By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
WWE presents the 39th annual Survivor Series tonight in San Diego, California, at Petco Park. As I have said in the past, aside from WrestleMania, this is my favorite of the legacy WWE premium live events. I have fond memories of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Eve watching the traditional 5-on-5 matches. Of course, times have changed. The event is now on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the traditional WarGames matches have become a tradition. I’m not a fan of these matches being quickly slapped together because the show is coming up on the calendar. That said, I think WWE has done a decent job with the build, all things considered. And, for any holes in the build that fans may identify, WWE loaded up the teams with star power with the expectation that stories coming out of the show tonight will give us a hint at where they might be going for WrestleMania. Let’s run down the card!
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Roman Reigns vs. Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar in a WarGames match. The two WarGames matches feel like toss-ups, so honestly, they can go either way. That said, if I’m looking ahead to WrestleMania, I think it would serve WWE well to keep the Lesnar team strong with the assumption that each will be in a high-profile match. In terms of who gets the win and who takes the loss, the logical answer would be Lesnar going over Jimmy Uso. I would hope they would get a bit more creative. Perhaps having one of either Punk or Rhodes lose the fall to whoever is primed to be the next challenger for their respective titles. I’ll also be watching out for potential tension between Reigns and Punk or Rhodes, as well as the dynamic between Breakker and Lesnar. And, in the midst of all this, I’m hoping for a top performance from Reed. He’s been stellar, and I’m hoping when the Vision dissolves, Reed is still positioned a top heel.
Don Predicts: Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar defeat CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Roman Reigns in a WarGames match.
Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and AJ Lee vs. Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Becky Lynch in a WarGames match. First off, despite the quick build, Becky Lynch is doing some of the best heel work of her career. The story is rushed and clunky, but adding her and AJ Lee gave this match a needed boost. I think we’ll see the babyfaces go over with Sane likely taking the fall. I have no concern with the heels losing any heat as a result. Lynch will easily talk herself back up and continue her program with Lee. The Legend/Jax team will be protected, as will the Kabuki Warriors, since Sane has been positioned as the one taking the hits for the team. I expect Bliss or Flair to get the win to set up a tag team title rematch, potentially as soon as Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
Don Predicts: Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and AJ Lee defeat Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Becky Lynch in a WarGames match.
John Cena vs. Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship (in the penultimate match of Cena’s career). We still have a month to go in 2025, but my vote for WWE MVP this year is Mysterio. He has come so far in the ring and on the mic. He’ll likely get a decent amount of cheers tonight, and I hope that WWE doesn’t look at this as an opportunity to turn him babyface. There’s time for that, and I think there’s still a lot of gas in the tank for Dom as a heel, especially should he get his win back over Cena. To that end, Cena has been putting on decent performances down the stretch since he returned to being a babyface, and I expect no different here. The only downside here is that I don’t see Cena going to his last match with the title, so while they could always go in a different direction, there is a little predictability here. Regardless, this one is going to be fun.
Don Predicts: Dominik Mysterio defeats John Cena to regain the Intercontinental Championship.
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Nikki Bella for the Women’s World Championship. In the beginning of the year, I pegged Vaquer to be positioned as a main event star. She has the title, but the star power isn’t there yet. The in-ring work is fine and well-received. The mic work is coming along, but it’s not quite there yet. Nikki is a fine antagonist, but I don’t think her stock is as high as a legend/Hall of Famer as the company perceives it to be. This will be fine for what it is, but I am hoping it’s a one-and-done.
Don Predicts: Stephanie Vaquer retains the Women’s World Championship.
Join Jason Powell for his live review starting with the Survivor Series main card as the show streams at 6CT/7ET on ESPN Unlimited (or Netflix internationally). Jake Barnett will join Jason for a same-night audio review that will be available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Totally agree about the fond memories of the Thanksgiving Night and Thanksgiving Eve era Survivor Series events. To this day, I miss it.