Survivor Series: A Dead Tradition?

[ascott1984]

With the approach of Survivor Series (1 of the big 4) i use to get excited about this time of year. Every PPV had a special feel and sort of a different gimmick with SS being all about survival. A team captain would put together a team of 5 superstars and participate in a 5 on 5 elimination tag match. However it seems over the years that the traditional SS match is falling by the way-side, dwinding down to one match every SS. My question is would anyone like to see an increase in the traditional SS matches on the PPV and does having a matches such as the Bragging Rights tag match take away from SS? Any thoughts?

 

[healyz84]

The way its shaping up, I think were going to see more traditional SS matches than ever this year. With 2 two world title matches set, you have a bunch of wrestlers left over who are just beginning feuds, or are not really doing much of anything at the moment. It is the perfect time for the wwe to showcase its young talent, and quite frankly see how well they perform on a ppv (survivor series match is a good way for this, if there not performing well, can have a quick elimination and move on, so won't be too exposed). Look at the superstars on Raw for example. You have Orton, Legacy, Miz, Swagger, there is 1 team right there. It is good because you have Legacy which has its problems, and Miz and Swagger who are starting to create some animosity between each other but its not at the point of craziness yet. On the other side you would have a team led by Kofi (I think a good chance to show he can be a top guy) with MVP, Mark Henry, Evan Bourne and Primo or someone. I think this could be a very good traditional match. Then you could have 1 match for ecw (regal and his collective with zack ryder vs christian, yoshi tatsu, shelton and like dreamer or someone) and then a match on smackdown. If you end up having 3 traditional 4 on 4 or 5 on 5 matches, I think that would be very solid. You also get a mixture of main eventers and up-and-comers which is always helpful in the match. Throw in a women's match and maybe a Batista/Mysterio match if they don't get put in traditonal SS match, and you got a pretty good card and a reason to be excited for the ppv.

 

[KBeef]

I think it is dying, but it can be saved, dont get me wrong Bragging rights did not help at all. Survivor series should about survival as people should team with people they normally wouldnt tag with for a common goal.
Now its just become one 5 vs 5 match a night its quite sad
hopefully they can do more 5 vs 5 traditional style matches as they were fun to watch .

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

What makes this event special was the unique nature of the event. Back in its infant stages, the Survivor Series was the one time where you got to see your favorite wrestler team together. And there didn't have to be title shots on the card either. It was a case for EVERY wrestler to get some work. Now...the WWE's turned it into just another Pay-Per-View. I like the traditional format with four or five teams. It can work. And should work. And it would be nice to NOT have a WWE title match every so often. That way, it makes the first title shot worthy of watching. One title shot a month is a little much. It needs to be spread out and there should be more events that take away singles matches for the belt.

Of course, the WWE won't do that.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Survivor Series has been shit for years. Every single PPV except the Royal Rumble have become dull and boring and the same exact thing, and it's most likely due to the fact that there are monthly PPVs now. Yes I include Wrestlemania in that statement - it's just hyped up to be bigger and has bigger events around it.

Back to SS though. I remember years ago when I could not wait for Survivor Series. It was awesome seeing a special kind of match and having all these teams and alliances. We just don't have that anymore. Now it's just a regular PPV with one stupid SS match that's always something like 8 on 8 or something.

If anything, Survivor Series is the type of event where you can just put people together. "Hey I don't have a match, I think we should get together and gang up on these guys." There are so many more wrestlers today that these shouldn't be a problem, and WWE always loves to throw teams together so I have no idea why they got rid of the format in the first place.

 

[Leafy]

Survivor Series is a dead concept. You used to see some interesting gimmick matches here and of course the SS tag team matches. But something missing is the unity of those SS teams. They used to have names and was more than just group of faces vs. heels.

 

[beefthelegend]

Personally, i think WWE really dropped the ball on this one.

They could have had a team DX vs. Team Jerishow match at SS to keep that feud going, and allow for proper main events; Taker vs. Punk and Cena vs. Swagger. Now, they've blown up an awesome feud (DX vs. Jerishow), and left two young key guys (punk and Swagger) out to dry.

Predictably we will see Orton, Legacy, and the Miz vs. Kofi, MVP, Henry (and maybe Swagger, maybe Bourne). Then we will see Batista, Punk, Ziggler, and McIntyre vs. Rey, Morisson, R Truth and Matt Hardy. God willing, ECW will make it's return to PPV with The Regal Roundtable and Zack Ryder vs. Christian, Shelton, Goldust, and Yoshi. Throw in the two title matches, and a divas match (Maybe Melina, Gail, K2, and Eve vs. Beth Pheonix, McCool, Layla, and Natalya).

Actually...that doesn't sound too awful bad...still, would much rather see Punk vs. Taker and Cena vs. Swagger...but whatever.

 

[CrazyBeastKing]

It's not exactly dead. Its just kinda gotten a bit stale and they just need to spice it up a bit. If I was creative I wouldnt have even had Bragging Rights but instead, I would've kind of mixed it into Suvivor Series. Raw vs Smackdown vs ECW(yes I would put ECW in there too). Which brand is better? Instead of 3 weeks worth of hype it would be near two months and have the fans be more into it and actually care more about it. All of the matches would be cross branded (except the main title matches) and you could have a Raw vs Smackdown SS match, a Raw vs ECW match, and an ECW vs Smackdown match. Hell, throw in a diva SS match. To me that would be a bit more interesting.

 

[Dre Guevara]

with the sh!tload of superstars in the WWE, Y not bring back the original 4mat? this was how fueds either began, continued, or concluded. I also liked how, one year, they took the survivors of each match on the card & put them on the same team 4 an ultiamte suvivors match, that was cool, all in all, if the WWE wants 2 keep this PPV going on, then they need 2 return 2 the essence of what was once known as the "other" Thanksgiving tradition next 2 Starrcade.

 

[HHHDiedForOurSins]

I think it was a dead concept for a while, but last year was a step back in the right direction, I loved all 3 of the survivor matches, Team Orton v Team Batista and Team HBK v Team JBL were both awesome matches and even the Raw v Smackdown diva elimination match was pretty damn good.

I'm hoping we get at least 3 again this year, they could easily have Team Orton/Legacy v Team Kofi, Batista & Rey leading teams against each other and another divas match, I'll be happy enough with that.

 

[Razor]

It's not dead. It's just evolved.

Think about the main events. Raw is seeing Cena defend against HBK and Triple H. Smackdown is seeing the Undertaker defend against Jericho and Big Show. Those two matches along can carry the card.

So what does that leave the rest of the card? An attempt to get the mid-card wrestlers some face time on the PPV. And I'll tell you how.

Batista and Rey have broken up. Oh, woah is me. However, there are your two team captains. Rey will have Morrison and whomever else, Batista will have Punk and whomever else. Smackdown Survivor Series match right there.

Kofi and Orton are feuding. Kofi leads his own team against Orton, Legacy, and two others that are most likely Miz and Swagger. That'll leave Kofi little room to grab from, but he'll make due. Raw Survivor Series match, right there.

That is assuming that the WWE is going logically, and that these feuds that are brewing aren't to have singles matches that will legitimately leave the Survivor Series matches barren of any real talent.

 

[Wrath]

Yes Survivor Series tradition is dead because tv business have changed so much.

Back in the 80's all of the Saturday Night Main Events were like PPVs to people and seeing Hogan was just like watching a WrestleMania main event. Survivor Series format was working because you had a chance to see all of those wrestlers at the same time. Seeing all wrestler in one night was just something fucking awesome for that time and it was the thing that really made those matches exciting. Right now we have 4 shows and even people like Jamie Noble can even get tv time once in a month and we can easily see 4 vs 4 and 5 vs 5 matches at any time on RAW,SD or ECW. So it's not something really exciting and special anymore everyone can find tv time for himself. It kills the whole excitiment of traditional Survivor Series matches.

That's why the concept of original Survivor Series has died. So they changed the concept and made it like an ordinary PPV.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The mystique of Survivor Series has been dead for a long time now. SS '06 was okay for me, due to the fact I liked the feud that was going on between DX and Rated RKO. I don't think Bragging Rights takes away from Survivor Series. You just have to face the fact that as far as interst and popularity goes, SS is a thing of the past.

 

[Southwind]

The mystique is gone Survivor Series used to be my favorite event bar none the elimination matches were all classics before.

Now the actual match is watered down much more the card is more like a traditional PPV they try the elimination matches but they aren't the same as they used to be.

The last great Survivor Series was in 2005 with Team Smackdown beating Raw and the Undertaker returning.

 

[JBK2008]

I kinda like that the WWE and World Heavyweight Championship matches are set that way everyone else can team up now. The bigger names are being taken up now, so the upper mid carders and such can get some exposure. I got an idea for not 1, but 2 5 on 5 elimination tag team matches.

1.Team Kofi- Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, MVP, Mark Henry, and R Truth vs Team Orton- Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, Batista and Drew McIntyre

2. Team Miz- The Miz, Jack Swagger, Kane, Dolph Ziggler and William Regal vs Team Morrison- John Morrison, JTG, Shat, Matt Hardy and Christian

I think if something like this is done, the Survivor Series Tradition won't die this year!

 

[goodlay]

Well with DX and Jerishow already being locked up in matches, I really don't see what they can do in terms of 3-4 SS type matches. I see only one in Team Kofi vs Team Legacy but I would rather see a straight up no holds barred match with Kofi vs Orton.

 

[JBK2008]

That would be saved for later. The feud needs to be built up a little bit, so putting them in team matches would be a nice way to build it up.

 

[psl19877]

I miss the old days where it used to be nothing but Survior Series matches, where captains would be named then the captains would go out and find there own team mates, not this crap where captains are made and the host picks the teams. What kind of stuff is that??? Survior Series will always be one of my fav. ppv events, but over the last 10 years or so it has gone down hill

 

[goodlay]

That would be saved for later. The feud needs to be built up a little bit, so putting them in team matches would be a nice way to build it up.

Yeah, true. This is the best PPV to help add fuel to the fire between Orton/Kofi. Then the grudge match can be saved for later at TLC.

 

[TheAgeofLegacy09]

I don't think Survivor Series is dying at all.

we had 2 5 on 5 Survivor Series Matches every year except for 2002 (didnt have any) and 2005 (only had 1), and I expect 3 of them this year (1 from RAW, 1 from SD and 1 from ECW).

I would like to see these Survivor Series Matches this year:

RAW:
Team Kofi (Kofi, MVP, Henry & Swagger)
vs.
Team Orton (Orton, Legacy & The Miz)

SD:
Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler & Kane)
vs.
Team Mysterio (Mysterio, Matt Hardy, John Morrison & Finlay)

ECW:
Team Christian (Christian, Dreamer, Benjamin & Tatsu)
vs.
Team Regal (Regal, Kozlov, Jackson & Zack Ryder)

those would be great matches for Survivor Series IMO..

thoughts?