Roman Reigns and The Bloodline continue to carry WWE. (Credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
WWE is revamping Survivor Series with the first-ever WarGames edition of “The Big Four” pay-per-view, and the spotlight is directly on Universal Champion Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.
Inside the TD Garden in Boston, Reigns will join the Usos, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn against Drew McIntyre, The Brawling Brutes, Sheamus and Kevin Owens in a highly-anticipated WarGames match that could set the stage for Reigns’ upcoming title feuds. There is also a star-studded bout on the women’s side, with Bianca Belair’s babyface team taking on the heel squad led by Bayley and Damage CTRL.
The format change to Survivor Series—which had become a mundane and outdated concept in recent years—is undoubtedly a welcome one, and as the final major show of 2022, it will be an important one, too. Next up? The 2023 Royal Rumble, which has already broken the record for the largest gate in the pay-per-view’s storied history. The buzz for that flagship event will be through the roof, but it can soar even higher with a strong showing at the reinvigorated Survivor Series.
Here are five smart booking decisions WWE must make at the inaugural WarGames edition of Survivor Series, the first blockbuster PPV change of the Triple H era.
Seth Rollins Loses The United States Championship
Much of Raw’s upper midcard and main event picture has been flipped upside down in recent months, thanks to the reformation of The OC, Bobby Lashley leaning heel, Finn Balor’s heel turn and the seemingly ongoing babyface turn of Rollins. All of these changes have really breathed new life into the red brand, which is still relying largely on Rollins as its top champion because it lacks a brand-specific world title.
Rollins will defend his United States title against the red hot Lashley and a revamped Austin Theory at Survivor Series, which is the ideal time and place to take the belt off Rollins without giving him another big PPV “L.” Lashley is great as the unstoppable heel, and Rollins has become far too likable to be saddled with a midcard title or to be booked as a villain. Likewise, Rollins is above holding a midcard title, especially after all the hard work he’s put in over the past year to elevate stars like Riddle and Cody Rhodes. Theory, meanwhile, is undergoing a gimmick overhaul that should resurrect his career following his awful run—and even worse cash-in attempet—as Mr. Money in the Bank.
WWE can easily cement Rollins as an official babyface at Survivor Series by having him lose the US title to Lashley or Theory in cheap fashion, a move that could either help solidify “The All Mighty” as an antagonist once again or to right the ship with Theory.
Ronda Rousey Dominates
Ronda Rousey’s current WWE run has been, well, to sum it up: Meh. It’s like the luster she had during her initial stint with the company has just—poof—disappeared.
Despite that, WWE reportedly wants Rousey to be a “special attraction” a la Brock Lesnar, which essentially means someone who moves the needle in terms of TV ratings, merchandise sales, and live event attendance. Is Rousey already a lost cause in that regard? One could argue that might be true, but WWE is still reportedly looking to do Rousey vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 39, so Triple H is going to continue to book Rousey strongly.
At Survivor Series, Rousey will face Shotzi in a match that is highly unlikely to serve as a launching pad for Shotzi and is instead probably a way to get Rousey back on track as a dominant star. Rousey has lost a lot of her appeal in 2022, and her aura undoubtedly diminished during her questionably-booked feud with Liv Morgan.
As a result, WWE has some serious image repair it needs to do with Rousey, and that should start with a dismantling of Shotzi—in a few minutes or less—at Survivor Series. Anything different, like a 10-plus minute match, only further damages Rousey’s once sky-high star power.
AJ Styles Topples Finn Balor
WWE, despite signing AJ Styles to a “big money contract” in early 2022, hasn’t really pushed him as a top star over the past two or three years. That seems to be changing a bit with The OC reforming and Styles once again being elevated to a high-profile role.
But as Styles nears the end of his career and continues to perform at an elite level, WWE really needs to make the most out of his incredible talents. Survivor Series feels like a great time to make that happen, too. Styles will be facing Finn Balor in a marquee match that should serve as a relaunch for “The Phenomenal One” as a top-tier singles performer.
Balor and The Judgment Day really aren’t clicking the way one would have hoped, and with the potential of Edge returning to cost Balor the match, the table is set for Styles to pick up a big singles victory in route to a renewed climb up the card. After all, Styles hasn’t won a PPV singles match in three years, which is absurd for a star of his caliber, so he needs a big victory as much as anyone on Raw right now.
Rhea Ripley Stands Tall
Rhea Ripley’s main roster run has been a mixed bag, with a strong start negated by a feud with Charlotte Flair that destroyed her aura and knocked her down the card.
Things seem to be on the upswing for the former NXT Women’s Champion, however. She has been, far and away, the most exciting aspect of The Judgment Day, which has felt like a thrown-together stable more so than a cohesive unit. With Bianca Belair lacking any fresh and formidable challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship, WWE needs to continue reestablishing Ripley as a potential world title contender.
Ripley is doing tremendous work in her role as Dominik Mysterio’s handler, but she needs to back that up with what she does in the ring. Having her emerge from the WarGames match as the heel team’s victor is the ideal way to catapult her to a massive push in early 2023 on the road to WrestleMania 39 and a potential clash with Belair at WWE’s flagship show.
Sami Zayn Costs The Bloodline
The rise of Sami Zayn has been WWE’s most surprising success story of 2022, and his infiltration of The Bloodline continues to be an amazing entertaining story arc that has been significantly better than anyone could have imagined.
Of course, Zayn has been a controversial figure in the top stable, though. He’s the only member of the group not related by blood, and not everyone in the faction—mainly Jey Uso—is on board with that. Given that Zayn was never meant to be part of this group for the long haul, exactly how his seemingly inevitable departure from The Bloodline will play out isn’t clear, though it figures to involve Owens in some way, shape or form.
WWE should ride this feud’s wave of momentum for as long as possible, but at Survivor Series, there is an easy step toward creating even more friction within Reigns’ ensemble: Zayn costs his team the match. Whether it’s Zayn being pinned or doing something that leads to another team member being pinned (ideally Reigns to set up his next challenger), Zayn should be the reason why The Bloodline suffers a rare defeat, mainly because all of the intriguing storyline possibilities it could create.
