I might be over exaggerating or being a prisoner of the moment but I don't care. As someone who grew up in the 2010's era of WWE, this might be the best Survivor Series ever. And this is coming from someone who got to witness The Authority vs Team Cena in 2014, but from front to back this years Survivor Series might be better. Whether it was the matches, the storylines, the booking, or obviously the shocking returns, this was definitely the best PLE of 2023, and arguably in the new management era under Triple H.
To start off with the Women's War Games match, what a way to start the show. The women put on a match of the year contender not only for the division but for the entire year. And I don't say that lightly considering the Ripley vs Flair & Becky vs Stratus matches that were stellar, not to mention some of the men's matches. But the spots were excellent, the storytelling was great, and the Iyo spot with the trash can might just be my favorite of the entire year. I know they call her the genius of the sky but my god I wasn't expecting that LMAO but thankfully it went well. All in all phenomenal match to start the show. (4.5/5)
Next up is Santos Escobar vs Dragon Lee. This match delivered as expected with both men putting on a nice performance despite the low stakes, and Santos continuing to build his heel character which has been great so far. Not much to say, but solid match and performance from both men, and I hope both can continue their consistency. (3.5/5)
For the Intercontinental Championship match we got arguably the 2 greatest IC Champions of all time going at it, and this match didn't disappoint. I love that Gunther was booked to underestimate Miz and it came to bite him. Miz kicking out of the power bomb was a nice way to make him look strong, and vice versa with Gunther kicking out of the skull crushing finale after the low blow. This match was solid and I wouldn't be angry if this rivalry continued going into the Royal Rumble. (3.75/5)
The final singles match of the night went to Rhea Ripley and Zoey Stark, who both put on a solid performance. Even if this wasn't a highly anticipated match it was still a win win and necessary for both parties. Rhea could use more PLE title defenses and Zoey Stark deserved to show her in ring ability on a higher level as she's one of the best in the business right now. In terms of the match it did what it was supposed to do despite being arguably the worst of the night, but for a PLE this great that's certainly not a flaw as both women delivered nonetheless. (3/5)
For the final match of the night, the men's war games match. I'd like to start off by giving props to whoever produced this match, because not only were the spots great but the order of the entrances were terrific. In a match with stakes this high and the rumors spreading in Chicago, as well as the Randy not showing up bit, crowd control was VERY important. And the order in which each wrestler entered couldn't have been better. In terms of the match, it was what you'd expect from the top superstars on Raw right now, which is excellent in ring performances with chaotic War Games implications to make it even more hectic.
And to get to the main vocal point of the match, the execution of the Randy return was EXCELLENT. At first I was on the ropes with the decision to make Randy seem like he couldn't show up because of the Punk rumors, but clearly it wasn't the wrong decision for reasons I'll get into in a second. But baiting with the cash in to having Randy come out was perfect. And not to go off topic but he's in TREMENDOUS shape so props to Randy lmao. And I know there were rumors that he'd not be able to do the RKO due to the back injury, but as we saw tonight, thankfully it doesn't seem like the RKO is going anywhere. But despite the repetitive Judgment day fued with the baby faces, this match delivered in giving the opposing side the win, and hopefully this was the finale to a long winded rivalry. (4.25/5)
And finally the highlight of the night, and arguably all of the wrestling world for 2023, CM PUNK IS BACK AFTER 9 LONG YEARS!!! I remember watching as a kid every week dying for him to return, seeing all the false rumors, the CM Punk chants, the infamous Paul Heyman promo in Chicago, and many more cruel times. But to see him finally return tonight made me so happy for so many reasons. It shows that Triple H and Punk grew from their differences from long ago. It showed the trust that TKO has in Triple H. And above all that WWE can listen to their fans, something Vince McMahon wasn't great at doing most of the time. This might've been the greatest kept secret in WWE history, ESPECIALLY considering the era of social media we live in so props to all parties involved for keeping it a secret. What a gift for fans as we got 2 of the greatest returns ever back to back, and respect to the boldness of WWE for pulling the trigger.
Here's to hoping that WWE capitalizes on the return of these legends, and it's safe to say the road to WrestleMania 40 will be a chaotic ride. Punk is Back. Randy Returns. McIntyre is furious. Rollins is flipping off Punk. The Truth has set everyone free. NOW WHERE IS LITTLE JIMMY??
