Aaron’s WWEport – Eye On Survivor Series
It’s been quiet around here lately and with good reason. This year’s wrestling product has been generally horrible. Some of that is based on luck. A lot of big hitters in the WWE have been injured this year, hairy ball of love Daniel Bryan being a huge miss for the company. Some of it has been based on bad decision making, the break-up of their two biggest and red-hot factions being an example. And just the general theme that NXT is doing everything better (especially on commentary, save us Renee Young!). But last night’s Survivor Series was a genuine joy to watch and I have 3 reasons why.
SPOILERS for anyone who hasn’t seen the show yet…
1) Mizdow
The tag division has been getting stronger and stronger for the last couple years now. Too many teams have come and gone, that’s still a problem, but in general the emphasis has improved. Last night’s 4-way tag match for the belts was a lot of fun but one man stole the show.
Damien Sandow has long been a cult favourite, especially with the smarter marks out there. He has never been given a great run, even his Money In The Bank briefcase was even taken off him and given to Cena. But his tireless work and unending commitment has meant that anyone who can see him in action has fallen in love with him.
The Miz is mediocrity personified but he has always been easy to jeer and this current Hollywood gimmick suits him down to the ground.
Their current partnership together is the embodiment of love/hate with the audience but somehow it’s working, partially because The Miz (almost in a mirroring of WWE itself) is sidelining Sandow and making him work endlessly with little or no reward. With Sandow stealing the show, the dynamic can’t last long but should hopefully springboard him into a higher position on the card.
Please, WWE, don’t mess it up.
2) Wyatt vs Ambrose
In an age where CM Punk quits the company because of problems including short sighted booking, it’s almost shocking that the ending of this match was a perfect set-up for the next Pay-Per-View TLC.
These two men are some of the best talent in the wrestling industry right now. Ambrose is exciting, Wyatt is fascinating, both are adored by the audience. The match was going to be great one way or another. It didn’t end cleanly, and while that sometimes can be infuriating to watch, especially at a PPV, they got it note perfect by burying Wyatt in chairs and tables.
Sure, we all got blue balls when Ambrose climbed to the top of the ladder and didn’t jump off (I don’t know if he just didn’t like the look of the drop or if the ref called it off) but it perfectly whetted my appetite for what will be a show stealing match next month.
3) Dolph Ziggler
Speaking of show stealers…
Anyone who has read my reports here knows that I love Dolph Ziggler. He has the ability to be as big as Shawn Michaels was. And you’ll also know that for the approximately 3 years I’ve been writing this column (JEEEEEEEZUS!), my constant complaint is that he has been under used.
Well, you couldn’t level that accusation at WWE last night. He was the MVP in the big Survivor Series match and it was a great match too. One of those moments that really sweeps you up. Or as @WWECreative_ish wrote:
“In case you’re wondering, that feeling you’re experiencing is called “emotion due to a wrestling match.””
Enjoy the spotlight, Dolph. Oh, who am I kidding? The spotlight is just what he calls “home”.
I’m actually excited about tonight’s RAW and I think that’s the first time I’ve felt that way since before the summer. I just hope Larry The Cable Guy doesn’t put a dampener on what should be a big party.