nothing spectacular. A match that you’d see on Raw to be honest. Stark had a good showing and demonstrated some of her innovative offence but it was always going to be a win for Rhea Ripley.

Rating: 5.75/10

Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn & Randy Orton vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh) & Drew McIntyre – War Games

Background: Since June, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn had all been involved in various rivalries with The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio) and their associate, JD McDonagh, encompassing matches for Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship and Bálor and Priest’s Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. At the conclusion of the November 6 episode of Raw, a brawl ensued between all eight men. Fed up with the constant chaos caused by The Judgment Day, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced that Rollins, Rhodes, Uso, and Zayn would face Judgment Day and McDonagh in a WarGames match at Survivor Series: WarGames. The following week, Rhodes and Priest were revealed as the leaders of their respective teams while McDonagh was made an official member of Judgment Day. At the end of the night, Drew McIntyre, who had been talking with Rhea Ripley and had his own past issues with Uso due to Uso’s involvement in The Bloodline, helped Bálor and Priest retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a rematch against Rhodes and Uso. On the next episode, McIntyre was added to Judgment Day’s WarGames team and later that night, he defeated Uso to earn the WarGames advantage. The fifth member of Rhodes’ team was then revealed to be a returning Randy Orton, who had been out with an injury since May 2022.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match involving these ten men.

Survivor Series PPV Record: Cody Rhodes is 2-5, Seth Rollins is 3-6, Jey Uso is 3-5, Sami Zayn is 1-3, Randy Orton is 9-6, Finn Balor is 0-4, Damian Priest is 0-1, Drew McIntyre is 2-5, both Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh wrestle at Survivor Series for the first time tonight.

Match: Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest stare each other down as Finn Balor makes his entrance to start the match. Randy Orton still hasn’t shown up as the rest of his team get in their cage and Seth Rollins starts the match. Rollins attacks Balor before the bell rings with a big suicide dive from one ring to the other. The opening stages of the match between Rollins and Balor are fast paced and back and forth. Seth avoids a coup de gras early. JD McDonagh is next to enter and brings in kendo sticks to give he and Finn Balor the advantage. They dominate Seth Rollins for three minutes until Jey Uso enters the match with a chair and evens up the odds. The crowd can’t stop chanting Seth’s music. Drew McIntyre wants to enter next but Damian Priest stops him and tells him to stick to the plan. Priest has some sort of metal weapon and he takes out Jey and Seth with it before hitting a corkscrew plancha on both men. Sami Zayn enters next and slides a table in with him. Zayn finds a pipe and nails everyone with it. With the babyfaces on top, Drew McIntyre enters the match, wipes out Rollins and Zayn and they goes after his true target, Jey Uso. Drew and Jey slug it out before Jey and Sami hit McIntyre with 1D. Cody Rhodes is next and he picks up the pace before pulling out a bullrope from under the ring. Rhodes and Rollins double team McDonagh and Balor with the bullrope.

Dominik Mysterio enters the match to a chorus of boos. He looks to hit three amigos on Cody but gets surrounded and beaten down. McIntyre and Priest hit a double triple powerbomb on Zayn, Rollins and Rhodes before Balor, McDonagh and Mysterio dive off the top with their respective finishers. Priest then hits a razor’s edge on Rollins through a table. Rhea Ripley then runs down with the money in the bank briefcase but Randy Orton’s music hits and the crowd goes mental as Orton walks out. Randy makes quick work of Mysterio, McDonagh and Balor before going toe to toe with Drew McIntyre. It’s all team babyface from here as they hit 5 hangmen DDT’s on their opponents. Orton and Jey Uso have an awkward moment but it’s finisher city from there as all the babyfaces hit their finishers respectively. Rollins and Zayn then toss McDonagh off the top of the cage into a waiting Randy Orton who hits an RKO! Cody Rhodes then hits Damian Priest with Cross-Rhodes for the victory.

Result: Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso and Randy Orton win War Games.

Review: This match was a lot of fun and actually better than I thought it would be. The reaction Randy Orton got when he came out was huge. It was a real feel-good moment with five of the biggest babyfaces in the company winning the match. The cash-in tease was fun and with Priest taking the loss tonight I don’t think we’re far away from a successful cash-in. Not much more to say about this but it was a really fun match.

Rating: 8.5/10