Written By: Alexander Settee
Survivor Series 2010, November 21, 2010, American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Announcers: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, & Matt Striker
After being off the PPV calendar at one point, Survivor Series does end up returning for its twenty fourth edition, although the problems that got it axed in the first place are still here as we have a card that really isn’t special and doesn’t give us much of a reason to care about it more than any other show. At this point it’s just a name, but let’s see if it at least ends up being a good show.
Opening Match, United States Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Ted Dibiase (w/Maryse)
The Setup: Dibiase gave up the Million Dollar Title, basically saying that he wanted to earn his gold, and then attacked Bryan on Raw to setup this match here.
The Action: It goes back and forth for a bit until Dibiase takes over with a suplex to the floor. He follows with a guillotine from the 2nd rope which gets 2 and then continues the beatdown. Bryan comes back, tosses Dibiase to the floor, and follows with a suicide dive. Back in, Dibiase flips him with a clothesline, but then Dream Street is countered by walking the ropes into a cradle for 2. Bryan crotches him on the top and hits a back superplex for another 2. Dibiase then gets a rollup off a slingshot to the post, but Bryan comes out of that and hooks the LeBell Lock for the submission at 9:58.
The Verdict: Daniel Bryan has yet another good match here, albeit nothing blowaway, and also keeps on winning, both of which are combining to get him over. Dibiase seems to be going nowhere of late, and this seems like it’s a done issue in one match. ***1/4
Bryan celebrates his win, but gets jumped by The Miz, who then comes to the ring and cuts a promo running down Miami. He the gives notice that he’ll be cashing in his Money in the Bank soon enough.
Sheamus vs. John Morrison
The Setup: Morrison has taken exception to Sheamus bullying various people around lately and stood up to him on behalf of everyone. Sheamus booted him in the face on Raw to accept the challenge.
The Action: They go at it with Morrison dropkicking him to the floor and hitting a corkscrew plancha. Sheamus takes over by shoving him to the barrier, and gives him an extended beatdown in the ring. Morrison avoids the Brogue Kick and hits an ensiguiri, but can’t sustain anything. Sheamus goes for the High Cross, with Morrison slipping out and slinging him to the post. Again Morrison can’t keep it going as Sheamus starts working over the knee. But at the finish, Morrison escapes another High Cross, avoids another Brogue Kick, and connects with a running knee to the head for the 3 count at 11:14.
The Verdict: Another pretty good match here to keep the show rolling. I’d have figured they would be working on building Sheamus up since HHH’s return is approaching and they’ll likely go back to that feud, but maybe they just have plans for Morrison and if so, that was a good win for him. ***
Cena then meets with R-Truth backstage. Truth offers to arrange for something to “accidentally” happen to Randy Orton in the match later on so that Cena can be freed, but Cena wants nothing to do with that. He claims he’ll call it right down the middle.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kaval
The Setup: Kaval beat Ziggler in a non Title match on Smackdown and then challenged him to the Title match he was entitled to for winning NXT.
The Action: Kaval takes it to him early on until Ziggler turns the tide with a neck snap. He works him over with Kaval getting occasional comebacks, one of which gets thwarted by the distraction of Vickie. Another one sees him hit a moonsault for 2, followed by a solid kick to the nose, which bloodies Ziggler up a bit, for another 2. Kaval breaks the sleeper, misses a corkscrew off the top, but then gets a backslide for 2. Ziggler gets the Fameasser, but that only gets 2 as well. Kaval hits an ensiguiri off the top for another 2. They trade a few more nearfalls, but then Ziggler rolls through a victory roll and gets the 3 count holding the tights at 9:36.
The Verdict: This was another pretty good match, although they seemed to lose the crowd near then end. It doesn’t seem like they’re too strongly behind Kaval, so we may not see him again on PPV in the near future. **3/4
Rey Mysterio (Captain), The Big Show, Chris Masters, Kofi Kingston, & MVP vs. Alberto Del Rio (Captain), Dashing Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, & Tyler Reks
The Setup: Since they brought back the name, they gotta have at least one tag team elimination match, and here it is.
The Action: Rey and Del Rio start, but Del Rio tags out before any contact is made, but then tags in again when Rey is down. MVP is in his hometown tonight, so of course that means he has to get put in his place, getting tripped by Del Rio from the floor on a suplex attempt, and then pinned by McIntyre at 5:35. Del Rio then catches Masters in the rolling armbar for the submission at 6:44. Show comes in and Del Rio wants nothing to do with him. He tags out to McIntyre, but Show hits him with the Big Right Hand anyways. He’s helped to the back, never being officially eliminated, but doesn’t return either. Dashing Cody Rhodes then does a bit where Kofi slaps him and he oversells it to an extreme degree, even checking himself in the mirror to make sure his face is ok. He finally gets back in, and then gets slapped again. Show then gets the tag and finishes him off with the punch at 10:57. Guys trade off for a bit until we get Kofi and Reks with Kofi getting a bodypress for 2, and then booting him on a charge for the 3 count at 15:08. Kofi is then quickly eliminated as Swagger catches Trouble In Paradise and hooks the ankle lock for the submission at 15:55. The heels take a brief advantage, but Swagger soon ends up taking a 619 and splash from Show’s shoulders to end his night at 17:34. That’s followed by McIntyre taking another 619 and a chokeslam to end the match at 18:11. Survivors: Rey Mysterio & Big Show
The Verdict: This was a good fun match and it continued the issue between Del Rio and Rey. Hopefully we’ll get a singles match with them on the next show. ***
Divas Championship Match: Michelle McCool & Layla vs. Natalya
The Setup: Natalya has failed against each of them in singles matches, so to get one last shot she has to take them both on in a handicap match.
The Action: Natalya gets beaten up early until she reverses a double suplex and gets both of them. They go to the floor where Natalya knocks them into the crowd. Back in, she runs Michelle into Layla, and then hooks her in the Sharpshooter for the submission and the Title at 3:36. Laycool tries a double team beatdown after the match, but the returning Beth Phoenix makes the save and runs them off so Natalya can celebrate.
The Verdict: It was short, even by Divas standards, but there was nothing wrong with it while it lasted. ½*
Next we get a commercial featuring The Miz, for Paper Jamz, which seems to be a non-video game version of Rock Band or something. But regardless of what it is, I want to point out that this is now three of the last four PPV’s for which this product has been the primary sponsor (minus the one they sponsored with their own video game). That’s a bad sign for business as it would seem to indicate that they don’t exactly have a lot of companies knocking on their door wanting to sponsor these shows anymore.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Kane vs. Edge
The Setup: Edge won a number one contenders match on Smackdown, and then decided to get in Kane’s head by kidnapping and torturing Paul Bearer. He brings an empty wheelchair with him to the ring to taunt Kane.
The Action: It’s a pretty boring match early on and the crowd isn’t into it at all. They trade the advantage and get a few 2 counts each to almost no reaction. It picks up a bit as Edge counters a chokeslam to an implant DDT for 2. Spear is countered with a big boot and then Kane hits the chokeslam, but Edge kicks out at 2. Kane goes for the Tombstone, but Edge escapes and spears him. He then covers in such a way that both of their shoulders are down with each of them having an arm on the other. The ref counts 3 and it’s called a “tie”, because a “draw” is too old Southern wrestling I guess. Kane retains at 12:50.
The Verdict: It wasn’t a very good match, although the crowd did pop for what was at first announced as a Title change. Of course the Dusty Finish deflated them right back down, but what else would they have expected? Obviously this feud continues, and I couldn’t care less. *1/2
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel (w/Nexus) vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
The Setup: Kozlov and Marella won a number one contenders match on Raw, so they get their shot here tonight.
The Action: It’s not much of a match really. Nexus gets the heat on Kozlov in the corner for a bit while the crowd chants for Santino, which is at least a good sign for him. He ends up getting the warm tag and setting up the Cobra on Slater, but the rest of Nexus distracts him and he gets nailed from behind and pinned at 5:10.
The Verdict: This was kind of a pointless addition to the show as it wasn’t any good and didn’t really help anyone. ½*
The Raw GM then chimes in to remind us that in the Main Event, Nexus is banned from ringside, so he suggests that they leave immediately.
Main Event, WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett
The Setup: After the last PPV, Barrett gets a rematch with Orton and this time he gets John Cena appointed as referee. The stipulations are that if Barrett wins the Title, Cena is free from Nexus, but if he doesn’t, then Cena is fired. It’s also been declared that the match can only end via pinfall or submission.
The Action: They have an extended feeling out process where no one really gain an advantage. Cena’s first involvement is pulling Orton out of the corner when he won’t break which allows Barrett to nail him. He then ends up doing the same thing to Barrett shortly after. The nearfalls start and Cena is counting fairly for both guys, but the problem is that everyone knows it can’t end until Cena does something one way or the other. Barrett keeps getting in Cena’s face about these fair counts. Orton nails the hanging DDT and sets p the RKO, but Barrett escapes to the floor. Orton chases, but Barrett nails him coming in and hits him with Wasteland. He covers, but Orton makes the ropes at 2. Barrett argues this again, and this time he shoves Cena. Cena nails him right into an RKO, and with a brief hesitation, Cena counts 3 for Orton to retain at 15:18. Nexus runs out afterwards, but Orton and Cena fights them off while they get Barrett out of there. Cena then hands Orton the belt and does an extended exit as the show comes to an end.
The Verdict: The match was well below what you would expect from a PPV Main Event, mostly because Barrett isn’t quite at that level, and the stips were somewhat handicapping them as well. Cena was supposed to be fired, but obviously he was on Raw the next night, and it doesn’t seem that he’ll be missing even one week so the feud with Barrett will continue I guess. **1/2
Overall Thoughts: This started out as a really good show, but both of the Title matches didn’t really deliver at all, and as hard as they tried to make the ending a big emotional moment, I didn’t believe for one second that Cena wouldn’t be back immediately, so that part came off as dumb. While the early stuff was good, it’s also nothing that’s must see and so with the disappointments on top following I think that makes it a Thumbs down for Survivor Series 2010.