Survivor Series 2018

November 18th, Los Angeles, California.

My interest in the current WWE is pretty, pretty low though I do keep up via 411Mania recaps/reviews. Bryan won the WWE Title in the SMACKDOWN! go home show and faces Lesnar tonight in a Champion Vs. Chamoion match which some hilariously say is a punishment of some sort, granted Brock may end Bryans career, is a man with neck history really the best to be put in there, but I doubt it's been done for that reason. Also the one match that seemed to have garnered any interest is off the cards as Nia Jax injured Becky Lynch and she's been pulled from the Rousey match.

Carmella/Naomi/Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville/Asuka Vs. Mickie James/Tamina/Nia Jax/Bayley/Sasha Banks (w/Alexa Bliss)
R-Truth is with Carmella. Naomi is SMACKDOWN! captain and Alexa is the RAW Captain though can't competedue to concussion issues I think. I nearly fell off my chair when I found out Tamina still has a job and I'm not even in  a chair it's that shocking. Cole says a fight on the pre-show between Natalya and Ruby Riott has seen Alexa replace them with the latter two. We get a pier-six less than a minute in. Tamina superkicks Naomi for 3 (4-5) but Carmella rolls up Tamina for 3 (4-4) then we have a dance break. Carmella tries to roll up Nia but can't get her over. Mickie neckbreakers Mandy for a 2 count. Asuka is still popular it seems which is a testament to wither her personality or respect as her booking has been pretty bad since the Rumble. Bayley tags herself in much to Mickie's chagrin. Sonya hits a running knee and Mandy gets the pin on Mickie (4-3) as she'd tagged herself in. Carmella with a moonwalk DDT to Bayley. Bayley-to-Belly eliminates Carmella (3-3). Bank Statement eliminates Mandy (2-3). Sonya looks a little like an alternate universe evil version of Bayley. Spinebuster to Bayley but Nia breaks it to heat then Asuka attacks her ringside to cheers. Bayley and Sonya tumble to ringside and they're both counted out (1-2). Asuka hits Sasha with a hiptoss style Go2Sleep and a wicked german. Corey says Asuka is essentially in a handicap match, well yes she is there's nothing 'essentially' about it. Nia pushes Sasha into the Asuka Lock (1-1). Nia leg drops Asuka three times, thankfully it wasn't Hogan doing the Leg Drops or Asuka would be a goner. Samoan drop ends it @ 20:08ish (0-1) as Nia survives. **1/2 They gave them time and they didn't have the annoying quick eliminations thing. There wasn't anything real interesting within the match itself in terms of stories for me but it was good. 

There's a bit backstage with Baron/Stephanie and Shane/Paige about who's better and a LeBron cheap heat bit from Baron.

Seth Rollins Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Seth is IC Champion and Shin is the US Champion. A wrestling start finishes with a rope break leading to a Come Onnnnnnn from Shin. Seth gets a 2 off a roll up after ducking a kick. Duelling Nakamura and Burn It Down chants. Seth hits a guillotine leg drop which sends Shin ringside then Seth skins the cat and goes to follow with a suicide dive but Shin hits a knee/kick. Shin goes anti-Beach Boys with some bad vibrations. Seth with a downward spiral sending Skin into the middle turnbuckle. Slingblade then soon after Seth hits three suicide dives. Shin hits a backstabber but has no effect really as Seth fires back with a superkick. Shin gets a triangle but Seth breaks it with a Buckle Bomb. Superplex into a Falcon Arrow gets Seth a 2 count, they had me there to be fair as I was ready to stop my stopclock. Shin unleashes a combo of strikes and hits an inverted exploder. Seth misses a frog splash allowing Shin to hit the Kinshasa but it only gets 2 as god help us if a finisher actually finished a match in 2018. Shin misses a Kinshasa allowing Seth to get 3 from a Stomp @ 21:26. ***1/2 Yeah it was good and enjoyable with a couple good false finishes but there's just no psychology in matches like these they're just essentially late 90s/early 00 spotfests but with more talent and less high risk moves which is an oberservation not a complaint re the high risk bit. 

Team RAW are backstage with Drew and Braun not getting on then Baron is here so Braun pushes Lio Rush into him and R-Truth shows up thinking he's on RAW.

The Bar (w/ Big Show) Vs. AOP (w/ Drake Maverick)
Bar are SMACKDOWN! Tag Champions and AOP are RAW Tag Champions. The Bar are going to next months WCC but I'm not as just wasn't feeling it. Drake Maverick is *the* most Indy name I think I've ever heard, for those who watched TNA he is the artist formerly known as Rockstar Spud.  Razar(?) is on the defensive but the tables have been turned when Ceasro goes to giant swing Akom(?) but it'sbroken up and AOP take over. Ceasro is your-swiss-in-peril. Ceasro manages a some uppercut but he's soon down again. The crowd is silent, you1 could hear a pin drop in Oklahoma. Sheamus does his clubbing blows bit which gets the crowd involved. Brogue Kick to Razar but Drake puts his foot on the rope. Big Show chokes Dallas who wets himself, classic brummie. Nice suplex/sit out powerbomb combo to Sheamus gets AOP the win @ 9:03. ** I wasn't too drawn in but they had the tag psychology bit where Cesaro was isolated and that's always appreciated by me.  

Shane bigs up the SMACKDOWN! team with Miz repeating Shane's last words. R-Truth comes to Shane for a job but Shane tells him he's already on SMACKDOWN! Miz promises the team signed copies of Marine 6 of they win.

Cruiserweight Title - Buddy Murphy (c) Vs. Mustafa Ali
Buddy, an Aussie, won the title at Super Show-Down which was in Australia, we'll see tonight if he gets an actual reign or if that was done just for the home crowd. WWE promote SupportLFD.org and ask for donations to help the firemen fighting the fires in California. Years ago there used to be a company who toured as a WWF tribute show pretending to be The Rock etc. well Ali looks like he'd make a good fake Seth Rollins. Yowzers Murphy sends Ali flying backwards off the top into the barricade. Network is playing up a bit, it slows down whilst never freezing then goes quick to catch up to the live action. Murphy is taking Ali apart as he has been discombobulated since being thrown off the top. Ali dodges a corner charge and hits a kick but is soon dumped over the top and Murphy follows with a somersault senton over the top. Back in Ali with a couple of superkicks and an inverted hurricanrana for 2, sounds like a faint 'you f'd up' chant over something. Ali spins into a draping DDT for 2. Ali is again dumped off thetop to the outside, you'd think he'd learn but he is from Chicago. Ali with a Spanish Fly off an announce table, I hope the spanish one, and we get a '205' chant. Ali goes up but is caught, shocker,  as Murphy bends him and hits a superkick them two powerbombs for 2, I thought that was it. A kind of pump handle death valley driver ends it as Murphy gets 3 @ 12:11. ***1/2 I found myself liking this one which is a testament to the match as I wasn't familiar with these guys going in. I don't watch 205 but if they do matches like this I may have too as it could be the best main stream cruiserweight stuff since prime WCW. 

Lashley/Finn/Ziggler/McIntyre/Strowman Vs. Rey/Miz/Jeff Hardy/Samoa Joe/Shane McMahon
Lashley team is representing RAW and are accompanied by Baron and Lio Rush whilst the others are representing SMACKDOWN!. Strowman is in the match in exchange for a title shot Vs. Brock and a match with Baron as long as he doesn't attack him here, Renee wonders if that counts post match. I keep thinking Ryder is on the team as Miz for some reason has taken to looking like him. Drew tags himself in straight away and avoids the Coquinha(?) Clutch and hits the Claymore eliminating Samoa Joe (5-4). Shane's in Vs. Dolph, Shane recently beat Dolph for title of Best In The World, don't ask. Fameasser gets 2 on Shane. Zig Zag hits when Shane goes for a spinning elbow but Miz breaks the pin. Braun tags in but Drew tags himself in and they start fighting, are they setting the table for a Braun/Drew WWE Title feud? SMACKDOWN! attack Braun and Rey gets the 619, the crowd likes Braun but they cheered for the 619. Shane clears the announce table as Cole wonders what they have planned, seeing as Shane has done an elbow for 19 years through it I think I know. Sure enough Shane hits the elbow, i'll take wrestling spots Stevie Wonder could see coming for $200 please Alex. Finn catches Mix with a kick up top, Finn gets 2 when he rolls through Skull Crushing Finale. Finn gets 2 on Rey with a move I think Big Show used to call The Final Cut. Coup De Grace misses and Rey dials up 619 and eliminates Finn (4-4). Rey goes to 619 Drew but Bobby blind tags in and cancels Reys call with a big boot. 0800 B-I-G B-O-O-T. Bobby Boy Smith with a delayed vertical but Rey rolls out of it, that never happened to Bulldog. Jeff hits his leg drop to the groin and Cole calls it classic Jeff Hardy as I can't help but wonder what happened to 'vintage'. Jeff hits Twist of Fate,  with Doloh landing Stunner style, but Dolph uses his knees to block the Swanton. Has Shane gone home to watch Sunday Night Football? Oh wait here he is, I guess the game's a dud. Shane Terminator hits on Dolph for 3 (3-4). Is Braun still out from the elbow? I mean the guy was thrown into the back of a garbage truck and was okay but an elbow takes him out. Shane Terminator to Lashley is attempted but Braun clotheslines him out of the air. Braun counters Twist of Fate with a Powerslam to eliminate Jeff (3-3). Rey dials up again but Braun puts down the reciever via a Powerslam to eliminate Rey (3-2). Powerslam to Miz for 3 (3-1). Powerslam ends the match @ 23:57. Post match Corbin cheapshots Strowman and leaves with Lasgley and McIntyre.  **** - Was struggling between ***1/2 and **** but I am a sucker for a multi-man tag match so i'll go for the ****. Match was fun even though like the women's match of the same nature it didn't really have stories within itself bar Drew and Braun fighting. Enjoyable though dont get me wrong. They booked Braun to look strong again but there's only so long he can be kept strong without putting him on the top.

Just went for a toilet break and comeback to find there's been an error, I haven't missed a match but may of missed something.

Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair
Ronda is RAW Women's Champion and Charlotte is replacing the SMACKDOWN! Women's Champion Becky Lynch who was injured by new super heel Nia Jax. You know on Twitter people treat Charlotte like the best thing since sliced bread but I've never been blown away by what I've see, don't get me wrong she's good and certainly miles ahead of what I witnessed throughout the early/mid 2000s-early 2010s . I have been Impressed with Ronda when you consider her lack of experience. This was being touted as a potential Mania 35 top liner. Charlotte avoids an armbar and Ronda avoids the Figure Eight. Even start until Ronda is thrown into the bottom turnbuckle. Charlotte is working the leg as Ronda has been cut seemingly by a Flair elbow. Ronda with an armbar in the ropes which much like Tajiri's Tarantula forces a rope break by default. Ronda gets an armbar out of the corner but Charlotte rolls it into a pinning predicament and now has the Walls of Charlotte applied. Natural Selection is countered as Ronda grabs the arm but Charlotte avoids the armbar. Moonsault is blocked as Ronda gets her feet up. Spear gets Charlotte 2. Charlotte rolls through an armbar into a Figure Four but it's countered and they roll ringside where Charlotte is thrown into the barricade. Ronda tees off on Charlotte but she counters with chops, rock-paper-jabs-chops. Charlotte goes ringside and when Ronda charges her she hits her with a kendo stick for the DQ @ 14:10. The kendo assault continues post match then takes out some refs and Pillmanises Rondas neck, maybe they will meet at Mania after all. Ronda should of done a stretcher job but leaves under her own power. The crowd turned on Ronda. ***1/2 My only issue is that the match had the same thing pretty much throughout as Ronda kept trying for the armbar and never got it, matches with that though usually end with the wrestler hitting/applying the move and winning with it but this didn't have that.

Daniel Bryan Vs. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman)
Bryan is the WWE Champion, winning on the last SMACKDOWN! and Brock is the Universal Champion after beating Braun at the Crown Jewel show. Thought we were going to have Brock jump Bryan as he didn't come out straight away. Bryan taunts Brock pre match and I mean come on the guy's from Washington State the birth of grunge music so don't expect any smart moves. Bryan jogs around ringside then when Brock follows Bryan goes in the ring and poses. Bryan tries for a kick but it's blocked and he is clubbed down. Brock hits release german numero uno then numero dos and I hope there's only one more as my Spanish counting is spent beyond tries and I'm  not sure that's even right. Brock switches it up with some release overhead belly to belly suplexes. Brock dials the clock back to 1957 as he applies a bearhug then brings us back to 2018 with a slam. There's german numero tres, sounds like a 'same old s--t' chant which could also be aimed at Hollywood too. F-5 but Brock himself breaks the count despite saying 'goodnight everybody'. Bryan hits some kicks then a low blow after the ref is knocked down as Brock hits him with Bryan during an attempted F-5, running knee gets 2. Brock is being kicked repeatedly. Bryan lowbridges Brock sending him ringside then posts him and hits a knee off the apron. Back in Bryan hits the running knee but again it's only for 2. Bryan wraps Brocks leg around the post then a missile dropkick connects. Brock catches Bryan going for a knee but his knee gives out on an FT attempt and Bryan gets the Yes Lock but Brock manages to work it so he's in a triangle then powers from that into an F5 for 3 @ 18:40ish. **** First part was okay when Brock was nearing SummerSlam 2014 territory but then when Bryan started a comeback, something I did find a tad silly after the early beating, the crowd got into it and it became a proper match nearing SummerSlam 2013 territory though not quite reaching them heights, though that was a sparkling match to be fair. Fun to see Brock have an actual match as well. 

23.5 / 35 - Ratings wise that is a cracking showing from WWE. There was no bad matches on the card and I was throwing stars out like Genji. I only remembered this was on ten minutes before air time and i'm glad I did. Cracking show.

Thumbs up.