Now that the highly anticipated WWE Survivor Series 2023 is completed, we take a look at the biggest takeaways and storylines coming out of the flagship show:
Bayley’s Babyface Turn Is Imminent
The WWE has been teasing a babyface turn for Bayley ever since Kairi Sane returned to the WWE and joined the faction. After Saturday Night’s War Games Match, Bayley is one step closer to becoming one.
Not only did she take a spear that was intended for her teammate Kairi Sane. She also sacrificed herself, taking all of her opponent’s finishers before getting pinned by Becky Lynch in defeat.
In case there were still any doubts, Bayley’s post-show digital exclusive interview about coming up short should all but confirm it:
“There’s no way, there’s no words, there’s nothing I can say that would give you an insight on what I’m feeling right now.” She would continue by saying, “I did everything that I could, and now I just don’t know what else I have left. So I’m gonna go ice my whole body. Maybe you could find my teammates for me.”
The Miz Should Be In More Big Matches
Gunther has been a dominant IC Champion, and while it’s obvious he’s going to close out the year on top, one thing coming out of this match is seeing how good Miz can still be given the proper feud and opponent!
Miz has been booked most of this year in throw-away matches and as someone who is put into a match to lose to put his opponent over. The WWE started changing this trend by giving him a feud and meaningful match in September at WWE Payback against LA Knight but in a losing effort.
Seeing him compete in a title match and continue to stay relevant is a breath of fresh air to his character. While his match with Gunther was good, and losing didn’t hurt him, it would be nice to see him win a significant match soon.
Santos Escobar Continues His Momentum As A Heel
While an Escobar heel turn always seemed to be the eventual plan with the LWO, the legitimate heat he has been getting since turning on Mysterio and the LWO has been impressive.
In a match that was supposed to be Escobar against Carlito, Dragon Lee came in as a late-minute substitute and didn’t disappoint! The match was fast-paced and action-packed. The result was ultimately still the same in an Escobar win, thus giving him more momentum as we prepare to close the year.
Rhea Ripley Beats Zoey Stark, Who’s Next?
While no one believed Zoey Stark would leave Survivor Series as the new Women’s World Champion, Stark did have an impressive showing in a hard-fought, physical match.
It seems inevitable that somewhere down the road, a feud with Becky Lynch will happen, as this is currently the most significant match they can do with Ripley. Lynch won the War Games for her team and is a massive babyface who receives huge reactions whenever she appears.
While this feud could and should happen around Wrestlemania season, if that is the case, Ripley will need some new opponents to feud with, even if they are used just for Ripley to get some dominant wins before we get there with Lynch.
Men’s War Games Main Event Was Big, But Biggest News Came After
The big question surrounding the Survivor Series and Men’s War Games Match was, will CM Punk be in Chicago? The WWE did a great job downplaying Punk being there, going as far as to announce Randy Orton as the fifth member of Cody’s team for the match.
The match was good, and The Viper received a huge pop when he came out. Anyone who was thinking Punk still might show up probably thought differently when Orton, indeed, was the one to come out to help Cody’s Team.
The WWE also did a great job with the element of surprise, even showing their copyright on the bottom of the screen that they usually show when going off the air. Then the music hits, and everyone goes insane! CM Punk is indeed there and is officially in the WWE.
More interestingly was Seth Rollins’ reaction when Punk came out. Rollins had to be held back by WWE personnel and set up what most likely will be one of the biggest feuds you can currently have in wrestling today! Rollins was not quiet on his feelings about Punk returning to the WWE. While reports suggest Seth’s reaction was a work to generate more heat with Punk and a potential big-money match, the reaction was still exceptionally well done by Rollins.
Is Drew McIntyre Still Frustrated With The WWE?
Drew McIntyre expressed frustration earlier this year with WWE because of creative disagreements and the fact that his contract is set to expire in 2024. Since he returned, he’s been carefully placed into feuds hinting at and eventually leading up to his heel turn by joining the Judgement Day.
It appears McIntyre’s anger and frustration came to a head after the War Games. McIntyre was storming out of the ring and up the ramp, holding his face after the match. He left right before CM Punk came out.
As PWMania.com previously reported, Fightful Select reported that McIntyre was legitimately upset after the match, but it was apparently due to things broader than just the return of CM Punk.
While most reports show this could have been a work, too, it will be interesting to see what emerges from this in the next few days and weeks.
