Welcome everyone to the 59th edition of Spandex and Suplexes: A Wrestling Review. I cover a week that saw the WWE Survivor Series PPV, the continued build to NXT TakeOver: Wargames, and the final build to the “Winter is Coming” AEW Dynamite special. Let’s get started.
Credit: WWE
Results:
1. The Gobbledy Gooker defeated R-Truth (c) by the Pre-Show Panelist Desk to become the new WWE 24/7 Champion
2. The Miz won an 18-man Dual Brand Battle Royal last eliminating Dominik Mysterio
3. Team Raw (AJ Styles, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, and Matt Riddle) defeated Team SmackDown (Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, King Corbin, and Otis) in a 5-on-5 men’s Survivor Series elimination match (Survivors: AJ Styles, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, and Matt Riddle)
4. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) in a Champions vs. Champions match
5. Bobby Lashley defeated Sami Zayn in a Champions vs. Champions match by submission
6. Sasha Banks defeated Asuka in a Champions vs. Champions match
7. Akira Tozawa defeated The Gobbledy Gooker (c) backstage to become the new WWE 24/7 Champion
8. R-Truth defeated Akira Tozawa (c) backstage to become the new WWE 24/7 Champion
9. Team Raw (Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Lana, Lacey Evans, and Peyton Royce) defeated Team SmackDown (Bayley, Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Natalya) in a 5-on-5 men’s Survivor Series elimination match (Sole Survivor: Lana)
10. Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre in a Champions vs. Champions match by technical submission after interference by Jey Uso
Brand Supremacy Result: Raw – 4 SmackDown – 3 (Raw wins)
Thoughts: While it was Team Raw that ended up making a clean sweep over Team SmackDown in the Men’s Survivor Series match, the wrestler who had the breakout performance, in my opinion, was Team SmackDown’s Otis. Otis was presented as just as much as a powerhouse as Keith Lee and Sheamus and held his own against former World Champions like AJ Styles and Braun Strowman. While he may have lost the Money in the Bank contract, I am glad that they are continuing to try to legitimize Otis as a main event level talent and this match went a long way at doing just that.
The night ended with the farewell ceremony for the legendary Undertaker who had made is WWE debut at Survivor Series 30 years ago. After several of The Deadman’s close friends from over the years (including the likes of Kane, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Big Show, and others) made their way to the ring to celebrate The Undertaker, Vince McMahon himself introduced The Phenom one final time. After Taker made his way to the ring, he gave one final message to the fans, and declared that “My time has come to let The Undertaker Rest in Peace”.
As regular readers of Spandex and Suplexes know, The Undertaker is my favorite wrestler of all time. While I knew this day was coming sooner rather than later, it is still sad to say goodbye to a character that I have watched for literally my entire life. I hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement and I expect him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the near future. Thank you, Undertaker, for all the memories, the amazing moments, and for all the times you put your body on the line to entertain us fans. To me, you will always be the greatest of all time.
Overall, this was a great PPV with the highlights being, the Men’s Survivor Series match, The Street Profits vs. The New Day (which is My Match of the Week), Banks vs. Asuka, Reigns vs. McIntyre, and The Undertaker’s farewell.
Credit: WWE
Results:
1. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) (c) defeated The Hurt Business (Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin) to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships
2. Matt Riddle defeated Sheamus to qualify for the WWE Championship #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week
3. Asuka (c) defeated Lana by DQ after interference by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler to retain the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
4. Asuka and Lana defeated Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler
5. Keith Lee defeated Bobby Lashley by DQ after interference by MVP to qualify for the WWE Championship #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week
6. Alexa Bliss defeated Nikki Cross
7. AJ Styles defeated Randy Orton after interference by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt to qualify for the WWE Championship #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week
Thoughts: Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss continue to steal the show. After yet another entertaining Firefly Funhouse segment (RIP Friendship Frog), Alexa Bliss went on to defeat her former best friend, Nikki Cross, after masterfully playing on Cross’ emotions by pretending to revert to her old self before hitting Nikki with an STO to pick up the win. The Fiend himself would make an appearance later during the main event, distracting Randy Orton to cost him his match against AJ Styles. The way The Fiend appeared from nowhere to scare the hell out of Orton was brilliant as Wyatt continues his path to vengeance against The Viper.
Thanks to help from The Fiend, Styles joins Matt Riddle and Keith Lee in a #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week to determine who will face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at WWE TLC. I expect AJ to pick up the win.
Overall, this was a great episode of Monday Night Raw with the highlights being Riddle vs. Sheamus, The Firefly Funhouse segment, Bliss vs. Cross, and the main event.
Credit: WWE
Results:
1. Candice LeRae defeated Ember Moon after interference by Indi Hartwell
2. Kushida defeated Timothy Thatcher by submission
3. Cameron Grimes defeated Jake Atlas
4. Pete Dunne defeated Kyle O’Reilly in a Ladder match after interference by a hooded man to earn the WarGames Advantage for The Kings of NXT
Thoughts: I have really been enjoying the Dexter Lumis/Cameron Grimes feud. The two characters mesh very well with the over the top slimy villain in Grimes and the enigmatic Norman Bates-like Lumis. After Cameron ran away from Dexter in both the Haunted House of Terror match at NXT Halloween Havoc and the Blindfold match last week, a strap match where both men are tied together by the arm with a leather strap in the perfect stipulation to end this feud between these two entertaining competitors at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Another match was added to NXT TakeOver: Wargames after an incredibly fun edition of The Kevin Owens Show with his guest Leon Ruff. After the segment was interrupted by both Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest (which Owens hilariously predicted would happen), William Regal made it official that Ruff will defend his NXT North American Championship against both Gargano and Priest in a Triple Threat match at TakeOver. This should be a great match that could be the career defining performance for Leon Ruff. Will he overcome the odds and keep his title? We will have to see.
Overall, this was a great episode of NXT with the highlights being LeRae vs. Moon, Kushida vs. Thatcher, The KO Show segment, Lumis’ challenge to Grimes, and the main event.
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Results:
1. “Hangman” Adam Page defeated John Silver
2. Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Lee Johnson
3. The Hybrid 2 (Angelico and Jack Evans) defeated Top Flight (Darius Martin and Dante Martin)
4. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho and Jake Hager) defeated SCU (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) after interference by MJF
5. Hikaru Shida (c) defeated Anna Jay to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
6. The Butcher and The Blade defeated Pac and Rey Fenix after interference by Eddie Kingston and Allie
Thoughts: Several matches were made for next week’s “Winter in Coming” special edition Dynamite. The main event AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega was made official in a great contract signing segment that saw Moxley take out Omega after being taken out himself by a mysterious attacker the week before. It is difficult to say who will walk out as champion next week as this match could truly go either way.
The question would be if AEW is willing to do a huge World title change on free TV. Based on their history of doing major shows and having major moments on AEW TV in the past, I would not discount it. This should be a barn burner of a match and could very well be the biggest match in AEW Dynamite history. Other matches announced were Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs, Chris Jericho vs. Frankie Kazarian, and a Dynamite Dimond Battle Royal.
Overall, this was a great episode of Dynamite with the highlights being Page vs. Silver, the Moxley/Omega contract signing, and the main event.
Between NXT and AEW this week, I am going to have to give the win to NXT due to the overall match quality. This brings my personal 2020 WNW rankings to: NXT – 17 and AEW – 30.
Credit: WWE
Results:
1. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode defeated The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford)
2. Sami Zayn defeated Daniel Bryan by countout after interference by Jey Uso
3. Bianca Belair defeated Natalya
4. Buddy Murphy defeated King Corbin after interference by Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, and Aaliyah Mysterio
5. Kevin Owens defeated Jey Uso by DQ
Thoughts: Jey Uso continued his decent into darkness this week. After being berated by Roman Reigns for losing the Men’s Survivor Series match and for getting involved in Reigns’ match with Drew McIntyre, Roman told Jey that he needed to make people fear and respect them. Uso would try to make this so by first attacking Otis with a steel chair and then later assaulting Daniel Bryan in the backstage area.
Kevin Owens would put a stop to the attack on Bryan and then later confront Reigns and Jey over their recent actions. This would lead to the main event match between KO and Uso. The match came to a head when Jey would try take out Owens by attacking him with a steel chair, causing a DQ, but the former WWE Universal Champion would turn things around and lay out Uso with multiple stunners and chair shots of his own. Owens then called out The Tribal Chief to come and take him on himself.
This storyline with Jey Uso draws mixed emotions as every time you want to feel bad for him over how Roman treats him, he then does something despicable to cause any sympathy to evaporate. After tonight’s actions, it now appears that Owens will be the next challenger for Reigns’ WWE Universal Championship, which should be a great, physical encounter. I also imagine that both Daniel Bryan and Otis will want to get their hands on Jey as well as the Reigns/Uso dynamic continues to be the most compelling thing going on over on the Blue Brand.
Overall, this was a great episode of Friday Night SmackDown with the highlights being the opening segment with Reigns and Uso, The Street Profits vs. Ziggler and Roode, Jey’s attacks on Otis and Bryan, Big E’s confrontation with Zayn, and the main event.
That’s it for this week’s Spandex and Suplexes. I am looking forward to what The Fiends does next this Monday on Raw and to the “Winter is Coming” special episode this Wednesday on Dynamite. While you are here on Florida Geek Scene, be sure to check out the second episode of my spin off series, Spandex and Suplexes: The Interview Series, where I interviewed veteran pro wrestler, Randy Hogan. Until next time, I’ll see you at ringside!
Nicholas Slade
Nicholas grew up reading J.R.R. Tolkien's books, watching Disney and Studio Ghibli films, and reading Marvel comics and Japanese manga. The superb storylines and characters ignited his passion for writing. He graduated from Full Sail University in 2015 with a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. During his writing career thus far, Nicholas has had numerous short stories and articles published in an array of literary magazines and websites.
